Mountain Patrol Military Officer
Chapter 428 - 343: Doubts over Qingshan (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Chapter 428: Chapter 343: Doubts over Qingshan (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Old Wu’s brewery was nothing more than a humble two-story wooden building.

In front of the door, a few stoves were arranged using green bricks and yellow mud, and there was also a shed to shelter from the wind and rain, with some unburned firewood piled up at the side.

On normal mornings, the stove fire would be blazing, and the fragrance of alcohol would waft in the air. That familiar old man would have already opened the door, hunched over, carrying tables and chairs out of the house; those who arrived early would already be seated.

Old Wu had not set up his stall yesterday. Regular customers didn’t think much of it, as the snow had been falling heavily recently, and it was bitterly cold and freezing. Early in the morning, most people really couldn’t endure it. After all, he was old and taking a day off seemed normal.

But when it came to today, a watchman who had his hands tucked in his thick cotton coat was observant and felt uneasy when he saw that the snow at the doorway had accumulated half a foot thick and no one had cleared it.

"The snow at the entrance hasn’t been touched; find a way to get inside the house and take a look."

"People get sick easily at an old age, and Old Wu is without sons or daughters."

"Search!"

Everyone knew that the old man was childless and feared that if he became ill in his old age, without anyone to take care of him, he might die in his house.

Several watchmen and laborers, who were all ordinary folk, often came to this little tavern for morning drinks to dispel the exhaustion of the night or to prepare for the day’s livelihood. They had grown fond of the place and immediately became agitated.

"Hurry up!"

Some were prying at the windows, shouting into the small building.

Others, nimble and agile, climbed up to the second floor and entered through the skylight.

"Old Wu"

"Old Wu"

"..."

Before long, everyone discovered.

There was no one in the house!

But in this icy world of snow and sealed-off mountains, where could an old man go?

"Should we report to the officials?" someone proposed with concern.

"All right!"

So, not long after, a few enthusiastic regulars went to the Qingshan County Government to report the matter.

....

"Thump thump thump"

At Qingshan County Government, in the back courtyard, the urgent sound of footsteps echoed through the corridor heading straight to the County Magistrate’s residence.

Soon, a government official in a blue uniform, hurrying along with his hand on his sword, met County Magistrate Zhang Cheng, who was in the midst of dressing.

"Sir, there is an urgent report. Someone has informed the authorities that Old Wu from Jiazi Lane at the east of the city, who sells alcohol, has gone missing."

"Then quickly take people to investigate the case; there’s no need to inform me specifically...." Zhang Cheng, straightening out the creases on his red-feathered official robe, flung his sleeve; his words were cut off as he suddenly turned his head, his brows and eyes twitching, staring at the reporting officer.

"What did you say?"

"Who’s missing?"

The governmental officials understood the reason for his superior’s reaction and adopted a more grave tone as he rephrased his words,

"It’s the old man who looked after Colonel Chen’s house!"

County Magistrate Zhang Cheng, on confirming the matter, turned red in the face and could not help but scold, "Then what are you waiting for, hurry up and send someone to investigate."

"Prepare a horse; I need to go see for myself."

Zhang Cheng wanted to see for himself; he had met Old Wu, who had brought the orders from Chen Yuan, back when he was the Mountain Patrol Military Officer, to the county office.

He remembered that time; he had taken the initiative to lead the county office personnel to support Chen Yuan.

Zhang Cheng knew if the old man went missing, the consequences could be very serious.

At this moment, he felt like he was going mad.

"Sir, there is no need to panic!"

"My subordinates have already sent people."

The governmental official hurriedly stopped the magistrate, who was about to dash outside, and then voiced his thought.

"Sir, those who came to report are regulars who often drink at that old man’s stall; they said the old man has not been setting up his stall for two days and thought he might have fallen ill. After entering the house and finding no one, they became worried and reported to the officials. They aren’t aware of the old man’s identity."

"My subordinate was thinking that since the old man was looking after Colonel Chen’s house, perhaps there was some confusion regarding the house that Colonel Chen used to live in at Jiazi Lane."

"So, my subordinate thinks it would be best to check out that house first."

On hearing this, Zhang Cheng found some reason in it, calming down a bit, and then he frowned.

"That house has been set with a prohibition; it cannot be approached."

"Inform Military Officer Lian; she should have a way."

Military Officer Lian, whom Zhang Cheng referred to, was Lian Nichang, who succeeded Chen Yuan as the local Mountain Patrol Military Officer. It was rumored that they had a rather special relationship.

But Military Officer Lian did not reside in Qingshan County.

Instead, she lived inside Eight Hundred Miles Langdang Mountain.

Not much later, at the back gate of the county government office, a red bay horse burst forth.

"Gee!"

"Gee!"

"Gee!"

The governmental official who had just reported earlier sat astride the horseback, galloping out towards the city gates.

But not long after leaving the city, he heard a commotion outside; the sound of a crowd stirring.

"Outside the city," many townspeople came out and gazed toward the northwest, exclaiming in surprise.

In sight, from the closest snow mountain in the northwest direction, snowflakes cascaded down like an avalanche, and among the showering snowflakes, ferocious exotic beasts were pulling carriages, covered with canopies, descending directly toward Qingshan County in a rush, their hooves thunderously striking with loud reverberating sounds.

As they got closer, the townspeople outside the city could see clearer, and cries of panic and sharp intakes of breath rang out in unison.

"What is that?"

"It looks like demons!"

"Ah, how scary, demons pulling carts."

"Who’s sitting in those carts?"

"They are flying into the city..."

In the sky, creature after creature resembling tigers or leopards with scales, pulling eight carriages, flew over the heads of the people of Qingshan County in such a magnificent and intimidating manner, and directly entered Qingshan County.

Then they headed straight toward the most prestigious inn in Qingshan County and stopped in front of it.

The inn was only a six-story building after all!

Those exotic beasts were daunting, sending the nearby townspeople on the streets scurrying away in a panic.