The little heroine investigates a mysterious case

It was not until near noon that Wang Daoding and the Tongzhi and Tongpan worked out a practical and feasible win-win plan: they decided to send troops to encircle Yanwangzhai early the next morning, but to avoid bloody conflicts as much as possible, and first bring all the people in Yanwangzhai back to the yamen and detain them pending trial.

This would not only calm the merchants' anger, but also allow them to obtain more clues by interrogating the people in Yanwangzhai and arrest the real mastermind behind all this.

Jiaoyang Valley, bearing the stigma of Yanwang Village, is already in danger. At this time, another powerful force is also eyeing Jiaoyang Valley, and that is the Tiandao League.

Ever since Zhao Xuan transformed herself as Tian Shili, went to Liyang to marry Gu Zhanghua, and was forced to become a housemaid in Prince Xian's mansion, no one in the world has found any trace of Daylily.

In the Tiandao League, Hu Yiba could no longer save face.

He has been in charge of the Tiandao League for many years, and he has issued dozens of killing orders in the martial arts world.

Whether it was the most notorious thief or the most deserving flower thief, without exception, they were all eventually brought to justice. However, the killing order he issued against Daylily this time took some thought, and while it initially made some waves, it has now fallen on deaf ears.

More than two months have passed, and the daylily has disappeared without a trace, as if it had evaporated from the face of the earth.

On this day, Hu Yiba had just walked out of the main hall when he saw Wu Li running in hurriedly.

"Alliance Master, I have something important to report!"

Hu Yiba immediately stopped in his tracks and asked, "But is there any information about the daylily?"

"Exactly! According to the report from the men monitoring Jiaoyang Valley, Huang Huacai suddenly appeared in Jiaoyang Valley again yesterday evening, but with two unfamiliar men beside him. They looked like master and servant, but they were definitely not from Jiaoyang Valley. I haven't yet found out their exact identities."

"I don't care who he is. I just want Daylily's life! Has the news spread?"

"Don't worry, leader! As soon as I received the tip-off, I had my brothers take action. Those old buddies in the underworld who are eager to make money have been pent up for a while. To prevent Huang Huacai from escaping again, they have agreed to join forces and will definitely strike him dead!"

Hu Yiba laughed heartily.

"Don't say they're too frustrated. I'm too frustrated. Oh, daylily, daylily, I don't believe I can't kill a young girl like you!"

Wu Li bowed to Hu Yiba and said, "If the leader has no other instructions, I will take my leave!"

"Wait, let me ask you, is there any news about the young master?"

Wu Li shook his head with a sad face: "I am incompetent and have not found the young master yet."

"No clues at all?"

"No, I think the young master is better at hiding than daylilies. We've already sent out ten groups of experts to search the various prefectures, counties, and districts of Xia Nation, but we haven't found any clues. I'm worried that something has happened to the young master."

Hu Yiba shouted, "Bullshit! Xiaoling is my biological son, Hu Yiba, and the young leader of the Tiandao League. Who dares to touch him? I'll kill him!"

Wu Li cautiously reminded: "Alliance Leader, it's possible that the young master is hiding his identity just to prevent us from finding him."

Hu Yiba waved his hands irritably.

"Alright, alright, stop talking about what's possible and what's not. Send more people and make sure you find him! If you spread the word again, just say I said it. As long as he's willing to come home, I won't force him to practice martial arts anymore. He can do whatever he wants, and I won't interfere!"

Wu Li quickly replied, "Yes! I obey your command!"

Wu Li took the order and left.

Hu Yiba then hurried to the back garden and stopped in front of a rockery. He looked around and made sure that there was no one there. Then he raised his hand and grabbed a seemingly ordinary stone, turned it twice to the left, and the rockery suddenly slowly separated to both sides, revealing a wooden door. Hu Yiba gently pushed the door open, walked in, and closed the door.

At this time, the rockery slowly merged into one again, and people who didn't know the inside story couldn't tell what it was from the outside.

Inside the door is a secret room, decorated like a small study.

At this time, a woman was facing away from Hu Yiba, looking at a painting of a lady hanging on the wall. When she heard the noise, she turned around.

The woman looked to be about forty years old, with an elegant and calm face and slight crow's feet at the corners of her eyes. She turned out to be Yang Liuming's wife, Jian Qiu.

Jian Qiu pointed to the banknotes on the table next to him.

"Alliance Leader Hu, please keep it."

Hu Yiba bowed and said, "I've specially asked Madam to come here. Thank you for your hard work. However, this time, I sent someone to contact you according to the code we agreed on in advance. I do have something important to tell you. Please take a seat, Madam."

Jian Qiu sat down and gestured for invitation: "Master Hu, please take a seat. Speak slowly."

Hu Yiba sat down opposite Jian Qiu.

Jian Qiu asked, "For all these years, I've only asked Alliance Leader Hu to do one thing, which is to find the whereabouts of Master Zhao Xiaoman and his apprentice. Have you found any clues?"

"It's strange," Hu Yiba said, calming himself. "Two months ago, the people I sent out finally found some clues in Heyan Village, outside Yanzhou City in the north. According to the village chief's recollection, more than ten years ago, a young man and a little girl settled in Heyan Village. The girl looked very similar to Zhao Xuan back then."

Jian Qiu couldn't help but raise her voice and asked hurriedly: "Are you sure?"

"She looks very similar to the girl in the portrait you provided me, but I'm not sure it's her. Later, I sent people to investigate, including tracking down several servants who worked at Qingfeng Courtyard back then. I confirmed it was Zhao Xuan without a doubt. The young man was Huang Shuo, Zhao Xiaoman's escort."

Jian Qiu frowned: "Why did it become Huang Shuo? Where is Zhao Xiaoman?"

"I don't know. We haven't found any trace of Zhao Xiaoman. Ever since Huang Shuo and Zhao Xuan settled in Heyan Village, they've been calling each other father and daughter. Zhao Xuan even changed her name to Huang Huacai. The village chief and the villagers didn't know their background and always thought they were homeless refugees who had fled here, so they kindly took them in."

Jian Qiu's expression was solemn: "Daylily? But that's the evil leader of Yanwang Village, Daiylily?"

Hu Yiba snorted coldly.

"That's her! Madam is truly well-informed. I shouldn't have given her the Evil Slaying Sword! Now I can't even explain to my deceased brother!"

Jian Qiu said coldly, "Her actions have truly chilled the hearts of the soldiers who died in Fengcheng! Leader Hu, what are you going to do next?"

"I can't possibly let her go! But our secret investigation might have let Huang Shuo and Zhao Xuan get wind of it. They left Heyan Village overnight, and there's still no trace of Huang Shuo. But Huang Huacai showed up at Yanwang Village two days ago. Madam, what do you think Hu should do next?"

Jian Qiu smiled and said, "I have always had only one request: to see the person alive or the body dead."

Hu Yiba said yes repeatedly: "Okay, okay! Madam is a straightforward person. Hu promises to Madam that as long as Zhao Xuan is captured, I will definitely ask her about Zhao Xiaoman's whereabouts."

Jian Qiu stood up and bowed to Hu Yiba.

"Then I'll have to trouble Alliance Leader Hu!"

"I don't deserve it. I'm taking money to help someone get rid of disaster! As soon as I get any news, Hu will immediately send someone to notify my wife according to the old rules!"