I Can Devour Spirits

Chapter 124: Chapter 124: Escorting the Caravan

Ximen Kankan watched as Qin Chong’s figure disappeared at the door, his eyes flickering.

The Dragon Flame Fat actually originated from the Western Regions!

The Western Regions, which is the territory of the Dharma Image Sect!

Moreover, even old Qin had never seen this Dragon Flame Fat before. It must be an extremely rare substance, and likely its applications are very few. If it was widely used, there’s no way old Qin wouldn’t have seen it.

”Crimson Training Child? ... Could this guy be a wanted criminal?” Ximen Kankan rubbed his chin, recalling Duan Rong’s enigmatic expression, and felt a sense of foreboding. He muttered to himself, ”It looks like the medicine that big brother wants to buy indeed has some complications!”

Ximen Kankan jumped down from the tall, wide chair, walked with his hands behind his back in the hall, and said with a serious expression, ”No, I have to warn old Qin Chong again, and make him swear an unbreakable oath!”

Thinking of Duan Rong’s threat, a flash of fear arose in Ximen Kankan’s heart!

Fan Yuanhai initially thought, after he reported to the sect, they would summon him back through a letter!

Thus, he lingered around the pleasure quarters every day, but now he received an urgent dispatch asking him to investigate the case. Fan Yuanhai immediately pulled himself together and began contemplating the enigmatic case of Xu Ruhu and Jie Lei!

Although he confronted Jie Daohan in the back hall of the County Government Office, accusing him of being the mastermind!

That was just to vent his anger. In fact, upon careful thought, the first person to be ruled out is Jie Daohan.

Not to mention, would he murder his own nephew!

If Jie Daohan were truly the mastermind, after killing Jie Lei and Xu Ruhu, he could have buried the bodies and destroyed the crypt!

Why would he expose himself and bring the forensic doctor to inspect the bodies in the crypt?

As the Chief Constable in charge of criminal cases in the county, he could easily cover up such traces.

This alone rules out Jie Daohan, moreover, Jie Lei is the only heir of the Jie family!

Now, with the Corpse Rot Poison and Whale Tiger Gang line being pursued by Jie Daohan, there’s no need for him to get involved!

After all, Jie Daohan is the local tyrant of Xianggu County, and as they say, ”a snake has its road”, Jie Daohan has his ways of tracking down leads!

What Fan Yuanhai needs to do now is to investigate other clues and see if he can identify any suspicious individuals.

Fan Yuanhai looked at the four gruesome portraits in his hand; these images were so striking that anyone who saw them once would never forget!

Fan Yuanhai pondered and decided to start with the four portraits and the medicine name ”Dragon Flame Fat”!

After all, the information urgently dispatched from the sect must have its purpose!

Perhaps, by following these two leads, he could identify some suspicious individuals.

With a plan in mind, Fan Yuanhai left the Spring Breeze Inn and headed straight to the herbal shop on West Main Street. As he entered the door, a clerk immediately greeted him enthusiastically, ”Customer, are you here to get some medicine?”

”Who is in charge of this shop?” Fan Yuanhai stood at the entrance, hands behind his back, asking in an unfriendly tone.

The clerk was slightly stunned and hadn’t yet reacted when Ma Chu came out from behind the counter, saying, ”I wonder what instructions the customer has? The shopkeeper is in the back hall warehouse! I am the most experienced clerk here; you can also tell me your business!”

Fan Yuanhai directly revealed the Taiyi Order, asking, ”Do you recognize this order?”

Ma Chu was startled and immediately knelt down, saying, ”This humble person greets the Imperial Envoy!”

The clerks in the shop, unsure why Ma Chu suddenly knelt, saw his terrified expression and were immediately intimidated into kneeling as well.

Fan Yuanhai’s face turned solemn and he coldly said, ”Good that you recognize it! Bring your registration ledgers; I want to check the details of the past half-month’s transactions in the shop!”

Ma Chu said, ”Please wait, Imperial Envoy! I will go to the back hall to notify the shopkeeper; the ledgers are always managed by the shopkeeper!”

After speaking, Ma Chu quickly went to the back hall. After a while, an elderly man with gray hair came out and personally led Fan Yuanhai into the back hall!

Ma Chu instructed the clerks in the main hall to handle business carefully and he himself followed into the back hall!

