My lady, I'm going to rebel.

Li Lian frowned. "So, the man behind this bearded man is most likely one of the parties involved in the agreement. To prevent the two rebel armies from marrying, he first poisoned the bride and then tried to destroy the evidence in the inn. Or maybe he's plotting something else. I just don't know who the mastermind behind this is. We need to quickly inform Mu Zheng of this news so we can discuss what to do next."

As they were talking, they suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside the temple. The three of them instantly became alert, gripping their weapons tightly and preparing for battle. A moment later, Mu Zheng, covered in wounds, walked in with steady steps. "Huh, we finally got rid of them."

Little Mosquito hurried forward to support Mu Zheng, "Brother, you're injured. Those guys are too cruel."

Mu Zheng waved his hand, "It's okay, just some superficial injuries. Have you found anything here?"

Li Lian explained everything about the letter and the porcelain vase. Mu Zheng's expression grew increasingly serious. "It seems we must quickly find the mastermind behind this and stop them from continuing their evil deeds. Otherwise, this unprovoked disaster will inevitably spark renewed suspicion between the two rebel armies, leading to even greater conflict. By then, Henan will be plunged into war."

Han Zi thought for a moment and said, "Then we can start with this porcelain bottle and see if there is any pharmacy in the city that has a record of selling similar poisons. Maybe we can follow the clues and find the person behind it."

Everyone nodded, thinking this was a feasible method. They rested for a while, and after treating Mu Zheng's injuries, they quietly returned to the city before dawn.

They first went to several pharmacies that usually had a lot of customer traffic, but when the shopkeepers saw the poison, they all shook their heads and said that they had never seen such a vicious thing, and there was no trace of it in the sales records.

The few of them were not discouraged and continued to check one house at a time.

It wasn't until they reached a small, slightly shabby pharmacy deep in the alley that the old shopkeeper saw the porcelain bottle, his face turned pale instantly, his eyes filled with fear, and he said tremblingly, "This...how did this thing end up in your hands? This is a deadly poison. A mysterious man with his face covered came to me and ordered it custom-made. I didn't want to do such a heinous thing, but he threatened me with bribes and threats, and I really had no choice..."

Mu Zheng quickly asked, "Do you still remember what characteristics that person had?"

The old shopkeeper tried hard to recall, "He... He was tall, walked with a slight limp, spoke in a gruff voice, and seemed to have an accent from another place."

When everyone got this clue, hope was rekindled in their hearts. Although the characteristics were limited, at least they had a direction to investigate.

They thanked the old shopkeeper and stepped into the foggy street again.

Following the clues provided by the old shopkeeper, Mu Zheng and others began to inquire around the city about the mysterious man who was tall, limped and spoke with a foreign accent.

They shuttled through the streets and alleys, not missing any corner that might contain clues, but after several days, they still had no clue. It was as if this person was like a gust of wind, who appeared in this city once and then disappeared completely.

That day, several people gathered in a teahouse, drinking tea and discussing the next steps. Everyone had a frown on their face and looked a little depressed.

The little mosquito rubbed his head and said in a discouraged tone, "Brother, this city is so big, and finding such a person is like looking for a needle in a haystack. It's not going to work if we just keep searching blindly."

Mu Zheng took a sip of tea, his eyes determined. "Don't lose heart. Now that we've come this far, there's no reason to give up. That mysterious man, who can customize poisons and do such evil things, will definitely make some moves in the city. We just need to be patient and pay attention, and we'll definitely find some clues."

Han Zi nodded in agreement. "Brother Mu is right. I think we should focus on places where good and bad people mix, such as casinos and bars. These kinds of people might like to hang out in those places on a daily basis."

Everyone thought it made sense, so they decided to split up and go to different pubs and casinos in the city to try their luck.

Li Lian came to a pub called "Zuixiaolou". It was evening and the pub was bustling with people. The sounds of drinking, guessing games, laughing and cursing were intertwined, making it extremely lively.

He found a corner to sit down, ordered a pot of wine, and drank it seemingly casually, but his eyes were always paying attention to the people coming and going in the tavern.

Not long after, a tall man walked in, limping, which was exactly the characteristic they were looking for.

Li Lian was delighted and continued to observe calmly. He saw that the man walked straight to the private room on the second floor of the tavern. He looked back vigilantly from time to time, and was obviously very cautious.

Li Lian waited until the man entered the private room, then quietly followed him and put his ear to the door, hoping to hear what was going on inside. Faintly, he heard voices talking inside.

"That matter went quite smoothly, but it seems that someone is investigating the poison recently, so you have to be careful." A slightly hoarse voice said.

"Hmph, what can a few young brats do? Once the boss's plan is further implemented, even if they find out, what can they do? This Henan area will be ours sooner or later." It was the voice of the mysterious man, and his tone was full of arrogance.

"Having said that, we still can't be careless. Even though we have disrupted the two rebel armies for a while, it will be troublesome if they come to their senses and unite to deal with us." The hoarse voice continued to remind.

Upon hearing this, Li Lian understood that the conspiracy behind this was far more complex than they had imagined. He didn't dare linger for fear of being discovered, so he quietly retreated and hurried to meet up with Mu Zheng and the others, telling them everything he had heard.

Mu Zheng pondered for a moment and said, "It seems they have further plans. We must quickly identify their leader and put a stop to this conspiracy. Since that mysterious man often appears in this 'Zuixiaolou', we should start from here and send someone to keep an eye on him. When he shows up next time, we can follow the clues and find his lair."

Everyone responded in agreement, immediately arranged for someone to follow them, and began to wait patiently.

Days passed, and finally, on a rainy afternoon, the mysterious man reappeared at Zuixiaolou. Mu Zheng and the others quietly followed him, passing through several winding alleys, and arrived in front of a seemingly deserted courtyard. The mysterious man looked around, confirmed that no one was there, and pushed the door open and walked in.

Mu Zheng made a gesture to keep quiet, and several people approached the courtyard cautiously. Looking inside through the crack in the door, they saw several ferocious-looking men standing in the courtyard, and in the middle stood a middle-aged man in a black robe with a stern face. The mysterious man was respectfully reporting something to him.

"Boss, everything is going according to plan. The two rebel armies are now suspicious of each other. I believe it won't be long before they start fighting among themselves." The mysterious man said flatteringly.

The middle-aged man in the black robe nodded slightly, a sinister smile on his face. "Very good. As long as we control the situation in Henan, we can achieve great things in the future. However, have any unusual people appeared recently?"

"There are a few reckless guys looking into the poison issue, but I've been keeping an eye on it and I don't think they'll find anything."

The middle-aged man in the black robe had a stern look in his eyes. "Don't be careless. Cut the grass at its roots. Don't leave any trouble. Go and make some arrangements. Get rid of those people for me!"

Hearing this, Mu Zheng and the others knew that a fierce battle was inevitable...