In the study.
Upon hearing the report from the guards, Huo Tingshan and the advisors in the room all underwent a drastic change in expression.
The man abruptly rose from his seat and strode out. "How could she disappear? Did a thief break into their house without any of you hearing a commotion? Are you all just useless?"
"General, the thief was quite strange, as if aided by sorcery, coming and going without a trace. By the time we brothers entered the room, the other party had already climbed out the window and left," a guard hurriedly replied.
In the blink of an eye, Huo Tingshan had reached the study door. As he was about to step out, he seemed to remember something and turned back, his gaze swiftly sweeping over the assembled advisors in the room. "Today's discussion ends here. Please keep the matter of the young lady's disappearance confidential for now. Do not let my wife know."
"As you command," the men in the room bowed in unison.
Huo Tingshan headed towards the stables as he issued orders: "The city gates are already sealed. Have Xiong Mao, the Chen Wei and Chen Yang brothers, Sha Ying, and Lan Zimu begin searching from the four directions—east, south, west, and north. Detain anyone suspicious. Also, send Guo Dajiang to fetch the household registration records. Check every single household and detain anyone suspicious."
Just as Huo Tingshan reached the stables and had led out his horse, Wu Ye, a figure hurriedly approached.
"General."
Huo Tingshan glanced at Chen Yuan, said nothing else, and commanded, "Follow me."
Hooves clattered heavily over the stone steps as they exited through the side gate of the General's residence. The earlier guard led the way ahead, and as they galloped forward, Huo Tingshan's eyes scanned the commoners coming and going in the streets and alleys.
It had been less than ten days since he captured Chenyuan Dao. The area had only undergone one preliminary screening; it was impossible for large numbers of enemy troops to be lying in ambush, but scattered scouts were a different matter.
If he could plant covert agents in a place like Luoyang in Si Province, naturally others could also station scouts in Chenyuan Dao.
However, a few scouts would be no match for the escort team. Furthermore, after alerting people, the other party had actually managed to evade pursuit and vanish without a trace while abducting someone.
This matter was exceedingly strange.
Mounted on fine horses, and given that Chenyuan Dao was not large, Huo Tingshan soon arrived at—
The mouth of an alley.
Yes, just the mouth of the alley, not the scene itself.
"General, the Lyu residence is inside the alley. Horses cannot pass. Please dismount," the guard said.
Huo Tingshan dismounted and followed the guard inside. "They live in this sort of place?"
The guard: "Yes, most likely short on funds."
Huo Tingshan lowered his gaze, offering no comment.
Short on funds?
That was certainly true before; just yesterday they had asked his wife to borrow money. But having borrowed money yet not moving away from such a place—was it because they hadn't had time to pack, or was the money just enough to cover a financial shortfall, insufficient for other expenses, or perhaps...
The alley was very narrow, its inner path flanked by moss-covered walls and piled with miscellaneous items, both dirty and cramped. With the guard in front, Huo Tingshan behind, and Chen Yuan following, they could only proceed single file.
After two turns, the path widened considerably, enough here for a horse to pass. Reaching this point, Huo Tingshan no longer needed the guard to lead, for familiar Youzhou soldiers were standing at the door of a residence not far away.
In Huo Tingshan's eyes, this dwelling was excessively small: a tiny front courtyard with barely any room to stand, connected to three rooms at the back—a kitchen, a main bedroom, and a narrow hall.
At the moment, the door to the main room opposite was open, and voices could be heard inside.
Huo Tingshan entered to see the woman sitting on the floor, her hair disheveled, her face as pale as gold leaf. A bloody wound stretched from her shoulder blade to her left arm, her dress and the surrounding floor also stained with blood. An old physician was bandaging the wound on her left arm.
Looking further, a small table lay askew, embroidery and sewing supplies scattered on the floor beside it. The door of a wooden cabinet next to the table stood open, and both of the narrow hall's only two windows were wide open.
