CHAPTER 625: CHAPTER 408: NOT A SINGLE SURVIVOR (PART 1)

Ran Yan’s heart tightened as she asked, "Where are they going to hunt down the criminal?"

The guard hesitated for a moment before bowing and saying, "Please forgive me, Lady Liang, this is official business, and I dare not speak out of turn."

Knowing that further probing would be futile, Ran Yan immediately mounted her horse and led her guards towards the southern area where taverns were clustered to search.

Having been scorched by the noon sun, the area around Qujiang felt like a steaming cage, the air thick with the scent of grass and trees, making it hard to breathe. Ran Yan felt bouts of dizziness.

As the sun gradually set, all the guards looked at Ran Yan with utmost respect. In such weather, being outdoors for half an hour felt like being soaked in water, and even they were nearly at their limit. However, Ran Yan had persevered until now.

Seeing that everyone was visibly exhausted, Ran Yan allowed them to drink salty water at a small tavern and rest for the time it took to drink a cup of tea.

As dusk approached, the Team Leader reminded her, "Lady, it’s getting dark. If we don’t return soon, the city gates will close."

Ran Yan frowned. They had been searching for more than two hours and had only heard of a sighting from a passerby, and that was near a forest. She pondered for a moment and asked, "Have the people from the old mansion arrived?"

"They have arrived, in batches, so as not to alarm the Government Office. A total of 240 people in three groups; the first group of 100 is about a quarter-hour from arriving," the Team Leader replied.

"We must find the Marquis and ensure he is unharmed before we leave," Ran Yan stated definitively.

Xiao Song’s observational skills were very sharp, whether towards people or situations, so it was not easy for anyone to act against him. However, out of his forty guards, he had assigned thirty to Ran Yan, leaving only ten by his side. If Sun Zhen truly intended to kill, he might find an opportunity to strike.

Ran Yan believed that Xiao Song would not be easily manipulated, but in case the manpower around him was too weak and he needed someone to rescue him in an emergency, missing the opportunity would be something she could never forgive herself for.

The Team Leader bowed and replied, "Yes!"

"Wait for the people from the old mansion to arrive, and then we’ll enter the forest together," Ran Yan dismounted and found a tea house to drink some cool water and alleviate her heatstroke symptoms.

After sitting for a while, the guards from the old mansion arrived. Ran Yan ordered twenty people to investigate each tavern, and if they discovered anything, unless it was a matter of urgency, they were not to act hastily but to immediately send someone to inform them.

About a hundred people, carrying torches, entered the forest. There was still some light in the sky, and taking advantage of this, they began searching for traces on the ground. The lush plants would surely show traces if many people had passed through.

Since the attack had begun, the Team Leader had been watching Ran Yan, whose calmness and endurance he found he couldn’t match. Thus, when Ran Yan decided to join the search, he did not stop her.

Ran Yan suppressed the irritation in her heart. Most of the time, she relied on Xiao Song, but she was not helpless without support.

"Lady! We’ve found a trace!" a guard called out.

Ran Yan said, "Send a few to scout ahead, and we’ll follow."

The sky grew darker, and the forest was dense. The sporadic moonlight that filtered through did little to illuminate their path. The people in the front lit their torches.

The insects in the bushes rustled like rain, and everyone tried to keep their movements as light as possible. Fortunately, since Qujiang was enclosed inside Chang’an City for people’s recreation, no fierce animals had been spotted, so there was no need to worry about animal attacks.

They walked silently for about a half hour when the scouts suddenly came back and whispered, "Lady, Team Leader, there are buildings ahead—several taverns. However, the footsteps are very chaotic; nearly every back door of these taverns has footprints."

The people of the Tang Dynasty loved their wine, so at a recreational place like Qujiang, nearby taverns were densely packed, cheek by jowl, and they never lacked for business.

"I’ll go take a look," Ran Yan urged her horse forward, and the Team Leader motioned for twenty or thirty people to follow.

As she drew near, Ran Yan dismounted and approached on foot, considering that a horse is not a human and might inadvertently make a noise with its snort, potentially revealing her presence.

Ten yards ahead, there were three taverns, each separated by about a dozen yards, their noise of strings and bamboo music clearly audible from where she stood. Indeed, as the Guard had mentioned, the footprints on the ground were very chaotic, with tracks leading to the back doors of each tavern.

Ran Yan crouched on the ground, carefully examining the footprints in the moonlight. There were subtle differences; the overlapping prints allowed Ran Yan to clearly discern which had been made first and which later, enabling her to determine which tavern they had ultimately entered.

Having inspected a few yards further and observed the atmosphere of the three taverns, Ran Yan concluded that the officials from the Ministry had entered the one on the far right.

"Gather some people and bring over those who have arrived at the old residence," Ran Yan instructed, pausing before turning to the Team Leader, "Find me some men’s clothing."

"Yes!" the Team Leader responded.

Where in the woods could he find men’s clothing? The Team Leader had no choice but to grab the weakest-looking member of their group and order him to take off his outer garment.

"Lady, the conditions are limited; I could only find worn clothes..." the Team Leader touched the clothing with both hands, thinking Ran Yan might disdain them, but before he could finish speaking, Ran Yan had already grabbed the clothes and darted behind a tree that required two people to encircle.

A moment later, Ran Yan emerged clad in black. Her hair, previously done up, was now loose on top of her head in a simple bun. Ran Yan regularly trimmed her hair, not letting it grow as long as typical women in the Tang Dynasty, thus could easily style it into a simple bun.

Ran Yan mused briefly, "First, send two or three people to circle around to the front door and pretend to be guests to check on the situation in the tavern."

The Team Leader glanced over the people who had come from the ancestral home, chose two whose attire was not eye-catching, and sent them to investigate.

Ran Yan stood at the edge of the woods, the night breeze bringing a slight chill, calming the irritation and tension gradually in her heart. Every time she faced a real challenge, she had never been afraid or backed down. Just like when she had personally dissected Qin Yunlin’s body, her hands were as steady as they were normally. However, in the days that followed, she never managed to escape the nightmares.

Ran Yan fixed her gaze on the lights within the tavern, her right hand tightening slightly. It was only this afternoon that she had held his hand... And now this disaster had struck. She hoped everything would be all right.

After about the time it takes to drink two cups of tea, a faint voice from the Guard sounded from the loft of the tavern, "Team Leader, there isn’t a single alive person in the tavern."

Not a single alive? So everyone was dead?

Ran Yan’s heart thudded violently twice, her hard-maintained calm collapsing instantly; she couldn’t care less about anything else and rushed out.

The Team Leader immediately ordered people to follow and run out, reaching the back door where a Guard kicked it open. He used too much force, but the door wasn’t latched, and he stumbled inside.

Twenty Guards led the way as Ran Yan hurried in. There were several pools of blood in the courtyard, but no bodies.

After checking the rest of the tavern and finding no bodies, Ran Yan ascended the stairs to the loft.

She had only taken a few steps when she slowed down.

Something wasn’t right! Why had there been no more noise after those two Guards had shouted? Ran Yan quietly stepped back and gestured for the Guards to retreat with her.

Without knowing the reason but seeing her serious expression, they also held their breaths and retreated.

As they reached the courtyard, the window of the loft suddenly opened, and with a bang, something heavy was thrown down.

Everyone stared in shock! The body turned out to be one of the Guards who had just entered to investigate!

"Lady Xiāng Liáng, you truly are startling," a voice echoed faintly from above, seemingly altered deliberately, making it impossible to discern its original quality.(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, we invite you to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation ticket and monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation.)