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

Zhang Jingwei paced back and forth in the courtyard of his residence like a trapped, angry lion. His fists were clenched, his knuckles white, his teeth clenched, and every step seemed to crush the stone slabs. His chest heaved violently, and the front of his official robes was torn open by his impatience.

"I'm so pissed! Damn it... I'm so pissed!" A deep roar ripped from his throat, filled with uncontrollable rage and frustration. Yuan Liang's calm face, yet with a defiant smile, and Shi Chongshan's insane "Immortal Bridge Theory" kept swirling through his mind, nearly breaking down his sanity. "A famous lawyer? What a famous lawyer! You're ruining my plans!"

He suddenly stopped, his red eyes scanning the yard, as if looking for an outlet: "Where's my sandbag?!"

Qian Ming stood aside, watching his young master on the verge of losing control, and replied carefully: "Master, you said before that the young mistress was bored recently, and asked us to move to the backyard to entertain her. Just to relieve her boredom..."

"Entertainment?" Zhang Jingwei turned his head abruptly, his eyes frighteningly sharp. "I'm going to have some fun now! I'm skipping dinner!" He practically shouted, turning and rushing to the backyard. At that moment, he just wanted to smash the heavy sandbag into pieces as if it were Yuan Liang or Shi Chongshan's face.

"Master!" Wang Ergou suddenly spoke, his voice cold and filled with an uncontrollable anger. "I'm going to kill that lawyer!"

Zhang Jingwei paused, turned abruptly, and stared into Wang Ergou's bloodshot eyes. "Gouzi, when did you become so impulsive?" His tone was scrutinizing, but more so, exhausted. He knew Gouzi was loyal, but his murderous intent was too explicit.

"I hate that face!" Wang Ergou gritted his teeth, his cheeks tense. "So fake and sarcastic! Just looking at him makes me want to tear him apart!"

"He can't be killed." Zhang Jingwei took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his surging anger. His voice lowered, carrying a cold calculation, "At least... he can't die in Gaoyang, not at this moment. Do you understand?"

At this moment, Mu Tou, who had been silent until then, showed a rare look of struggle and guilt on his face. He stepped forward and said in a muffled voice, "Master, Mu Tou... Mu Tou has something I need to confess to you."

Zhang Jingwei rubbed his eyebrows irritably: "What's the matter? Tell me quickly!" He was now nervous about any unexpected events.

Mu Tou lowered his head, not daring to meet Zhang Jingwei's eyes. "Actually... when you asked me to investigate the villages and learn more about the Shi family... I... I got lazy and didn't go to so many places." He swallowed hard. "I apprehended a suspicious alchemist... Later, all the information you asked me to look up... about the location of the Shi family workshop and the medicine man's transportation route... a lot of it... was revealed by him."

"What?!" Qian Ming was the first to react. His brows were furrowed and his sharp eyes shot towards Mu Tou. "He knows everything? Then why would he tell you? How could a Taoist priest easily betray a master like the Shi family?" Qian Ming instinctively suspected that this was a trap.

Liang Dahai, who was standing next to him, sneered, with a bit of helplessness towards Mu Tou's "honesty": "What else can his wooden head come up with? He has to force him to confess! He must have resorted to some means, otherwise why would he speak?" He knew Mu Tou's style of doing things too well.

Zhang Jingwei's heart suddenly jumped, and a strange premonition came to his mind: "That alchemist... where is he now? I want to meet him!" If this person has core intelligence, it will be of great value!

Upon hearing this, Mu Tou lowered his head even more, his voice almost inaudible, "Master... Mu Tou is useless..." His rough hands rubbed the corner of his clothes nervously, "A few days ago... in order to find out the direction and exit of the Shi family's underground river, I went down to explore the way myself, and neglected to keep an eye on him... When I came back... he... was gone."

