Daily Intelligence System: Don't Kill Me, Honey! Chapter 1585 - 364: Bright Peak (Happy New Year) (3)

"Ouch!"

Chen Jie massaged his face, realizing that had he been wearing a standard human skin mask, a sharp pinch like that would have surely dislodged it. Upon inspection, however, his features remained firmly his own.

This mirrored the suspicion Chen Jiusi had toward Liu Caidie earlier; neither party could fathom the existence of a Martial Arts Treasure capable of altering one's physical appearance.

Elder Shu cast one final, critical look at Chen Jie before pivoting toward their carriage.

He reached out and hauled back the hanging curtain.

"Ah~"

Inside the vehicle, the woman posing as ’Third Miss Zhao’ let out a startled cry, her features contorted in alarm. Elder Shu noted that the girl possessed a rather striking beauty.

Giving her a cursory glance, he dismissed her and commanded, "Step out."

’Miss Zhao’ made her way to the carriage edge, and Chen Jie hurried forward to position the stepping stool, murmuring, "Miss, please mind your step."

Elder Shu ignored the interaction, focusing instead on inspecting the carriage interior, where he found only a collection of birthday gifts.

He then rapped firmly against the frame to gauge for hidden compartments and crawled to inspect the undercarriage. Finding no one clinging beneath, he concluded his thorough search.

Elder Shu held a specific theory: Chen Jiusi had been struck by the Tang Sect’s Blood Devouring Poison. He was well-versed in the lethality of this toxin, and Second Master Tang had confirmed the victim was severely debilitated, unable to remain on his feet. Therefore, the search had to prioritize passing vehicles, specifically checking for hidden spaces or passengers bound beneath the chassis.

Evidently, this carriage was above suspicion.

Elder Shu peered at Liu Caidie and remarked, "The road from Huai’an to Chang’an is quite long. Are you two truly traveling alone, just a mistress and her servant?"

Both Chen Jie and Liu Caidie maintained outward composure, as their cover story had been meticulously prepared.

Liu Caidie replied with a fragile, timid tone, "I am but an illegitimate daughter of the Zhao household; this old servant has been the only one by my side since my childhood."

Elder Shu noted this and added, "It is a treacherous journey from Huai’an. There are countless bandits and outlaws on these roads. Did the two of you encounter any danger?"

"Reporting to the official, I have practiced enough martial arts to defend the Miss during our travel. Furthermore, we are traveling lightly; there is nothing of value worth stealing," Chen Jie answered.

"Oh? You are a martial practitioner?"

Elder Shu scrutinized Chen Jie. Detecting no surge of Gang Qi from his body, he challenged, "What school of kung fu do you follow?"

"Just some basic conditioning learned in my youth—nothing of any real consequence," Chen Jie modest answered.

Suddenly, Elder Shu lashed out with a palm strike directed at him.

Hm!

The sudden aggression left Liu Caidie frantic, fearing Chen Jiusi’s true identity was unveiled. Yet, Chen Jie reacted instantly, meeting the blow with his Stone Breaking Hand.

Bam!

Tap, tap, tap...

The impact sent Chen Jie stumbling backward in a frantic retreat. Elder Shu had clearly been testing him without intent to slay, as he ceased his assault. Chen Jie managed to steady himself after several shaky steps.

Elder Shu gave a slow nod. "You possess some foundation. Reaching the Energy Transformation level through mere external conditioning? It seems you had talent in your younger years."

Chen Jie offered a wry, bitter smile. "You are too kind, Official. I was foolish in my youth and lost a leg in a brawl, which effectively extinguished my zeal for further cultivation."

"A pity," Elder Shu mused. "Refining the external form without cultivating internal Qi ultimately amounts to nothing."

Chen Jie remained quiet. Elder Shu sighed, dismissed the subject, and waved them off. "Very well, be on your way."

"My deepest gratitude, Official."

Chen Jie quickly assisted Liu Caidie back into the carriage, took a firm grip on the reins, and urged the horses forward.

Watching their departure, Elder Shu barked orders to his subordinates, "Search with greater focus! Chen Jiusi is suffering from the Tang Sect’s Blood Devouring poison and cannot walk. Scour every vehicle. Do not let anyone pass without the level of scrutiny I just employed—check inside, outside, and everywhere in between."

"Pay special attention to secret compartments and the underside of the carriages to prevent him from hiding. Do you understand?"

"Understood!" the soldiers shouted in unison.

Inside the carriage, hearing the commands, Liu Caidie whispered, "Those fools don’t even realize the people they are hunting are right in front of them."

Chen Jie remained silent for a heartbeat before replying, "If they had realized it, we would be in chains. Now, hold on tight."

Giddy up, giddy up...

Chen Jie whipped the reins, and the carriage surged forward.

Following their exit, Lantian County remained under a heavy dragnet. Every passing convoy was stripped and inspected, but nothing came of it. Chen Jiusi and the ‘ugly girl’ seemed to have evaporated into thin air.

Weeks elapsed without a single lead. The officers tasked with the lockdown finally convened.

Qi Chun, frustrated, finally admitted, "We have raided every home and filtered every merchant caravan within Lantian. With fifty thousand soldiers deployed, we have turned every stone in the region, yet there is no sign of Chen Jiusi."

"Does anyone have a theory? Could he and that woman have truly vanished?"

Silence filled the room. Eventually, Chang Xuzi spoke up, "Are there any blind spots? Could he be hiding in the wilderness?"

A guard from King Qi’s residence immediately retorted, "Impossible. We dispatched ten thousand men into the mountains; every ridge surrounding Lantian has been thoroughly combed. There is no possibility of him hiding in the woods."

"What of the city homes and the villages?"

The guard replied, "The gates are sealed and every passerby is subjected to a body search. We have found no trace of them. Furthermore, we conducted a house-to-house sweep and came up empty-handed."