Chapter 573 - 378: The Largest Case (Part 2)

Xiao Yu let out a sigh and immediately helped Duan Rong toss the corpses aside together.

Soon, a pitch-black corpse emerged in the middle of the pile.

Although the corpse had already darkened and was covered in decay spots, a pipe still stuck out from his waist. That outfit, those whiskers, who else could it be but Xiao Zongting?

Xiao Yu rushed over, holding her father’s rigid, darkened face in her hands, murmuring, "Father! Your daughter was unfilial, came too late!"

Once Xiao Yu’s emotions had calmed a bit, they carried out Xiao Zongting’s stiff body.

Duan Rong stood there, glanced at Zhang Xinping, then looked at Xiao Yu and asked, "Should this person be killed or spared? You decide."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xinping’s heart leapt into his throat.

Xiao Yu tidied Xiao Zongting’s disheveled clothes; one foot wore a shoe, while the other shoe had disappeared somewhere.

Looking at her father’s bare right foot, it seemed to Xiao Yu that even the missing shoe was more significant than Zhang Xinping.

"Let him go," Xiao Sheng said softly.

This faint utterance rang in Zhang Xinping’s ears as powerfully as a resounding bell.

Zhang Xinping felt a surge of joy, looking expectantly at Duan Rong. He knew that between them, Duan Rong was the one in charge.

Duan Rong said, "You may leave now."

Feeling as if he had been granted a second life from outside the Ghost Gate, Zhang Xinping immediately bowed, saying, "Thank you both for your mercy." Having spoken, he quickly departed, afraid they might change their minds.

Zhang Xinping was merely a low-level escort master, not the person in charge. Duan Rong and Xiao Yu weren’t the sort to kill indiscriminately.

The responsibility for Xiao Zongting’s death lay first with Ruan Fengshan, and then the expert in black who aided him that night, along with Sun Qian. But those people had already been executed.

Duan Rong and Xiao Yu took Xiao Zongting’s body back into the city.

Later, Duan Rong and Ximen Kankan went to a coffin shop and brought back a large pine coffin.

But at this time, Xianggu County was under lockdown for investigation, and Xiao Zongting had been dead for over half a month, so holding a funeral or vigil was no longer appropriate.

Xiao Yu changed Xiao Zongting into burial clothes.

She and Zhu Xiaoqi also donned mourning attire.

Once Xiao Zongting was dressed and placed in the coffin, Duan Rong and Ximen Kankan nailed it shut.

That afternoon, Duan Rong, Ximen Kankan, Liu Shushan, and Yang Zhen carried the coffin out of Xiao family’s courtyard.

Xiao Yu held the memorial tablet as she and Zhu Xiaoqi wailed along the way.

Shen Mizi scattered paper money nearby; she and Xiao Yu had long developed deep feelings, and seeing Xiao Yu cry like a tearful doll brought pangs to her heart.

Just that on the back waist of Xiao Yu’s mourning attire was tied a rounded object — it was Ruan Fengshan’s head.

The group escorted Xiao Zongting’s coffin to the Xiao family ancestral grave.

Seeing her sister Xiao Baijiao’s grave made Xiao Yu shed even more tears like the rain.

Yet within these three years, those closest to her since childhood had successively departed!

Thinking of this, Xiao Yu once again wept sorrowfully.

They buried Xiao Zongting’s coffin and erected the tombstone.

All knelt in front of the grave.

Xiao Yu untied the ragged clothes from her back waist, laying them before the tombstone. Ruan Fengshan’s pale white head was shockingly there.

Xiao Yu kowtowed heavily and said, "Father, your revenge is served! Rest in peace. In the next life, Yu’er shall be your daughter again!"

Xiao Yu lay prostrate, crying bitterly without rising for a long time!

As dusk settled, they supported the tearful Xiao Yu and Zhu Xiaoqi back into the city.

Duan Rong, Xiao Yu, and the others did not return to the Xiao family estate. One, it was within Yuan Shun Escort Agency and surrounded by Heavy Armored Cavalry – making access difficult. Secondly, it hadn’t been tidied for over half a month, rendering it unsuitable for immediate occupancy.

Under Duan Rong’s suggestion, Xiao Yu and the others stayed in the old West Gate Mansion.

The rooms in West Gate Mansion were ready-for-use; needing only simple tidying before they could move in.

Ximen Kankan brought back a table of dishes from Eight Treasures Building, and the group ate a little before each retired to sleep.

The city lockdown and investigation in Xianggu County took a full seven or eight days, uncovering over a hundred and eighty remnants of the Filthy Blood Sect!

This number constitutes the largest case in the history of the Filthy Blood Sect incidents!

Original, who participated in the case with Wang Shuliang, grew increasingly alarmed as they proceeded!

