Chapter 149
"Cheng Bai is back? That guy actually hunted Haiqiong! He truly is one of Ning'an City's top warriors!"
Cheng Li gave a slight, approving smile. Upon hearing this, Pan Shulin's face flashed with joy, and his eyes instantly lit up: "Brother Bai is back?! He actually really hunted Haiqiong, he... is so amazing."
Pan Shulin's face was full of yearning and admiration. Seeing this, Cheng Li frowned.
Pan Yue looked down at the letter again a few times, and the smile on his face instantly froze: "This... the City Lord... also... also wants us to return..."
Pan Yue put the letter away and said: "Brother Cheng, what should we do? We haven't found the young master yet."
Cheng Li's expression was somber, his eyes swirling with unfathomable light. He remained silent for a full quarter of an hour. During this time, not a single person on the boat dared to speak; the surroundings were utterly quiet.
Everyone knew that the City Lord Xi Ning had entrusted the young master to Cheng Li. If he failed to protect him properly, returning to Ning'an City could mean, at best, losing his position as master of the martial hall, and at worst, possibly losing his life...
The young master had been missing for many days. They had all tacitly agreed not to send a letter back, thinking it would be better to find him quickly and then return to report.
But they had been unable to find the young master, and now the City Lord was pressing them, urging them to return...
Pan Yue lowered his head in thought and said: "How about this, we reply that the young master hasn't found the ancient beastman and is unwilling to return, and ask the City Lord for instructions. The City Lord will surely give us an order. The back-and-forth of the letter will take at least a few days, so we'll buy ourselves a few more days to keep searching?"
Hearing this, Cheng Li's expression shifted slightly, but he immediately shook his head and said: "Deceiving the City Lord is an even heavier crime..."
As he spoke, he turned and looked at the boundless sea. It was a vast view, the kind that should make one's mood lighten, yet he felt as if there were rocks all around, a dark mass pressing down on his heart, making it heavy and panicked.
"Let's return." He deliberated for a moment before speaking.
"!" Pan Yue was astonished and stepped forward: "Brother Cheng!"
Cheng Li turned back to look at Pan Yue: "It's better to tell the City Lord about this sooner. Let him send more people to search for the young master; that way, the young master's chance of survival will be greater. Not only must we return, but we must also return as early as possible."
After a pause, Cheng Li glanced at Pan Shulin beside him, then looked at Pan Yue and said: "Also, don't worry, this matter of the young master has nothing to do with you. I will take responsibility alone."
Hearing this, Pan Yue was stunned: "That's not what I meant!"
He urgently walked up to Cheng Li: "The young master fell into the water right under my watch! If anyone is responsible, it should be me! I just think the young master fell here. If we return now, what if he is right down there?"
Pan Shulin interjected: "We've searched for several days and found nothing. He must have been washed away long ago or ended up in the fish's belly."
Cheng Li gave Pan Shulin a strange look, these words really didn't sound like they came from someone concerned about a friend.
Pan Yue seemed to think so too. He said: "Shulin, the young master is still your friend, you can't be such a jinx."
Pan Shulin said nothing more, a gleeful look flashing in his downcast eyes.
The ancient beastman is nowhere to be found, Xi Yao is dead, Brother Bai has returned to Ning'an City... nothing could be more perfect.
As for Cheng Li being punished?
That was not his concern.
Pan Yue thought about it and chose a compromise: "Brother Cheng, how about this, you and I take them back to Ning'an City to report, and leave these people here to continue searching."
Cheng Li looked at Pan Shulin and his servant, whom Pan Yue pointed to.
Pan Yue explained: "They are also gers. I'm afraid they might end up like the young master that day if they stay on this ship. It's safer to take them back."
"Alright," Cheng Li agreed, "but I must avoid suspicion. You should carry these two back."
Having said that, he transformed into his beast form and directly leaped off the boat.
"..." Pan Yue was stunned. Pan Shulin was fine, as he was his younger brother, but his servant... he needed to avoid suspicion too.
Seemingly sensing Pan Yue's difficulty, Pan Shulin quickly said: "Brother, it's fine. He won't hold you responsible. He's my person."
"...Alright." Having received this assurance, Pan Yue transformed into his beast form. Pan Shulin and the servant hurriedly climbed on.
The Celestial Fox tribe people were most proud of their speed. They managed to reduce a journey that would take several days just for message delivery to a single day and night before returning to Ning'an City.
Cheng Li and Pan Yue were both accustomed to hard travel, so returning to Ning'an City was manageable for them. Pan Shulin and his servant had never endured such a rushed journey before, their legs went weak as soon as they touched ground.
Cheng Li glanced at them and said: "You take them back first. I will go see the City Lord."
Pan Yue, afraid Cheng Li would bear the blame alone, hurriedly said: "They can get back by themselves. I'll go with you."
"I'm going too." Pan Shulin wanted to track the entire progression of this matter concerning Xi Yao. At this moment, he was not at all comfortable letting the two go alone, worried they might become suspicious and reveal him, especially Cheng Li. That letter to Xi Yao was sent by his own men, he just let Cheng Li take the blame for it.
"..." Seeing their determination, Cheng Li said nothing more and hurried towards the council hall.
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