Fangxian Heretical Path

Chapter 58 Arsonist and Robber: The Tadpole's Move (4.6 thousand words)
Fang Shu walked out of the room and saw Li Hou'er waiting outside his house.

As soon as Li Hou'er saw him, he immediately greeted him:

"Brother Fang, come on, my dad has arranged a gathering and asked me to come find you and Uncle Yu to discuss it together."

Upon hearing this and noticing the other person's expression, Fang Shu immediately breathed a sigh of relief. He nodded in acknowledgment, indicating that the other person should continue talking as they walked.

Upon arriving at the dining hall, the two found their second uncle, Yu Le, without much difficulty.

Seeing his second uncle with his own eyes, Fang Shu felt a huge weight lifted from his heart.

Li Hou'er pulled the two of them to a corner before speaking:
"The paper mill was burned down, and the neighbors there were injured or killed. They are all homeless and have nowhere to go."

The other party spoke mysteriously: "My father has already inquired beforehand. This paper mill was burned down, and it won't be rebuilt on the same spot. Instead, it will be rebuilt as a large brick and tile house."

They also said that as compensation, the original residents of Zhifang would have priority in purchasing the property. And since Fang Ge'er and I are both from Duguguan, our families are definitely eligible.

My dad said that if we agree to this, and get two or three more families on board, we can get a whole courtyard house!

Li Hou'er clicked his tongue and said, "When the time comes, with houses and buildings, we'll all be well-off families in Guling Town!"

Upon hearing this, Second Uncle Yu Le's eyes first lit up, then his brows furrowed.

He squatted by the stove, exhaled a puff of smoke, and sighed softly:
"Brother Li is well-informed, so it's probably true."

This is indeed an opportunity. You see, every tiled house in the town has a name and a name, and they are not easily sold. Even if you have money, you can't buy one.

In this town, building a house is easy, but acquiring land is not. Where will the money come from…?

Upon hearing this, Li Hou'er's joy turned to hesitation. He muttered, "Right, my dad's so stingy, where did he get the money?"

Then Li Hou'er scratched his head, gave an embarrassed smile, and said, "I've delivered the message. Uncle Yu, Brother Fang, just remember it."

Immediately, this fellow quickly left the dining hall and walked excitedly towards the outside of the dojo. It seemed he was going to ask the talisman master Li Yuan how much wealth they had, especially after it had been burned down.

In an instant, only Fang Shu and his second uncle remained by the stove.

Fang Shu then began to inquire in detail:
"Second Uncle, what exactly happened in the paper mill? Why was the whole street burned down?"

Second Uncle Yu Le shook his head and cursed, "Bah! What a terrible thing!"

Then, the other party explained in detail about the fire at the paper mill.

It turns out that a strong wind blew up in the area where Zhifang is located last night.

It's autumn now, and the weather is dry. For some reason, a fire broke out at one of the paper mills.

A fire at the paper mill would have been a minor incident, something that happens every year. But for some reason, this time, aided by the strong winds, the fire quickly spread throughout the entire paper mill.

And coincidentally, that very night, the ditches in the paper mill were completely blocked by fallen leaves and stones blown in by the strong wind. In order to clear the blockage, the people in the market simply cut off the water supply to the paper mill.

When such a large fire breaks out, even if the neighbors in Zhifang wanted to put it out themselves, they would have no water available.

They wanted to ask people from the market to help put out the fire, but the firefighting team from the market did come. However, they completely ignored the paper mills and quickly pulled down a row of paper mills near the tiled-roof area. Then they dispatched men to protect the tiled-roof area.

The people in Zhifang asked them to put out the fire, but the firefighting team said they needed to pay for the departure fee and water collection fee first before they could put out the fire.

In this way, amidst the buck-passing, the entire paper mill, with hundreds and thousands of households, was burned to ashes, turning into a desolate white wasteland, resulting in heavy casualties.

Second Uncle Yu Le, with his pipe in his mouth, said:

"It's not completely burned yet; you can still see some sparks if you go over there."

After listening, Fang Shu looked at his second uncle.

Second Uncle grinned, seemingly knowing what he wanted to ask, and said proactively, "Don't worry about us, kid. Ever since those Black Tiger Gang people started causing trouble in Zhifang..."

Your second uncle has already packed up his bedding and is sleeping on the floor in the dining hall.

Second Uncle Yu Le said with a smug look on his face:

"There are only some bottles and jars left at home, and we're too lazy to go back and check them. Once this is all over, I'll just rent a paper house."

Upon hearing this, Fang Shu raised an eyebrow, a wide smile immediately spreading across his face, and said:

"As expected of my second uncle, experience is the best teacher."

“Of course, a wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall.” Second Uncle Yu Le was even more beaming when he heard this.

But suddenly, my second uncle sighed softly, "But that little Dou next door, well, at least he survived..."

Upon hearing this, Fang Shu frowned.