When Huo Tingshan entered, Lyu Hongying visibly trembled, tears actually welling up in her eyes. "General, this humble woman was careless, allowing a thief to enter our home and abduct the young lady. I have failed the great kindness of the General's wife. I deserve to die ten thousand deaths."
Dusk was approaching, the slanting daylight streaming into the room and falling upon the burly man's form. He blocked a swath of sunlight like a mountain, his dark shadow stretching forward to envelop the woman sitting on the floor.
The pressure was heavy, immense as mountains and seas.
"Describe the situation at the time, in detail, leaving nothing out," the man's voice was cold as black ice.
Meeting those narrow, dark eyes, Lyu Hongying instinctively lowered her gaze, not daring to look longer.
Whether it was the old physician disturbing her wound or the blood loss, her lips trembled violently. It was a moment before she spoke. "This humble woman had discomfort in her belly and went to relieve herself. Just as I was finishing, I suddenly heard the sound of a table being moved in the room. The noise wasn't loud. At first, I thought Ling'er had accidentally bumped into it, so I paid no mind. But soon after, I heard Ling'er cry out. It seemed her mouth and nose were covered, the sound not very clear. And this place is small, the walls thin. Even though the cry was faint, I still heard it..."
Huo Tingshan watched her expressionlessly, as if blind to the blood covering her arm and the pain and fear on her face.
"This humble woman panicked then. Without a thought for anything else, I rushed over and just happened to see the thief knock Ling'er unconscious. The thief saw me and, fearing I would raise the alarm, drew his dagger intending to silence me. In my panic, I fled while shouting. The other party, seeing the situation exposed and knowing he couldn't kill me now, escaped through the window at the back." At the end, Lyu Hongying laboriously raised her hand to point opposite.
She had collapsed sitting on the side by the entrance; now she pointed at the window deep inside the room, directly opposite the door.
The room was not large, the bedroom connected to the narrow hall. From the door to the window was only a few steps.
Huo Tingshan walked to the window. Looking out, he saw this led to a back alley, slightly wider than the one they had come through, flanked by the low walls of neighboring houses.
Each household was extremely close to the next.
His gaze shifted downward. On the mossy ground were chaotic footprints, extending all the way until they disappeared around a bend not far away.
Huo Tingshan turned to look at the Youzhou soldiers. "When it happened, did any of you outside hear the young lady's cry?"
This dwelling was the size of a palm, the front courtyard also cluttered with things. The Youzhou soldiers were all tall and burly; naturally, they wouldn't have come inside.
The area just outside the door happened to be spacious enough for a horse to run, so the guards must have been waiting right outside.
"We did not," the soldiers hung their heads in shame.
The lead guard said, "My brothers and I only heard Lyu Hongying's shouts at the time. When we entered the room, we saw the window wide open. We rushed to the window and saw a corner of black cloth just visible at the end of the back alley. Not daring to delay, I immediately climbed out the window. But when I reached the bend in the back alley, I saw a black robe draped over a cross-shaped wooden frame plastered with talismans. The thief himself had vanished without a trace, as if he had used sorcery to escape..."
"Preposterous!" Huo Tingshan rebuked sharply. "There is no such thing as sorcery in this world. Do not speak nonsense."
The notion of ghosts and gods has always been awe-inspiring, easily intimidating the common folk. He also knew that the vast majority of soldiers were illiterate; it was no surprise that some in the army believed in such things. In fact, back when he breached Yanmen in Bingzhou, he had precisely used supernatural theories to shake the morale of the Bingzhou army.
Using a stratagem on others was one thing, but hearing his own guard attribute the thief's escape to immortal arts or demonic magic still provoked immense fury in Huo Tingshan.
The guard, scolded, trembled and dared not raise his head.
However, the guard's words did give Huo Tingshan a piece of information. "So, from beginning to end, you only saw a corner of clothing and never actually saw the person's figure?"
The guard nodded.
Huo Tingshan: "Have the houses on both sides been searched?"
"Sent men, but no results yet," the guard captain answered.
Huo Tingshan shifted his gaze back into the room. The narrow hall had sparse furniture: a set of low tables, and two cabinets, each about half a zhang tall, standing on either side of the window.
