Looking at the figure of Gao Yan and his party walking away, Sun Jinyong muttered in his mouth: "When Shi Cheng came to report the case last time, why didn't this Gao Yan be as tough as he is today after learning Shi Cheng's identity?" ”

Zhao Ping, who was standing not far from Sun Jinyong, was furious, turned around and said to Sun Jinyong: "My lord, these big turbans are too deceitful!" ”

"Ah Ping, there's no need to be angry with them." Sun Jinyong looked out the door and said, "The case has not progressed for a long time, and I am indeed to blame." ”

Seeing this, Zhao Ping hurriedly said comfortingly: "Don't worry, my lord, there are still fourteen days before the March period. Some time ago, didn't you already send an excerpt to Wangcheng? The king must now understand the predicament we face. If the king and Li Dudu agree to send the official army and the heavenly army to join forces to investigate, or if the sect can draw more manpower, we won't have to worry about running out of manpower, and everything will be fine then. ”

Sun Jinyong shook his head, took out a blank piece of paper from his pocket and gave it to Zhao Ping, and said, "Look at this, I received it yesterday morning." ”

Zhao Ping carefully took the blank paper, and when he finished reading the contents of the paper, his face changed completely.

"You saw it, too." Sun Jinyong said, "The king and Governor Li asked us to confirm the location of the bandits' lair before the army can go out to suppress it. The military believed that if the army wanted to patrol the Xieyang Road for a long time, it would disrupt the original plan for military deployment. The civil officials in Wangcheng believed that the army would need to raise additional grain and grass for the start of the army, and because the harvest in the southern famine countries was generally poor this year, they believed that sending troops to assist in the investigation would only increase the burden on the people. ”

Zhao Ping's hands trembled slightly, and he couldn't say a word.

Sun Jinyong continued: "Not only that, but a large number of elite members of the sect have been sent to the Western Frontier and the Wanli Mountain Plains before, and the remaining forces in the royal city cannot be moved lightly now. Wang Cheng is still urging me to close the case as soon as possible and give a phased explanation, and then the imperial court will make other arrangements...... In short, I'm afraid it's hard for me to get through this level, you better find a way to find another big tree in the court, don't be implicated by me. ”

Zhao Ping's face turned pale, and after a while, he seemed to remember something, and said to Sun Jinyong: "My lord, if it really doesn't work, let's just arrest Shi Cheng and them first." In any case, there are indeed many suspicions on them. ”

Sun Jinyong also seemed to be quite shaken, and said: "It's not that I haven't thought about this, but that Shi Cheng's identity is really different from ordinary people...... In the past, there was an example of a local magistrate executing a Danshi of the Pharmacist Chamber of Commerce, which caused a lot of turmoil at that time, which is one of the reasons why the Pharmacist Chamber of Commerce is now more and more inclined to the Union Khanate...... I'm in this situation right now, and I really have to be cautious. ”

Sun Jinyong got up and paced around the room, pondered for a moment, and said, "Let me think about this matter for the time being." The most important thing at the moment is the new case outside Baisha City. ”

"My lord, what is the case?" Zhao Ping asked.

"The modus operandi is exactly the same as on Xieyang Road, within three days, more than ten lone pedestrians disappeared inexplicably, more than 20 patrol officials also disappeared, and later a caravan was missing, which is a new situation." Sun Jinyong frowned tightly and said, "Another thing is the same as on the Xieyang Road, but there are still no important clues to be found." ”

Speaking of this, Sun Jinyong suddenly remembered something, and said to Zhao Ping: "By the way, Ah Ping, did I leave you a message yesterday to let Shi Cheng and the others wait for trial today?" ”

"That's right, do you want your subordinates to bring those three people now?"

Sun Jinyong waved his left hand and said, "Right now, I have to put the files of the Baishacheng case and the Xieyang Dao case together and study them carefully, I haven't had time to interrogate them yet." In this way, today you take someone to help me sort out the file, and tomorrow you take someone to the inn to separate the three of them for questioning, the focus is to ask about the experience of the three of them after they came out of Redwood City. You must ask where they passed and what they did along the way, and don't forget to search their belongings carefully during the interrogation. In addition, from today onwards, increase the number of spies outside the inn, and be sure to keep a closer eye on them. ”

"My subordinates understand! I'll arrange it. Zhao Ping clasped his fists and saluted, and then walked out of the door quickly.

