Soon, the two of them led a horse out from the back door of Bai's Rice Shop.

Each Wind Scale colt is worth a fortune, Bai's Rice Shop only has three.

It's forbidden to gallop horses in the city; once out the city gate, they both mounted the horse and sped away, as the sky already plunged into darkness.

Wu Jinliang had caught up with Lao Changtai. The two galloped side by side through the Heart-wrapping Grass forest, occasionally encountering obstructing Heart-wrapping Grass, their figures separated and recombined, racing onward shoulder to shoulder.

"How many people?"

"We've currently discovered ten people."

"You keep following them." Wu Jinliang threw out the words abruptly and stopped in the forest.

Lao Changtai was puzzled, looking back while galloping; the other's figure was already blurred behind the stalks of Heart-wrapping Grass.

According to the direction the criminals fled, Wu Jinliang silently estimated the speed and distance, then suddenly flipped his palms to unleash the Wind Scale, soaring into the air once more. However, he didn't fly high, staying close to the grass but tracing an arc.

He didn't fly far, the flipping scales fell into his hands, gathered like a tower of sand and converged.

As he landed in the grass, he inexplicably pulled out a large gourd and carried it on his back. The gourd mouth popped open, he closed his eyes and listened to the sounds, first hearing the rustling of insects and the evening wind swaying the grass leaves.

Outside, the sky had darkened; his tall figure slightly mirrored a haze under the tall grasses.

Soon, an indistinct swishing sound approached.

A masked figure with an iron chain wrapped around his arm unexpectedly halted as he saw the silhouette in the grass ahead, abruptly braking and shouting, "Who's there?"

A group of masked figures emerging with a whoosh from behind sequentially stopped.

This group of masked figures didn't recognize Wu Jinliang, but Huang Yingying, who was being carried on a shoulder, was taken aback. While others may not know him, how could he not recognize Wu Jinliang?

He didn't know why he encountered Wu Jinliang here; if not for the masked figures' shout, he'd surely suspect Wu Jinliang of being the mastermind behind them.

Even unsure if Wu Jinliang could save him, Huang Yingying's first reaction was to seek help. However, he couldn't make a sound or move, his body had been restrained; he could only blink desperately, hoping Wu Jinliang understood his intentions.

Wu Jinliang remained composed and cool, coldly observing these oddly dressed people, counting their numbers, indeed, exactly ten.

His mere calmness was enough to unsettle the group of masked figures.

The masked figures exchanged glances, reluctant to leave any survivors and uncertain of the opponent's background, they hesitated, trapped in a dilemma of advancing or retreating.

Wu Jinliang didn't have time to waste with them, suddenly waved his large sleeve at them and rushed forward.

Seeing the opponent initiate action, the group of masked figures had no choice but to grab weapons to counterattack. However, they quickly sensed something unusual, feeling a force of delay enveloping them, rendering them stuck, unable to move even a finger, their eyes revealing terror.

Huang Yingying, already unable to move, didn't feel much difference.

Wu Jinliang charged like picking leaves or plucking fruits, swiftly taking down each masked figure one by one.

Huang Yingying, falling with the masked figure carrying him, was inwardly thunderstruck. Was Little Gao really this formidable? He couldn't comprehend how Wu Jinliang struck, yet he had effortlessly subdued the entire group.

Wu Jinliang didn't concern himself with him for now, he took out the Wind Scale again and shouted into the forest, "This place is not suitable for a long stay, let's go."

Lao Changtai flashed out from the forest, but he had masked himself as well, not knowing Wu Jinliang would dispatch these people completely. For convenience in subsequent actions, he hadn't revealed his true face.

Lao Changtai gathered the fallen figures into a pile, Wu Jinliang drove the Wind Scale, wrapped around a group, and ascended into the sky, this time directly flying into the sky...

By the time the rice shop clerks, both riding one horse, reached the obstructing slope, dusk had fully descended, but there were still three corpses visible in a pool of blood.

The two horse-drawn carts carrying Spirit Rice were not at the scene; startled during the incident, they had rushed into the Heart-wrapping Grass forest on either side. Hampered by the carriage frame, they hadn't gone far and had now quieted down, munching quietly on the Heart-wrapping Grass.

The rice shop clerks found the two carts based on the sounds.

There was nothing more to say; one remained at the scene while the other rode the Wind Scale colt back at full speed like the wind.

When he returned to Dazhi City, the sky was pitch black, and he reduced speed only upon approaching the city gate.

The rapid clip-clop of hooves arriving prompted Bai Qiru, seated in the shop, to sense something amiss.

She had just stood up when she saw the clerk dismount hastily and run in, tremulous voice reporting, "Owner, it's bad, Fang Zi and the others were attacked at Obstructing Slope, and Mr. Huang is missing from the scene."

Bai Qiru's eyes widened with shock, she coldly ordered, "You stay and watch the shop."

The shop was already without extra staff; she was personally keeping watch earlier.

After the words, she flickered out of sight, moving swiftly as she leaped into the air from behind the Wind Scale colt at the door, gauged the direction, and soared away.

The clerk stepped quickly out the door, watching anxiously.

