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Chapter 512 He Qiao
The little squirrel cautiously peeked out of the tree hole.

Its two little eyes gleamed darkly in the night, and from the front, the little creature was quite adorable.

The shadow had vanished from the back alley.

The little creature gently patted its chest with its tiny paws.

The rat was scared to death.

With this slap, the fangs on its back opened wide, spitting out several hard, indigestible snake teeth.

It landed at the bottom of the tree hole.

There was already a thick layer of bones, teeth, buckles, jewelry, and so on piled up there.

Xu Yuan certainly spotted the little squirrel.

Moreover, Xu Yuan also smelled the scent of Dafu on this little evil spirit.

They knew this was one of their own informants.

Speaking of Danxiu's nose, it's pretty useless.

The sense of smell seems to be very sensitive, but if it encounters the corresponding trickery or drug masking, it can't smell anything at all.

However, the enhancement of alchemists' sense of smell, taste, etc., is intended to facilitate the identification of medicinal properties during alchemy, not for combat, so it seems normal.

However, Xu Yuan was still not entirely satisfied with the eyeliner.

Therefore, after Xu Yuan instilled suspicion in Murong You and Jia Yuan, he did not immediately go back to rest.

Instead, they silently crept within the city, found a place, and then scaled the wall to enter.

This is an underground branch of the Pingtian Society.

Yesterday, when the commander hosted a dinner to celebrate Xu Yuan's victory, we talked about some of the situations in Luo City.

Xiang Qinghuai mentioned that in the past half month, the Pingtian Society in Luocheng has resurfaced.

The Bureau of Purification has discovered three secret strongholds.

However, they did not act immediately, but wanted to play the long game and see who was behind the scenes.

Xu Yuan talked with Xiang Qinghuai about this matter for a while.

The leaders of the Pingtian Society have all been executed.

The "Great Sage Who Pacifies Heaven" whom they worship is still trapped in the Lingxiao Palace.

Xu Yuan found this so-called "resurrection" very suspicious, and it was highly likely that the Repentance Sect was behind it.

The target is not Luo City, but the Great Sage Equaling Heaven.

After Xu Yuan infiltrated, he successfully found a mahogany and brass earlobe.

He took the artifact without alerting anyone and left.

……

The little squirrel just ate an owl.

I overate today.

The squirrel was so full that it became sleepy and drowsy... which greatly reduced its alertness.

The little head started to doze off.

Suddenly, the hair on my body stood on end, and a strong sense of danger was still close to my back!
But this time, the little squirrel didn't even dare to open its fangs.

It lay obediently in the tree hole.

A hand reached out from behind it, grabbed it, and put something on its ear.

This thing is very unsuitable for it, and it is too heavy.

It was so heavy that it couldn't lift its head.

After putting it on, the little one felt like it was "floating on air"...

A voice behind him whispered, "This little evil spirit can't be suppressed."

Many sharp thorns grew from the mahogany and brass earlobe, piercing directly into the little squirrel's ear. Without external intervention, they could suck the little evil spirit into a dried-up corpse in an instant!

A finger gently tapped the mahogany and brass earlobe.

A barely perceptible spark was incorporated into this dishonest craftsman's work.

The spikes seemed to shrink back in fright.

The little squirrel discovered that the feeling of "floating" had disappeared.

But this thing on my ear is still so heavy.

But the shadow behind him said calmly, "Don't pretend."

The little squirrel quickly straightened up.

It is, after all, an evil spirit.

Immediately, the chilling sense of danger behind me gradually faded away.

He left only one sentence: "Keep a close eye on it."

The little squirrel held up its two front paws and nodded repeatedly.

After being disturbed like that, it was no longer sleepy and obediently stayed above the yard.

After that thing was put in its ear, it found that its hearing had greatly improved.

In the courtyard below, the snoring and mumbling in their sleep could be heard clearly.

Even in the yard, you can clearly hear the insects crawling and the wind rustling through the grass.

Song Weiming came again after noon.

Murong You led him in.

Murong You did not show any abnormality.

Song Weiming never took a mere family retainer seriously.

He went straight into the main hall, saw Murong Zunlong, and whispered, "I have made all the arrangements."

Murong Zunlong asked somewhat nervously, "Is it absolutely foolproof?"

"Don't worry, nothing will go wrong. Besides, once Xu Yuan is dead, no matter what flaws there are, who would make things difficult for a prestigious family like the Dragon Transformation Clan for the sake of a dead man?"

