The night in Jicheng was brightly lit.
But there were always places the light couldn't reach.
In a dim alley, with foul-smelling sewage underfoot, a figure was rapidly moving through the alleys.
It was as if countless pursuers were behind him!
The figure weaved through the smelly, dim alleys for a long time, finally stopping before a dilapidated door.
*Keeeee—*
He pushed open a crack in the door and slipped inside.
"Who told you to come here?!" an angry voice came from within.
"My identity can't be hidden anymore. Help me. I don't want to die yet!" The voice was full of pleading, and it was Bai Qingming.
In the courtyard.
Bai Qingming looked at the person completely wrapped in a black robe, filled with fear.
Especially after witnessing Ye Kunlun's heaven-defying methods, he didn't even have the courage to resist.
"This is not where you should be!"
The black-robed figure's voice held a hint of anger, "Leave quickly, or else—death!"
"If I leave here, I won't be able to escape their pursuit."
Bai Qingming trembled, "I've been lurking in the Jicheng War Department for over a decade. You can't treat me like this!"
The black-robed figure was silent for a few seconds.
"Are you sure no one followed you?"
Bai Qingming nodded, glancing towards the door, and continued, "You don't need to doubt my anti-reconnaissance and stealth abilities. Moreover, no one ever comes here, so no one will think of this place!"
"Besides, those people from the Heavenly Hearing have noses as sensitive as dogs. If I don't hide here, they'll find me before dawn!"
"Follow me!"
The black-robed figure pushed open the dilapidated room door, and an even stronger stench assaulted them.
Bai Qingming's breath hitched, and when he saw the scene inside by the dim light, his stomach churned.
In the not-so-large room, several highly decomposed corpses were piled up, even infested with maggots.
Even with Bai Qingming's strong willpower, at this moment, his stomach churned violently, and he couldn't hold back.
"Swallow it back, or if you leak your scent, they'll track you!"
The black-robed figure said coldly.
Bai Qingming puffed out his cheeks and forced the rising filth back down.
The black-robed figure walked into the room. Behind the decaying corpses was a broken table.
He gently tapped the table three times.
*Click.*
A hole appeared beneath the table.
"Go down. You can't come out without my instruction!"
The black-robed figure's tone allowed no room for Bai Qingming to question.
Bai Qingming's face was pale, his lips trembling, "You, you're not going to make me stay here for days and nights, are you?"
The black-robed figure chuckled twice, shaking his robe, "If you want to live, do as I say."
"I..."
Bai Qingming knew what was below, and the situation wouldn't be much better than above.
At this moment, he had no choice.
Bai Qingming crawled under the table and jumped directly into the hole.
The black-robed figure tapped the wall twice. The hole was restored, and then he moved the decaying corpses under the table, leaving no trace of any mechanism.
After finishing, the black-robed figure left the room and closed the door.
—
At the same time.
Several figures were moving through the streets and alleys of Jicheng.
They were searching based on the traces Bai Qingming had left behind.
Lu Dengye stopped at a garbage processing station, where mountains of trash emitted a nauseating stench!
"Team Leader Lu, Bai Qingming's scent disappeared here. Should we continue searching?"
Two young team members pinched their noses, enduring the discomfort. One of them asked Lu Dengye for his opinion.
"The other four teams are still tracking. Bai Qingming used some method to create multiple scent trails to mislead us."
Another team member quickly added.
Lu Dengye stared at the foul-smelling garbage processing plant before him, a look of determination flashing in his eyes.
Ye Kunlun had ordered him to find Bai Qingming before dawn, so he couldn't ignore any possible hiding spot.
Moreover, Bai Qingming came from the War Department and understood stealth and counter-tracking better than anyone.
There was no doubt that the stench-filled garbage dump before them was an excellent place to hide one's scent.
"Search!"
Lu Dengye gave the order and flashed into the garbage dump.
Seeing this, the two team members looked displeased but still followed.
The vast garbage dump was located to the north of the old city.
More than sixty years ago, there was a village here. Decades after a storm swallowed it, people gradually moved away.
With economic development, this former small village was long forgotten and developed into a garbage processing plant by the Governor's Office.
After entering the garbage dump, Lu Dengye followed what could barely be called a road.
The three searched for nearly half an hour without any clues.
This village was filled with garbage, even animal carcasses.
The winding alleys were filled with the stench of decay, with only the traces of rats, wild cats, and dogs. Not a single ghost was in sight.
Lu Dengye was somewhat unwilling. He stopped at an intersection, "Damn it, Bai Qingming, I must catch you before dawn!"
The two team members behind him had greenish faces.
They were young, hadn't joined the Heavenly Hearing for long, and had never suffered such hardship.
"Team Leader, how could anyone hide here? I think we should leave and go somewhere else instead of wasting time here?"
Lu Dengye looked back at him coldly.
The man shivered.
"Has your life in the Heavenly Hearing become too comfortable, making you forget your duties?"
Lu Dengye reprimanded.
"Team, Team Leader, your subordinate would never forget."
The man quickly replied, enduring the intense discomfort in his heart, "I just feel that this place is impossible for anyone to hide."
"Zhao Kai."
Lu Dengye narrowed his eyes.
Zhao Kai shivered again.
"If I remember correctly, you are from the Zhao family in Kyoto?" Lu Dengye asked meaningfully.
Zhao Kai was a bit confused and quickly nodded, "Yes!"
"From now on, you are expelled from the Heavenly Hearing!"
Lu Dengye's words stunned Zhao Kai.
Zhao Kai's face changed drastically. He knew how much money and connections his family had spent to get him into the Heavenly Hearing!
If he was expelled by Lu Dengye, how could he face his clansmen?
"Team Leader, I, I know I was wrong!"
Zhao Kai hurriedly apologized to Lu Dengye, "I shouldn't have complained, and I shouldn't have doubted your choice. Please give me another chance."
Lu Dengye's expression was calm, his gaze cold, "The Heavenly Hearing is not a place for wealthy young masters like you to gild themselves. If you can't endure this hardship, then leave!"
Lu Dengye didn't give Zhao Kai a chance to speak further and walked towards the deep alley on the left side of the intersection.
The other team member glanced at Zhao Kai before quickly following.
"Team, Team Leader!"
Zhao Kai watched Lu Dengye disappear into the alley. After a hint of hesitation flashed in his eyes, he also followed!