Tracking

On the Hao family's martial training grounds, Hao Xiangtong was executing a set of fist techniques. Her fair, slender hands blurred into a flurry of afterimages, crackling with sharp pops. *Stinking brat!* *Making me lose face in front of Father!* *You don't want silver, and you aren't enticed by feminine charms, right?* *Then I'll just give you a good thrashing tonight!* Hao Xiangtong finished the routine. Just as she felt the anger pent up inside her mostly vented, applause suddenly sounded from the side. Turning her head to look, she saw her father speaking with a beaming smile. "Xiangtong, your fist technique has improved again. Striking with two hundred and fifty consecutive airbursts—you're even closer to the second stage." After chatting casually for a moment, Hao Wen added, "That matter you mentioned to me this morning—where did you hear about it?" Hearing her father bring it up again, Hao Xiangtong felt an embarrassed blush creep back onto her cheeks. "Father, I just heard it from someone talking nonsense. Please don't ask." "No... that's not it..." Recalling how he had flatly denied it and scolded his daughter that morning, Master Hao the Second felt a bit embarrassed himself. Even so, he was a seasoned local landlord of Qingyang County after all; one could hardly run affairs without a thick skin. Quickly smoothing over his inner turmoil, he said, "The truth is, I just came back from the Wu family. It seems the imperial court really does intend to sue for peace with the northwest wolf demons and open border trade." Hao Xiangtong froze, a look of shock spreading across her face. "They really are suing for peace?" Hao Wen asked, "Where did you hear this? Tell me everything in detail, without leaving out a single word." ... That evening, after finishing his inspection of the tax and grain ledgers, Chu Qiguang walked out of the county archives. In a nearby alley, the shar-pei Da Tou was already poking his head out, looking exceedingly furtive. Seeing no one around, Chu Qiguang walked over. Da Tou immediately trotted up, panting affectionately with his tongue out. "Godfather, I found where that guy is staying now." According to reports from the street dog monsters, someone in Qingyang County had recently been investigating them, even tracking them all the way to the ruined temple, which had put the dog monsters on high alert. "Good, well done. From now on, you all must remain cautious. Don't let anyone catch on to what's going on." Chu Qiguang patted its head. Da Tou promptly flopped onto the ground, exposing his belly in a display of utter submissiveness. These days, life for the dog monsters was vastly better than before. Not only did they have plenty to eat and drink, but they were also free from Lao Hei's exploitation. They no longer had to take risks stealing chickens or ducks on the streets; all they had to do was roam around and report intelligence. Rubbing Da Tou's belly and looking at how obedient and submissive the dog monsters were becoming, Chu Qiguang thought of the cat monsters still undergoing military drill back in his courtyard and couldn't help sighing. "Have the dogs keep an eye on him. I'll go pay him a visit later." Just then, Chu Qiguang suddenly raised his head and looked deep into the alley not far away, where a dark shadow flashed past. Chu Qiguang said nothing. He merely smiled faintly and turned to leave. Deep in the alley, the former bailiff Gu Wei was clad in tattered rags, looking like a beggar. Clutching his chest, Gu Wei felt an indescribable dread wash over him. *Why does this kid always feel so uncanny? He's clearly only at the first stage of martial arts, while I'm at the second stage.* Ever since losing his post as bailiff, not only had his former subordinates retaliated against him, but the newly appointed head bailiff had driven him out of the yamen entirely. During his tenure as bailiff, he had earned the moniker "Leaves Neither Chick Nor Dog," having driven countless common folk to ruin, death, and torn-apart families over the years. So many commoners in Qingyang County harbored grudges against him that when Magistrate He stripped him of his bailiff title, people had even hailed the magistrate as a clear sky of justice. Now that he had fallen from power, people immediately kicked him while he was down, reducing him to living like a beggar. Yet what Gu Wei resented most was Chu Qiguang, who had insisted on the blood test back then. Drawing on his years of experience as a bailiff, his intuition told him that Chu Qiguang was inextricably tied to what had happened. Investigating around the county town on his own over the past few days, he had indeed noticed something amiss: Chu Qiguang seemed unusually fond of dogs, frequently petting stray dogs that passed by. Stalking them further, he discovered these strays were anything but ordinary. Gu Wei thought to himself, *Once I uncover your secret, I'll make you wish you were dead...* Thinking this, he turned out of the alley, only to spot a yellow dog in the distance staring intently at him, its eyes gleaming with an eerie, humanlike awareness. An unsettling chill ran through Gu Wei. He turned around and left the alley. Yet as he walked, he couldn't stop glancing at the stray dogs on the streets, sensing they were acting furtive, their gazes drifting intentionally or unintentionally toward him. He ran faster and faster until finally not a single stray dog was in sight, and only then did he breathe a sigh of relief. ... Meanwhile, back in his courtyard, Chu Qiguang meditated and practiced his fist forms late into the night. Suddenly, a surge of hostility welled up in his eyes, and a sinister smirk crept onto the corners of his lips. "Master Qiao, come out with me. Chen Gang, keep a good watch on the house." Watching Chu Qiguang's expression, Qiao Zhi muttered to himself, *He's acting up again.* Out loud, he asked, "If I leave too, what about Baimi and the others...?" Chu Qiguang glanced at the cat monsters and said, "Have them come along." And so Chu Qiguang led Qiao Zhi and the cat monsters as they darted swiftly through the nocturnal gloom of Qingyang County town, a violent impulse lingering persistently in his chest. Getting a rare chance to let off steam outside, the cat monsters were secretly thrilled. Relying on their feline gifts, they swept along like a nocturnal breeze, completely undetectable to ordinary mortals. The dog monster Lao Tu ran ahead of Chu Qiguang, continually leading the way. ... At the docks north of the town, what was bustling by day was now dead quiet, without a soul in sight. Gu Wei stumbled toward his shack here. Nowadays, he earned a bit of cash by helping people move and unload cargo at the docks. Earlier today, Gu Wei had met with yamen runners he used to know well, but failed to get any help from them. Left with no choice, he had drunk himself half into a stupor, his face etched with misery. "Not a single one of them believes me." "Chu Qiguang is definitely up to something, and so are those dogs!" "I swear I'll drag you into the county yamen's jail!" As he reached the front of the shack, Gu Wei caught sight of a blurry dark shadow inside. Frowning, he barked, "Which blind bastard took over my—" Chu Qiguang stepped out at an unhurried pace, exposing his face to the moonlight. Looking at the wicked smirk on Chu Qiguang's face, Gu Wei said in surprise, "You?" He let out a cold grunt, though a trace of unease laced his voice. "What did you come here for?" Yet as he stepped back slightly, pair after pair of green and yellow eyes lit up in the surrounding darkness. The sight sent chills creeping down his spine. It was as if a basin of ice water had been poured over his head in the swelter of midsummer, shocking him instantly sober. "You!" Shaken and furious, Gu Wei opened his mouth to scream. Before the cry could leave his throat, a soft thwack rang out. Qiao Zhi had already flicked a pebble, which struck his face like a bullet. Gu Wei grunted, the world going dark before his eyes as he verged on losing consciousness. Immediately after, the dozen-odd cat monsters surged forward from all around, pinning Gu Wei to the ground.