Murong Zunlong nodded: "Okay, let's wait. Xu Yuan can't stay in Luo City forever. As long as he takes over the city, we'll make our move on the way."

Song Weiming then provoked him further: "We won't have to wait too long."

Her Highness is lonely and bored in Champa and won't be able to endure it for long; she will surely urge Xu Yuan to return soon.

Murong Zunlong's face flushed red. Feeling offended, he glared at Song Weiming but couldn't refute him.

……

Xu Yuan soon learned what the little squirrel had overheard.

However, this information only confirms that Murong Zunlong and Song Weiming planned to make their move on his way back to Champa.

But they didn't know what arrangements they had made.

Xu Yuan thought for a moment, then went out to find the Commander.

That same day, Lord Zhu Yangshun, the commander of the Shanhe Division in Luocheng, received news that the Exorcism Division was to launch a three-month operation to investigate long-standing cases inside and outside Luocheng.

Zhu Yang then summoned his subordinates in the yamen and instructed them: We can't fall behind either. We need to increase patrols in the coming days, and so on.

But everyone in the Mountain and River Division understands that they cannot compete with the Purification Division in Luo City.

What the lord meant was: Be careful lately, and when you're on routine patrol, avoid running into the Exorcism Division to prevent conflict.

If a conflict breaks out, Shanhe Division will definitely be the one to suffer.

So the subordinates used their various skills to inquire with the Department of Purification.

When they found out, everyone became unhappy.

The Exorcism Bureau is serious this time.

This not only greatly increased patrols within the city, but also expanded the patrol area to outside the city.

It even extended directly to both sides of the canal.

The area along the canal is the territory of the Shanhe Division.

But as I said before, this is Luo City, so even if they are dissatisfied, they can only endure it.

This matter quickly became a hot topic throughout the city.

When Murong Zunlong found out, he became restless and called Murong You over: "Go and invite Lord Song over."

Murong You couldn't help but say, "Young Master, Song Weiming couldn't possibly be unaware of such important news. He is the commander of the Jiaozhi Division of the Shanhe Division. Why doesn't he come to discuss it with you?"

Murong Zunlong waved his hand irritably: "Just go when I tell you to. Why are you making so many noises?"

"Yes, I was being nosy." Murong You left, but his suspicion of Song Weiming grew stronger.

Song Weiming arrived quickly and immediately reassured Murong Zunlong upon entering: "There's nothing to worry about. The Exorcism Division has simply sent a few more patrol teams outside the city. It won't affect us."

Murong Zunlong said with dissatisfaction, "How can there be no impact? What if the people from the Exorcism Division see us when we take action?"

Song Weiming laughed and said, "You still don't understand 'Heqiao'."

In the cities of the Ming Dynasty, watchtowers were built at the city gates and even at some key locations within the city.

Its main function was to observe and prepare for the enemy.

Some watchtowers within the city also served functions such as preventing thieves and detecting fires early.

The Grand Canal Administration also built "river gates" at some key locations along the canal.

The section of the canal near Luocheng is particularly crucial.

The river has several large bends and the current is rapid.

In addition, when the canal was first built here, it was attacked by evil spirits that rushed out of the mountains on several occasions.

Therefore, three "river gates" were built on this section of the river.

On the contrary, there was no river watchtower at the dock outside Luocheng.

Because of the incident here, the canal administration and Luocheng can provide rapid support.

There was originally a "river gate" built on the section of the canal near Shanhe County.

But for some reason, the evil spirits in the Ghost Mountain near Shanhe County rarely come out to attack passing ships.

This watchtower was later moved to another location.

The guild hall where Wang Laoshi worked was not far from the original "Heqiao".

After Heqiao was moved away, the public office was gradually forgotten.

Xu Miaozhi's plan for building military camps outside Champa included constructing two river fortresses along the river.

But it hasn't been built yet.

Each river fortress contains one hundred river soldiers and several large artifacts.

Large-scale artifacts are expensive, so there are not many river gates along the entire canal.

Moreover, as the canal grew longer and longer, some river fortresses were gradually guarded only by river soldiers, and no longer had large-scale craftsmen on duty.

This kind of "river watchtower" only served the purpose of "lookout".

Song Weiming explained, "The 'Sky-Catching Net' in Yingzuikou River Gorge has been spread out and covers ten miles."

