Chapter 404 Undercover
As the night deepened, the curtain of the second half of the night quietly fell. The lights in the Iron Hand Hall were as bright as day, but there was silence and no sound.

Yuan Qi sat on the majestic throne covered with tiger skin, feeling an indescribable ripple of anxiety deep in his heart.

The long wait is always anxious, and it is not surprising that the dark night makes people more alert and worried.

But Yuan Qi was a calm man, not showing any sign of anxiety. He just closed his eyes and rested, as if he was asleep.

Yuan Gui was too young. He walked back and forth in the corridor, whispering with Hu Yun from time to time, asking for information about Long Feng.

Hu Yun has gone out to investigate twice, but there was no news. This is the third time.

“Is there any news this time?” Yuan Gui couldn’t help but asked Hu Yun again.

Although Yuan Qi was dozing off with his eyes closed, it seemed that he was able to control the actions of everyone in the hall.

“Yuan Gui! Don’t be so impatient!” He finally opened his eyes, with a hint of dissatisfaction in his tone.

When Yuan Gui heard his father speak, he nodded in agreement and his expression became more restrained.

“Hu Yun, tell me, is there any news?” Yuan Qi turned his gaze to Hu Yun.

Hu Yun calmed down and spoke, “It’s like this. The Qianniu Guards from the Canal Transport Office have been dispatched in large numbers, and they have ordered the Yangzhou Governor’s Office to mobilize the officers as well, saying that they want to catch the assassin. I’m afraid that my eldest brother is in trouble!”

Yuan Gui and the others were all shocked when they heard this: “What?”

Upon hearing this, Yuan Qi’s expression froze, and his eyes emitted a terrifying cold light, but he immediately shook his head: “The large-scale deployment of the Qianniu Guards means that Long Feng escaped and did not fall into the hands of the imperial envoy.”

After hearing this, Hu Yun and Yuan Gui felt a little relieved from the tension.

Sure enough, not long after, Long Feng returned with the help of Yun Gu. He looked pale and was obviously seriously injured, but he was finally safe and sound.

Hu Yun and other brothers hurried forward to greet them, expressing their concern and greetings in a flurry.

Yuan Qi also stood up from his seat and walked forward: “What happened? Why are you injured like this?”

As Long Feng faced Yuan Qi, his face turned paler and he couldn’t help but cough a few times to hide his inner panic.

“I was careless. The King of Yan came back too quickly, and I didn’t expect that he had superior martial arts and amazing six senses. That’s why I suffered a great loss! I was hit by his palm and barely escaped, cough cough cough…”

After saying that, Long Feng took two breaths and closed his eyes, as if he was saving energy.

Yuan Qi did not doubt him, but was very curious: “Oh? He has superior martial arts skills?”

Talking about this, Long Feng revealed a fear that was hard to conceal: “It’s true, his senses are too sharp. I thought I was hiding well enough, but I didn’t expect him to find me as soon as he entered the yard. If it weren’t for Zhang Zhi’s desperate rescue, I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to come back…”

Yuan Qi nodded slightly. He had some eyes and ears in the Divine Capital and knew a little about Zhao Ji’s background and past. What Long Feng said was exactly the same as what he knew.

“Very good! This is a very valuable piece of information. Have you met Zhang Zhi?” Yuan Qi gave praise without reservation and then asked.

Long Feng nodded quickly: “Yes, Zhang Zhi is just as the Sect Master said, very loyal, he did not leak any information about our Iron Hand Group!”

Yuan Qi was not surprised by this and continued to ask, “What about Yang Jiucheng and Wu Wendeng?”

After hearing this, Long Feng hesitated for a moment and replied, “As for the two of them… they haven’t spoken yet, but from what I can see, they seem a little unstable.”

“The other party seems to have found evidence of Yang Jiucheng and his gang’s corruption. I found out that a canal guard named Wang Zhou has confessed, and his family has been taken into the government office for protection. If this continues, I’m afraid…”

After hearing this, Yuan Qi’s brows involuntarily furrowed and his expression became solemn.

Yuan Gui showed a fierce look on his face, and made a throat-cutting gesture with one hand, saying firmly: “Father, I said before that those officials in Yangzhou are not reliable at all. It is better to get rid of them to prevent future troubles!”

Yuan Qi did not give an immediate answer, but turned to ask Long Feng: “What do you mean?”

Long Feng pretended to think for a while, then said shamelessly: “Young Master is right. Only our own people in the Iron Hand Group can be trusted. Yang Jiucheng and Wu Wendeng know too many secrets. Once they open their mouths, there will be endless troubles.”

“The key is that they have been targeted by the imperial envoy. Judging from the imperial envoy’s attitude, he will not let them go no matter what. Therefore, it is best to get rid of them!”

Yuan Qi finally nodded. Long Feng’s last words touched his heart. This was exactly what he was most worried about.

