Reflecting on this, Deng Che slapped his thigh and said, “That’s right! Last night, Mo Zhen Ren and Yan Ziqing clearly tracked Zhan Zhao and the Coldwater Palace group near Wushi Ridge. They were close to catching them at the temple, but Commander Shao, anticipating their move, ordered a redeployment to the West Bridge ferry to lie in wait.”
He looked at Shao Ji Zu with admiration in his eyes and added, “Since they’ve been stationed at the West Bridge ferry since last night, and this person was still with Zhan Zhao until this morning, then if this person tried to cross the ferry, Mo Zhen Ren’s group would have known and intercepted them. This shows that Zhan Zhao’s companion must have taken a different route to Kaifeng.”
Shao Ji Zu gently shook his head again and said, “That is just one possibility.”
Deng Che, looking utterly perplexed, asked, “Commander, could there be another explanation?”
Shao Ji Zu replied, “Yes. After capturing Zhan Zhao, Mo Zhen Ren and Chief Zhong sealed off all routes to Kaifeng and conducted thorough searches. Yet they found nothing. There’s one place they overlooked.”
Deng Che asked, “What place?”
Shao Ji Zu answered slowly, “The West Bridge ferry.”
Deng Che could hardly believe his ears. His eyes widened in shock, and he instinctively repeated, “The West Bridge ferry?”
Shao Ji Zu affirmed, “Yes. The other possibility is that this companion didn’t arrive at the ferry before Zhan Zhao, but rather after him.”
Deng Che murmured, “After him? How could that be possible? It defies all logic.”
Shao Ji Zu sighed lightly and said, “This is precisely Zhan Zhao’s brilliance. Whether or not he could personally cross the West Bridge ferry, he has created the illusion for Zhong Xiong and his men that his companion, tasked with an important mission, would certainly not take the same route. Instead, they would assume that his companion had taken an alternate path to bypass the danger and meet him elsewhere.”
He continued, “Zhong Xiong’s assumption is perfectly logical. What he failed to realize is that Zhan Zhao’s companion was already injured. Since this morning, they have been traveling together, which means his companion could not have gone far. Zhan Zhao, fully understanding Zhong Xiong’s line of thought, deliberately chose to take the perilous West Bridge ferry. His cunning and intellect are truly on par with mine. No wonder even a formidable figure like Chief Zhong fell victim to his schemes!”
Deng Che said, “But even if we know this person was injured, we have no idea what they look like. Searching for someone like this in a vast sea of people is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Moreover, if they’ve already crossed the West Bridge ferry, the other side is no longer under the Prince’s direct jurisdiction. Our actions will be greatly hindered.”
Shao Ji Zu responded calmly, “A needle in a haystack? Not necessarily. Zhong Xiong is exceptionally skilled in both civil and martial disciplines, and his mastery of the Flying Fork technique is unparalleled. In the martial world, he would be an extraordinary talent. However, his unfamiliarity with the ways of the jianghu [the martial world] has caused him to overlook subtle clues—clues that clearly reveal traces of Zhan Zhao’s companion.”
Deng Che asked, “Does this mean the Commander has already figured it out?”
Shao Ji Zu said, “I concluded that Zhan Zhao’s companion must have crossed the West Bridge ferry after Zhan Zhao and Mo Zhen Ren’s battle there. This is because the companion was injured—specifically, their left leg.”
His voice grew unexpectedly bitter. “However, despite their injury, this person possesses extraordinary lightness skills [a martial art technique allowing great agility].”
Deng Che’s eyes widened further. “How does the Commander know that the person’s left leg was injured, and that they possess such exceptional lightness skills?”
Shao Ji Zu explained, “On our way here, near the fallen horse, we saw not only Zhan Zhao’s footprints but also another set of faint tracks. These tracks grew lighter and almost imperceptible as they continued. If Zhan Zhao’s companion didn’t have the skill of ‘leaving no trace on snow,’ how could they, while carrying him, leave such light footprints? Moreover, one footprint was fainter than the other. This suggests that their left leg is injured.”
He paused for a moment before adding, “Furthermore, this person wields an extraordinary weapon.”
Deng Che, now thoroughly bewildered, couldn’t make sense of it. “What kind of weapon does this person have?”
Shao Ji Zu shook his head. “I cannot say for certain what kind of sword it is. I only know that the sword wounds on the Jun Shan Iron Blood Guards in the gorge, though fatal, showed no sign of blood ever having flowed. It’s as if the blood at the point of the sword’s strike was entirely drained. The weapon wielded by their killer must carry some sinister, malevolent power. Zhan Zhao’s Zhanlu sword could never inflict such wounds.”
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