Upon further inquiry, it was learned that after the fire started, Dou Sufu was burned while trying to save the milk and belongings in the house that night, and almost died inside. She may have even injured her face.

The uncle and nephew continued chatting, and Fang Shu learned even more.

According to the neighbors in the paper mill, Fang Shu happened to know the owner of the paper house that was the first to burn down.

That was the old man's house where Su Qingao was staying.

"Tsk tsk, that old man, just a few days ago he was all radiant, saying he originally hoped to die in his paper house, but who would have thought that God still wouldn't take him. So he simply sold off all his possessions and plans to move to Fengyue Bridge in a few days to live a carefree life for a few years and die there."

Second Uncle Yu Le clicked his tongue in disapproval:

"Unexpectedly, this guy's jinx really came true, and he really did die in the house."

"Such a coincidence?" Fang Shu's expression immediately turned strange upon hearing this.

Second Uncle Yu Le glanced at him and said gloatingly, "Yes, it's just such a coincidence. Of course, some people say that the girl surnamed Su started the fire herself."

Some people said they heard the old man's wailing at night, a mournful sound like a pig being slaughtered. Because everyone was used to their arguing, no one paid any attention.

My second uncle shook his head and said, "Now that I think about it, that old man was probably burned alive."

Upon hearing this tragic story, Fang Shu remained unmoved, only finding it amusing.

However, his gaze immediately sharpened as he recalled that when he dealt with Cheng Guanzi, he had overheard the man plotting with others outside Cheng's house.

Considering the Black Tiger Pavilion incident mentioned by my second uncle, it's likely that the seeds of this fire in Zhifang were sown a year ago.

Fang Shu's heart skipped a beat, and he thought to himself, "So, Su Qingao not only killed her husband and burned down the house, but she may also have acted as a henchman of the Black Tiger Hall, taking the place of Cheng Guanzi?"

Then he asked about Su Qingao's whereabouts.

All I heard was my second uncle, Yu Le, say:
"People from the market town have been sent to look for her, and a reward has been offered. Some people say they saw her fleeing outside the town."

Now, not only have a bunch of people from the paper mill gone out of town to search, but a pack of hyenas in town, upon hearing the news, have also rushed out, wanting to capture the girl for the reward. Even the Black Tiger Lodge has feigned concern by sending men, saying they'll bring the girl back to hold her accountable.

My second uncle shook his head and sighed, "I think that girl, whether she gets caught or not, is destined for a bad end."

Su Qingao committed the heinous crime of arson. Once she is caught, even if she has made some kind of alliance with the Black Tiger Hall, the Black Tiger Hall will not let her go. They will most likely publicly execute her so that the neighbors in Zhifang can vent their anger!

If the other party is not captured, even if a mortal who has not yet entered the Dao has prepared some methods, he can survive the day in the wild, but he cannot survive the night.

After all, even those immortals who have attained enlightenment would not choose to spend the night in the wild unless absolutely necessary.

However, upon hearing that so many people were searching for Su Qingao, Fang Shu's heart stirred.

He wondered, "Should I join in the fun?"

After he quietly bid farewell to his second uncle, a small insect flew out from his sleeve, circled in front of him, and hovered for a while.

This insect is the Follower Insect, which Fang Shu refined in his spare time. It can search for the scent of thieves like a hunting dog, and even river water cannot wash it away. In addition, it can actively leave a mark on the thief and track the enemy at all times, which is quite useful.

However, this follower was only recently created, and Fang Shu has not yet properly tested it, so he doesn't know if it is as magical as described in the book.

Aside from the Sleepy Bug and the Follower Bug, Fang Shu has already mastered refining the seven low-level Gu worms related to firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea. Only the "Breath-Holding Bug" is currently under analysis, but it won't be long before Fang Shu can master it.

Clutching the little tagalong, he was eager to try it out. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he strode towards the paper mill.

Even the poor neighbors in the paper mill dared to join in this kind of lively event that wasn't dangerous, so of course he had to join in too, even if it meant making a wasted trip.

Perfect timing! This matter can not only test whether the sycophant is as magical as described in the book of witchcraft, but also help Sister Dou and the neighbors in Zhifang catch the suspect, and they might even be able to make a quick buck.

However, before stepping out of the dojo, Fang Shu looked up at the sky again to confirm that it was still morning and there were still several hours until sunset.

Although he was there to join in the fun, he didn't plan to spend the night in the wilderness. Once night fell, even if he came away empty-handed, he would return promptly to avoid encountering ghosts while wandering the night.

Continue straight ahead.

Fang Shu returned to the paper mill with practiced ease.

The once densely packed paper houses have now turned into piles of ashes, and even now, smoke continues to rise, forcing passersby to cover their faces with cloth.

Seeing this, Fang Shu followed suit, taking a face towel from his sleeve and covering his face.

He first went to the location of his own paper house, looked around, and found that his house had also been burned to the ground, just like a pile of ashes left after burning paper during a grave.