“What are you going to do?” Yuan Qi asked.

Long Feng seemed to have a plan in mind. He told them his plan: “Send someone to sneak into the imperial envoy’s residence, kill them and make them look like suicides!” Yuan Gui also agreed with this: “In this way, we can put all the blame for Yangzhou on them, and the Iron Hand Group can get away with it!”

After hearing this, Yun Gu and others nodded in agreement.

Yuan Qi smiled upon hearing this, but did not comment: “Long Feng sneaked into the government office, which has already alerted the enemy. The Caoyun government office will definitely be on high alert. It will be difficult to kill Yang and Wu.”

“Not to mention pretending to commit suicide out of fear of punishment. Do you think the King of Yan is a fool? I am sure that even if Yang, Wu and others are killed, he will still pursue the case!”

Yuan Gui was a little confused: “Then what do you want to do?”

Yuan Qi sneered, his eyes flashing with a ruthless light: “I have already sent a letter to Lin Yang a few days ago. He will take action soon. By then, the imperial envoy will be unable to sit still in Yangzhou City! After luring the tiger away from the mountain, we can take advantage of the opportunity to act!”

The sect leader seemed to be confident and had a plan in mind. No one in the hall dared to object and followed Yuan Qi’s arrangements.

Seeing that Yuan Qi had no suspicion of him, Long Feng relaxed for a moment, but faced with Yuan Qi’s mysterious plan, he kept having doubts in his heart.

“Ten days… If I can’t find Di Renjie within ten days, I’m done…”
–
As the dawn broke, more and more people walked on the street, but the door of the Hekou store remained closed.

At this time, a thin middle-aged man quietly arrived at the door. He was Yuan Datou’s companion.

Read the error-free version at 69shuba! 6=9+shu_ba is the first to publish this novel.

He looked around, made sure everything was safe, and knocked gently on the door.

Accompanied by a long “squeak”, Zhang Shen stuck his head out with a smile on his face: “Oh, it’s you!”

The thin man nodded slightly and asked in a low voice: “Is Yuan Datou in there?”

Zhang Shen replied: “Yes, but he hasn’t gotten up yet!”

The thin man nodded again and walked into the door of the inn.

Zhang Shen led him through the outer hall and into the depths of the courtyard until they stopped in front of Di Renjie’s room and whispered, “This is it, right inside.”

The thin man didn’t hesitate, reached out, pushed open the door and stepped into the room.

Di Renjie and Li Yuanfang were seen sitting upright in the room, staring at him quietly, and the atmosphere froze in an instant.

The thin man’s heart was filled with alarm and he wanted to turn around and escape, but he heard a “bang” and the door was slammed shut. Zhang Huan and Li Lang stood in front of the door like a solid wall, cutting off his retreat.

The thin man tried to remain calm and asked in a trembling voice, “Who… are you and what do you want to do?”

Di Renjie’s voice was as cold as ice: “What is your relationship with Yuan Datou?”

When the thin man heard Yuan Datou’s name, he was startled and denied it flatly: “What Yuan Datou? I don’t know him at all!”

Di Renjie sneered, his tone carrying unquestionable majesty: “Be sensible and don’t resist stubbornly. Let me remind you, those dozen bags of official salt were transported to Hekou Town by the two of you, right?”

The thin man’s face changed slightly, and he hurriedly covered up: “What official salt? I don’t understand!”

Di Renjie shook his head slightly and slowly opened the bundle on the table, and Yuan Datou’s head was clearly visible.

This frightened the thin man so much that he screamed: “Kill him!”

Di Renjie waved his hand and Li Yuanfang quickly closed the bag.

“Look at what happened to Yuan Datou, it was because he refused to cooperate. I hope you won’t follow in his footsteps. Now, tell me, where did the official salt come from?” Di Renjie continued to ask.

The thin man was trembling all over, and suddenly, he rushed to the window, trying to escape.

However, Li Yuanfang was quick-witted and quick-handed. He took a step forward and kicked him to the ground. Zhang Huan and Li Lang stepped forward quickly, pinned him to the ground and tied him up tightly with ropes.

Di Renjie slowly stood up and walked in front of the thin man, with a cold light flashing in his eyes: “I’m asking you again, and this is the last time. Otherwise, you will bear the consequences!”

The thin man’s face turned pale, and he kowtowed repeatedly begging for mercy: “Sir, please spare my life, please spare my life! The salt… was stolen from the Beigou warehouse!”

　I have been feeling really bad lately, and I have been having some troubles, so I can’t continue writing. The updates are indeed unstable, but I will try my best to finish this book. The following plots will basically not be interpreted according to the original play. I will simplify it and speed up the integration. I will do my best. I am really sorry, and thank the book friends who have stayed.

　
(End of this chapter)