Chapter 147: Wrong Timing

Translator: Storm in a Teacup

After Zhou Yu’er entered the room, that servant left.

At this time, Shi was on his way to the South Mountain with the Shadow Guardians.

They made use of their martial arts and ran very fast.

Half an hour later, Shi and more than ten Shadow Guardians arrived at the foot of the mountain.

Shi looked at the dark mountain, which was covered in dense jungle.

After a pause, Shi said, “How many roads up the mountain?”

Some Shadow Guardians had been staying there for investigation and Shi contacted them before they arrived. At this moment, all the Shadow Guardians had gathered together, so Shi asked directly.

One Shadow Guardian said directly, “Five.”

“Are there any shortcuts?” Shi said.

“Yes, at the back of the mountain.”

After thinking about it, Shi said, “How many shortcuts?”

“Only one.”

Then, Shi said, “Okay, we’ll take that route.”

The Shadow Guardians had been familiar with the environment there. After hearing Shi’s words, they immediately led him to take the shortcut.

An hour later, Shi and the others reached the top of the mountain.

On the way, Shi stopped for several times, not for rest, but for observation. He observed the rocks and the roads, so there was a little delay.

So, it took them an hour to reach the top.

On the top of the mountain, Shi stopped again.

Shi saw that the hillside was connected to a hilltop on the other side, where there was dense jungle.

Taking the shortcut, they passed through the edge of the jungle, but they did not actually enter the vast area.

The Shadow Guardians didn’t dare to disobey Shi. Although they wondered why Shi didn’t follow Zhou Huan’s path, they wouldn’t ask if Shi didn’t mention it.

Shi observed at the top of the mountain for a long time and he didn’t say much even when he left.

However, Shi stayed at that place for almost an hour, which meant that he had grasped the situation there.

Later, Shi asked the Shadow Guardians who had been there to keep staying for investigation and went back with the others.

No one knew what Shi had found, including the Shadow Guardians who followed him there.

Anyway, the Shadow Guardians didn’t find anything.

When Shi returned to the imperial city with them, it was already early in the morning.

Shi wanted to go directly to Zhou Huan’s mansion. Just then, a Shadow Guardian reported that another murder case happened just half an hour ago in the east of the city!

Shi looked very serious. “East of the city?”

“Yes,” the Shadow Guardian said in a low voice.

Shi said, “Let’s go.”

Even with great martial arts, it would take at least half an hour to get to the east of the city.

When they arrived, Shi found Hu Qingyuan, the Minister of Punishment, was already there.

Shi went over and Hu was surprised to see him. When Hu was just about to kneel down to greet him, Shi slightly shook his head.

So, Hu just pretended that he didn’t see Shi.

A Shadow Guardian with Shi showed the token, so no one stopped them when they went there.

However, no one knew Shi’s real identity except Hu.

The victim was another night watchman. He died in the way as the first watchman, whose blood had been sucked up. There was no blood at all places. The murderer sucked the man’s blood, but didn’t leave any trace on the scene.

Not a single bloodstain was seen on the ground!

Even a real vampire could not do it without leaving any bloodstain!

Frowning, Shi walked around the dead body for a while, but he found nothing in the end.

However, Hu found something in the dead man’s hair.

“Oh? What is this?”

Shi looked over and found there was something in Hu’s hand.

Shi went over. “What is it?”

Hu put that on a handkerchief and then showed it to Shi.

Shi looked at it. “This is… bamboo?”

“It’s like something on a brush pen,” Hu said.

A brush pen was mainly made by bamboo and hair. The thing on the head of the dead man was a bit like something on the pen. It was a small piece of bamboo.

“I’ll find someone to ask if there is paper and brush pens in the dead man’s home,” Hu said at once.

Shi nodded and didn’t say anything.

When he was about to leave, Shi thought for a moment and said, “The night watchman is dead. Be extra careful.”

“I understand.” Shi didn’t want to expose his identity, so Hu saved the honorific title of Shi.

After Shi left, Hu looked at the thing on the handkerchief, lost in thought.

The small piece of bamboo was in the dead man’s hair, but it wasn’t buried deep… If it didn’t belong to the victim, it should be the murderer’s…

Did the murderer do it intentionally or… What did he want to say?

After looking at the little thing for a long time, Hu put it away.

Shi returned to Zhou Huan’s house. He walked around the house and found nothing unusual. Then, he left for Tianji Sect.

