Chapter 34 Qinghe Lantern Festival

On the training ground.

As always, the newly appointed Demon Suppressors were practicing stance training and swordsmanship, creating a very tense atmosphere.

Last night, the Demon Suppression Division fought on two fronts.

Meanwhile, while Shen Lian and his two companions were patrolling Qinghe County, they successfully killed a remnant of the "Blood Worship Cult," eliminating a significant threat.

On the other side, Zhao Shan personally led a team to set up an inescapable net, but failed to catch the murderer of the heart-ripping case, who once again disappeared without a trace.

Shen Lian lowered his waist and dismounted, circulating the "Tiger-Taming Stance" to feel his blood and qi surging through his meridians. Although he had killed the man in black robes in the previous night's battle, he could clearly feel that his combat experience was still lacking.

"Brother Lian, I heard that Commander Zhao and his men have been busy all night, but they haven't even caught a glimpse of the murderer," Li Hu said in a low voice.

Shen Lian slowly withdrew his stance and said in a deep voice, "The murderer in the heart-ripping case is extremely cunning. He probably heard the news a long time ago and changed his plans."

After finishing her morning exercise, Chen Yun said, "Senior Brother Shen is right. This person acts with meticulous care, choosing targets and setting up formations with great method. Now that we've alerted him, he'll definitely be more cautious and won't easily reveal himself. On the other hand, as for the 'Blood Worship Cult'..."

Her meaning was clear: they had killed a remnant of the Blood Worship Cult last night, but it had little impact on the overall situation.

Shen Lian pondered for a moment: "Although we killed the man in black robes last night, he revealed too little information before his death. He chose to strike when the main force of the Demon Suppression Division was away, and the timing was so precise. I'm afraid they've been monitoring our movements in the shadows all along. I suspect they have spies in Qinghe County."

Upon hearing this, Li Hu and Chen Yun couldn't help but gasp.

Shen Lian's guess was indeed too bold.

If what Shen Lian said is true, then things have become very troublesome.

The remnants of the Blood Worship Cult have been lying low for so long, but their reappearance at this time must indicate that they have a grand scheme in mind.

Not finding out the other party's purpose soon could be a disaster for Qinghe County.

Chen Yun raised an eyebrow and said, "The annual lantern festival in Qinghe County is in a few days, and I'm worried that something unexpected might happen during this time."

Shen Lian nodded slightly. The Qinghe Lantern Festival is an annual grand event in Qinghe County. At this time, the streets of Qinghe County are filled with all kinds of lanterns, and opera troupes and acrobatic performances gather together.

During the Qinghe Lantern Festival, many people come and go, and no one knows whether the murderer of the heart-digging case or the remnants of the "Blood Worship Cult" will act in secret.

Shen Lian said solemnly, "Commander Zhao will definitely take action on this matter. We just need to follow Commander Zhao's orders."

Chen Yun and Li Hu nodded emphatically, their gazes sharpening.

……

A few days passed in the blink of an eye.

Qinghe County welcomed its annual Qinghe Lantern Festival, with various lanterns hanging on both sides of the long street, creating a dazzling display.

Fish-dragon lanterns, lotus lanterns, and revolving lanterns cast shimmering light and shadow, illuminating the bluestone path in a dreamlike manner.

The stage was filled with the sounds of gongs and drums, and the acrobats were spitting fire and dancing with sticks, drawing cheers from the crowd. Children carrying small rabbit lanterns weaved and laughed through the crowd.

Shen Lian, Li Hu, Chen Yun, Wang Lin, and others, dressed in plain clothes, blended into the bustling crowd, appearing very relaxed.

Looking at the bustling crowd, Li Hu couldn't help but click his tongue and say, "The annual Qinghe Lantern Festival is really lively."

Chen Yun smiled and said, "The magistrate has made a lot of preparations for this grand event. There are as many as five circus troupes coming to perform."

"So many?" Wang Lin was quite surprised to hear this.