He suddenly raised his head, his face full of regret and self-blame: "I was thinking at the time that I must catch the person and tie him up for you, young master! So I didn't dare to report it immediately... But I searched all the possible places, but there was no trace of him... I... I didn't dare to mention it..." At the end, his voice trembled a little.

Zhang Jingwei felt a chill running up from the soles of his feet. He suppressed his rising anger and turned to Wang Ergou, saying urgently, "Gouzi! How long will it take to find this person?!"

Wang Ergou's eyes narrowed. "What are his characteristics? His appearance? His clothes?"

Mu Tou quickly described: "It's easy to find! He's basically a cripple! I... I broke one of his legs to make him speak! The fingers on his left hand... were all broken by me! And... and several teeth... were also pulled out by me..." His voice became lower with each item he mentioned, his face full of complicated expressions, a mix of the ruthlessness when completing the task and a bit of uneasiness when facing the cruel result afterwards.

"Hiss!" Everyone in the yard, including Qian Ming and Liang Dahai, gasped! This wasn't an interrogation; it was torture! Their eyes turned towards Mu Tou, changing to a tinge of fear.

Wang Ergou frowned. "Broken legs, broken fingers, pulled teeth... that would make it hard to find him. With injuries like this, he must be a frightened bird. He'll do everything he can to hide. He might even be... dead."

Liang Dahai also smacked his lips and added: "No, that's not the point... The point is, how could this guy escape when he was so badly injured? What kind of god is he?" This is simply unbelievable.

Liang Dahai's words struck Zhang Jingwei's chaotic mind like a bolt of lightning! He slapped his forehead and cried out, "Wait! I suddenly remembered! The Shi family's chief alchemist, the young man who is said to be deeply trusted by Shi Chongshan and in charge of the core alchemy—he was missed on our wanted list! He wasn't caught at all! Could it be... that's him?!"

Mu Tou immediately shook his head, his tone firm, "Impossible! Young Master, the alchemist I captured was young, but he was as timid as a mouse. He answered whatever I asked and had no backbone at all! Moreover, who is the chief alchemist of the Shi family? How could he be caught alone in the wilderness? It doesn't make sense."

Zhang Jingwei paced back and forth, his eyes sharp as an eagle. "According to the confessions we pried open earlier, the Shi family's chief alchemist is definitely a young man! He acts in secret and rarely goes out! He's extremely crucial, and many of the Shi family's secret operations are carried out through him! He's very useful to me!" He stopped abruptly, pointed at Wang Ergou and Mu Tou, and said firmly, "Gouzi! Mu Tou! I order you two, immediately! Right now! Use all means and mobilize everyone! Find this alchemist for me! Alive or dead... drag his body back to me!"

"Yes!" Wang Ergou and Mu Tou answered in unison, turned around and rushed out.

At that moment, hurried footsteps were heard at the gate. Jia Dayong came running in, his face showing the nervousness of someone who had gotten into trouble and was eager to report it.

"Young Master! Young Master!" Jia Dayong shouted, panting.

Zhang Jingwei was extremely upset at the moment, but when he saw Jia Dayong, he managed to suppress his anger and asked as calmly as possible: "Hanzi? What's wrong? Are you used to living in the county government office?" He remembered arranging Jia Dayong to do some odd jobs in the government office.

Jia Dayong bowed quickly: "Thank you for your concern, Master! It's much more comfortable here than at home. I have enough food to eat and warm clothes to wear. Master Liu also takes care of me."

"Well," Zhang Jingwei nodded, "There is not much hard work in the mansion, but you still have to be careful and don't be clumsy." He casually reminded him, and saw that Jia Dayong was hesitant to speak, "What's wrong? You seem to be hesitating. Have you encountered any difficulties? Are you short of money?" He thought this honest man came to ask for help.