Once you set a goal, you can achieve it.

Xu Yuan couldn't escape. Even if he was caught by the people from the Exorcism Division, they would just be caught in the net as well.

We've given you plenty of silver; you'll be paid 30,000 taels each time we set up the net—what are you worried about if it results in a few more innocent souls being lost?"

Murong Zunlong frowned: "You really made a deal with He Qiao at Eagle's Beak Pass?"

"I am the commander of the Jiaozhi region under the Shanhe Division, and Yingzuikou River Gate is under the jurisdiction of the Grand Canal Administration. It's a piece of cake for me to smooth things over with these officials."

Murong Zunlong let out a breath and slammed his fist on the table: "What's that Xu fellow doing dawdling around in Luo City? I'm afraid things might get complicated if I wait too long..."

"Keep your cool," Song Weiming said in a deep voice. "This plan is foolproof. I want Xu Yuan dead even more than you do!"

……

Large-scale artifacts were expensive, so in already stable areas like Champa and Luocheng, large-scale artifacts from places like Heqiao would be relocated.

They were sent to the unstable areas where the canal had just been opened.

For example, the Siam region, which is currently experiencing constant civil unrest.

However, a "net for catching the sky" does indeed remain in Yingzuikou River Gorge.

The terrain near Yingzuikou is complex, and the canal has a very rapid current.

And for some unknown reason, sharp reefs often grow new on the bottom of this section of the canal.

As a result, ships frequently capsize and sink in this section. The fishing nets used by the local fishermen are often used to salvage sunken ships.

Zhang Wang pays five thousand taels of silver per netting.

Prices are clearly marked, and there is no deception of the young or old.

If the cargo on board is of high value, the river fisherman will be asked to set up a net to salvage the ship, thus recovering some of the losses.

Because it was profitable, the local canal authorities kept this net to catch fish.

Of course, this "net for catching the sky" had long been damaged in the canal government's ledgers.

The money earned from salvaging the boats was naturally divided among the local canal authorities.

But if Song Weiming and Murong Zunlong want to use the "Catching Net" to harm people, then the price is not normal.

Song Weiming was very familiar with the Grand Canal Administration. Coincidentally, Lord Xu also had connections within the Grand Canal Administration.

Therefore, if Xu Yuan wanted to know anything about the canal, he only needed to silently recite it in his mind, and the Champa River Supervisor would tell him the truth.

"I underestimated Song Weiming. I thought he would come up with nothing new, like colluding with evil spirits in the mountains to ambush me on the way back to Champa."

"In comparison, evil spirits are too unpredictable, so river soldiers are naturally a safer choice."

Even the most powerful evil spirits in Ghost Mountain, those with the titles "Father" and "Grandfather," are exceptionally violent, manic, and lacking in reason.

Even if everyone had agreed beforehand, when it came time to act, something might happen that might provoke the evil spirit and drive it mad.

"But who exactly is this centurion in Heqiao?"

The Champa River Supervisor then went to inquire.

Several hours later, Xu Yuan learned all the information about Yingzuikou River Gorge.

Xu Yuan also happens to have a "flea".

……

Yingzuikou is seventy li away from Luocheng.

Both sides of the river are steep cliffs and precipices, with turbulent and surging waters.

The canal makes three sharp turns in this section.

There used to be a large river flowing through Jiaozhi here.

However, according to canal standards, such waterways need to be straightened.

The money was spent, but the project wasn't completed.

Anyway, it's still possible to navigate.

A messy account has been left unresolved to this day, and no one has bothered to investigate it.

The river watchtower was built on a black cliff on the west bank of the canal, only ten zhang away from the waterway.

During heavy rains and floods, the two lower layers of the riverbank are often submerged.

Several rows of barracks were built below the riverbank, where the river garrison soldiers usually lived.

When the floodwaters rise, the barracks are always washed away, so we apply for a sum of money from above to rebuild them.

Why don't we just build a dam on the riverbank and solve the problem once and for all?
Hmm... those who know, know.

The surname of the hundred households here is Gu, and Gu is interchangeable with Zhen.

He shares the same surname as Gu Yao, the river supervisor of the Luocheng Canal Office.

The Champa River Supervisor was a sixth-rank official, while the Luocheng River Supervisor was a fifth-rank official, both in charge of the entire South Jiaozhi Canal affairs.