As we ventured deeper into the paper mill, bursts of weeping echoed through the air, a cacophony of voices from the old and young, men and women.

Besides the cries of distress, there were also people dressed in black robes and hats banging drums and gongs, shouting: "Don't gather in crowds! Don't gather in crowds!"

"Those who want to settle in the shantytown to the west can go now. There's no point in staying here any longer."

But when the refugees in the paper mill heard this, instead of responding with gratitude, they immediately started cursing: "Bah! Don't even think about driving us away."

"You're the ones who burned down this paper mill!"

The crowd pushed and shoved, and clashes broke out from time to time.

Fang Shu took in these scenes but didn't pay much attention. Based on his memory, he wandered around for a while and then arrived at the paper house where Su Qingao and the old man lived.

When he arrived at his destination, he realized he was already late.

Unlike other places where ashes were piled up like graves, here all the ashes had been dug out, and even the foundation had been hollowed out.

Clearly, the others had already searched every inch of this place.

Even the charred corpse in the center of the ashes, still sitting with its body hunched over, had its chest ripped open and its teeth smashed and pried out, making it extremely unsightly.

Even now, children from the paper mill are still searching through the foundation pit, like little chicks pecking at rice.

And there were children making a ruckus, whipping the mummified corpse with tree branches they'd found somewhere.

Dust billowed everywhere. Fang Shu covered his face and went over to examine the traces.

When he looked around, he saw unfamiliar faces, some leading a sleek wolfhound, others running into the ashes themselves, heads down, sniffing the food.

These people occasionally muttered, "Damn it! Looks like we're late."

They then carefully removed shards of pottery, porcelain, or strips of cloth from the objects in the pit that were not yet completely burned, and hurriedly left, heading out of the town.

Square bundles are mixed in.

Instead of hastily picking up the items and leaving, he carefully searched through the clutter. Ordinary items, even if they retained a scent, might not necessarily smell like Su Qingao's.

After searching around, his eyes suddenly lit up and his attention fell on the charred corpse.

*Snap!* Just then, a child shouted and stomped on the charred corpse's neck, kicking it around like a ball.

Fang Shu keenly noticed that in the severed neck of the charred corpse, there were still a few traces of blood in the spine, indicating that it was not completely charred.

So he had a sudden thought, and immediately shook out the worm, which first crawled into the charred corpse's chest, and then into its charred head.

Only after the leech had memorized the scent of the charred corpse did he summon the Gu worm back.

"The scent left by Su Qingao was hard to detect, but the old man's scent remained."

Fang Shu thought to himself, "This woman spends every day with the old man, so she might still have his scent on her!"

Although such indirect aura is extremely easy to extinguish, and Su Qingao only needs to do a little bit to make the followers confused, he can only try it now.

After putting away the little tagalong, Fang Shu left the paper mill.

Afterward, he made some simple purchases in the market and, after making some preparations, went out of town and into the countryside.

In the vast mountains and forests.

When Fang Shu reached a secluded spot, he took out the fox pelt from his robes, gave it a gentle shake, and it transformed back into a six-foot-tall gray fox.

Buzzing!
A bee-sized insect also flew up and hovered above the gray fox's head.

An insect and a fox, as if playfully chasing each other, wandered around the mountains and forests.

Next.

Fang Shu encountered many people with dogs and hawks in the wild. Most of them were ordinary people, and a few were immortals who had entered the Dao. They all maintained restraint among themselves and there was no conflict. They were obviously searching for Su Qingao.

However, judging from their appearance, none of them had accomplished anything.

Fang Shu followed closely behind, traversing forests and rivers, climbing mountains and descending valleys, covering the entire mountainous region within dozens of miles of the market town.

As the sun began to set, he felt discouraged, thinking that this trip had probably been a waste of time, and decided to turn back home.

As a result, when the tadpole was passing by a certain place, it suddenly changed direction and rushed straight towards a certain direction.

Fang Shu immediately perked up.

But when he quietly followed and hid in the grass, he discovered that the one being followed was not Su Qingao, or even a person, but a fat, shiny rat.

The rat had a red tail and walked slowly, stopping frequently, but its direction was very clear; it was heading towards a certain place.

This surprised Fang Shuxin.

But he still chose to trust the tagalong and followed the fat rat all the way to a valley more than thirty miles from the market.

After running to the riverbank, the fat rat didn't stop. It nimbly jumped down from the valley and disappeared from Fang Shu's sight.

This made Fang Shu's heart tighten, and he thought that the other party had discovered him and jumped into the river.

As a result, his little tagalong swayed around in a circle on the river and then disappeared from sight.

Fang Shu understood immediately. He moved to a different spot, hanging downwind on the riverbank. Looking to the side, he noticed a recessed crevice in the rock face.

A gentle river breeze blows.

A faint, painful groan from a woman was also carried to Fang Shu's ears by the wind.

That voice could only belong to Su Qin Gao!

(End of this chapter)