Young master, why not become a corpse immortal?

Chapter 258 Missing
As dawn broke, Lin Jiang finally arrived at the location designated by the Imperial Preceptor.

This place is not very close to Qingniwa, but if you really want to go there, you don't need to travel over mountains and rivers. Just follow the official road and you can get there in about one or two hours.

The village was in dire need of reconstruction. The accompanying caravan had not brought any building tools, nor were any carpenters willing to come from the capital. Therefore, Lin Jiang had to personally go to Qingniwa to raise funds for many matters.

As for whether the prefect of Qingniwa would be willing to lend a helping hand, Lin Jiang had indeed considered it.

He had no idea what the prefect's expression would be like this time they met again, given his arrogant demeanor during their last meeting.

but……

Lin Jiang reached into his robes and pulled out a token.

The token was clearly engraved with the character "Guo".

This was a gift from Boss Guo, who stated that if the governor refused to help, showing this token would suffice.

Of course, this token was not given away for free.

Hidden within it is a magic key; once triggered, Boss Guo will have to take some gold ingots from Lin Jiang's pocket; if it is not triggered, Lin Jiang only needs to return the token to the accompanying merchant.

Lin Jiang was quite confident in his silver tongue and believed he could protect the gold in his possession.

He first found Yana and ordered her to mobilize the able-bodied young men in the team to build a temporary camp; then he found Jiang Jinyue and prepared to go to Qingniwa with her.

Unsure if Li Guang would suddenly appear, Jiang Jinyue had no choice but to stay close to Lin Jiang.

After they finished packing, the two set off along the main road.

The horse gallops swiftly, its hooves thundering.

It is early autumn, the sweltering heat has subsided, and the breeze that blows in brings a touch of coolness.

As the wind grew cool and the sun set, casting a slanting glow that painted half the sky orange-red, Lin Jiang and Jiang Jinyue rode side by side to the gate of Qingniwa.

But as soon as he arrived at the city, Lin Jiang keenly sensed that the atmosphere here was quite different.

Looking up, the imposing city gate of Qingni was tightly closed like iron, with only a narrow side gate open beside the main gate. No matter who entered or left, they had to undergo strict inspection by elite soldiers.

Several elite troops, fully armed and well-equipped, patrolled back and forth below the city, their steps swift and powerful, the sounds of clashing swords and armor faintly audible, displaying an air of readiness for a formidable enemy.

Before the two could even ponder the sudden turn of events, they suddenly saw a large group of people galloping towards them from afar.

The leading officer, seated upright in his saddle, clad in imposing iron armor and gripping a heavy long-handled weapon, charged straight at the two men's horses, pulled on the reins, and demanded in a stern voice:
"Who are you? What brings you to my Qingniwa?"

His voice was aggressive, almost as if he were facing an enemy.

The two exchanged a glance, understanding each other without saying a word.

Dramatic changes are bound to occur here.

Jiang Jinyue hesitated for a moment, then took out the ebony waist token that symbolized her identity from her bosom:

"The Dali Temple in the capital, the moon reflected in the river."

Upon seeing the token, the general's expression hardened instantly. He immediately spurred his horse to approach Jiang Jinyue's side, took the token with one hand, gripped it tightly in his palm, and examined it closely, tracing the fine lines and cold, hard marks engraved on it with his fingertips.

After confirming its authenticity, he quickly clamped the long weapon between his fingers, then held it out with both hands and solemnly returned it.

"You two, please come with me."

After saying this, he flicked the reins and spurred his horse to lead the way.

The surrounding soldiers quietly gathered around, seemingly to protect the two men, but in reality, they firmly held them in the center of the formation.

Although the tokens were genuine, their identities were not confirmed, so they dared not let the two leave easily.

Seeing that the number of soldiers gathering was gradually increasing, Lin Jiang finally couldn't help but speak:
What exactly happened in the city?

"Hmm?" Upon hearing this, the soldier leading the way turned around and looked at him with furrowed brows.

"Since you are officials from the Court of Judicial Review in the capital, how can you be unaware of the current situation in Qingniwa?"

