Climbing on the Sparrow Branch – CH 648

Chapter 648: Demolition

“We can’t just sit here and wait to die,” Chi Jiayun said, walking to the threshold. “Zhu Hao only has seven men. At their speed, they can only wipe out one casino at most. The remaining two should lay low for a while; we can’t afford any more losses.”

The steward agreed, “I’ve already sent someone to inform them.”

Chi Jiayun took a deep breath. “And Pei Que. Tell the men below that they must catch Pei Que by today. As for He Zheng and the others’ bodies, don’t leave them. Find a place to burn them; leave no trace.”

Chi Jiayun had considered all the potential dangers; now it was a matter of who could act faster.

Pei Que, on the other hand, also learned that Zhu Hao had arrived in Yongning.

The news came from Shuo Feng: “Lieutenant Zhu has headed to the underground casino.”

Pei Que said, “Go follow him. Give Zhu Hao directions too. With the city gates closed, those people have nowhere to escape. As long as they are still in the capital, we can still arrest them. If they resist, just kill them. They are all criminals Chi Jiayun took in; they deserve to die anyway. Don’t worry about taking lives.”

“Shouldn’t we arrest some witnesses?” He Xun asked from the side.

Pei Que laughed. “Do you think we can find out anything from Chi Jiayun’s men?”

He Xun shook his head. “Given Chi Jiayun’s methods, he must have something on them. He’s too cautious. You’re going to completely throw Yongning City into chaos, making Chi Jiayun lose his composure.”

Pei Que smiled but didn’t respond.

Even the most cautious person would panic when things got out of control.

Pei Que wanted Chi Jiayun to panic and make a mistake so he could find an opportunity. An Zhi brought the noodles upstairs. “I won’t cook anything special today. Eat quickly. I saw many shops outside are closed. It seems Chi Jiayun’s getting anxious because he can’t find him.”

The enemy was in the open, while Pei Que and his group were in the shadows. Yongning City wasn’t a small county like Ding’an that you could just find anything easily. Besides ordinary people, there were also some high-ranking officials and nobles, many of whom had connections to the capital. Chi Jiayun’s decision to close the city gates to search for him showed he was really furious.

But even so, if they still couldn’t find him, then Chi Jiayun’s situation was truly in trouble.

He Xun took a big gulp of soup. “It’s so delicious! If you opened a noodle shop, business would be booming. You could make a fortune even without being an official.”

An Zhi had the same idea. “The bones I use to make this soup are from old oxen, plus the finest spices, so the broth’s exceptionally rich. If we return to the capital and settle down, I will open a few more shops.”

No matter what position she reached, An Zhi felt it was always better to have money. With money, she could go wherever she wanted and have more confidence.

He Xun laughed, “You are as fond of making money as ever.”

“Don’t you?” An Zhi raised an eyebrow, then, seeing that He Xun and Pei Que had almost finished eating, began clearing the dishes. “You guys need to think about this. If Chi Jiayun can’t find anyone, he will always find other ways. What if Chi Jiayun comes up with some dirty tricks? Also, Chi Jiayun isn’t some minor county magistrate. It would be best to pin a crime on him and have some people from the capital investigate, digging up all his past deeds.”

Pulling out a radish inevitably brought up other things. As long as Chi Jiayun was brought up, it would inevitably lead to some information about Minister Xu.

Xu Zhian couldn’t implicate Minister Xu because Xu Zhian’s official rank was too low; he didn’t even have the authority to correspond with Minister Xu. But Chi Jiayun was different. He was a young and promising governor and also someone who was once Minister Xu’s student. The connections here were much more significant.

He Xun, chin in hand, looked at Pei Que with a headache. “I’ve said everything I can think of. It’s up to you guys now. You can do anything; just don’t kill me.”

Hearing this, Pei Que suddenly had an idea. “Anything?”

He Xun suddenly had a bad feeling and quickly shook his head. “Not everything, but within my capabilities.”

“Don’t worry, it’s simple.” Pei Que patted He Xun’s shoulder. “Chi Jiayun doesn’t care about the murderer of He Zheng; what he cares about most is finding me. So I can’t keep him completely in the dark; otherwise, if I push him too far, he might do something desperate. So after Zhu Hao destroys the casino today, news will spread that I’m outside Yongning City. At that time, Chi Jiayun will definitely send someone out of the city, so I will have to trouble Brother He to impersonate me.”

Previously, Pei Que always addressed He Xun as “Young Master He,” politely, which didn’t seem very intimate.

But just now, Pei Que called him “brother,” and He Xun shook his head.

“No way, I will become a target. If Chi Jiayun’s men find out, he will riddle me with arrows,” He Xun refused. “You have so many men under you, why do you need me?”

“Because you’re the only one with a similar build to me,” Pei Que replied without hesitation. “And wouldn’t it be interesting if Chi Jiayun knew you were helping me at the last minute?”

He Xun understood. Pei Que didn’t want him to be a substitute; he wanted his attitude.

Although showing his face to Chi Jiayun wouldn’t necessarily expose his identity, it was still an attitude, proving that He Xun had truly chosen Pei Que’s side.

After some thought, He Xun could only sigh and agree.

While Pei Que was arranging the next steps, Zhu Hao had already raided two underground casinos; there was only one more to go.

However, when he arrived at the second casino, the manager had already fled. Now, at the third casino, there wasn’t a manager, and there wasn’t even anyone gambling. Clearly, someone had tipped them off.

The speed was so fast; Zhu Hao knew who it was without even thinking.

“Search carefully; see if anything’s been missed,” Zhu Hao said to his subordinate.

After they dispersed into the various rooms, Zhu Hao encountered Shuo Feng, who was hiding in the shadows.

“This is the casino’s ledger, but Chi Jiayun is cunning. The ledger only records this month’s transactions; the previous ledgers have probably been destroyed,” Shuo Feng said, handing the ledger to Zhu Hao. “Don’t waste your time here; they’ve already escaped. Go to the casino’s backyard; there’s a secret passage under the fish tank. That’s how they escaped. I will wait for you at the entrance.”

Knowing time was of the essence, Zhu Hao gathered his men and hurried to the backyard.

After moving the fish tank, they indeed found a secret passage. Zhu Hao assigned someone to guard the entrance.

The passage was narrow, allowing only one person to pass at a time.

A quarter of an hour later, Zhu Hao emerged from the passage and arrived at a secluded courtyard. Shuo Feng, his face covered, stood waiting for him at the entrance.

Not far away, two people lay on the ground; it was obvious Shuo Feng had killed them.

Following Shuo Feng’s directions, Zhu Hao found the hideout of the gambling den thieves. However, to avoid revealing his identity, Shuo Feng didn’t follow them inside.

Zhu Hao’s appearance was too sudden. The thieves hadn’t expected him to find this place. By the time they drew their swords, it was too late, as Zhu Hao’s swords were faster.