Chapter 146: Found clues

The group immediately set off for the official road between Yongqing County and Fushun County.

“Head, we found the road.”

A group of men emerged from the forest and saw a trail in the woods. Due to the dryness, there had been no rain in the area, and the axle marks were still visible.

“There are axle marks.”

Following the axle marks, they quickly discovered the location of the fight.

These men were all skilled in martial arts, and the traces of the battle were obvious at a glance.

“It seems they weren’t lying.”

The leading man ordered, “Find those five corpses.”

What if the treasure map was on those five people? Though the chance was slim, almost negligible, they would investigate every lead thoroughly, never letting go of the slightest possibility.

Within a short time, all five corpses were found. Their clothes were intact, even their swords were left beside them.

“It seems that group was very cautious.”

They hadn’t taken away the valuable and useful swords.

The five corpses had long since rotted. The men below, enduring the nausea, stripped them of their clothes.

They had no money, let alone anything resembling a treasure map.

“Boss, all their belongings are gone. They were obviously robbed by the group from Hui’an Prefecture.”

The leading man didn’t respond. He stared intently at the five corpses, enduring the unpleasant smell, his gaze shifting between them.

He glanced at one corpse and narrowed his eyes slightly.

Something was wrong!

Noticing this, the deputy asked, “Boss, is something wrong?”

“Look closely at the wounds on these bodies.”

After the reminder, the deputy examined the wounds carefully. Upon closer inspection, he noticed something troubling.

“This man’s neck was slashed with a knife, and two others were stabbed through the heart.

The person who did this was fierce and decisive. It doesn’t seem like a coincidence; it feels more like the work of a trained killer.”

“The other two corpses show signs of being hacked to death, which aligns with the brutal style of those farmers.”

This revelation made the faces of the group grow serious, as the situation became more complex than they had anticipated.

What did this mean?

It indicated that a skilled fighter was hidden among their ranks, someone they hadn’t encountered when they attacked the group earlier.

It was evident they hadn’t faced all of their opponents, and one had slipped through the cracks a person with the potential of a killer.

How could someone like that have escaped when confronted with members of Prince Yun’s Mansion? He would certainly…

As the possibility sank in, the leading man felt a surge of frustration.

“Damn it!”

If he had known this, he wouldn’t have ordered the complete extermination of the group. He should have left one or two alive.

The leading man turned to his subordinates, “Are you sure you killed them all?”

His men hesitated, wanting to say no, but…

The leading man read their expressions and understood.

“Return. Just in case we missed something.”

Regardless of whether there was any chance of survivors, they needed to confirm it once more.

If they actually find the fish that escaped the net, there will be clues to the location of the treasure map, so it won’t end there.

“Yes.”

A group of people arrived in a hurry and left in a hurry, returning to the forest again.

At the same time, under the cliff, a large tree hung on its branches, one large and one small.

There were signs of breakage at the ends of the branches. As time passed, the cracks grew larger and larger.

The man on the branch slowly woke up, and after seeing clearly where he was, he didn’t panic, but started observing.

When he saw his son hanging on the branch at the other end, joy filled his eyes.

He endured the pain and crawled over cautiously. A small cracking sound echoed in his ears, and he looked at the crack.

“Crack”…the branch could no longer support his weight and broke completely.

The moment his body fell, Yang Fu quickly grabbed the branch at the other end to prevent his body from falling rapidly.

After his body stabilized, Yang Fu climbed back onto the branch with great effort and climbed towards his son.

“Yi’er.”

Yang Fu put his hand under his nose, and after feeling the weak breathing, he relaxed slightly.

Half an hour later, Yang Fu got himself and his son down from the tree.

There were many wounds on his body, the most serious one being on his abdomen.

He tore off his clothes and tied the wound tightly.

This is not a place to stay for long. If that group of people comes looking for them, they will definitely die.

He put the child on his back and walked south.

At noon the next day, the mysterious group of people looking for the treasure arrived at the place of the massacre again.

Whenever refugees passing by here see the tragic situation, they will subconsciously speed up their pace.

A day and a night have passed, and even if there are still people alive, they are probably gone.

“Look.”

With an order, everyone began to search among the corpses.

The corpses were rummaged through, but no one was alive.

The leading man’s face was dark and grim, “Search forward.”

If there were any survivors, they would definitely go south at this time.

Along the way, anyone walking alone with injuries will be interrogated by them.

As long as those people’s wounds match their saber wounds, they will definitely not be able to escape.

“Head, there is an injured person in front of me.”

This was the second injured person they saw walking alone.

When the man saw this group of people, his face turned pale with fright, and his eyes were full of horror.

That expression said everything very well, this person knew them.

“Take it away.”

The man knelt down in fear and begged for mercy. “Sir, please spare the common people. I’m just a passerby. Please let me go.”

Since he was born to now, he has had countless moments of regret, but the thing I regret the most is that I shouldn’t have rested there yesterday.

After seeing that group of people appear, you shouldn’t just watch the show like an idiot.

He really regrets it, very much.

If he had left immediately after seeing those people appear, his wife, children, and parents would not have died.

He finally survived, but he didn’t expect this group of people to come back.

Why was he so unlucky to meet these demons?

“I won’t say a word to anyone about what happened yesterday. I have a tight mouth and I will never talk nonsense outside. Please, sir, please let me go.”

The leading man frowned, very unhappy. Not from that village.

It’s not that I believe what he said, but the other person’s accent is different from the people in the village yesterday.

“Besides you, did you see anyone else alive yesterday?” the deputy asked coldly.

The man shook his head carefully, “No, no more.”

“Since it’s useless, let’s kill him.” The leading man’s voice was cold and ruthless, and killing people was as common as drinking water.

The man’s eyes widened in horror, and before he died, he said randomly, “No. If you want to know about them, sir, I know something about them.”