Chapter 21: Using the Tricks of the Tricks VS Using the Tricks of the Tricks
"What's impossible?"
Xu Chong couldn't understand.
"I want to know what Fu Yuanlong did in Canglong County first."
Sun Yourong asked with a frown.
"OK."
Immediately, Xu Chong recounted everything in detail from beginning to end, including the arrangements he had made for the search.
“Something’s wrong!”
Sun Yourong said firmly.
"What's wrong?"
"The deadline he gave you shouldn't be ten days."
"You will be fully recovered in ten days. If I want to catch you, I have to do it within ten days. Any problem?"
"Because ten days is enough to recover, but it only takes five days to regain the ability to move freely!"
Sun Yourong lowered her head slightly, with a look of doubt in her eyes. "Five days later, as long as I don't appear in an open area, it will be almost impossible for ordinary people to find me."
"Five days... My search plan was arranged based on ten days. Fu Yuanlong couldn't have been unaware of this, but he didn't object."
Xu Chong looked a little depressed. "It seems that his original plan was to wait for you to recover before continuing to hunt you down. He never counted on us at all."
I have done so much, but in Fu Yuanlong's eyes I am afraid I will just look stupid and ridiculous.
“Not really.”
Sun Yourong denied it again. "He can certainly continue to hunt me down after I recover, but then things will go back to square one, and his efforts over the past few months will be wasted. And, what if I continue to hide? Will he stay here with me?"
"He wants to take all the credit, so it's unlikely that he'll continue to fight with you... If that's the case, he has other ways to catch you!"
When he thought of this, Xu Chong broke out in a cold sweat and looked out the window suspiciously.
"Don't worry, if he was outside, he would have taken action long ago and wouldn't have waited so long."
Sun Yourong said something comforting.
"That's good."
Xu Chong breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this, but then he frowned tightly, "What on earth is the solution?"
"I can't think of that either."
Sun Yourong shook her head. "But it doesn't matter. As long as I can survive these five days, I can contact the Taiping Dao for help. It won't be impossible to kill him then."
"etc!"
Xu Chong was shocked and asked, "Why didn't you contact me before?"
"At that time, Fu Yuanlong was chasing me very closely and didn't give me any chance to pass on the message."
Sun Yourong replied, "It wasn't until we were near Canglong County that he seemed to be delayed for a while by something, so I was able to get out of his sight and sneak into the county."
"Delay? Is it such a coincidence?"
Xu Chong's eyes flickered and his expression turned grim: "Is it possible... that he did this on purpose?"
Sun Yourong was startled, "What do you mean?"
"You mean..."
Sun Yourong obviously thought of something and her face turned ugly.
"Something went wrong with the Taiping Dao people."
Xu Chong said decisively, "At least, there is a problem with the person in charge of Canglong County. Fu Yuanlong let you into the city just to wait for you to ask for help!"
“…”
Sun Yourong was silent for a moment, and had to agree with this inference, "It seems that the hidden player has defected to Fu Yuanlong a long time ago."
"Hidden piece?"
Xu Chong's heart tightened, "Who? Does he know that you have looked for me?"
"I never thought of involving you, so I naturally won't mention it to anyone."
Sun Yourong glanced at Xu Chong dimly, "His name is Huo Tong. He lives in Huojia Village, three miles east of the city. He is one of the secret agents of the Taiping Dao in Zhanghua Mansion. On the surface, he delivers firewood to the wealthy families in the city, but in fact, he is responsible for delivering information."
"The last time I came to see you, I left the people from Taiping Dao alone and told them through Huo Tong to meet at Zhang Hua Mansion, but I was intercepted by Fu Yuanlong halfway."
"When you think about it, the timing just matches."
Huo Tong...
A hunchbacked middle-aged figure appeared in Xu Chong's mind, "What realm is he in?"
"Sixth level of enlightenment."
"Hmm? Only the sixth level of enlightenment?"
“…”
Sun Yourong was speechless for a while.
In her opinion, Xu Chong had just started practicing martial arts, and the second or third level was the best he could do. Why did he seem so disdainful of the sixth level?
"There's nothing you need to do."
Fearing that Xu Chong would overestimate his own abilities, Sun Yourong quickly said, "I can give up seeking help and wait for my injuries to heal."
"What will you do after you recover? Stay in the Xu residence and take care of your husband and children?"
Xu Chong sneered without any hesitation.
“…”
Sun Yourong was embarrassed and annoyed. It was the first time she met such a shameless person. "I can also continue to escape!"
"Tsk, are you sure Fu Yuanlong will still have that patience in ten days?"
Xu Chong sneered, "If we can't catch him alive, I think a dead Taoist will be enough for him to make back his money."
Hearing this, Sun Yourong also reacted and was a little confused. "What else can I do? I can't..."
You can't really stay in the Xu Mansion to take care of your husband and children, right?
Even if I agree, the Taiping Dao will not agree.