Currently, the door of the right wooden cabinet was open.
Chen Yuan stood before the cabinet, looking down at its open interior, which was in disarray. He bent down, entered the cabinet, and under everyone's watchful eyes, slowly closed the door.
The cabinet didn't hold many items, and being tall and wide, it could indeed conceal a grown man without issue.
"Creak." The cabinet door was pushed open again.
Chen Yuan emerged. "General, a person can hide inside this cabinet. One can peer outside through the gaps in the door."
Huo Tingshan remained silent, his eyes moving back and forth between the wooden cabinet, the low tables, and the window.
The cabinet was beside the window, with the low tables in front of it. If someone were hiding inside, they could indeed observe every move outside. However...
"It's this commoner woman's fault for not noticing a thief had entered the house, and it's my fault for letting Ling'er do her needlework by the table, so her attention was on her work, giving the villain an opportunity. It's all my fault," Lyu Hongying spoke up, her voice trembling.
Huo Tingshan didn't utter a word, still staring at the cabinet and tables.
If the little girl happened to be sitting with her back to the cabinet, and the assailant suddenly burst out, covering her mouth and nose, the process would inevitably involve bumping into the tables.
"You've seen the thief. What did he look like?" Chen Yuan asked.
As Chen Yuan posed the question, Huo Tingshan stepped towards the adjacent bedroom.
Lyu Hongying thought and answered, "About six feet tall, dark complexion, no beard, upturned eyes, thick eyebrows—a very fierce appearance. He was holding a curved blade."
The guard captain said quietly, "Envoy Chen, I've already sent for a portrait artist. A likeness of the villain should be ready soon."
The dwelling wasn't large. Huo Tingshan quickly inspected it all, including the privy Lyu Hongying had mentioned earlier. The walls were indeed thin. With just a wall between, she really should have been able to hear if something happened in the narrow hall.
"Madam gave you silver yesterday. Why didn't you move from this place and find better lodgings?" Huo Tingshan asked.
Lyu Hongying, as if having lost too much blood, began trembling again. "This commoner woman never considered that silver a gift without repayment. My husband's business has many expenses, so we save where we can. Besides, we won't be staying in Chenyuandao for many more days, so we couldn't be bothered to move."
Tears streamed down her face as she continued, "If I had known such a calamity would befall us today, I would rather die than have invited the young lady here."
Huo Tingshan remained unmoved by her weeping.
Just then, another squad of guards reported: "General, the neighboring houses on both sides have been searched. No trace of suspicious persons was found, nor was the young lady found."
Silence fell upon the surroundings.
Huo Tingshan and Chen Yuan both frowned deeply simultaneously.
Not found?
No trace of any suspicious individuals at all?
The leading guard squad leader was also perplexed. After searching the entire vicinity, there was actually not a single clue.
It was as if... as if the kidnapper had vanished into thin air after seizing the girl.
Eerie indeed.
"None of the neighbors heard any commotion?" Chen Yuan asked.
The squad leader replied gloomily, "Not all the surrounding houses are occupied. Some are empty, some have residents. But we questioned all occupied households, and not a single person reported hearing any unusual sounds."
Huo Tingshan: "What about the streets connected to the alley? Have the shops there been questioned?"
The squad leader said sheepishly, "We were short-handed at the time. But after you arrived, General, men were sent to inquire."
After discovering the young lady was missing, their squad had immediately split up: men to the four city gates east, west, south, and north; someone back to the temporary residence to notify the General; plus someone to find a portrait artist—that took six men already.
The remaining brothers used this house as the center and searched outward in all directions for traces of the young lady.
This area was populated by poor commoners, with dirty, cramped, tightly packed houses, making the search quite labor-intensive. Therefore, they hadn't managed to send men to question the shops at the alley entrance at that time.
Huo Tingshan: "Those unoccupied houses cannot be overlooked."
Squad leader: "We didn't overlook them. We searched them thoroughly as well, but found nothing."
