Arrest Warrant

There is a gravel road built around the city wall in Beiyang Prefecture.

The toad followed behind Shen Gui, walking with an uneven gait, the branches hitting the muddy ground with a "tap-tap" sound.

It quieted down considerably, and spent the rest of the journey organizing its thoughts.

It's a demon that can read faces; it's known since childhood what questions to ask and what questions not to ask.

Humans value etiquette, and it has learned a little bit of it, though not completely, but enough. For example, casually asking someone about their cultivation level is not considered polite.

Lai Ge Bao was very curious about the strength of the gray-clad figure in front of it, but it was afraid of offending him by asking. It pondered for a long time, thinking of many lines, but ultimately didn't speak.

But I really want to know...

This question kept teasing Lai Ge Bao, making it unbearably itchy.

The two walked along the outer side of the city wall and gradually heard the commotion coming from the east gate.

The closer you get, the noisier it gets.

They were all villagers dressed in burlap clothes, carrying loads on their shoulders, pushing carts, and carrying baskets filled with eggs, wild mushrooms, wild rabbits, and fish just caught from the river—a mixed bag of flavors.

Some people were shouting, others were haggling, and their voices grew louder and louder.

Lai Gebao shrank behind Shen Gui and pulled his hood down a little.

At this moment, Shen Gui did not stop walking, but glanced at the city gate.

Just one glance, very short.

But Lai Ge Bao noticed.

Throughout the journey, Brother Shen hardly looked around; his eyes were fixed straight ahead, as if he only knew the way forward. Now, if he suddenly glances at something, there must be something there.

Lai Ge Bao subconsciously looked in that direction.

A row of notice boards was posted on the city wall, old and new mixed together, with the top few being wanted posters.

One of them had just been posted not long ago, and it had large characters that read:

[The murderer from Changluo County, dressed in grey with disheveled hair, was extremely vicious.]

The following sentence was added:

[Suspected to be the same person who committed the murder on the mountaintop in Xindu County three years ago. Possibly of extremely high skill level and with an extremely strong killing intent. If you encounter this person, please do not engage them directly and report it immediately.]

The specific level of attainment was not described.

I guess nobody knows about Lai Ge Bao, or maybe they're afraid to write about it for fear of scaring the public.

Below that are portraits.

The drawing is very rough; you can't tell a person's height or weight from just their outline. Their clothes are worn out, their hair is disheveled, and their face is depicted with only a pair of indifferent eyes. Yet, these few strokes are incredibly expressive.

Toad first looked at the portrait.

Let's look at Brother Shen ahead.

Then look at the portrait.

Then look at the person.

After going back and forth a few times, it became a little nervous.

The cold indifference of the wanted criminal in the portrait, carrying the words "extremely vicious," gradually blended into the gray clothes in front of him.

The bumps on the baby's back swelled up one by one.

No way... its mind went completely blank.

My thoughts kept drifting towards the worst possible outcome.

Run? But if I turn around and run now, what if they reach out and slap me to death on the ground the moment I turn around? No need to bury me, they can just kick me to the side of the road and that's it.

The more it thought about it, the more real and the worse it seemed; it even stumbled a little.

Just then, the person in front spoke up.

"What's wrong?"

The toad jumped in fright, almost biting its tongue. It forced a laugh: "Haha, it's okay, it's okay, quack."

After saying that, fearing it might not sound right, he quickly quickened his pace to catch up, but dared not get too close, deliberately keeping a distance.

Shen Gui didn't look at it and continued walking at the same pace.

They left the East Gate, and just when Lai Ge Bao thought everything was over, Shen Gui suddenly spoke:

Do you think I'm a murderer?

"!!!"

Lai Ge Bao's heart skipped a beat.

Oh no, they've figured it out.

It shook its head like a rattle drum:

"No! Brother Shen... how could Senior Shen be a murderer! Absolutely impossible!"

It made a bit too loud a sound, and when people around looked over, it quickly lowered its voice.

The two fell silent again.

After a short while, all was well, and Lai Ge Bao's anxiety gradually subsided.

It was terrified at first, but after calming down, it started making excuses for itself.

The portrait was so rough, it looks like everyone, you can't take it seriously... Besides, if it were really that kind of person, would I still be alive today?

Thinking about it this way, it regained some courage, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke:

"Senior Shen... please rest assured, I am a very loyal person and will not report you to the authorities."

After saying this, it felt strange, as if it had already tacitly agreed to something.

Shen Gui turned his head and said, "If you harbor a wanted criminal, you'll never get a good demon certificate in your lifetime."

Lai Gebao paused for a moment, then continued on his way, his tone even more composed than before:

"Without you, I wouldn't even be able to see the gate of Mount Zhaoye... Anyway, I'll just pretend I don't know anything."

After saying that, it nodded to itself, as if to encourage itself, and began to mutter to itself: "Ignorance is no excuse... Pretending to be ignorant isn't hard... Besides, loyalty is such a thing..."

It got more and more fluent as it spoke, gradually winning itself over.

After entering the city, Shen Gui bought two steamed buns from a street vendor and broke one in half for it.

When a demon doesn't have a good demon certificate, it can't buy things from people. It has only ever eaten leftovers of a steamed bun once.

Seeing this, Lai Ge Bao quickly took it. Its palm was a little warm. It took a bite, and its mouth was full of the aroma of flour. As it chewed, the tension in its heart slowly dissipated.

It even considered itself an accomplice, offering suggestions while eating:

"Um... there are a lot of people and eyes at the apprenticeship ceremony, so you'd better speak less and show your face less, so as not to attract attention... quack, that is, don't look too much like the person on that wanted poster."

Halfway through its sentence, it realized something was amiss and quickly added:

"Of course I'm not saying you look like it, it's just... it's always better to be careful."

Shen Gui listened, occasionally offering a comment.

Once you reach the west gate, the view suddenly opens up.

The official road outside the city connects to a low mountain.

The trees provide dense shade, their green hues layered and distinct. On the mountainside, one can vaguely see eaves, blue tiles, and white walls, arranged in a pleasing, staggered pattern, hidden among the trees.

That was Teruno-mune.

The foot of the mountain was bustling with people, even more so than the area near the East Gate.

Some came on horseback, some were groups of young people, and some were demons of various appearances who had not yet taken human form. These people were dressed differently, but their eyes were similar, all carrying a sense of anticipation.

Some people were queuing to register, some were looking for a place to rest, and some were asking for information on the spot; their voices overlapped one after another.

The toad stopped.

It gazed at the mountain, its eyes brightening: "We've arrived..."

Shen Gui also paused for a moment and glanced at the mountain.

The crowd slowly swallowed them up.

Just as the two approached the registration desk, someone in front of them suddenly shouted:

"Make way! A letter has arrived from the prefectural city!"

A fast horse galloped in from the side road, the rider covered in dust, holding a scroll sealed with red wax.

The crowd instinctively made way.

Lai Ge Bao was jostled to the side and just then saw the man dismount and hand the document to a steward of the Zhaoye Sect.

The deacon took it, his brow furrowing.

He opened it on the spot, glanced at it, and his expression changed.

He didn't speak, but simply looked up at the crowd, his gaze sweeping across their faces.

In that instant, Lai Gebao's heart tightened, and he subconsciously looked towards Shen Gui.