Chapter 269 - 124: Surely No One Actually Thinks There’s Only One Divine Cocoon?

Chapter 269: Chapter 124: Surely No One Actually Thinks There’s Only One Divine Cocoon?

That thing wasn’t easy to get ahold of. Besides the top Demon Hunters from the Demon-Slaying Bureau and the Ministry of Justice, very few people in all of Lingge could get one.

But Brother Kucha was the poor bastard who had come to the capital as a hostage in his brother’s stead. As the Patriarch, Feng Ji, at least judging by his actions, was eager to compensate this illegitimate son.

Seeing that Brother Kucha had... peculiar tastes, he immediately pulled some major strings and got him a token.

He originally thought it would only satisfy *that* kind of need.

Who knew it could also satisfy *this* kind of need.

Zhao Ci, however, was a little unsure. He gave a wry smile. "Old Feng! You sure this is gonna work?"

Feng Kucha laughed heartily. "Don’t you worry! My Lu E isn’t just very useful, she’s *very* useful. In short, rest assured, I, Old Feng, am definitely not going to be a burden to the Tenth Prince’s Mansion. Right, little Lu E?"

As he spoke, he pinched the Crocodile Lady’s waist.

It was that same slender waist that had sent his very soul reeling as they tumbled together on the waterbed that night.

Zhao Ci: "..."

Zhang Da Yong: "Damn!"

Xiao Shenke: "Fuck!"

Yang Mo shot Feng Kucha a sidelong glance, his eyes darkening.

Although he knew Feng Kucha’s boast about "not being a burden" wasn’t aimed at anyone in particular.

But the words still stung.

He shook his head.

He had to cast out the distracting thoughts.

He continued riding west.

...

A hundred li wasn’t exactly close.

But it wasn’t exactly far, either.

By dusk, as the sun was setting, the group had arrived at their destination.

This place was a small town in Upper County.

The crime scene was difficult to access, so getting there by horse was a challenge. The best way was to circle around to the upper reaches of the river and travel downstream along the Hanling Waterway, floating all the way to the site.

The official from Hanling County assigned to liaise with them was already there, waiting.

When he saw Zhao Ci and the others present their tokens, his attitude immediately became one of overwhelming enthusiasm.

"Greetings, Tenth Prince! Greetings, Lord Mansion Officials! This humble subordinate has been so eagerly awaiting your arrival. It’s late, so I’ve prepared the finest guest rooms in town. Conditions in Hanling County are a bit spartan, I’m afraid, so I hope you all..."

"No need to stay. We’re heading out now!"

Zhao Ci interrupted with a wave of his hand.

The junior official was stunned. "Huh?"

Zhao Ci shook his head. "Right now, we don’t know if those Child Scholars are dead or alive. Every day they’re missing is another day of danger. We must act as quickly as possible. How can we justify resting in town for a night?"

The junior official replied hastily, "Your Highness! It’s been raining upstream, so the river is running faster than usual. Traveling by boat at night might be unsafe."

As soon as he said this, the expressions on everyone’s faces shifted, but no one spoke. They simply waited for Zhao Ci to make a decision.

Zhao Ci mulled it over for a moment before pointing at the boats on the river. "Aren’t they sailing, too?"

"But..."

The junior official hesitated, genuine worry etched on his face.

[Chen Hui’s Current Wish]: The Prince is a good person. I hope they stay safe. Wish Fulfillment Reward: Comprehension Value +10, Peace Talisman x1.

His initial behavior had been a bit sycophantic.

But it was unavoidable.

This junior official from Hanling County still had a good heart.

Zhao Ci clapped him on the shoulder and smiled. "Don’t worry! If anything happens, I’ll take responsibility. We’re all decent swimmers. Even if we fall in, we can float to safety."

He wasn’t particularly worried.

If the danger had truly reached a certain level, there wouldn’t be any boats on the river at all. Besides, the toolkits he had prepared for everyone contained plenty of self-rescue items, and he also had a stock of Peace Talismans. There would still be risks, of course, but gaining more time for the search and rescue was completely worth it.

This junior official, Chen Hui, was probably just afraid of shouldering the responsibility.

"Alright!" ℯℯ𝑙.

The junior official gritted his teeth. "I’ll go get the best boatman in town right now. I’ll guarantee the Prince’s safety. Everyone, please wait a moment. I’ll be right back."

With that, he hurried away.

Yang Mo watched Zhao Ci with a complicated gaze, inwardly surprised that he had made such a decision.

Ever since leaving home, the words of his father, Yang Fang, had been echoing in his mind.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that perhaps useless people truly served no purpose.

But seeing Zhao Ci fighting for every second, he started to think that might not be true.

The mission only specified finding eighty percent of the missing Child Scholars.

It didn’t matter if they were alive or dead.

In other words.

Whether those Child Scholars lived or died wouldn’t affect the Tenth Prince’s Mansion’s merit. In fact, in some ways, the dead were easier to find.

But Zhao Ci still chose this path.

’What Dad said... it isn’t right!’

Yang Mo gritted his teeth, rejecting the viewpoint his father, Yang Fang, had instilled in him.

Zhang Da Yong stood by silently, saying nothing, his mind whirring.

’This kind of thankless task, risking one’s own life to save the weak...’

’Why would the Lord Saint Monarch ever do something like this?’

’Shuimo might have said the current Saint Monarch is a completely new person, but Huangfu Song refused to believe it.’

’I am a Demon Cultivator. I’ve mastered many types of soul Magic, and I know the fundamental soul is hard to change. Even if the Saint Monarch has lost all his memories, how could he possibly become his complete opposite?’

’The Saint Monarch of old was imperious, looking down upon the world.’

’Never mind the lives of these ants; he wouldn’t have even given the experts of the Holy Sect a second glance.’

’Ants.’

’If they die, they die.’

’Because even if they lived, they would be of no use!’

’This Tenth Prince... for someone who grew up in the Royal Family, his head is full of misplaced compassion. Does he even deserve the surname Zhao?’

’The chances of this kid being the Saint Monarch are slim.’

’Yang Mo, on the other hand, is far more worthy of continued observation.’

’Still, I won’t rush to judgment. For now, I just need to record the signs. It won’t be too late to pass judgment once I’ve gathered enough information.’

「About a quarter of an hour later.」

Chen Hui returned with a powerfully built boatman in tow. He led the group directly onto a boat large enough to hold twenty people, and they began to drift downstream under the cover of night.