Fan Yuanhai quickly scanned the ledgers, not finding any entry for a medicine called Dragon Flame Fat. He closed the ledger, looked at Ma Chu, and said, ”Has anyone inquired about a medicine called Dragon Flame Fat?”

”Dragon Flame Fat?” Ma Chu shook his head. ”Our shop does not have this medicine, nor has anyone asked about it!”

Upon hearing this, Fan Yuanhai sighed slightly, for he could see Ma Chu was not lying.

”This matter involves a major case. If anyone inquires about this medicine, it must be reported immediately! Any concealment will be treated as harboring!” Fan Yuanhai said coldly, ”And if this matter leaks out without reason... mind your heads on your necks!”

After finishing, Fan Yuanhai closed the ledger and left with a flick of his sleeve.

The old man and Ma Chu exchanged worried glances. Business people fear nothing more than unrest, and this visitor was an Imperial Envoy from the sect...

At the Yuan Shun Escort Agency, in a cramped dormitory in the middle yard.

In the dimly lit dormitory, the small flame of the oil lamp flickered and cast dreary light.

The cramped dormitory was empty, with only a wooden basin in the corner, filled with what seemed like unwashed clothes.

Suddenly, the clothes began to slowly bulge, like dough rising...

Soon it bulged over the edge of the basin, and gradually, it began to expand!

And it kept on expanding!

Simultaneously, the sound of firecrackers popped loudly!

Next, the crackling sound of bone joints grinding could be heard!

A lump of flesh swelled from the basin!

The lump expanded in circles, twisting and turning...

A few breaths later, the lump of flesh turned into a robust, dark-skinned teenager!

It was Duan Rong, who had just begun to master the Bone Shrinking Technique.

Looking at the empty basin at his feet, Duan Rong exhaled a turbid breath. He had finally managed to grasp this strange technique before setting out on the escort mission.

This way, he had one more means of protecting his life on the road!

Recalling the past ten days of painstakingly training the Bone Shrinking Technique, it was like scraping bone and extracting tendons. Even with a heart as steely as Duan Rong’s, thinking back to it made his scalp tingle!

It was definitely a hellish purgatory!

Over the past ten days, Duan Rong devoted almost all his time to cultivating the Third Level of Inner Breath and the Bone Shrinking Technique!

Though he was still far from achieving the Third Level of Inner Breath, the intense practice over these days had elevated his Inner Breath significantly, at least much more robust than when he achieved the Second Level.

In addition, during these days, every night before sleeping, Duan Rong would devour a saber technique of the Minor Success Realm!

After accumulating for over ten days, he had almost absorbed and assimilated about a dozen various saber techniques!

However, Duan Rong didn’t have the time to thoroughly analyze these saber techniques; he absorbed them, gained a little understanding, then set them aside!

Time was tight, and as for devouring and integrating different saber techniques, he had no mature ideas. This aspect would have to be left for later, to be explored slowly...

Tomorrow would be his first day on an escort mission, and Duan Rong felt a hint of excitement. He would finally step out of Xianggu County and experience the real Jianghu!

Also, he could change out of the short attire and wear the Escort Master’s attire!

Thinking of this, Duan Rong stood in the cramped room, feeling a bit of anticipation...

The next day!

At dawn, an escort team departed from the gates of Yuan Shun Escort Agency!

Eight massive iron-locked chests were placed on four two-wheeled carriages, netted securely with hemp ropes!

Duan Rong, wearing Escort Master attire, rode a chestnut horse in the team. Due to his excitement, he had some insomnia last night, and now his head was still a bit groggy!

Swaying slightly, Duan Rong rode his horse and couldn’t help but yawn...

Xiao Yu, riding beside Duan Rong, saw his sluggish demeanor and glared at him fiercely!

Duan Rong immediately perked up, straightening his back. He was now an intern Escort Master, and Xiao Yu would be his mentor, so he needed to leave a good impression.

Duan Rong initially thought Xiao Yu would dress like a female warrior, wearing a hat with a veiled brim as seen in martial arts dramas!

But Xiao Yu had her hair tied up and also wore Escort Master attire. With her sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, riding a horse with a saber, it was hard to distinguish her gender!

The escort team did not leave the city directly!

Before setting out, the escort team customarily visited the City God Temple to worship the City God, praying for safety and peace for the people and goods along the way, a long-standing tradition of Yuan Shun Escort Agency!