Gu Tongzhen was not usually in Heqiao. He had a three-courtyard mansion in Luocheng and a large number of wives and concubines.

He would only rush back to Eagle's Beak Pass when he needed to set up a net.

Zhang paid 5,000 taels of silver, Gu Tongzhen took 1,500 taels, and Gu Yao took 2,000 taels.

But Gu Tongzhen has been in Heqiao these past few days.

Because Song Weiming had already discussed it with him, and the net would be worth 30,000 taels of silver.

This is big business.

Song Weiming didn't give a definitive answer on when or who to make the move, only saying it would be in the next few days and that he would send his men to inform him in advance.

After waiting for two or three days without any response from Song Weiming, Gu Tongzhen became impatient.

The conditions in Heqiao were rudimentary, and he could no longer endure such hardship.

"What exactly is that guy surnamed Song up to?" Gu Tongzhen cursed in Heqiao. "Could he be playing a trick on me?"

He received a deposit of five hundred taels from Song Weiming in advance.

But the five hundred taels had caused Master Gu so much suffering these past few days. If Song Weiming said the deal was off and the deposit didn't need to be refunded, Gu Tongzhen would definitely curse him out.

Others may fear your Shanhe Si, but I don't.

Another long day of waiting. Gu Tongzhen seemed to be suffering from hemorrhoids, getting up every now and then to go up to the rooftop to check if Song Weiming's men had come.

"Thirty thousand taels of silver is definitely not going to do," Gu Tongzhen muttered to himself, his heart filled with unease. "I've been stuck guarding this place for nothing these past few days, I need to pay him at least two thousand taels more!"

He must personally operate the "Sky Net" to activate it, so he cannot leave yet.

But it's getting dark, so we probably won't be taking any action today.

Gu Tongzhen then summoned his two captains: "Keep a close eye on things, I'm going back to the city."

Tonight, the maid Hanyan at the "Snow Moon Pavilion" in the city is getting ready.

Gu Tongzhen had been thinking about this for a long time; he had been going to support Miss Hanyan for half a year.

He had spent a considerable amount of money, and if he missed the chance tonight and someone else beat him to it, Gu Tong would feel really bad.

In the past six months, Hanyan's beauty has become widely known in Luocheng. Gu Tongzhen estimates that the price for this night will be over a thousand taels of silver.

If you want to redeem Hanyan from her servitude, it will probably cost tens of thousands.

Gu Tongzhen left Yingzuikou River Bridge, slapped two calligraphy scrolls onto his horse's leg, and then spurred his horse to gallop, finally making it back to the city before dark.

He was a seventh-rate martial arts practitioner, full of vigor and strength. Upon entering the city, he went straight home, shook off his wives and concubines, went to his bedroom to get three thousand taels of silver, and then headed straight for Snow Moon Tower.

……

Isn't it a coincidence? Gu Tongzhen ran back to Luocheng and was spotted by a patrol team of captains from the Shanhe Division.

This morning, Zhu Yangshun adjusted the patrol time and route.

Otherwise, at this late hour, there wouldn't be anyone from the Mountain and River Division patrolling "diligently."

But this was not important news, so it spread unpleasantly within the Shanhe Siluo City government.

The captains were simply wondering why Gu Tongzhen was in such a hurry.
There was also an inspector who liked to go to Xueyue Tower, who, with a wicked grin, recounted the exciting events that had taken place there that night.

It wasn't until almost 9 PM that Song Weiming learned of the news.

Enraged, Song Weiming headed straight for Xueyue Tower with a dark expression.

He stayed at an inn not far from the Shanhe Siluo City Office.

After he left, only two of his men remained in the inn.

It was the hunchbacked brothers.

They are basically useless now.

No sooner had Song Weiming left than Lord Xu appeared outside the inn, spewing out "Dragon Spits Mirage" to conceal his figure and quietly slipping into the inn, completely unnoticed by the hunchbacked brothers.

……

When Song Weiming arrived at Xueyue Tower, the tower was brightly lit and bustling with activity.

The price for the first night has already reached 1,200 taels.

Song Weiming tried to go in, but was stopped by the pimp at the door.

Tonight, Xueyue Tower has a rule: only those who have previously patronized Miss Hanyan and paid more than five hundred taels of silver can enter and participate in the bidding.

Song Weiming tried to force his way in, but Xueyuelou had powerful backers and wasn't intimidated.