"We've come here to take care of other business," Lin Jiang said helplessly.

The soldier then withdrew his scrutinizing gaze.

"A distinguished guest has been kidnapped."

Although its words are simple, they carry great weight.

Who are the distinguished guests of Qingniwa?
They must be envoys from the Great Yin Dynasty.

The fact that Qingniwa mobilized such a large force suggests that the missing person must be of high status.

Suddenly, the image of a little girl appeared in Lin Jiang's mind.

Although we only met once, I still vividly remember its lively spirit.

It's highly likely that it's her.

Upon reaching the foot of the city wall, the two followed the soldier leading the way through a narrow side gate and finally stepped into the city walls of Qingniwa.

The streets have lost their former bustle. Although vendors can still be seen setting up stalls to make a living, the atmosphere of the market is not as lively as before.

Passersby all looked listless, and when they stole glances at the soldiers, their eyes betrayed their fear.

It seems that after the disappearance of that distinguished guest from the Great Yin Dynasty, the anxious soldiers caused a lot of trouble for the people in the city.

The guards who led the way settled the two men next to a teahouse and then ordered them to wait quietly.

Seeing the two sitting there listlessly, the soldiers brought them some tea and snacks.

The two ate in silence until their bowls and plates were almost empty, when they caught a glimpse of a familiar figure rushing towards them.

The visitor was none other than the adjutant of the prefect of Qingniwa.

The one who dealt with Lin Jiang before.

Upon seeing Lin Jiang's face, the adjutant's steps suddenly faltered.

Lin Jiang clearly saw the adjutant's face change several times: first he was deep in thought, then he was so shocked that he gasped.

The adjutant suddenly turned and fled in a flash.

Lin Jiang: "?"

What is this? Last time at least they greeted us with a smile and pretended to be friendly, but this time they didn't even bother with formalities?
He was puzzled, wondering how long these people would leave them hanging there.

After waiting a while, Lin Jiang suddenly saw a group of guards approaching from a distance, followed by an old man who looked somewhat familiar to him.

That figure...

Governor Lü of Qingniwa!
Governor Lü recognized Lin Jiang at a glance, and his face immediately lit up with joy. He rushed over to Lin Jiang in a few quick steps.

Lin Jiang was about to bow with his hands clasped when Governor Lü reached out and firmly grasped his wrist.

"Oh dear, Lord Zhu, it's been so long since we last met. I've missed you dearly."

Lin Jiang: "?"

Are we that close? Aren't you being a little too enthusiastic?
"How can I entertain you two in this shop? Come, come, quickly follow me back to the governor's mansion." Governor Lü smiled broadly, pulling the two men toward the governor's mansion. Lin Jiang couldn't help but force a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"Lord Lü, you didn't have this attitude last time."

Upon hearing this, Governor Lü immediately raised his eyebrows and glared fiercely at his adjutant beside him:

"Last time, this kid was foolish and neglected you two."

Having finished speaking, Governor Lü immediately ordered his adjutant:
"You don't need to come anymore!"

The adjutant immediately put on a fawning smile, then turned and hurriedly fled.

Lin Jiang watched this scene without saying a word.

If we really wanted to punish this adjutant, we probably wouldn't be seeing him today.

Since he can still come out to work, it is clearly Governor Lü's pretense of magnanimity.

However, putting on an act is ultimately just a posture, and Lin Jiang still couldn't understand why the other party had changed so abruptly.

Following him, the two soon entered the governor's mansion.

The mansion was bustling with people, and many servants were busy running around with their feet barely touching the ground.

Once Governor Lü was seated in the main seat, he immediately put on a smile:

"Have you two come here on orders from the capital to assist Qingniwa?"

"That's not the case," Lin Jiang shook his head directly.

"Oh? So you two have come here..."

Governor Lü looked puzzled.

"There's a reason for this." Lin Jiang briefly explained that the Lan Ke people wanted to establish a village in this area.

After hearing this, Governor Lü waved his sleeve:
“This matter is easy to handle! I will immediately send someone to handle the official procedures. When the time comes, the young master can travel with the documents, and no one in Qingniwa will bother him.”

