The person in the portrait was indeed Xiao Yan.
Or rather, Su Fan should have called him Xiao Zhi Qian!
You disappear, you disappear, but at least tell me where you're going beforehand. Now I can't find you, and I might be beheaded for dereliction of duty in a week.
"You damn cheat!"
Su Fan cursed at Xiao Yan's portrait.
"Achoo!"
In a small courtyard somewhere in Tianlong City, Xiao Yan couldn't help but sneeze.
"It must be that guy Su Fan cursing me again,"
Xiao Yan muttered to himself.
"Husband, are you feeling cold? The weather is getting colder, wear more clothes,"
A stunningly beautiful girl walked out from behind Xiao Yan and said to him with concern.
"It's fine, with Ling'er here, your husband is full of fire!"
Xiao Yan's shameless words made Ling'er blush.
...
Of course, Su Fan, who was worrying about how to find Xiao Yan, didn't know that Xiao Yan was currently enjoying himself with a beautiful woman.
"Is the courtesan he often visits here?"
Su Fan suddenly asked the madam.
The madam didn't have any news about Xiao Yan, but his close associates should know something, right?
"Yes, I'll have her come over right away!"
The madam, not knowing that Xiao Yan had gotten into trouble, was willing to obey Su Fan to avoid being implicated.
Soon, a woman was brought over by the madam.
The woman was groggy. It wasn't even dark yet, and a guest had already arrived?
"This is Xiao Hua. Young Master Xiao visits her nine out of ten times. Xiao Hua knows him best,"
The madam brought Xiao Hua over and introduced her to Su Fan.
"Have you seen Xiao Yan recently?"
Su Fan asked Xiao Hua.
"Xiao Yan?"
Xiao Hua looked confused.
Su Fan tapped on the table, gesturing for her to look at the portrait on the table.
"Oh, you mean Young Master Xiao. He hasn't been here for a long time. It seems to have been seven days since he last visited,"
Xiao Hua said after some thought.
"Do you know where he is, or where you think he might go?"
Su Fan continued to ask.
"I don't know."
Xiao Hua shook her head, indicating she didn't know.
Su Fan's head began to ache. Even the courtesan Xiao Yan frequented didn't know where he was. How could he find him?
"Xiao Hua, this is the Commander. If you know anything, don't hide it. You must tell the Commander everything,"
At this moment, the madam reminded Xiao Hua.
She couldn't afford to be implicated because Xiao Hua knew something and didn't say it.
Xiao Hua was startled. She only then realized that the person asking questions was an official.
"I don't know anything, but after he spent the night with me last time, he saw a woman's figure on the street from the window that morning and then rushed out in a hurry."
Xiao Hua added to Su Fan somewhat guiltily.
"A woman's figure? Who was that woman?"
Su Fan's eyes immediately lit up, and he found another clue.
"I don't know. I only saw her back. However, judging by her clothing and demeanor, she should be from a well-off family. They were heading north,"
Xiao Hua continued.
"North City? I know."
Although this information was vague, it was better than having no clues at all.
"North City? Well-off family?"
Su Fan immediately headed to North City and found the North City Prefecture Office.
This was the department that governed the people of the North City, equivalent to the magistrate of a county town.
Su Fan, a stranger, was naturally not allowed in.
"I am Su Fan, Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard, ordered to investigate the whereabouts of the Crown Prince. Have your magistrate come to see me!"
Su Fan immediately took out his Commander's waist token and flashed it before the yamen runner.
"Com... Commander?"
The yamen runner was stunned for a moment, then showed a mocking expression.
"The Imperial Guard is responsible for the Emperor's safety and has direct access to heaven! Why would they come to North City? At least try to be more convincing! Get lost! If you babble any more, I'll charge you with disturbing the court!"
The yamen runner warned Su Fan.
Su Fan was speechless. Did he flash his token too quickly for them to see clearly?
"Look carefully, Commander of the Imperial Guard. Have your magistrate come to see me!"
Su Fan took out his token again, this time making sure the other party looked at it thoroughly.
"What is this! You think you can just sneak into the prefecture office with any old token? Get lost!"
The yamen runner didn't recognize the Imperial Guard's token at all. He picked up the staff in his hand and was ready to take action if Su Fan continued to pester him.
Su Fan was speechless.
It seemed this token wasn't useful everywhere. A yamen runner not recognizing the Imperial Guard's token was quite something, while even a madam recognized it.
Lingering and Unwilling to Leave!
Su Fan directly used his spell-like skill, Lingering and Unwilling to Leave, to make the target dazed for two seconds.
The yamen runner's eyes instantly became vacant. He had been scolding Su Fan a moment ago, but now he was unresponsive.
Su Fan walked past him and into the prefecture office.
When the yamen runner regained his senses, he looked confused.
"Hey! Who let you in!"
The yamen runner turned around and saw Su Fan, who had already entered, and shouted angrily.
Su Fan was speechless. Why did he have to turn around?
The yamen runner caught up with Su Fan again, and this time he directly attacked, swinging a staff at Su Fan.
"Trespassing into the prefecture office, you're courting death!"
Su Fan sighed. It seemed he had to fight after all.
Supple as Silk!
He took out his weapon, but didn't use it to attack, only to enhance his damage.
Su Fan was afraid of killing the opponent with one sword strike.
Su Fan's fist, arriving later, directly smashed into the opponent's abdomen.
The yamen runner was hit hard. This yamen runner was just a low-level monster of level twenty-something, and in Su Fan's hands, he was nothing.
"Ugh!"
The yamen runner's body bent like a lobster, and he vomited green liquid uncontrollably.
Su Fan's punch had brought out the bile from his stomach.
"You! You wait!"
The yamen runner looked at Su Fan defiantly.
"Someone! Someone has trespassed into the prefecture office and intends to assassinate the magistrate!"
The yamen runner immediately shouted loudly from inside the prefecture office.
Soon, a group of yamen runners carrying their staffs rushed over.
"Who dares to cause trouble in the prefecture office!"
The yamen runner leader rushed over with a stern expression to provide support.
"Boss, he refused to be warned and insisted on forcing his way into the prefecture office, and he even hit me!"
The yamen runner immediately complained to his leader.
"Who are you? Why are you forcing your way into the prefecture office?"
This leader was quite good. He didn't attack Su Fan right away. Although the yamen runners around him were all pointing their staffs at Su Fan vigilantly, the leader didn't have them act immediately. Instead, he asked Su Fan about his purpose and identity.
At this moment, Su Fan immediately showed his token. With so many people, surely they wouldn't all not recognize the Imperial Guard's token?
"I am Su Fan, Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard. I have something to see your magistrate about. Make way!"
Su Fan said coldly to the surrounding yamen runners.
The leader was indeed someone who had seen the world, unlike that yamen runner who lacked discernment. He recognized the token at first glance.
"Your subordinate greets the Commander!"
The yamen runner leader immediately knelt down and bowed to Su Fan.