Tracking is a method of finding a target using the guidance of the Tracking Bead.

The Tracking Bead needs to be activated by the blood of someone who has practiced ’Tracking,’ and then stained with the target’s scent to produce a response.

But...

The method of blood activation for finding people is a clumsy technique; there is a more efficient way, which is to use Primordial Qi for activation.

This method was not written by Jin Yu, but Chu Ming deduced it based on that trace of Primordial Qi within the Tracking Bead.

"Staining with the target’s scent..."

Chu Ming glanced at the sky; the light retreated, the celestial curtain gradually darkened.

To stain with Shen Yi’s scent, he must first find out where Shen Yi resides, as his dwelling must contain many items he hasn’t taken with him.

"Let’s first speed up the progress..."

The primary task is to find Shen Yi, followed by returning to the mine at a later time, as there seems to be an Exotic Beast three hundred meters underground...

...

The night was dark with high winds.

Under the moonlight, a shadow sped swiftly.

Chu Ming hid in the darkness, stepping on the night wind, heading straight to the County Government Office.

Since Shen Yi is a constable, there must be information about him inside the County Yamen, such as family and residence.

The turmoil of the day had not settled, and the County Yamen was somewhat chilly late at night, with only a few constables on guard.

Even with tight security, it was impossible for anyone to discover Chu Ming.

Silently, he reached the place where the constable dossiers were stored.

After a brief search, he found Shen Yi’s dossier.

"Residence, South Street, number seventy-eight..."

Without making a sound, he returned the dossier and left the Yamen, heading towards South Street in Jingyan County.

In a moment, he arrived nearby Shen Yi’s home.

Without hurriedly searching inside, he first spread his Sword Gourd Spirit.

Sure enough, dozens of people lurked nearby.

In the dark courtyard, inside and outside the house, there were no fewer than ten people.

Without much thought, it was clear these people were lying in wait for Shen Yi.

Chu Ming looked, and his figure suddenly flickered to the forefront of the courtyard street.

"Stop!" A reprimanding voice came immediately, followed by dozens of constables rushing out from the courtyard. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Chu Ming deliberately exposed his tracks, lured them away, and then seamlessly vanished into the dark, easily circling back to the Lower Academy.

Inside the house, the furnishings were simple, with nothing special.

He opened the wooden cabinet and took out the Tracking Bead, placing it inside the cabinet.

Moments later, the Tracking Bead reacted.

Outside the courtyard.

"Are you sure you saw someone?"

"Sir, I truly saw a figure."

"..."

Chu Ming did not pause his steps as he brushed past the crowd.

"Hiss... Was there a gust of cold wind just now?"

"It seemed there was..."

"Could it be an evil spirit?"

"Nonsense! Spreading rumors again will be dealt with by law!"

"..."

...

"He did not return to the city."

Chu Ming held the Tracking Bead and, following its guidance, pursued all the way to the position of the city gate.

The Tracking Bead sensed that Shen Yi was somewhere outside the southeastern part of Jingyan County.

The guidance was faint, coming and going.

His Heart Thought stirred slightly, as three strands of Primordial Qi infused the Tracking Bead.

Buzz!

The guidance, which was originally blurry, instantly became more distinct.

"Southeast direction, twenty li away..."

At this distance, with Chu Ming’s current strength, it wouldn’t take long to reach there.

He lightly raised his toes, his figure leaping up.

Under the jade-like moonlight, a shadow flickered, traversing the city wall silently, heading straight southeast.

...

San Gou Village.

This village lies more than twenty li from Jingyan County, with more than a hundred households.

It was already late at night, and the entire village was peacefully asleep, occasionally disturbed by a few dog barks.

"Strange, why have the dogs been barking all night, disturbing my sleep?" A villager was awakened by the noise.

"Could there be someone in the village?" a woman’s voice rang out.

"In the middle of the night, it’s more likely to be ghosts."

"Keep making noise, and I’ll deal with that mutt at the village entrance..."

"..."

