Chapter 83

"He lives in Side Street of Four Virtues in the western part of the city. Our people have already gone there." After saying this, the person who had finished eating the bun wiped his mouth and left.

Suo Peng sat alone in the shop, eating the last bun. He had seen the map of Jiangning County in Heilang Ear, and he knew the area of Side Street of Four Virtues in the western part of the city. Before the western expansion of the city, this area was close to the city wall, with many small courtyards. It was a place where middle to lower-class people lived, not too orderly, but not too chaotic either.

Recalling this information in his mind, Suo Peng put the last bun in his mouth, then threw down a few copper coins and walked towards the address in the western part of the city.

When Suo Peng arrived at Side Street of Four Virtues, he found it to be a very convenient place with crisscrossing alleys. Most of the houses on both sides of the road were small, independent courtyards, each with a total area of about 60 to 120 square meters. They were planned in a concentrated and orderly manner. As Suo Peng walked in, he paid attention to the entrances of these alleys.

Finally, Suo Peng walked to the entrance of a house in the alley. He saw a small bundle of local medicinal herbs hanging at the entrance and walked over. At the courtyard gate, he knocked nine times: three fast, two slow, two fast, and two slow.

Not long after, the courtyard gate creaked open, and a man in gray cloth clothes came out. He looked at Suo Peng, nodded, and let him in.

Suo Peng entered the courtyard and saw a table placed in the middle. About eight or nine people were gathered around the table, discussing something in low voices. When they saw Suo Peng, they all nodded in greeting.

"The Fire Wolf Chief, it's inconvenient to perform formal greetings here. I hope you are well," the leader among them said to Suo Peng, then moved aside a stool for him to sit down.

After sitting down, Suo Peng saw a map of the nearby area on the table and asked, "How is it?"

"Fire Wolf Chief, last night, Tang Kun from the Four Seas Gang sent us some intelligence. He said he found the person you described here. We questioned the person who discovered the situation, a small leader of the Four Seas Gang in this area. He came here recently to collect a debt and found the person. The person is seven feet three inches tall, has a slightly hooked nose, thin lips, and a very ordinary face. The debtor and he are neighbors, separated by one house. According to the debtor, this person only stays here for four or five days every two months. When he comes, there is usually no sound in the courtyard during the day, but occasionally, there are sounds of martial arts practice at night. This matches the characteristics of the person you are looking for, so we came here."

"The house we are in now is the one we requisitioned from the debtor. The suspect is not in the house. According to the debtor, the suspect usually returns in the late afternoon when the sun is about to set. We still have time to make arrangements. We were just discussing this when you arrived."

Suo Peng nodded. Not all the people here were his subordinates; some were from other groups in Heilang Ear. However, since the city was fully engaged in the investigation of the real killer of the wealthy man, they were temporarily under his command.

"You have done well. Go and verify with the neighbors again, and have the skilled brothers search the house."

Suo Peng said. He had a hunch that the person they found this time was indeed the carpenter Cao.

The subordinates nodded and went to work. Soon, the statements from the surrounding residents were collected, and they matched what the people in the house had said.

The people who infiltrated the house even found a bloody steel knife, which seemed to be the murder weapon.

"Sir, it looks like the person in the house is definitely the culprit!" The small leader of the subordinates said to Suo Peng.

Suo Peng nodded, took out a badge from his waist, and gave it to the man. "It's definitely him. Take this token from Commander Han and go to the Black Water Army to find Commander Han and General Bao Ze. Ask them to come and help capture the culprit!"

"Understood!" The small leader took the badge and left the house where they were based.

...

Time passed unnoticed, and it was already close to dusk. The sky was dark with many clouds, and the sun was not visible. A cool breeze blew, and it seemed that it would rain soon. The busy citizens of the city were preparing to return home to rest.

In the courtyard of Side Street of Four Virtues, where Suo Peng had entered during the day, Han Tuo, dressed in civilian clothes and holding an iron spear, sat in the courtyard. Suo Peng was by his side, carrying a blunt sword on his back. There were two or three subordinates and about twenty Black Water Army soldiers, who had taken off their uniforms, hiding in the house. At the gate, two subordinates were nervously peering out through the crack.

"Suo Peng, are you sure it's him?" Han Tuo, sitting in the courtyard and wiping his iron spear with a white cloth, asked in a low voice.

"It's him. Otherwise, I wouldn't have troubled you, General," Suo Peng nodded and replied in a low voice.

Han Tuo waved his hand and said, "I hope so. This time, General Bao Ze and I have come almost to assist you. We hope it's not a wasted trip."

Suo Peng nodded. In fact, he couldn't command Han Tuo, but Han Tuo, who was appointed by the city lord to investigate the murder of the wealthy man, was very concerned about the case. After receiving Suo Peng's information, he personally came. Bao Ze was borrowed by Han Tuo, who also brought thirty Black Water Army soldiers, hiding in another requisitioned house. In the suspect's house, there were twenty Black Water Army soldiers and the centurion Li Qing.

Just as Suo Peng was about to say something to Han Tuo, he suddenly saw the subordinate who was monitoring at the gate make a gesture.

"The suspect is here!" Suo Peng thought, took two steps forward, and approached the gate. He looked out through the deliberately left crack.

He saw a person with a hunched back and a long blue package slowly walking towards the entrance of Side Street of Four Virtues.

Suo Peng watched through the crack. Although the person was deliberately hunching to hide his figure, Suo Peng still felt a sense of familiarity. When he saw the person's face, he immediately recognized him as the carpenter Cao.

He saw Cao holding a blue package, slowly walking into the alley.

Suo Peng slowly took out the blunt sword from his back, and Han Tuo, who had been sitting in the courtyard, also stood up.

Suo Peng saw through the crack that the hunched Cao slowly walked to the entrance of the alley and suddenly stopped.

"Did he notice something?" Suo Peng thought, feeling a bit anxious. However, he saw Cao pause for a moment and then continue walking.

Suo Peng slowly drew the blunt sword from its sheath...

...

At this moment, the hunched Cao was walking at the entrance of Side Street of Four Virtues. For some reason, he suddenly felt a sense of unease.

"It's too quiet here..." After a while, Cao finally found the source of his unease. The alley, which was usually filled with children playing and old men playing chess, was now empty.

Looking at the sky, Cao felt a bit relieved. It was about to rain, so perhaps everyone had gone home to avoid the rain.

However, for some reason, Cao still felt a lingering sense of unease.

"This feeling... it's like ten years ago..." Cao suddenly felt a bit dazed, remembering an incident from ten years ago when he and his sister met that inhuman person...

In a daze and anger, Cao had already walked to the door of his house. Just as he was about to unlock it, he heard a sound from the corner of the street.

Cao turned back and saw a child running into the alley. He smiled, recognizing the child who lived in the alley and to whom he had given candy.

Just as he was about to enter his house, a door suddenly opened, and a stout middle-aged woman ran out, grabbing the child. Cao knew it was the child's mother. He was about to greet her when he saw the woman, holding the child, looking at him with fear in her eyes, and quickly entering her house, locking the door.

Cao's heart sank. He seemed to understand where his unease was coming from...

...

"Bad!" Suo Peng, watching from a nearby house, couldn't help but exclaim in his heart.

Cao's face first showed surprise, then fear. Suo Peng knew something was about to go wrong.

"Bang!" At that moment, the door of Cao's house was suddenly kicked open, and a large net flew out, covering Cao!