Ganzhou, Huangtu Town.
The last time Li came here was for a letter asking for help. After nearly half a year, there are still not many changes seen here. The Ten Provinces War had almost no impact on this remote town. Even deserters and defeated generals were unwilling to patronize this place.
The town is considered the only way to reach Baiyao Mountain from the south of Ganzhou. If a large army enters the mountains, they will most likely choose Huangtu Town as their last stop. However, Li found no sign of the activities of tens of thousands of people. The people in the town lived a repetitive and monotonous life, as if they were isolated from the world.
She found an inn and rented it.
"I've searched the outside. No one is following us." Shanhui jumped into the room from the window and transformed back into his human form.
Li took off his turban, revealing the pointed ears on his head, "Very good, everyone can take a rest. The contact person should arrive in the evening. If it is not necessary, we should not leave the room."
Accompanying her on this trip were the owl demon Wulie and the rabbit demon Jiulin, in addition to her old subordinates Tengu and Gungun. As a reconnaissance team, it can be said that they can fly and run, even climbing over mountains and ridges. The disadvantage... is also obvious, that is, everyone needs to conceal their appearance to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Among these people, Jiulin is the most special one.
She seems to be slightly different from the other rabbit demon sisters. She is naturally more courageous. This was already evident when she was the first to stand up and express her willingness to leave with Li and others at Yuetai Villa. Although the rabbit demon can't run as well as Tengu and Li, and her strength is only slightly stronger than ordinary people, her natural magic ability can heal all kinds of trauma, making her the best logistics candidate for the reconnaissance team.
Li didn't think of taking her with him at first. Jiulin happened to live next door to Wu Lie and came to the door on his own. According to her, she preferred the days when she performed tasks with the Privy Council of the Secretariat to living a peaceful life in one place.
As for the owl demon, his complexion is much better than before. Since his sister had no worries about food and clothing, the smile on his face has obviously become much richer. Faced with Li's invitation to join the team, he didn't hesitate and agreed immediately.
An elite investigation team composed entirely of demons was thus formed.
"Boss... are you okay?" After the others left the room, Shan Hui suddenly looked at Li Dao cautiously.
Li raised his eyebrows, "Huh? Do I have any questions?"
The latter's head suddenly shrank, "No, how could there be a problem, boss... I'm just worrying too much."
"Then why do you ask?" Li asked with squinted eyes.
"Uh... because this is the first time you have taken the initiative to apply for a mission away from Mr. Xia." Shan Hui considered the wording and replied cautiously, "There have been several separate operations in the past, but they were all in cooperation with Mr. Xia..."
He closed his mouth mid-sentence.
Because the survival instinct was suddenly activated.
An invisible chill spread from my back to my whole body in an instant.
"Ah... I remembered that the basement of the inn has not been checked yet. If there is a Privy Council alchemist hiding down there, it will be troublesome. I will go and talk about the situation first!"
After saying that, Shanhui transformed into a Shiba Inu and ran out of the room.
After a moment, Li couldn't help laughing.
She shook her head and walked to the basin filled with water to clean her face. Just when she saw the reflection in the water, she fell into a daze again.
She knew something about what happened in Fengyang Villa. After all, she was also one of the companions that day and could enter and leave the palace freely. Unlike Mo Yun, her hearing is more sensitive, and with Gungun as an eyeliner, her intelligence acquisition efficiency is much higher than that of others.
Although the two of them did just talk in detail about their trip to the West Pole that night, Li Neng could tell that Ning Wanjun's feelings for Xia Fan were different from before. From a certain point of view, she hoped so. After all, she was a demon and could not occupy the position of true master. Now that the princess had an idea, she could be more active.
Human relationships are very complicated, and she still can't fully understand them. However, one thing Li can confirm is that with the status of Her Royal Highness the Princess or the future king, few people can sway her will, so she won't mind too much between Xia Fan and Relationships with other women. In addition, Ning Wanjun is not mean to others, so she is a rare wise and powerful person. It can be said that she is the best candidate. This is also good news for Li.
But even though it was good news, she still felt a little sad in her heart.
Just like the dots of black spots mixed in with the fifteenth full moon - even if it cannot cover up the brightness of the moonlight, it is not so subtle that it can be ignored.
This joy was accompanied by a hint of loss. For the first time, Li took the initiative to leave Jinxia and tried to divert his attention with tasks.
Time is always the best helper to heal your emotions.
In fact, the moment she arrived in Huangtu Town, her mood was much better than a few days ago.
After being in a daze for only ten breaths, Li smiled dumbly, stretched his hand into the water, and scattered his reflection.
…
In the evening, the contact person arrived as promised.
To Li Shaojue's surprise, it was none other than Mu Youhong, the original owner of the caravan. He donated the Baekje caravan to Empress Li, but still shouldered the responsibility of management and expansion, and was quite busy on weekdays. Unexpectedly, after receiving Li's notice, he rushed to Huangtu Town in person to cooperate with the investigation team's actions.
"Lord Linghu, long time no see." Mu Youhong walked into the room and smiled immediately when he saw Li.
"Don't call me Lord Linghu, just call me Li." Li waved his hand, "A mute note has been set up here. Although the room is a bit small, there is no need to worry about the news being leaked. If you have any news, you can just say it."
Naturally, there are no high-end guest rooms or guest hotels in Huangtu Town. Small rooms in inns have become the only choice for meeting points. Fortunately, no alchemists will pay attention to it in a remote place, and safety can be guaranteed.
"Then I'll tell you." Mu Youhong handed over to the others, then took out a small map from his arms and spread it out in front of everyone, "The team you mentioned did pass by Ganshan a week ago. Baili Town, Zhouzhou. According to the information obtained by the caravan, this team did not enter the town, but was stationed in the suburbs like an army, with tents and earthen stoves. They were very numerous, at least 50,000 people. , so this news cannot be wrong!”
Li's heart condensed.
Luo Qingqing's information was correct, this group of people was indeed coming towards the Ganshen border!
The migration team of 50,000 people will definitely not be able to hide their whereabouts. Next, as long as Wulie flies in a circle, the location of the Black Gate Sect can be basically locked.
"When will they arrive at Huangtu Town?" Li asked.
Unexpectedly, Mu Youhong did not answer immediately, but showed a bitter expression, "Well... I don't know. In fact, their appearance in Baili Town was the last news the caravan heard."
The fox demon was stunned, "What do you mean? There is no way this team has disappeared, right?"
Mu Youhong took a deep breath, "That's what my men reported. Overnight, 50,000 people suddenly disappeared in the suburbs of Baili Town, and no one saw any trace of them again."