Wuxia: Start with max-level Nine Yang Divine Skill

Liu Qi's face turned pale instantly, and he stammered, "But...but..."

"No buts." Li Fu interrupted him, his eyes sharp as knives. "I'm only asking you, do you want to die, or do you want to live?"

"If you're determined to keep things to yourself, how can people feel at ease?"

Dead people really don't speak.

"Your only way out now is to confess the true identity of the treasure thief so that I can find and catch him."

These words struck Liu Qi like a hammer blow. He saw only an unquestionable solemnity on Li Fu's face.

He gritted his teeth, covered his head with his hands, and squatted down, his voice trembling with tears: "I'll talk... I'll talk, okay...?"

As Liu Qi recounted his story in fits and starts, Li Fu's brows furrowed more and more as he pieced together the whole story of the Jinwei Escort Agency's massacre.

After the escort agency successfully delivers the heavy cargo back, the guards and porters who have risked their lives for a living can finally relax and often choose to unwind.

Drinking, gambling, whoring, and indulging in debauchery are also common occurrences.

A few days ago, Liu Qi was drinking with Zhao Er, a courier from the Jinwei Escort Agency, at a restaurant.

When people drink too much, they often lose control of what they say.

Zhao Er, completely drunk, let slip a story to Liu Qi about a strange incident he encountered while escorting goods.

When the Jinwei Escort Agency was transporting the priceless mutton-fat jade pendant, they came to a desolate place and saw a burly man in black lying by the roadside.

The burly man was nine feet tall, with broad shoulders and a thick waist. He looked weak, and it was unclear whether he had collapsed from hunger or had been ambushed. He couldn't move a single finger.

At first, the escorts dared not go forward. They had seen bandits pretend to be starving or down-on-their-luck people rob caravans before, and they would suddenly kill the people who got close.

However, since the man had fallen by the roadside, they couldn't just ignore him, so they sent several of their most experienced bodyguards to check on him.

Several bodyguards cautiously approached and, seeing that the burly man was dressed in all black and had a black mask around his neck, clearly to cover his face, they became even more suspicious.

They were just about to discuss whether to tie him up and hand him over to the authorities, or to kill him with a single blow.

The burly man suddenly spoke, his voice weak yet carrying a hint of authority.

"I am a member of the imperial court, a military general, carrying out a secret mission. There's a traitor in my camp who drugged me... Rescue me, and you will be richly rewarded!"

The crowd initially did not believe it.

However, an old bodyguard carefully examined the man and vaguely recognized him. He recalled seeing this tall and imposing man from afar at the city gate, dressed in armor, riding a horse, looking majestic and awe-inspiring. He was indeed leading troops.

It was confirmed that he was indeed a general in the imperial army, a very high-ranking official.

Suddenly, no one dared to be negligent.

So the people from the escort agency carried him back to the agency with their own hands, fed him water and food, and took good care of him.

Once the effects of the drug wore off and he was able to move again, the man left on his own, giving him repeated instructions before he left.

"This matter is top secret, involving confidential orders from the imperial court and the military. If even a single word is leaked, you'll lose your head."

The stern and ruthless look in the man's eyes before he left sent chills down the spines of the bodyguards.

"That's how it is... He was drunk and didn't keep his mouth shut, so he told me about it."

As Liu Qi spoke, he shrank back even further.

"I didn't take it seriously at the time. He was so drunk that his tongue was tied in knots. Who knew if it was true? Who knew that the next day I would hear that the entire Jinwei Escort Agency had been wiped out."

They didn't even spare the cook who tended the fire.

I was terrified, thinking the imperial court had sent people to silence me, so I hid in a branch of the Beggars' Sect until you dragged me out…”

"A military general who is nine feet tall?"

Li Fu muttered to himself, already having some guesses in his mind, and immediately pressed, "Do you know who that high-ranking official is?"

Liu Qi raised his head, his voice barely audible: "As soon as that big man left, the people from Jinwei Escort Agency gathered together to discuss this matter. They went out and secretly inquired about it."

The man was nine feet tall, with a broad back and a powerful build—a height most people didn't possess. He was easily recognizable; it seemed to be… one of the four generals in charge of the Iron Prison of Yanzhou, Iron Wall General Dai Yue?

"It's him? It really is him."

Li Fu's expression changed.

"Prison Officer Dai?"

impossible!"

Chen Tao, who hadn't gone far and was keeping watch while listening in, couldn't believe it.

"How could he possibly be a notorious thief who had a life-or-death bond with Cao Yu and was willing to exchange so many treasures for him?"

Moreover, it was under the orders of Magistrate Hong that he poisoned Cao Yu!

No one knew better than him that Cao Yu was already dead, so why provoke the government office by sending a note specifically demanding his ransom?

"That means Cao Yu may not be important at all; he's just a decoy."

This prison officer Dai has ulterior motives...

"not good."

Li Fu was deep in thought when he suddenly realized something.

He ignored Liu Qi and shouted to the surrounding constables.

"Keep an eye on Liu Qi, don't let anything happen to him."

After saying that, Li Fu rode off quickly towards the government office, and Chen Tao quickly followed on his horse.

"Sir, wait for me!"

Upon returning to the government office, Li Fu dismounted and strode into the prison, heading straight for the cell where Cao Mufeng was imprisoned.

The prison door was wide open, and the prison was empty except for a few straws scattered on the ground.

He grabbed the jailer next to him.

Where is Cao Mufeng?

Where is Cao Mufeng, who assassinated Magistrate Hong?!

The jailer, bewildered, trembled with fear: "Reporting, reporting to Your Excellency, it was Officer Dai Yue of the Iron Prison who came with a transfer order to take someone to the Iron Prison... The person has already been taken away."

Li Fu's face darkened, he threw down the jailer, and rushed out the door in the blink of an eye.

Cao Mufeng is likely in grave danger now that he has fallen into Dai Yue's hands. If we don't stop him quickly and let the other party get what he wants, he might just disappear and go into hiding.

"Sir...sir?"

Chen Tao, who had just arrived at the yamen gate, was still confused about what had happened when he saw Li Fufei mount his horse and rush out of the city. He had no choice but to ride after him again.

Riding at breakneck speed, Li Fu had figured out everything about the case and was just waiting to catch the person and verify it.

Ten miles north of the city, the official road turns into a rolling hilly area.

It was late autumn, and the trees along the road were half yellow and half green. The dark clouds on the horizon grew thicker and thicker, and the mountain wind rustled as it swept by, swirling a few withered leaves in the air.

Li Fu took the lead, followed closely by Chen Tao and five or six constables who caught up with him. The sound of horses' hooves pounded on the dirt road like a sudden rain.

Not far ahead, a group of people finally came into view, traveling along the mountain path.

Soldiers led the way, and a steel prison cart stood out in the middle of the guards, its wheels making a dull creaking sound as they rolled over gravel.

Dai Yue rode a tall, black-maned horse, dressed in the robes of a prison official, with a long sword at his waist, and looked calm and composed.

Inside the prison van, Cao Mufeng's limbs were bound by steel handcuffs, and he was severely injured and listless.

"Dai Yue, prison officer, where do you think you're going?"

Li Fu caught up with his horse and pulled it across the middle of the road. His mount let out a long neigh, raised its front hooves, and then slammed them down, kicking up a cloud of dust.