In the southern part of the village, a small shabby courtyard lay beside a river.

This place was equally quiet, but with an eerie silence.

If one were to sniff carefully, they would find a faint bloody scent in the air.

Inside, lay three corpses, two big and one small, the small one seemed only five or six years old.

In the shadows, several figures lurked like hunters waiting for prey to come at their door.

Moreover, more than two hundred meters away from the small courtyard, the cold river water rippled, seemingly brushed by the wind.

Yet those ripples were not caused by the wind; in the moonlit shadow, a head bobbed up and down occasionally.

Suddenly, this person submerged in the river, leaving the surface still.

At the top of a high tree outside the village, Chu Ming calmly observed.

Under the coverage of Sword Gourd Spirit, everything in the village was within his sight.

The person in the river was the Shen Yi he was searching for.

Those hiding in the small shabby courtyard all wore Flying Fish Suits, holding long blades; it was evident they were constables here to capture Shen Yi.

It seemed there was someone Shen Yi cared about in the small courtyard, and Jingyan County Criminal Defense Bureau had set a trap, waiting for Shen Yi to walk into it.

Chu Ming didn’t reveal himself, for the timing wasn’t right.

To investigate any leads from Shen Yi, he had to first gain his trust.

In the river.

Shen Yi was hidden underwater, moving quietly and slowly towards the small courtyard.

Inside the courtyard were his good brothers, whom he hadn’t contacted in over ten years.

He had thought that no one knew about this relationship, and the mine disaster charges wouldn’t involve them.

But... he hadn’t escaped Jingyan County’s range before hearing at a post station that the Criminal Defense Bureau had arrived at San Gou Village.

He didn’t live in San Gou Village; why would the Criminal Defense Bureau go there?

There was only one possibility, that his good brother’s family, with whom he hadn’t interacted for over ten years, had been implicated!

Shen Yi knew full well that a Heaven and Earth Net had been set here, yet he came resolutely.

The river water in autumn was somewhat cold; if a regular person swam like this, they would definitely fall seriously ill.

Shen Yi was a Martial Artist with three condensed Qi and Blood Powers, his body somewhat sturdier than most.

Swimming to the side of the small courtyard, this was already the nearest position to the courtyard.

He concealed himself in the shadows, motionless, his ears perked up, listening alertly to any sounds within the courtyard.

There was no sound at all, quiet as if no one lived there.

Shen Yi’s heartstrings were taut.

How could there be no one living in this courtyard?

The household of his good brother must have met with trouble!

What to do?

To rescue or not to rescue?

But he was just a junior constable with three condensed Qi and Blood Powers, how could he rescue them?

Probably, as soon as he showed his face, a huge net would descend from the heavens, right?

Yet his good brother and he shared a bond forged through life and death; how could he just stand by and watch?

Shen Yi’s gaze gradually turned fierce and determined, slowly crawling upstream along the riverbank.

Holding his breath, moving lightly, without a sound.

He thought in this way he wouldn’t be detected.

However, from the higher positions on the left and right of the courtyard, several glances looked down playfully and mockingly at the figure crawling below like a bug.

These people were all in the late stage of the Blood Circulation Realm as arresting captains and had sensed Shen Yi from over fifty meters away.

Yet they all tacitly chose to pretend not having seen him, just to see what interesting wave this fish obediently entering the net could stir up.

Shen Yi was unaware; an invisible large net had already covered his head.

He thought he was moving silently.

Turning over into the courtyard, through the window, entering the house...

Three corpses came into view, Shen Yi froze in place.

The man’s eyes were wide open, blood stained his coarse clothes, seemingly died unfulfilled.

The woman’s body barely covered, her hair and blood sticking to the ground, already solidified together.

The child’s pale, tender face bore two deep blood marks.

The family of three, dead...

In an instant, it was as if struck by lightning, anger welled up in Shen Yi’s heart.

"Why? Why? They were just ordinary people!"

Even if lying in wait to capture him, the family of three should not have been slaughtered!

