Chapter 297: Chapter 297: Jin Feihua’s Pursuit, Waiting for a Letter

Jin Feihua was tracking the only available trail. Although all signs pointed to Princess Lan Yue and the people from the Jin Meng Empire having fled into the Qingyuan River, she refused to rule out the possibility that someone had escaped in the direction of the hoofprints.

She wouldn’t give up as long as there was even a sliver of a chance. The outcome didn’t matter—all that mattered was following the trail.

Besides, anything she witnessed along the way could provide circumstantial evidence.

Jin Feihua followed the hoofprints to the sparsely populated Xiaoyuan Village. There, under the pretext of getting a drink of water, she began asking the villagers about any recent passersby.

This wasn’t a completely deserted road. Every so often, people would pass through on their way from Yun City, often carrying some of its local products.

As she chatted, Jin Feihua managed to get a clear picture of the local situation. She observed the people of Xiaoyuan Village and saw they were all poor families. She gave an old woman’s granddaughter, Xiaoxiang, a second glance but quickly dismissed her.

The auras of these people were very weak. They were all ordinary folk who had never been exposed to Martial Arts Cultivation.

According to the villagers, the traveler was a young man who had stayed in Xiaoyuan Village for several hours. Based on her timeline, he would have already left the area of the battle long before Princess Lan Yue and her group even fought. Otherwise, the timing simply didn’t add up.

After a moment’s thought, she spurred her horse onward, continuing the pursuit. Eventually, she tracked down the Qing State Horse and laid eyes on its owner.

It was a young man, someone she recognized. As a Divine Constable of the Six Gates, she possessed an excellent memory and could recall every Sect member who had entered White Jade City. If any of them committed a crime, she could track them down at a moment’s notice.

She even had the relevant intelligence files with her, and among them was one for Yang Chan.

While he hadn’t been particularly outstanding among the participants at the Pharmacist Exchange Conference, he was still one of the Cyan Yuan Sect’s more skilled Pharmacists, which was why she vaguely remembered him.

After all, the Six Gates had been in charge of security patrols during the Pharmacist Exchange Conference. As a Divine Constable, she had naturally been posted at the entrance to the Pharmacist Alliance.

"You’re from the Cyan Yuan Sect?"

Jin Feihua rode up and reined in her horse before Yang Chan, looking at him as she posed the question.

"You’re from the Six Gates. Why are you blocking my path?"

Seeing someone block his path, a flicker of vigilance appeared in Yang Chan’s eyes. His hand moved to the hilt of the long sword at his waist, ready to draw it at a moment’s notice.

Sect members held little affection for the Six Gates; "wary" was a more apt description. And Yang Chan’s current reaction—cautious and on guard—was perfectly in character for a Sect disciple.

Wary, defensive.

"I am Divine Constable Jin Feihua of the Six Gates," she said, her gaze fixed on Yang Chan. "I need to ask you, on your way to Xiaoyuan Village, did you see a fight in the dense woods? One person was riding a Night-Shining Jade Lion, and two others were on Jin Meng Horses."

Her eyes seemed to transform into instruments of judgment, exerting immense pressure.

Yang Chan knew, however, that this was an application of Spiritual Power. By putting someone under pressure, it made them more likely to divulge the truth.

"I didn’t see any— What did you just do to me?"

"I’m a Pharmacist of the Cyan Yuan Sect! My sect has my travel itinerary on record! Not even a Divine Constable of the Six Gates has the authority to interrogate a Cyan Yuan Sect disciple!"

After blurting this out instinctively, Yang Chan’s reaction was immediate. He drew his long sword and glared at her furiously.

He looked ready to attack at the slightest provocation.

The deep-seated caution in his eyes grew even more pronounced.

"Calm yourself. It was merely a routine question. I meant no disrespect to the Cyan Yuan Sect."

"I apologize for my earlier offense, young man. Farewell."

Having probed Yang Chan’s aura, Jin Feihua slowly retracted her imposing presence, her demeanor instantly returning to normal.

Though Yang Chan hadn’t finished his sentence, she had already received her answer and understood his situation.

Someone with an External Refining Copper Skin Cultivation lacked the power to interfere in a battle involving Princess Lan Yue’s group. Furthermore, all the evidence suggested this matter had nothing to do with Yang Chan.

Having reached this conclusion, Jin Feihua dismissed the last wisp of suspicion in her mind. She spurred her horse and rode quickly back toward the battle scene, hoping to find other useful clues.

Yang Chan watched Jin Feihua’s rapidly retreating figure, his wary expression slowly dissolving. He resumed his journey as normal, not letting out a long sigh of relief until he stopped to rest by a small stream.

’The people from the Six Gates are certainly cautious,’ he thought. ’Even after I left such an obvious trail leading elsewhere, they still followed my tracks.’

Now that Jin Feihua was gone, his various contingency plans had served their purpose, clearing him of suspicion.

No one would suspect someone at the External Refining Copper Skin Level of participating in a battle among experts at the External Refining Iron Bone Level.

Besides, people at the Divine Constable Level all shared one trait: they were supremely confident in their own judgment. With his countermeasures now in play, it was enough to ensure Jin Feihua and her people would no longer have any suspicions about him.

Once the Six Gates found the fragments of clothing and unique weapons from Princess Lan Yue and the Jin Meng Empire that were left in the Qingyuan River, they would be certain to continue their investigation in that direction.

That would tie them up for a long time. When the trail ran cold, they would start to suspect the Abyssal Sea, or perhaps an ambush arranged by the Jin Meng Empire. Their investigation would lead them further and further astray until, most likely, the entire matter was quietly dropped.

Yang Chan had arranged everything on his end. The rest was up to them.

As long as they didn’t find Princess Lan Yue, he would be fine. Even if they did find her, if he sensed things were taking a turn for the worse, he would use his failsafe: activate the Three Worms in her body and kill her instantly.

He had never told Princess Lan Yue that the Three Flower Insect Divine Pill could be remotely activated. It was a result of his unique refining technique—a memory he had gained after his Pharmacist class advanced, and a very special trump card.

From the moment he decided to let Princess Lan Yue live, he had been considering what would happen if she were caught. Although he had taken many precautions and left virtually no traces, there was always a chance of the unexpected.

To prepare for that eventuality, Yang Chan naturally had to be ready to handle the worst-case scenario.

As a prudent person, he could not allow his secrets to be exposed. If it came to that, it would be Princess Lan Yue’s misfortune, but he would have to let her die.

Of course, that was just the worst-case scenario.

’I hope things are proceeding as planned on your end.’

’Otherwise, don’t blame me for being ruthless.’

Yang Chan glanced in the direction of Xiaoyuan Village but didn’t head back. Returning now would not be a wise choice; it would only draw suspicion.

He would wait at the next crossroads for a letter. It would be a letter from Princess Lan Yue, letting him know the situation on her end. If it didn’t arrive, that would mean there was a problem.

Every day at a specific time, someone from Xiaoyuan Village traveled toward Yun City, and Yang Chan needed to wait for that person.