Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

The afternoon sun was glaring, and the bustle of Gaoyang County reached a climax with the sound of gongs and drums from the celebration. But this excitement had nothing to do with Wang Ergou. To ensure public security, he had given up watching the ceremony and instead patrolled the streets with a team of police officers.

Just as I turned a corner into a relatively quiet alley, a faint voice floated over: "Dog...Dog..."

A newly arrived patrolman nearby pricked up his ears and whispered nervously, "Boss! It seems... someone is calling you?"

Wang Ergou looked straight ahead, his steps unwavering. His voice was deep but carried an undeniable authority: "Focus on patrolling the streets! If you really need me for something, you will stop me and report it openly. This sneaky behavior is ridiculous!"

"Oh, I understand, boss!" The young patrolman straightened his back quickly, not daring to be distracted anymore.

After patrolling another main street, Wang Ergou paused, his sharp gaze sweeping over his men. "Two people in each, patrol the four main streets! Keep alert! There will be many people at the festival, so don't let any scoundrels take advantage of the situation!"

"Yes!" The policemen responded in unison, quickly dispersed into groups, and blended into the bustling crowd.

As the last of his men disappeared around the corner, the businesslike expression on Wang Ergou's face instantly vanished. He paced seemingly casually, his eyes scanning the surroundings like a hawk. At an inconspicuous intersection, he glided silently, like a fish, into a narrow, cluttered alley.

Almost at the same time, a towering figure emerged from behind a pile of broken baskets and growled in a low voice, "Dog!"

Wang Ergou spun around abruptly. Seeing who was coming, his face wasn't filled with joy, but instead with suppressed anger. He stepped forward, practically grabbing the man by the collar. His voice was low, yet charged with anger: "Are you fucking sick?! What's the point of contact outside the city for? Are all the rules thrown out?! Tell 'Ear' if there's any news, and he'll find a way to get him in! What if a person of your size sneaks into the city and gets spotted by the 'Shi Family' or the patrol officers? And you ruin Young Master's plans? What will be your punishment?" His rapid breaths puffed against the burly man's face, his eyes filled with fear and stern reproach.

The sturdy man shrank his neck at the scolding, but his eyes were firm. He defended himself in a muffled voice, "Don't worry, Gouzi! I, the cat, watched the woods outside the city for most of the day, making sure no one was paying attention, and then I found an opportunity to sneak in. Those lazy guys at the city gate were too focused on watching the fun."

Hearing him say this, Wang Ergou's tense nerves relaxed a little, but his brows were still furrowed. "Stop talking nonsense! You risked your life to come in here. Do you have any news? Tell me now!"

"Yes! Big news!" The burly man leaned in closer, almost touching Wang Ergou's ear. A scent of sweat and earth hit him in the face. "I saw a group of people in Taoist robes selling medicine in Yangxia Town and Sangshui Village... And..." He paused, his face showing a mixture of disgust and fear. "I saw with my own eyes how they gave people the medicine!"

"Selling medicine?" Wang Ergou's heart tightened, and he asked, "What medicine are you selling? Tell me clearly!"

The burly man licked his cracked lips and said in a chilling voice, "Nine out of ten...it's Wushisan!"

Wang Ergou gasped, his pupils suddenly constricting. "Hiss...Five-Stone Powder?! This thing popped up again?" He immediately thought of the previous case. "No! Huang Dianshi personally performed an autopsy on the body. The stomach was spotless, no trace of Five-Stone Powder! Are you sure?"

"Sure! That's why I said I saw how they used the medicine!" The sturdy man's expression became even weirder. "They... they don't use their mouths! They use... they use a chicken bone that's been ground very finely! They hollowed out the bone like a tube, with a small leather medicine bag attached to one end. And then..." He made a creepy gesture, "... they stick it directly into the person's anus and squeeze the medicine in!"

Wang Ergou felt a chill rushing from his tailbone to the top of his head. He subconsciously clenched his buttocks, and his anus tightened. "Hiss... Shit! This is fucking..." He took a breath and stared at the burly man with complicated eyes. "What I'm more curious about now is - how did you 'see' what was going on in this 'asshole'?! Were you lying under the window? Or under the bed?!"

The sturdy man's dark face seemed to flush for a moment, and then he stiffened his neck. "This... don't worry about it! Anyway, I saw it clearly! Besides, not only Yangxia, Sangshui, and Tongziguan, but also several other villages have discovered this sneaky Taoist!"

Wang Ergou suppressed his nausea and doubts, his mind racing: "No, I'm still curious how you knew that?"

"Oh, this... is hard to say... Oh, there's more!" The burly man seemed to have remembered something more important. He glanced cautiously at the alley entrance again, then pulled out an oil-paper package from his pocket and carefully unfolded it. Inside was a charcoal sketch, crooked but clearly marked. "There's a hidden river beneath Gaoyang County! It connects to half the city! Look, here, here, and here, there are gates leading to the surface, and the locations are very hidden!"

Wang Ergou snatched the sketch and stuffed it into his arms without even glancing at it. He suddenly looked up at the burly man in front of him who usually looked simple, dull, and even a little clumsy. His eyes were full of disbelief and re-examination. "You're such a blockhead! You usually look so dull and taciturn, but I didn't expect... you're so thoughtful and courageous!"

The burly man felt a little embarrassed when he was looked at by him, and scratched his head: "Gouzi, I have to go. I'm afraid something might go wrong if I stay here for too long. This..." He pointed at the map in Wang Ergou's arms, "Please keep it well! Say hello to the young master for me..." After speaking, without waiting for Wang Ergou to ask again, his huge body flashed with extraordinary agility and disappeared again in the shadow of the piled up debris.