Shen Yi drew his long blade, like a furious beast, slashing straight towards the corner of the room.

There, he had known when entering that there was someone.

Clang——

Sparks flew, the sound of gold and iron clashing was particularly piercing in the silent night.

The constables from the Criminal Defense Bureau and the Jingyan Guards ceased hiding, emerging from the shadows.

Within seconds, the small courtyard was surrounded, leaking not even a drop of water.

Over twenty constables outside, over ten Jingyan Guards inside.

The leader’s face was calm, eyes full of mockery.

Shen Yi didn’t care, seemingly fearless, continued swinging the blade repeatedly.

Clang clang clang——

Cold rays cutting sharply, countless blade shadows.

Yet the Jingyan Guards merely responded casually, Shen Yi’s seemingly mad and terrifying attacks were all easily blocked.

After ten strikes, the Jingyan Guard found it uninteresting, caught Shen Yi’s long blade with two fingers, gently twisting it away.

Clang——

The crisp sound echoed within the room, Shen Yi’s long blade was snapped in half by bare hands.

"Shall I tell you why?"

The Jingyan Guard struck a palm, Shen Yi flew out weakly like a ragged bag.

"They," the Jingyan Guard stepped on the man’s corpse, exerting a bit of force, the man’s corpse was instantly destroyed, "to avoid exposing you, chose to attack me, deserved to die!"

With those words, this Jingyan Guard kicked again, the corpses of the woman and child were also destroyed.

Like flames burning the heart, cold blades scraping the bones, Shen Yi’s eyes turned blood-red, his eyes splitting.

He hated his own powerlessness!

His brother Tie Zheng’s vengeance remained unserved, now his good brother’s family of three had died because of him!

"Huff——"

Whether from the earlier strike hitting critically or because raging anger burned through Shen Yi’s viscera, he could no longer hold back, spewing out a mouthful of blood.

His breath withered like an oil lamp running dry, Shen Yi blankly stared at the night sky.

The pitch-black vault of heaven, boundless and endless...

"Xiaozheng, sorry, big brother cannot show you this world anymore."

"Brother Peng, I will soon go to atone for my sins with you..."

Grief and pain blinded his eyes, Shen Yi suddenly revealed a brutal look, his body burst forward like a torrent.

Boom——

However, the Jingyan Guard merely struck a palm to send the resolute Shen Yi crashing heavily to the ground.

"Trying to commit suicide in front of me? Seize him!" The Jingyan Guard disdainfully gestured, from beginning to end, seeming to dismiss Shen Yi altogether.

"Congratulations to the lord for designing the capture of this man, the first merit this time is definitely yours." Subordinates flattered.

Three broken corpses lay randomly on the cold ground, Shen Yi’s misery and despair.

The Jingyan Guard and Criminal Defense Bureau celebrated.

Is this how the world works?

Chu Ming watched from afar, his heart seemed stirred.

Under the moonlight, a shadow flickered, the leaves rustled.

Within a few breaths, a figure lightly dropped into the courtyard.

The Criminal Defense Bureau’s arresting captains and Jingyan Guards who were tying up Shen Yi froze in place.

Black clothes, face covered...

An abduction!

"Kill him!"

In a moment of panic, dozens of constables and Jingyan Guards rushed forward.

Clang clang clang——

The sound of gold and iron clashing, deafening.

The run-down courtyard collapsed into ruins like a candle in the wind, only lasting a moment.

Chu Ming’s arms hung naturally, just standing indifferently at Shen Yi’s front, none of the dozens of Martial Artists could approach even half a step.

Shen Yi struggled to lift his head, looking at the unfamiliar figure, both shocked and doubtful in his heart.

Who was the person in black? Why rescue him?

With just one person, resisting over fifty Martial Artists at the middle to late stages of the Blood Circulation Realm, and even a Strong Bone Realm Jingyan Guard, since when did he know such a strong figure?

Chu Ming glanced at the three broken innocent corpses beside him, his voice icily cold: "Who?"

Who?

What who?