Sun Jinyong looked in the direction of the door, and the right hand that had been clenched loosened, and the cup that was held in his hand was scattered on the ground like quicksand.

……

At this moment, in a hidden corner, a black-robed man who had wrapped himself tightly was holding a messenger talisman, carefully inscribed a message on the talisman.

"The spies under his command have secretly searched the luggage and documents of the target three. After analyzing the past information, there is a high probability that Wu Neng is the remnant of Yanmen. The other two have not found anything suspicious for the time being, and the number of martial arts remains to be further observed. ”

After burning the information, the black-robed man gently pinched the talisman, and the whole talisman glowed with a faint blue light, and disappeared into the black-robed man's hand after a while.

……

In the inn, Wu Neng had been tossing and turning on his bed for a long time, his eyes aimlessly scanning the book in his hand that had been turned over for most of the day. Tie Mian continued to meditate on the bed as always, as if only cultivation was the only spice in his daily life. Compared with Tie Mian, who doesn't know how many times he has been complained about in Wu Neng's heart, Shi Cheng is quite humane, and in addition to practicing and thinking, Shi Cheng will also have a few gossips with Wu Neng, and even make a few jokes.

The sky gradually darkened, and Wu Neng asked Shi Cheng with some concern: "Old Shi, didn't the official named Zhao Ping last night let us wait for the inquiry at the inn today, why hasn't there been any movement until now?" ”

"Who knows?" Shi Cheng got up and opened the window to look out, and said with a relaxed face, "Let's go, let's go out to forage for food." ”

"Can you get out?" Wu Neng asked cautiously.

"Take it easy, you see you've been scared all day." Shi Cheng smiled, "It's just waiting here for interrogation, after all, we are witnesses and not suspects, and they won't even let us eat?" ”

Wu Neng glanced at Shi Cheng and said, "Anyway, I don't have as much experience in dealing with the government as you, where do you say we are going to have dinner now?" ”

"That shop was pretty good last time, Iron Mask, stop meditating, get ready to eat." Shi Cheng said as he threw the straw paper on his bed into the brazier and burned it.

Iron Mask stood up and asked, "Don't forget that someone sneaked into our room last time while we weren't there. ”

Shi Cheng replied: "Just bring all the important things with you, and I will arrange some medicinal powder in my luggage for precautions." ”

Seeing that Tie Mian and Wu Neng had no objections, Shi Cheng quickly set up a trap in the house. Wu Neng informed the store of the decision that the three of them planned to go out to eat, and it took a while before he got a reply that he was allowed.

The three of them, followed by several big men, walked all the way to the restaurant they had visited last time. Compared with the last time, the situation of the restaurant seems to be a little bleaker, but the food is still well cooked, and the three of them have a good time. Shi Cheng wanted to find some useful information in the restaurant, but in the end he only heard some worthless gossip.

After returning to the inn, Wu Neng hurriedly checked the traps arranged in the room, but none of the traps were triggered, which made Wu Neng feel a little at ease. However, Shi Cheng didn't say a word on the way back, and his face was extremely serious, but Wu Neng was still a little worried.

"Shi Cheng, you found them." Before Wu Neng could ask Shi Cheng what was going on with his strange appearance, Tie Mian preemptively said something that surprised Wu Neng.

"That's right." Shi Cheng frowned, his right index finger lightly tapped his knee, and said, "Suddenly more than twice as much as before." ”

"What kind of dumb riddle are you guys playing?" Wu Neng asked suspiciously.

Shi Cheng asked rhetorically, "Don't you feel that the secret agents of the government have been staring at us?" ”

"Me, my eyesight isn't as good as you two." Wu Neng scratched his head and said, "But then again, isn't it normal for them to send spies to keep an eye on us?" ”

"It's normal to send spies to stare at us, but something that is not normal is that the number of spies they sent tonight has at least doubled compared to the previous two days." Shi Cheng said solemnly.

Iron Mask said coldly: "It seems that the government may be going to take action against us." ”