At this point, a hint of embarrassment crept into Governor Lü's smile:

"However, regarding the matter of the carpenters... I am truly unable to offer any assistance. Now that a sudden change has occurred in the city, all the people must remain calm. If a large number of carpenters were to leave the city, the distinguished guests of the Great Yin Dynasty would certainly be dissatisfied."

That makes sense, and Lin Jiang can understand it.

"Upon entering the city, I heard the guards mention the disappearance of our distinguished guest."

"Alas," Governor Lü sighed regretfully, "Does the young master know how many people the Great Yin has sent this time?"

"I certainly don't know that."

"There are seventy-eight servants, forty-six carriage horses, and twelve accompanying officials, but none of these people are important. What is important is Ao Cheng. He is a prince of the Great Yin Dynasty, of noble status, and has come to our Great Xing with the important task of establishing diplomatic relations. However, he brought his daughter with him this time, but the little girl is missing."

"Doesn't she have any guards with her?"

Lin Jiang frowned.

The last time I saw Ao Xichun, Ao Ning was always by her side.

Although the exact level of cultivation is uncertain, only Liang Huashan could see through Ao Ning's disguise, so he must have at least reached the sixth level of the Guardian of Fate, or even the Star Point.

How could such a guard get lost?

"Yes, their own bodyguard Ao Ning is a Star-level cultivator, but the problem is that on the day of the incident, Ao Cheng was out patrolling when a group of assassins suddenly attacked him. Ao Ning killed the assassins with his sword. But in just a short while, when he returned, the little girl was gone."

At this point, Governor Lü pressed his hand to his forehead:
"If we really can't find Ao Xichun, then Daxing will definitely become enemies with Dayin, and I will become a sinner for all time."

Lin Jiang thought of that little girl, but before he could say anything, he felt a commotion in his sleeve.

The ginseng sprouted its head directly:
"Ao Xichun?"

"Correct."

Governor Lü also saw the little fellow. He guessed that it was the young master's pet, so he answered accordingly.

"She's missing?"

"It may have been kidnapped."

"What! There are such wicked people!" Little Ginseng roared in anger. "This won't do! We must catch such wicked people! We can't let them get away with it!"

Lin Jiang chuckled, pressed down on the ginseng's head with his hand, and gently rubbed it a couple of times:

"Yes, we can't let such a bad person get away with it."

Upon hearing Lin Jiang's words, Governor Lü immediately perked up:
"Young master, would you be willing to help?"

"This matter is of great importance, and I will do my best to handle it."

"If you are willing to help, as long as I am still the governor after this matter is over, I will do my best to help you establish a village and town in this area."

Lin Jiang waved his hand, indicating that he would not take the bait offered by Governor Lü for the time being.

He only asked one question:
Was there anything unusual at the scene?

To be able to snatch someone away from under the nose of a star out of nowhere is definitely no ordinary feat.

"At the time, we didn't notice anything unusual. There was just a thick fog that day, which blocked out the surrounding area, but that shouldn't have mattered to Dianxing."

Dense fog?

Upon hearing this, Lin Jiang frowned.

The fog in Daxing is no ordinary fog.

The problem probably lies in this fog.

Just as Lin Jiang was thinking this, footsteps suddenly came from outside the hall.

Turning my head, I saw the guard from before hurrying in.

“Your Excellency, there is a kite here; someone must have sent a message.”

He opened his hand, and there lay a paper kite quietly in his palm.

Before Governor Lü could say anything, the kite took flight and landed on Lin Jiang's shoulder.

Lin Jiang could clearly hear Zhiyuan muttering something in his ear, and his expression turned slightly strange.

"Lord Lü, is anyone from your party going to Beizhen?"

"Beizhen is quite far from Qingniwa, I've never been there... You mean, where is he?"

"Not necessarily. But it's possible."

Lin Jiang stared at the paper kite in his hand.

A group of assassins armed with concealed weapons are searching for the Great Yin Emperor.

There is probably some connection.

(End of this chapter)