"No! It's not about the money!" Jia Dayong waved his hands hurriedly, his face becoming even more embarrassed. "It's... it's like this, young master. After noon today, I went to the mountains outside the city to collect firewood as ordered by Sixth Master... As a result, I met a poor guy in the valley! Oh my god, that pitiful guy..." He gestured, his face showing genuine sympathy and horror. "He was covered in blood, his clothes were torn, and he was lying in the grass groaning, unable to move! One of his legs... looked like it was broken! His face was swollen, and blood was still foaming at the mouth... It was so miserable! He must have met a blind bear or a pack of wolves in the mountains! I felt so sorry for him at the time, and I was afraid that he would be taken away by wild animals, so... my heart softened. Without thinking too much, I carried him back..."

He scratched his head, feeling a little embarrassed: "As a result, Sixth Master found out and scolded me, saying that I was causing trouble to the mansion and even brought back a half-dead person of unknown origin... But... but Master, I know you have a kind heart and a compassionate heart! You will definitely not watch someone die without helping, right?" He looked at Zhang Jingwei eagerly, his eyes full of trust and expectation.

Zhang Jingwei's mind was full of the Shi family and the missing alchemist at the moment. He was not very interested in Jia Dayong's "good deeds" and just wanted to send him away quickly: "Oh, this is a good deed! Saving a life is better than building a seven-story pagoda. I support you. Go to your sixth uncle to ask for some money, take the person to the best clinic in the city, and let the doctor treat him well. If the money is not enough, come to me again. I have urgent things to do now." He waved his hand, indicating that Jia Dayong could leave.

Jia Dayong did not move, but became even more anxious: "Young Master! That man was seriously injured! I was almost exhausted carrying him back all the way, and he was weak... This... It's still a long way to the clinic, I'm afraid he can't hold on... Can... Can we use the government's carriage? Take him there, steadily and quickly..." He looked at Zhang Jingwei pleadingly.

Zhang Jingwei was a little impatient: "Of course, go ahead, ask Uncle Eleven to pull the cart..." He was halfway through his words and was about to continue arranging the matter of finding a Taoist priest when an idea suddenly popped into his mind like a lightning strike!

He suddenly stopped, his body stiffening instantly! The scene Jia Dayong had just described—a broken leg, a bloody face, foaming at the mouth, and an extremely miserable state—strangely overlapped with the characteristics of the alchemist described by Mu Tou!

Zhang Jingwei turned slowly, extremely slowly, his eyes fixed on the honest-looking Jia Dayong. His voice trembled slightly with extreme shock and a kind of absurd ecstasy: "Wait... wait a minute... you just said... that man... had a broken leg? He was covered in blood?"

"Yeah!" Jia Dayong nodded vigorously, adding, "It's terrible! It looks like several teeth were knocked out, and there's blood all over them..."

"Hiss!" Zhang Jingwei's gasp was particularly loud this time, heard clearly by everyone in the courtyard! Qian Ming, Wang Ergou, Mu Tou, Liang Dahai—everyone's eyes instantly focused on Jia Dayong, their eyes filled with disbelief and a sense of nervousness as the mystery was about to be revealed!

Zhang Jingwei suddenly stepped in front of Jia Dayong, his voice changing in tone with urgency: "Quick! Take me to see! Where is the person?!"

"In... in the woodshed... Sixth Master won't let us into the inner courtyard..." Jia Dayong was frightened by the scene and stammered.

"Let's go!" Zhang Jingwei gave an order, and everyone followed Jia Dayong to the woodshed like a whirlwind.

A dark and damp woodshed.

A strong smell of mold and hay, mixed with the tang of fresh blood, hit them. The corner was filled with firewood, and the light was dim. With the light coming in from the door, everyone saw a thin layer of hay on the ground, and a dark figure curled up on it.

Mu Tou rushed over and roughly pushed aside the rags and messy hair covering the man's face. When the swollen, purple, and blood-stained face, but with vaguely recognizable features, was exposed in the dim light, Mu Tou's pupils suddenly contracted!

He turned around suddenly and looked at Zhang Jingwei, his voice trembling with excitement and confirmation:

"Master! That's right! It's him!"