Initially, when Duan Rong instructed Original to lead a team to seal off those many places, he had his doubts. But after days of investigation, he discovered that these locations were indeed strongholds of the Filthy Blood Sect.

Furthermore, they found a secret passage and rescued more than thirty young girls from a dark room within the passage.

On this day, in the morning, the case was basically concluded. At the East City Gate, Jiang Zhe and his group had decided to return to the sect.

Duan Rong, Original, and Wang Shuliang all came to see them off. Another person, dressed in the County Magistrate’s official garb, also stood among those bidding farewell.

This person was named Guo Xiangbao, the newly appointed County Magistrate of Xianggu. He had only arrived from the Prefecture City a couple of days ago.

The Cloud Ridge Mad Eagle had already landed not far away, with Bai Yuan and Lu Jin standing beside the giant eagle.

The giant eagle was as large as a hill, and Bai Yuan and Lu Jin appeared as two black dots beside it. Both Bai Yuan and Lu Jin carried something on their backs.

Bai Yuan carried the crimson skeleton of Wei Ziyan, intending to take it back to the sect for research.

Lu Jin carried the wrapped half-corpse of Shen Qing.

Jiang Zhe stood at the city gate, bidding farewell to everyone, and gave Duan Rong a deep look.

Judging solely by the number of eradicated individuals, this was already the largest case of the Filthy Blood Sect!

Moreover, there were the Head Altar Law Envoy and the Yuan Yang Hall Master, two big catches!

And all of this began with Duan Rong!

With just this accomplishment, he could steadily advance to become an Inner Sect Disciple!

And although the two big fishes turned into two dead fishes, the responsibility for this did not rest on Duan Rong!

Jiang Zhe also knew that during the Divine Soul Test in the sect, Duan Rong was just one step away from ascending the sacrificial platform!

This young man truly has boundless potential for the future!

Jiang Zhe smiled at Duan Rong, saying, "Junior Brother Duan Rong, upon meeting you, I feel a great rapport! After this parting, who knows when we will meet again?"

Duan Rong also smiled and said, "Indeed, Senior Brother Jiang Zhe, I feel the same way! It’s a pity we can’t have a good drink together to express the emotion of parting."

Jiang Zhe said, "There is nothing we can do about it. The sect urges this matter as urgently as a falling star. This drinking affair will have to wait for another day."

Duan Rong said, "All right! When we meet again, we will drink heartily!"

Duan Rong thought that with these polite words said, Jiang Zhe would leave. But unexpectedly, Jiang Zhe suddenly took out a jade pendant with a dark green hue and handed it to Duan Rong, saying, "Junior Brother Duan Rong, this jade pendant has the miraculous effect of detoxification and body warming. I give it to you, expressing a little of my heart, and I hope you won’t refuse!"

Duan Rong was slightly stunned, not expecting Jiang Zhe to present a farewell gift.

At this moment, if he refused in public, it would be a bit disrespectful to Jiang Zhe.

Duan Rong respectfully took it with his hand, saying, "Senior Brother’s kindness to me, Duan Rong will never betray!" Although Duan Rong said this outwardly, in his heart he was thinking, this person really is something, leaving already but still giving me a jade pendant. He just said it had some detoxification and body warming effects, who knows if it’s true or not.

Jiang Zhe saw Duan Rong accept the jade pendant, feeling a slight ache in his heart. This jade pendant also had some uses for him, its body warming effects provided minor benefits to his cultivation.

But if he didn’t make friends with Duan Rong now, once he entered the Elder Hall, trying to build connections would be too late.

However, upon hearing Duan Rong later say he would never betray him, Jiang Zhe’s face revealed a smile.

Only then did Jiang Zhe truly take his leave.

He pulled up an iron chain by the city wall and walked towards the Cloud Feather Fierce Eagle not far away.

On that iron chain, three people were tied in sequence: Temple Priest Xu Dongyang, the county government’s clerk, and the guard from Wei Yutian’s old residence.

These three were all members of the Filthy Blood Sect, but at this time, the blood threads around them had already been retracted into their bodies. However, all three of them looked withered and lifeless. They all knew that they would not survive the trip to the Taiyi Sect and would die miserably.

Although Wei Ziyan and Ge Qinglei had become dead fishes, Jiang Zhe, after much deliberation, still decided he couldn’t return empty-handed. Bringing these three people back would at least provide some account.

These three were carefully selected by him after many days of interrogation. They were quite knowledgeable about the construction of strongholds in Xianggu County. Although they did not know higher-level secret information, even this information held some value.

Jiang Zhe and the others mounted the Cloud Feather Fierce Eagle. The giant eagle spread its wings, resembling a large cloud hanging in the sky. It suddenly stirred up a gust of wind and dust, gradually soaring and continually climbing!

Initially, it wasn’t fast, but after reaching a certain altitude, it suddenly accelerated, turning into a black dot heading east!