After a man was killed the previous night, something also happened in Tianji Sect. Shi was wondering how things were going there this night…

As Shi left the house, a maid was dozing in front of the bed in a wing room.

Then, the maid fell on the bed and go to sleep.

Later, a woman appeared in the room and smilingly looked at the person in bed.

“Aunt, I didn’t expect you’re still in your senses… You still hid something.”

The person in bed didn’t speak and her eyes were fixed on that woman.

That woman smiled again. “That doctor surnamed Zhang asked you to write with a brush. To be honest, I don’t know when you broke off such a piece of bamboo from it. Aunt, you are really something else.”

The body of the person in bed was trembling slightly.

That woman patted the person on the cheek. “Aunt, it seems that I can only increase the doses. Why are you still clear-minded? It’s really not a good thing for your niece…”

The person in bed watched that woman get closer. She wanted to struggle, but she couldn’t move.

So, she could only watch that woman approach her, take out something, and then force it into her mouth…

Less than half an hour later, Shi arrived at Tianji Sect.

Zou Qingyuan hadn’t gone to sleep yet. He seemed to know that Shi would come, so he was waiting there.

Shi didn’t talk any nonsense and directly asked, “Qingyuan, did you send someone to watch the situation on the street?”

Zou nodded. “Yes, but nothing is found.”

Shi puckered his lips. In fact, not only Tianji Sect, the imperial court also sent some people to focus on that.

The one who died the previous night was a watchman. Naturally, they paid more attention to it later.

However, the murderer acted swiftly and wittingly. The time he used to commit the crimes was incredible short.

In addition, for the four directions of the whole imperial city, there were a total of five night watchmen. It was impossible that each of them was followed by a lot of guards.

So, one Shadow Guardian and three ordinary guards were sent to follow each of them not so far away.

Unexpectedly, a man was still killed even if he was protected. The guards who followed him knew he was dead just after hearing the scream.

Shi felt that there must be something wrong with it. The guards went over once they heard the scream. It was just several minutes. How was it possible that they even didn’t see the figure of the murderer!

This was… just so strange!

“Qingzhou, I didn’t think there were ghosts in the world, but now I do. It happened so fast. No one in the martial arts world can do it. It just took the guards several minutes to get there after they heard the sound. How can the murderer kill a man and suck up his blood in such a short time? He even ran away without trace!”

Shi frowned. “There are no ghosts.”

Zou had to smile bitterly.

Shi puckered his lips. At last, Shi said, “I have to leave now. As for Tianji Sect… Qingyuan, take extra care.”

Zou sighed. “Although nothing happened here tonight, I always feel that Tianji Sect has also been involved… I’ll be more careful.”

Shi nodded. When he was about to say goodbye, an exclamation came from outside.

Once hearing that, Shi and Zou rushed outside.

Then, they found where the sound came from. One maid was sitting on the ground screaming and there was a dog in front of her. That dog had been sucked dry, but it was chasing the maid. The maid could do some martial arts, but she was not powerful.

After the maid fell to the ground, the dog rushed over.

Zou hurried there and saved the maid when she was almost bitten by the dog.

The dog was just as big as an ordinary watchdog, but after losing all its blood, it became extremely powerful.

Finally, Zou stabbed the dog’s head with a sword and then the dog died.

Shi’s face had darkened.

The maid was so scared that her face had turned pale.

Zou asked, “Where did the dog come from?”

“I don’t know.” The maid was about to cry. “I just heard some noise and then I saw something rushing to me. I screamed and fought it instinctively, but I didn’t expect that a dog would be so powerful. It almost killed me.”

The maid was still in a state of shock.

Both Shi and Zou frowned.

Later, Zou asked the maid two more questions, but the maid couldn’t answer. Then, Zou went to investigate other things in a rush…

Shi’s eyebrows furrowed.

He went to the dead dog, whose eyes were closed.

After thinking about it, Shi said, “Guard, take this dog to the mansion and let Doctor Zhang check on it.”

“Yes.” The Shadow Guardian answered and quickly left with the dog.

Shi puckered his lips and didn’t stay longer in Tianji Sect…

When he returned to the palace, it was almost dawn. Shi didn’t want the dust on his body to annoy Long. Moreover, he also had contact with the dead.

So, Shi went to the bathroom and stayed in the hot spring for a long time…

When he went back to the bedroom, he saw Long was lying on the bed alone. Somehow, Shi felt… Long was a little pitiful.

Shi really didn’t have the heart to see his lover being so lonely like that!

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