Chapter 24

The stream still flowed gently.

Following the stream upstream, the path gradually became blocked by shrubs. The water also became more turbulent, making it impossible to continue along the stream.

"Help me clear a path."

At Xiao Hai's command, the pouched lions and the wolf pack quickly sprang into action, using their mouths and claws to clear the way. Even Xiao Qi joined in to help.

Taking this opportunity, Xiao Hai asked the old turtle if he had ever been to the other side of the stream. However, the old turtle's answer was disappointing; he had never been there.

He only knew that it was the eastern part of the primeval forest, where many rare birds and beasts were said to live. However, they did not interfere with each other, each having their own territory.

Xiao Hai originally wanted to ask about Ba Lai Zi, but then he thought that during the Xianfeng period, the turtle spirit might not have even been born, so he suppressed this idea.

With a thought, he sent a sparrow to scout. In just a few minutes, the sparrow returned with one of its companions. When asked about the eastern side, the sparrow replied that there were no particularly fierce beasts there. However, animals often disappeared mysteriously, both those that ran on the ground and those that flew in the sky. They would be seen one day and then vanish without a trace, presumably eaten by some unknown beast.

Especially during the summer, such incidents occurred more frequently.

Seeing that he could not get any useful information from the animals, Xiao Hai gave up and decided to explore the eastern forest himself.

After about an hour, the pouched lions and the wolf pack had cleared a large path through the shrubs. The pouched lions were incredibly strong, but even they were panting from exhaustion. The wolves were even worse off, with many of them bleeding from the shrubs.

"Good, your task is complete. Go back and rest well," Xiao Hai said, feeling deeply moved. He had never thought that these animals could become such powerful helpers.

Moreover, they were loyal and never complained, no matter how hard the work.

The wolf pack thanked him, while the turtle spirit asked to stay in the herb garden. Being more intelligent than the pouched lions and the wolves, he saw that the garden was full of valuable herbs that could greatly aid his cultivation.

Xiao Hai agreed to his request, instructing the pouched lions to be more cautious and not let any animals enter and harm the turtle spirit.

"King, I will accompany you," the pouched lion transmitted his thoughts.

Xiao Hai looked ahead. Although a path had been cleared through the shrubs, it was too narrow for the pouched lion to pass. He shook his head, "Stay here and recover your essence. Xiao Qi will accompany me."

"When will you return, King?"

Xiao Hai thought for a moment, "I can't say for sure. There might be other ways to leave the forest. I'll send a sparrow to bring you news."

Seeing that it was getting late, he did not want to delay further and bid farewell to his subordinates before setting off.

The path was very difficult to navigate, becoming narrower as he went. The shrubs on both sides began to multiply, making Xiao Hai feel increasingly fatigued.

After walking for a while, he saw a cave. Looking around, he saw no other path, so he had to go through the cave.

It was already dark, and the cave was pitch black. No one knew what might be hiding inside. Xiao Hai took out a high-intensity flashlight and, accompanied by Xiao Qi, entered the cave.

The sound of dripping water echoed in his ears, but apart from that, there was no other sound, adding to the eerie atmosphere of the cave.

"Look, what's that?" Relying on the power of the Dragon Spirit Pearl, Xiao Hai's vision was incredibly sharp. He pointed ahead and sent a mental force to immobilize the creature, then quickly moved forward and carefully picked up a strange creature from a damp rock.

The creature was less than 30 cm long, completely white, with small limbs, three fingers, and two toes. It had three pairs of external gills and two pairs of gill slits. Its head was narrow, and it had no eyelids, clearly having degenerated from living in the dark cave for a long time.

Xiao Hai shone the flashlight on it, and its originally white body turned black. When he turned off the flashlight, it turned white again.

"This is a cave salamander. I only knew they existed in Slovenia and the ancient caves of Kunlun Mountain. I never thought I would see one here today," Xiao Hai carefully placed the cave salamander back, and it quickly hid in the underground water of the cave.

Xiao Hai looked excited, "It has another name, 'True Dragon.' Look at its shape; doesn't it resemble a dragon?"

