Yu Qian said sternly to Tao Tingfeng, "Whether you have committed the crime of harboring a criminal requires further investigation, but you are suspected of concealing illicit proceeds, so you must come with us."
In the shadows, Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou sighed. The moment they saw Tao Tingfeng bind the Golden Cicada Slough with a drop of blood, they knew the kid had gotten himself into trouble. They had continued observing afterward just to see if the lad would realize his mistake.
With things having reached this point, there was no need to observe any longer.
"Let's go. We're not done yet."
...
*Huff, puff—*
The scruffy youth who had once appeared at the barbecue shop was now sprinting toward the edge of town with all his might.
For the past half month, he had been doing odd jobs around the city and saving up, managing to buy himself a clean set of clothes. In another half month, he would have enough money to take a flying boat to his destination.
*I don't know if those three Great Xia cultivators are here to capture me, but to be safe, I'd better run.*
The youth felt he was truly plagued by bad luck. He hadn't provoked or offended anyone. Having slumbered from Great Yu until the present era, barely awake for long, three Great Qian cultivators had come knocking on his door to rob him of his Golden Cicada Slough.
That was his trump card for the struggle of the Golden Age; how could he possibly hand it over to someone else!
After the battle, he had not only lost the Golden Cicada Slough, but to save his life, he had also been forced to disperse his cultivation and start anew.
"Cursed luck!"
Suddenly, he skidded to a halt.
"Kid, you run pretty fast, huh?"
Two figures stood like a wall, blocking the youth's path.
It was none other than Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou.
Back when they were at the barbecue shop, the two had already noticed what made the youth different: his walking posture and breathing pattern were unlike ordinary people's; he clearly had a background in cultivation.
Back then, they had suspected the youth had dispersed his cultivation to start anew, but they had lacked proof.
Now, the moment the Luoshui Guards arrived, the kid ran. He was definitely someone who had dispersed his cultivation to start anew!
Performance merits delivered right to their doorstep! Let's see if Senior Brother Dai would still say the two of them only caused trouble whenever they left the sect!
"What do you want?!" At a glance, the youth could tell both possessed cultivation. As a mortal now, he stood no chance against them in a fight.
"What do we want?" Meng Jingzhou sneered, rolling his shoulders and cracking his knuckles. Dragging the youth into a deserted courtyard, he demanded, "Speak! Are you an ancient cultivator who dispersed his cultivation to start anew?!"
"N-No, I'm not!" the youth stammered, biting the bullet.
"Oho, still refusing to confess? String him up!" Lu Yang pulled a leather whip from his identity jade plaque and yanked it twice to make sure it was sturdy.
This was an interrogation method Lu Yang had learned from Eldest Senior Sister.
Taking the cue, Meng Jingzhou promptly found some rope, tied the youth up, and hoisted him from a tree.
The whip cracked loudly against the empty air, making the youth's scalp tingle with dread. Judging by how fierce and menacing the two looked, if he didn't confess, he feared his life wouldn't be spared.
"Don't hit me, don't hit me! I'll talk!"
"Speak! Which era are you from, and what is your name?!"
"I'm a cultivator from the Great Yu era. My Daoist name is Daoist Xiantian."
Chapter 723