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After returning home, Chu Qingzhi tasked Chu Xuhua with caring for Chu Xujin while she herself retreated to her room to sketch a portrait of Ge Lihua. With the drawing in hand, she headed to Tianhe Peak.

Atop the peak, she used her beast taming skills to summon a multitude of birds, showing them Ge Lihua’s portrait and instructing them to search.

Afterwards, Chu Qingzhi revisited the official road, summoning nearby birds to assist in the search.

Having done all this, she started to look for clues on the official road, using her heightened senses to detect any anomalies.

Expanding her divine sense to cover the surroundings in search of inconsistencies, she finally noticed a broken tree branch by the roadside.

She flew over and took the broken branch into her hand. The cut was fresh. She looked around. A little farther in, the grass on the ground showed signs of tilting. It looked like they’d left this way.

Following these traces…

She walked roughly the length of a street before the trail abruptly ended, vanishing without a trace.

Surrounded by forests, with no signs of disturbed earth to suggest hidden passages, it seemed likely that the abductors had utilized light body techniques to carry someone away.

Faced with such a daunting search akin to finding a needle in a haystack, Chu Qingzhi reluctantly ceased her pursuit. After a moment of contemplation, she flew to a nearby mountain peak, hoping to find some clues.

However, the surrounding area offered no new insights, just endless expanses of forest.

With no other options, Chu Qingzhi sat down and began to calculate, her slender, fair fingers surrounded by a bright spiritual light, as beautiful as twinkling stars.

This was an advanced technique that could deplete her spiritual energy and potentially harm her if used carelessly, so she rarely resorted to it.

After some time, the light receded, and Chu Qingzhi sighed in relief. Ge Lihua was safe, located to the southwest, in the direction of Shuiyun County.

Using the last of her spiritual energy, she flew towards Shuiyun County.

After flying to Shuiyun County, a few birds flew towards her. Under the guidance of the birds, Chu Qingzhi came to a residence called the Yun Residence.

Chu Qingzhi flew to the roof and looked around.

The mansion was quiet. There was no light or movement, as if it had been abandoned.

A bird landed on her shoulder and then flew towards a window of one of the houses, settling there.

Having exhausted her spiritual energy with the divination, Chu Qingzhi needed to recover before taking any further action. Without her full strength, she risked falling into danger if confronted by a large group.

Thus, she found a spot to regain her spiritual energy, planning her next move.

In the dungeon.

Ling Yanjiang was tied to a rack, his bandaged wounds bleeding, staining his clothes with blood. “Release my junior sister, or I won’t say anything,” he demanded.

Qi Donghao sat in a chair, eyeing Ling Yanjiang ominously. “Just tell me where the ledger is, and I’ll release your junior sister immediately.”

Ling Yanjiang glared at the man seated before him. “Do you think I’m a fool?

The moment I reveal the location of the ledger, it’s our death sentence.”

Qi Donghao feigned indifference, “So, we’re at an impasse?”

Ling Yanjiang threatened, “Let me warn you, my junior sister is the sister-in- law of a future general’s wife. If you dare to harm her, even if I give you the ledger, your days are numbered.”

Qi Donghao was momentarily taken aback. Tang Jinghong was not someone to trifle with, and if they indeed provoked him, their lives would be miserable. However, he doubted Ling Yanjiang’s claim, as Ge Lihua was merely a merchant’s daughter from the northern border. How could she be connected to Tang Jinghong?

He gestured to someone behind him, “Investigate Ge Lihua.”

“Yes, Master.”

Ling Yanjiang, seeing Qi Donghao ordering an investigation, paradoxically felt a bit relieved. The men before him were assassins nurtured by the military governor of the eastern border, Ling City. The ledger they sought contained records of transactions and silver dealings between the military governor and various localities.

Qi Donghao, stroking his chin thoughtfully, stared ominously at Ling Yanjiang. “Even though I’m investigating, I must have that ledger. Ling Yanjiang, I’ll give you a bit more time. If you remain silent, I’m afraid your junior sister’s purity will be compromised.”

Ling Yanjiang panicked for a moment. “What do you mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean,” Qi Donghao signaled to his subordinates, “Go find some strong men on the street. It’s time to give Miss Ge a ‘warm welcome.\'”

“Yes, Master.”

“You dare!” Ling Yanjiang struggled furiously, his face turning crimson and veins bulging on his forehead. “Qi Donghao, you’ll pay for this!”

Qi Donghao was unfazed. People like them were doomed to a bad end anyway. “Just hand over the ledger, and I’ll let you both go.”

“Impossible!” Ling Yanjiang roared, his family had already suffered at the hands of the military governor. Handing over the ledger would mean their deaths were in vain.

Ling Yanjiang’s younger brother, Ling Yanjing, a judge in Ling City, had accidentally come into possession of the ledger. Initially unaware of its significance, he soon faced a series of traps and persecutions that taught him that it was the ledger of the military governor.

With his family dead or injured, Ling Yanjing tasked Ling Yanjiang with taking the ledger to the capital to present it to the emperor, seeking justice for their family.

However, this matter was leaked by someone. As soon as Ling Yanjiang left Ling City, he was hunted down. Helpless, he could only hide the ledger. Fortunately, he hid the ledger. Otherwise, he would have died long ago. It was just that he implicated Lihua and was very sorry.

Qi Donghao sat in his chair expressionlessly. “My people will be back soon. You don’t have much time to think.”

At this moment, Ling Yanjiang was like a wild beast in a desperate situation. His expression was fierce, but he was tightly restrained. He glared at Qi Donghao as if he would tear him apart as soon as he broke free.

Qi Donghao stood and instructed, “Watch him. Call me when he’s ready to talk.”

“Yes, Master.”

Ling Yanjiang reached out to grab Qi Donghao. “Don’t go, don’t go…”

Qi Donghao didn’t even look at Ling Yanjiang as he left the dungeon. Such a stubborn prisoner would not yield without extreme measures.

LingYanjiangshouted, “Stop!!!”

His roar echoed in the pitch-black dungeon, sounding a little terrifying.

His cries caught Chu Qingzhi’s attention. With her extraordinary senses, she could hear distant sounds, even those underground.

Realizing the prisoners were hidden beneath the ground explained the dark, deserted appearance of the house.

Now that her spiritual energy had partially recovered, Chu Qingzhi contemplated her next move. The situation within the residence was more complicated than she had anticipated. She decided it was best to wait until her strength was fully restored.