Hmm, maybe I'll become a biologist in the future. The cave salamander is not easy to find. First, it is very rare. Second, although it is an amphibian, it lives underwater most of the time, only occasionally surfacing to breathe. It is even rarer to find one crawling on a damp cave rock. Moreover, it has no eyes but is very sensitive to light. Since there is no light in the cave, humans would need light to find it, creating a contradiction.

But none of this was a problem for Xiao Hai.

Biologist Xiao Hai? That sounds like a good title.

Finding a cave salamander as soon as he entered the cave, he might discover more interesting creatures soon...

...

"Officer Zhao, what's the matter?"

Yin Yuno hurried in, carrying a bag containing the Polygonum multiflorum she had bought. She was sure it would be a pleasant surprise for Uncle Zhao.

"Yin, a robbery happened in Halke City two days ago," Officer Zhao said with a serious expression. "An accountant from a company withdrew 200,000 yuan in cash from the bank. As soon as he stepped out of the bank, he was robbed."

Yin Yuno was taken aback, "Why did he go alone with so much cash?"

"That company is a regular customer of the bank. They withdraw money every month at this time, and nothing has ever gone wrong. Who would have thought that this time it would happen?" Officer Zhao shook his head. "Do you know what the money was for? It was for paying salaries."

Yin Yuno found it hard to believe, "Nowadays, salaries are directly deposited into bank accounts. Who would withdraw so much cash every month?"

"At first, I was also puzzled and asked about it. It turned out to be a construction company," Officer Zhao said with a bitter smile. "The workers, some of whom have been there for ten years, prefer to hold the money in their hands before depositing it in the bank. They feel it's more real that way. The bank has also communicated with the company, suggesting that each worker get a bank card, but the workers refused. So, this time, it finally happened."

Yin Yuno shook her head, "So much cash, and only the accountant was there?"

"No, there was also a driver and security guard. But because they had never had any problems before, they became complacent. The driver didn't go in this time, and the salary was robbed."

Yin Yuno understood but didn't see the connection between the incident in Halke City and their current situation. It wasn't until Officer Zhao explained everything that she realized what was happening.

It turned out that the robber had already scouted the location. After the robbery, he immediately ran into a small alley where cars couldn't enter. The driver and the bank security guard chased after him, but the robber managed to escape.

What was even more surprising was that one of the bank security guards had once won third place in a provincial long-distance running competition, yet he couldn't catch the robber!

How fast and how strong must the robber be?

The robbery of 200,000 yuan in salaries was a major case, and all the police in Halke City were mobilized. Based on the analysis, the robber might have fled to Lake Yan Naxi!

Officer Zhao's expression became increasingly serious. He took out some photos, "Yin, look at these. They were taken by the bank's surveillance cameras. Although the face is not visible, does the figure look familiar?"

Yin Yuno took the photos.

The robber's face was obscured, but the figure looked very familiar. She frowned and blurted out, "Xiao Hai?"

Yes, the robber's build was similar to Xiao Hai's.

"Moreover, according to the descriptions from the accountant, the driver, and the security guard, the robber is about 1.8 meters tall, the same height as Xiao Hai," Officer Zhao said sternly. "When did Xiao Hai check into that hotel? Yesterday, which matches the timeline. Xiao Hai is a major suspect."

Yin Yuno felt a sense of disappointment.

Although Xiao Hai seemed a bit mischievous, in her impression, he was a sunny and generous young man who had even given her the Polygonum multiflorum. It was hard to imagine him as a criminal.

No, it must be a coincidence, she reassured herself.

The phone on the desk rang, and Officer Zhao answered it. After a moment, he hung up, his tone cold, "Our people went to the hotel, and Xiao Hai left early this morning, before dawn."

How could this be? Yin Yuno sighed inwardly.

"Start a city-wide manhunt. We must not let him leave Lake Yan Naxi!" Officer Zhao was determined. He would not let a criminal escape from his watch, as it would be a great disgrace to a police officer.

Yin Yuno clutched the bag in her hand, which contained the Polygonum multiflorum she had bought from Xiao Hai. She had intended to give it to Uncle Zhao, but now she couldn't.

But deep down, she still didn't believe that Xiao Hai could be a criminal!

Page AD starts

Page AD ends