In such a place, Song Weiming dared not reveal his identity as "Commander of Jiaozhi, Shanhe Division".

In the end, he could only swallow his anger and said, "I need to find Lord Gu Tongzhen. Please call him out."

The pimp glanced at him sideways and chuckled strangely, "Lord Centurion is probably not in the mood to come out and see you right now."

Song Weiming thought about it and agreed. Gu Tongzhen, that bastard, was probably blinded by lust and wouldn't care about anything else.

He gritted his teeth and asked, "How much silver will it cost if I go in myself?"

"Five hundred taels!"

Song Weiming wasn't short of the five hundred taels; he just felt resentful.

After hesitating for a long time, he reluctantly handed over five hundred taels of silver.

What if Xu Yuan returns to Champa early tomorrow morning?

I absolutely must make sure Gu Tongzhen doesn't indulge in pleasure tonight. I don't care who you sleep with tonight, you're going to Eagle's Beak first thing tomorrow morning!
Once the pimp had received the money, he immediately put on a completely different face, bowing and scraping: "Honored guest, please come inside—"

Song Weiming didn't need him to lead the way and rushed in quickly. He saw Gu Tongzhen holding up a plaque wrapped in red silk, shouting, "Five thousand five hundred taels! Anyone want to take it from me?"

Sure enough, someone quickly raised the price by fifty taels.

The atmosphere inside was extremely lively, and the price quickly rose to 1,800 taels.

Seeing this, Song Weiming knew that it was impossible to persuade Gu Tongzhen to go back tonight.

He took a deep breath and sat down in a corner.

The price was bid up to two thousand taels, but in the end, Gu Tongzhen won it over for two thousand two hundred taels.

The others grumbled and went to rest at other fan club leaders.

Gu Tongzhen laughed heartily, put his arm around Hanyan and went back into the house. When they reached the door, a figure suddenly appeared in front of them.

Gu Tongzhen was taken aback: "Lord Song..."

Song Weiming said in a sinister tone, "Lord Gu hasn't forgotten our important business, has he?"

"It won't interfere with important business..."

Song Weiming interrupted him: "I'll wait for you right here. Go have fun."

Gu Tongzhen immediately felt disgusted. "I'm having fun with a girl inside the house, and you're listening outside?"

"I said I wouldn't mess things up, and I definitely won't! Get out of here..."

"Either you go back now, or I'll stand guard outside!"

Gu Tong really wants to return the deposit; I'm not doing business with you anymore!

But they had just spent over two thousand taels of silver and were hoping that Song Weiming's vote would make up for the deficit.

He gritted his teeth and said, "Fine! You just wait here!"

Gu Tongzhen was also determined. He didn't care whether you listened or not. If you listened, he would just consider it entertainment!

So he unleashed his full power, tormenting Hanyan until she was almost falling apart, her screams rising in waves.

Song Weiming cursed under his breath outside the door.

But Song Weiming wasn't the only one eavesdropping.

Xu Yuan came to Xueyue Tower after leaving Song Weiming's inn.

However, Wu Xiu was physically strong, and it was late into the night before Gu Tongzhen had finished. Xu Yuan had not yet found an opportunity to send the louse into Gu Tongzhen's body.

This night was extremely agonizing for Song Weiming, Xu Yuan, and Hanyan.

Finally, dawn broke, and Song Weiming immediately knocked on the door: "Lord Gu, it's time to set off."

The room was quiet, but Song Weiming kept knocking.

Gu Tongzhen finally opened the door, disheveled and furious: "Can't you speak properly? What do you mean 'it's time to set off'? You're the one who should set off! Your whole family should set off!"

Song Weiming also realized his mistake and softened his tone: "I misspoke, Lord Gu, please don't delay any longer, important matters are at hand."

Gu Tongzhen snorted and started dressing as he walked out.

Song Weiming watched him mount his horse and ride away, and his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.

……

Xu Yuan returned to the yamen after dawn, yawning.

In the latter half of the night, Gu Tongzhen finally had his fill and fell fast asleep.

Xu Yuan was about to make a move when he noticed Song Weiming standing guard outside the door, so he stopped to avoid being noticed by Song Weiming.

After Song Weiming saw Gu Tongzhen out the door, Xu Yuan quietly followed and made his move.

The louse was introduced into Gu Tongzhen's body.

(End of this chapter)