Huo Tingshan lowered his gaze, his eyes settling on Lyu Hongying. The woman, having lost too much blood, was now rolling her eyes and had fainted.
When he had initially had this couple from the south investigated, aside from their long separation from the little girl, it was largely because he took a dislike to the man surnamed "Meng".
A dead person should just reincarnate properly. What business did the deceased's brother and his wife have coming out to disturb someone who had already started a new family?
The investigation results showed their activities in Linguang County were normal—ordinary merchants doing business. Combined with their earlier borrowing of money, they clearly fit the profile of relatives who, upon discovering a kinsman's wealth, come knocking for handouts.
Huo Tingshan had seen plenty of such people.
The Huo family rose to prominence during his great-grandfather's generation, later declined, and rose again starting with his father's generation. In his childhood, he often heard his mother mention some long-lost distant relative arriving with family in tow, soon confessing to being short of funds and wanting to "borrow" a little silver.
To this day, the Huo family maintained three separate courtyard houses specifically for accommodating such visiting kin.
So, to say this couple was particularly special wasn't quite accurate.
"General." Another guard reported. "The shops along several streets have been questioned one by one. Whether shop assistants, proprietors, or customers, all stated they did not see any suspicious person carrying an unconscious young lady emerging from the alley."
Under Huo Tingshan's increasingly cold and heavy gaze, the guard braced himself and continued, "Not just people in the shops, this subordinate also questioned pedestrians and children playing at street corners. They all likewise said they saw nothing unusual."
The squad leader was utterly baffled.
To abduct a person of that size and accomplish everything without a sound... how could it be done unless the villain possessed some dark art?
Huo Tingshan suddenly said, "Wake her up."
The guards were momentarily stunned.
Chen Yuan swiftly stepped forward and efficiently pressed on Lyu Hongying's philtrum. In moments, she slowly regained consciousness.
"Where is Meng Congnan?" Huo Tingshan stared at her unblinkingly.
Lyu Hongying seemed just awakened, unaware of her surroundings, instinctively shrinking back. After a long pause, she murmured, "General, what did you say?"
Chen Yuan repeated the question for her, "Where is Meng Congnan?"
Lyu Hongying said in a low voice, "My husband went this morning to discuss business with a Li family peddler. Before leaving, he mentioned he would be dining and drinking with him at a restaurant tonight and would return late."
Chen Yuan: "Which restaurant?"
Lyu Hongying shook her head, "This humble woman does not know."
Chen Yuan quickly summoned a squad of guards, ordering them to check all the restaurants in the city. Chenyuan Dao was not large; the number of well-known restaurants in the city could be counted on one hand. The guard squad split into several groups and headed out.
After a group of soldiers departed, the house fell quiet.
Lyu Hongying looked up, about to speak, but unexpectedly met eyes as cold and dark as the sea. She instinctively lowered her gaze to avoid his stare.
"Madam Lyu, everything just stated came from your own mouth. From beginning to end, you are the only one who saw that thief." Huo Tingshan did not believe in ghosts or gods. The little faith he had in immortals and deities was entirely devoted to Pei Ying; he could spare not a shred for anyone else.
Setting aside Madam Lyu's account, and brushing past the messy web of family relations, to look directly at the matter itself: the little girl had vanished from Madam Lyu's room.
She had disappeared without a trace, while the guards not far away noticed nothing.
"Great General, what... what do you mean by that?" Lyu Hongying trembled.
Huo Tingshan's gaze was sharp. "Your left shoulder blade and arm are injured. If it were self-inflicted, the cut's angle would inevitably lean towards the right, as you could only wield the knife with your right hand. Whether there truly was a third person in this room just now can now be determined. Chen Yuan, remove the linen bandage from her hand for me."
Lyu Hongying's face, already pale, now lost all remaining color. "Great General, are you suspecting this humble woman? I am wronged! Ling'er is my niece. The Lady has shown me great kindness. How could I possibly do such an ungrateful, heartless thing!"
Huo Tingshan's eyes were utterly devoid of emotion. "There's no need for such talk. Whether you are wronged or not will be clear once we see."