Sun Yourong's pretty face turned red and she secretly glanced at Xu Chong.
"what to do……"
Xu Chong pondered for a moment, and suddenly a bold idea came to his mind, "Perhaps, we can use their own tactics against us..."
…
After daybreak, Xu Chong replaced Liu Er and took over the responsibility of the search again.
The two teams patrolling the streets and standing guard on the city walls were also proceeding in an orderly manner.
When it was Xu's turn in the evening, Sun Yourong was not found.
Nothing special happened after that.
As time went by, Fu Yuanlong never showed up again, as if he didn't take the matter to heart at all.
Day 5.
Supplies in the city began to run short and people complained.
Fu Yuanlong loved his people like his own children and ordered the South Gate to be opened for targeted entry and exit to maintain daily needs in the city.
Day 7.
A hunchbacked middle-aged man pulled a cart and brought six bundles of firewood to the Xu residence.
It was the Taiping Dao's hidden man, Huo Tong.
When leaving Xu's house, Huo Tong discovered the mark, found a ball of paper in the mud under the tree, and turned around to go to the county government office.
"Please look, sir."
Huo Tong handed over the piece of paper respectfully, "The handwriting is the same as last time, it's definitely Sun Yourong."
Fu Yuanlong took it and took a look.
'Send a message to the water ghost, and he will meet at the south gate of Canglong County at 11:00 a.m. the day after tomorrow.'
In addition to a sentence, there is also a special symbol, like some kind of identity mark .
When he saw the word "water ghost", Fu Yuanlong's pupils suddenly shrank.
"The Water Ghost is the leader of all the hidden men in Zhanghua Mansion."
Huo Tong explained, "This person is very secretive. Every time we meet, he is wearing a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat. It is impossible to guess his true identity."
"I know this water ghost... Four years ago, the Lord of the Mansion was stabbed, and the murderer left a note saying it was a water ghost. At that time, he must have been at least at the fifth level of Tongmai."
Fu Yuanlong thought of the record in the Blood Robe Guards file and his face turned unhappy. "Can this Sun Yourong be hired?"
“It’s impossible to tell.”
Huo Tong shook his head. "The relationships behind the eighteen disciples of each generation of Taiping Dao are complicated. This Sun Yourong has only appeared for a short time, and we don't know where she came from yet."
"If you just want to get out of this situation, there's no need to invite such a big Buddha."
Fu Yuanlong touched his chin and asked, "Is she trying to kill me?"
"Maybe, but unfortunately..."
Huo Tong raised the corners of his mouth and said smugly, "This message cannot be sent out."
"Oh, that's right."
Fu Yuanlong smiled and nodded with satisfaction, "If this is accomplished, I will be able to become a sixth-rank centurion. By then, it will be no problem to promote a small flag. The medicine you want will be just a small matter."
"Thank you for your support, sir!"
Huo Tong looked excited, thinking about continuing to show off, and said: "The secret letter was found outside the house of Xu Chong. Is it possible..."
"Stupid! If you were in the same place, would you leave such obvious traces outside your hiding place?"
Fu Yuanlong curled his lips in disdain, "What's more, Xu Chong was the planner and executor of the search plan, and he didn't miss any of the two houses either."
Thinking of Xu Chong's rigorous and diligent work, Fu Yuanlong felt more satisfied.
In his opinion, Xu Chong was the only one in the entire Canglong County who worked sincerely for him and there was no way he could have any connection with the rebels.
"That's what your Excellency said."
Huo Tong wiped his sweat and asked, "I wonder what I'm going to do next?"
"It was not easy to force Sun Yourong to this point, so naturally I had to take advantage of her trick."
Fu Yuanlong curled his lips and took out a small sachet from his arms. "This is the Soul-Loving Incense. You should have heard of it."
"This... Sir, you want me to disguise myself as a water ghost?"
Huo Tong almost burst into tears.
The Soul-Bewitching Incense is the most notorious drug used by the Blood-Clothed Guards. It specifically targets warriors' strength. In just a moment, those who are hit will become worse than ordinary people.
It’s amazing, but the problem is how could he have the chance to drug Sun Yourong!
Even if I disguise myself as a water ghost, I won't be able to find such an opportunity, right?
"It's not like the Soul-Losing Incense has only one use."
Fu Yuanlong showed disdain on his face and said, "Put it close to your body and stimulate it with martial arts strength. Although the effect of the medicine will take a long time to take effect, it will be more subtle and difficult to detect."
"The only downside is that you get caught, too."
"But you can rest assured. Once I'm sure Sun Yourong has been poisoned by the Soul-Losing Incense, I'll have those ordinary people rush forward to give you a chance to leave."
As he spoke, Fu Yuanlong looked at Huo Tong deeply. "How can you want to gain benefits without taking risks? Don't forget that only a living Daozi can bring the greatest benefits to me and you."
Huo Tong struggled for a moment, but after gritted his teeth and took the sachet.
"A villain must live up to the expectations of the adults."