"Who dares fly unauthorized within the city!"

The guards at the city gate saw someone trying to fly directly overhead, and someone shouted loudly, then a few people flew up to intercept.

Bai Qiru's cold voice rang out in the sky, "There's been a change at home, urgent matters allow for expediency, I'll apologize to the City Lord later."

After speaking, he didn't care whether they agreed or not and slipped through the gaps of the interceptors in a flash.

The aerial guards looked at each other, recognizing who it was. Although an explanation was given, they still split into two to pursue him.

At a pavilion not far from Bai's Rice Shop, behind the window lattice, Mei You could just see the comings and goings at the shop.

Seeing Bai Qiru's urgent departure, he took out a Mother-child Talisman and sent an inquiry: How is the situation?

At this time, Wu Jinliang had already reached the mountainous outskirts of the vast prairie, found a temporary cave to hide in, using a few grains of Sandal Gold Flame Energy for illumination.

The masks of the ten masked men were naturally removed, Lao Changtai was searching them to find something that could identify their identities from their belongings.

Wu Jinliang, knowing quite a bit, saw identifying them was simple; he directly released Huang Yingying's dumb acupoint and asked, "Do you recognize them all?"

Huang Yingying, upon seeing the murderers' true faces, gasped involuntarily, her eyes darted around for quite some time, full of suspicion and uncertainty until she thought of something. She glanced at Wu Jinliang and the masked Lao Changtai, then suddenly shook her head vigorously, saying, "I don't know them, never met them, have no idea who they are."

The ten masked men displayed various degrees of surprise on their faces, somewhat relieved.

Yet, the waist badges indicating an official identity from Dazhi City were found one by one by Lao Changtai and tossed down at Wu Jinliang's feet.

Wu Jinliang nudged the badges with his toe, glanced at Huang Yingying, and couldn't help but chuckle. He didn't believe she wouldn't recognize any officials from Dazhi City unless the badges were forged.

Seeing nothing valuable, a Mother-child Talisman beginning to glow caught Wu Jinliang's attention. He picked it up and then displayed the message "How is the situation?" to the ten masked men sitting against the wall, asking, "Whose is it? There's a hidden mark, what's the reply? Give me a signal if you can explain."

Yet, he did not get the expected reaction.

Wu Jinliang chuckled, casually picked up a dagger from the floor search, then casually pulled up one person, pressing their nape against the wall, inserting the dagger into the wall, slashing with force, and blood spurted directly onto the wall.

Letting go, the person fell to the ground, it was more casual than slaughtering a chicken, making Huang Yingying's heart race with fear.

As for the other nine masked men, they were no different, even Lao Changtai's mouth under the mask couldn't help but twitch.

Wu Jinliang, wielding the bloodstained dagger, asked the next person, "Can you give me the answer I want?"

The person's eyes immediately darted around wildly, frightened, panicked.

Thus, Wu Jinliang released this person's dumb acupoint, and they immediately gasped, "It's Qiu Laosan's, he knows how to reply."

"Who is Qiu Laosan?" Wu Jinliang grabbed that person's hand and had him point out among the eight companions.

The person angrily pointed at a strong man with his mouth.

Wu Jinliang then said, "I will only give three people a chance to live, you better cherish it well, who sent you?"

The person hesitated for a moment, but ultimately answered with a thick-skinned resolve, "Junior Tax Supervisor Mei You."

Wu Jinliang let him go, then went to release Qiu Laosan's dumb acupoint, shaking the Mother-child Talisman in his hand, "Teach me how to respond."

Qiu Laosan said, "Depends on how you want to reply, just add 'rice' at the end of the content as a hidden mark."

Wu Jinliang: "I want to stabilize him first."

It was the truth, as things weren't settled here, if he could delay the response on the mastermind's end, it would naturally be safer.

Qiu Laosan: "Then you can say it's already done."

Wu Jinliang didn't care whether it was a trap or not, he immediately cast the Mother-child Talisman as instructed and sent a reply.

The Mother-child Talisman soon received feedback: Excellent, return quickly.

Wu Jinliang put away the Mother-child Talisman, observing the body had transformed into a huge wild boar, he smiled and spoke to the other masked men, "If you can't prove their statements wrong, it means they earned the right to live, as for you, seems there's no need to leave anyone alive."

Not just mouth service, he acted accordingly, grabbing another person to press against the wall, slashing with the dagger, fresh blood splattered against the wall again.

Letting go, he picked up the next one, whose eyes were a complete mess.

Wu Jinliang oh-ed, asking, "Do you have something to say?"

The person's eyes immediately moved up and down, almost nodding their head.

Thus, Wu Jinliang released his dumb acupoint, the person's eyes immediately turned to Huang Yingying, hurriedly saying, "He lied, Huang Yingying lied, he knows us, and has known us for many years."

Huang Yingying's old face immediately turned awkward, like a bitter melon, looking at Wu Jinliang's blood-dripping dagger, filled with anxiety.

Wu Jinliang turned to him, chuckled, and said, "Old Huang, either you're lying, or he's lying? I think it's him lying, I'm here to save you, why would you deceive me."

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