Madmen don't keep diaries

Chapter 529 Chapter 528 The lantern holder

Looking in that direction—Shunzi couldn't see anything.

The nights in Fornes were so dark that the haze from the factories completely obscured the moon, and once the streetlights were turned off, there was hardly any light on the streets.

But Feng Xiuhu could see; the night gave him black eyes, and the power of shadow also gave him the ability to see in the dark.

He saw a person crouching motionless on a rooftop in the distance, their pale skin blending into the darkness.

Shunzi spoke up: "Big brother, we should go get the gun."

Fang Youliu left after giving his instructions, leaving only Feng Xiuhu and Shunzi standing at the street corner.

Feng Xiuhu replied absentmindedly, "Do I have to go with you? You go by yourself."

"what?"

Shunzi was taken aback: "Then what should I tell the police? Should I say that I am Ye San? Will they give me back?"

Feng Xiuhu said irritably, "Do you think they can be trusted?"

Shunzi thought it couldn't be, and then asked hesitantly, "Then say that Abbot sent me?"

Feng Xiuhu said impatiently, "Do you really have to argue with them? Just take it directly. It's all your own stuff anyway. You're not stealing or robbing, so what's there to be afraid of?"

Shunzi was worried that asking any more questions would anger Feng Xiuhu, so she quickly agreed and turned to run in another direction.

Feng Xiuhu gazed into the distance, gently stroking his cane. His body slowly sank down, disappearing into the shadows.

……

On the rooftop, Hua Changrui remained motionless, like a silent sculpture or an owl waiting for its prey.

After an unknown amount of time, his ears twitched slightly, and then he slowly opened his eyes.

My gaze was fixed on the end of the street, where a figure was hurrying towards me.

The figure was dressed in a common men's long gown, and perhaps because he was confident that he would not be noticed at night, he did not cover his face.

But for the owl-men, this was tantamount to carrying a torch in the dark, not to mention that Hua Changrui was a cultivator—the fine hairs on that man's face were clearly visible.

Shen Morou is the daughter of Shen Tiankuo, the commander of the Yu'ai Prefecture camp of the Daxuan Army.

It's definitely her.

Hua Changrui exhaled slowly, his figure transforming into a shadow, moving along the wall to the street, following Shen Morou.

Shen Morou's expression was gloomy, and her brows furrowed with seriousness.

During her journey, she would occasionally stop and look back, observing for a moment before continuing onward.

Tonight, bandits entered the city. Although the riots have subsided, the matter is serious, and the city's police are searching everywhere.

But Shen Morou always managed to evade the police with practiced ease, clearly indicating that this wasn't the first time she had done something like this.

More than ten minutes later, Shen Morou stopped in front of a simple house.

She looked around again to make sure no one was following her before taking out her keys, opening the gate, quickly walking into the house, and then closing the door behind her.

Before long, an oil lamp was lit up inside the room.

A shadow lingered in the courtyard.

A moment later, Hua Changrui's figure slowly emerged from the shadows.

He first glanced around the courtyard to check for any problems before quietly walking to the door.

Tuk Tuk.

There was a gentle knock on the door.

Click.

The sound of a bullet being chambered immediately came from inside the house, followed by Shen Morou's wary question: "Who?"

Hua Changrui uttered in a deep voice: "Those who carry lanterns in the darkness do not see the road, but the price of the dead."

Shen Morou's breath hitched, and she instinctively cried out, "The Ghost Lantern Society!?" Bang bang bang!
Her reaction was incredibly fast; the bullet had already pierced the door panel by the time she finished speaking.

Unfortunately, it had no effect on Hua Changrui. His body pressed against the door, becoming a shadow, allowing the bullets to pass through.

When the magazine was empty, the shadow squeezed through the crack in the door. Hua Changrui saw Shen Morou pushing open the window, preparing to escape through the window.

Hua Changrui flipped his palm, and several leaf-shaped blades appeared between his fingers. With a burst of wrist strength, he threw them, and the blades flashed with a cold light, heading straight for Shen Morou's back.

Hearing the whooshing sound, Shen Morou knew danger was approaching without turning around. Without thinking, she ripped off the bracelet from her wrist.

hum!
A burst of golden light erupted, and all the leaf blades melted away.

Hua Changrui squinted and sighed, "A magical artifact from the Xi Jun Temple? No wonder she's the daughter of the Admiral; she certainly has some background."

However, this one-time use magic weapon can only save lives, but cannot stop the pursuit.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Shen Morou jumped out of the window. Before she could even stand up, Hua Changrui had already made a hand seal and activated the spell—the shadow under Shen Morou's feet suddenly "came to life" and coiled up like a snake.

Caught off guard, Shen Morou tripped and fell just as she was about to run away. Shadow took the opportunity to bind her tightly.

Hua Changrui calmly leaped out of the window, his gaze sweeping over Shen Morou.

Shen Morou's gaze towards him was far more complex: "The Lantern Bearer of the Ghost Lantern Society... your mission is to kill me, not Abbott?"

Hua Changrui nodded slightly: "That's right."

Shen Morou smiled bitterly: "I understand. Wei Su'e has a big appetite. She is not satisfied with just the death of one Abbot. What she wants is to completely push the Da Xuan Army to the opposite side of the foreigners."

Hua Changrui didn't respond: "Since you know about the Ghost Lantern Society, you should also know its rules—I don't know who the employer is; I'm only responsible for collecting debts."

Shen Morou laughed self-deprecatingly, then closed her eyes: "Come on, I admit it."

It was rare to encounter someone so sensible, and Hua Changrui smiled with satisfaction.

He pulled another razor blade from his waist, ready to slit his own throat.

Suddenly, a hand reached out from the side and grasped Hua Changrui's wrist: "Wait a moment."

Hua Changrui was terrified and instantly dodged and jumped back to create distance—but while he was in mid-air, the shadow beneath him suddenly "came to life" and quickly bound his hands and feet.

Hua Changrui lost his balance and fell headfirst to the ground. Ignoring the pain, he looked up in surprise at the uninvited guest: "How could you—"

Feng Xiuhu rubbed his fingertips with interest: "This move is quite interesting. I've never seen anyone from the Church of the Night use it before."

Shen Morou stared blankly at Feng Xiuhu: "How come it's you?"

"That's what I should be asking."

Feng Xiuhu squatted down and pinched Shen Morou's face hard with his hand—a layer of powder came off his fingertip.

Shen Morou came here to do her makeup. She had just applied a layer of dark foundation to her face and was interrupted by Hua Changrui before she could proceed to the next step.

Feng Xiuhu patted her cheek: "Who can connect a notorious bandit leader with a delicate rich girl? You agree, right, Hei Sanniang?"

Shen Morou bit her lip: "Stop talking nonsense and untie me."

Feng Xiuhu rolled his eyes at her: "I never said I came to rescue people."

Hua Changrui's eyes lit up: "Then release me."

Feng Xiuhu gave him a dismissive look: "No way."

Hua Changrui was puzzled, thinking to himself, "Why is this person not taking sides?"

Feng Xiuhu said, "Because I hold grudges."

Hua Changrui was even more confused: "Do we have a grudge against each other?"

Feng Xiuhu nodded seriously: "Yes."

"I helped you this morning, but you didn't say thank you."

(End of this chapter)