Shen Lian held a folding fan in his hand and said, "The Qinghe Lantern Festival is an annual grand event in Qinghe County, so it should naturally be held in a grand manner."

Li Hu said, "There are too many people coming and going at the lantern festival. I'm worried something might happen."

Shen Lian and the other two nodded. What Li Hu said made sense. The Qinghe Lantern Festival was a mixed bag, and no one knew what kind of people had infiltrated it.

Shen Lian calmly surveyed the surroundings: "The more crowded a place is, the easier it is to hide. The lantern festival is packed with people, making it a perfect opportunity to strike amidst the chaos. Whether it's the killer of the heart-ripping case or remnants of the 'Blood Worship Cult,' they could all be mixed in. Hu Zi, Junior Sister Chen, Brother Wang, let's spread out and patrol, maintaining a certain distance."

Li Hu nodded and said, "I'll stay near the stage on the east side, where there are many people and distractions."

Chen Yun said softly, "I'll go to the lantern stalls on the west side. There are many women and children there, so we need to be extra careful."

Wang Lin said, "Leave the north street corner to me."

Shen Lian closed his folding fan and blended into the crowd of people strolling around with lanterns. His gaze swept back and forth, and the [Combat Power Detection] was already activated.

There were many pedestrians coming and going, and their combat strength fluctuated between 0 and 8. They were all ordinary people or guards who had practiced martial arts a little.

On the other side, towards the stage on the east side, a fire-breathing performance was underway. Li Hu was hidden in the crowd, his eyes scanning his surroundings warily.

At the lantern stall on the west side, Chen Yun bent down to select a lotus lantern.

Wang Lin squatted in front of the sugar figurine stall at the north entrance of the street, his eyes occasionally sweeping over the alleyways leading in and out of the main street.

Everything seemed peaceful.

But Shen Lian's heart tightened.

It's so quiet!

It was so quiet it was almost unnatural.

After committing a series of crimes, the perpetrator of the heart-ripping case went into hiding. The remnants of the "Blood Worship Cult" had just lost one member and then remained silent.

This is not in line with their style of doing things.

"Fire! Fire!"

Suddenly, shouts of surprise came from behind the stage on the east side, and the crowd instantly stirred.

Suddenly, flames shot up several meters high from the storage shed behind the stage, and sparks drifted in the wind, igniting several makeshift tents.

Thick smoke filled the entire space, and cries and shoving sounds mingled together, turning the once orderly flow of people into complete chaos.

"Don't push, everyone spread out to the sides."

Upon seeing this, Li Hu immediately shouted and tried to maintain order at the scene, but the panicked crowd was something he could not stop alone.

Shen Lian's heart sank.

The fire started so suddenly.

Is it an accident?

Or is someone deliberately creating chaos?

He moved against the flow of people toward Li Hu, while simultaneously activating his [Combat Power Detection], frantically scanning his surroundings for suspicious individuals.

Li Hu shouted, "Brother Lian, there are too many of them! I can't stop them! What do we do now?!"

"Evacuate the crowd first and get people to a safe place. I'll go put out the fire first." Shen Lian shouted and rushed towards the stage.

"Brother Shen!"

Wang Lin squeezed through the crowd to Shen Lian's side: "I'll have Junior Sister Chen and Brother Li Hu evacuate the crowd. I'll go with you to put out the fire."

The fire spread rapidly, and thick smoke billowed from the scene.

The tents around the stage were set ablaze one after another, sparks flew onto the lantern stalls, and the crowd panicked and frantically pushed their way out.

Shen Lian and Wang Lin rushed towards the fire, grabbed wooden buckets from the ground, and quickly arrived at the well.

Wang Lin was in charge of drawing water from the well, and the two of them carried wooden buckets full of water and rushed towards the fire.

Water was poured on the burning tents, but the fire spread too quickly, and several tents were burned beyond recognition, with thick smoke making it impossible for people to open their eyes.

The fire spread rapidly with the help of the night wind.