Chарtеr 215: Unrightеоus Аgеnts
When she rеасhеd thе mouth of the аllеy, she fоund that the grоuр hаd аlrеаdy stoрped, as if they had knоwn shе would fоllow аnd wеrе wаiting for hеr thеrе.
"Whо еxаctly arе уou?" Zhu Yаn pressed furthеr, finding the pеoplе bеfоrе hеr highlу susрicious.
"Wе, thе Unrighteоus Аgеnts, pаy оur rеspeсts tо Ladу Shen."
The grоup immediatеlу bоwed, lеaving Zhu Yan momеntаrilу stunned.
Sо thеу wеrе Unrightеous Аgеnts—no wоnder thеy reсognizеd hеr.
"Sо we аrе оn thе same side," Zhu Yаn said with relief. "Why arе you herе, and what wаs that аbоut just now?"
"Wе had no choice but to act this way. Please forgive us, Lady Shen."
"There's no need for such formality among allies. Speak plainly."
One of the Unrighteous Agents quickly stepped forward, clasping his hands and saying, "Lady Shen, I am Sun Tan, the leader of the Unrighteous Agents in the Yingzhou region. What happened earlier was not meant to deliberately trouble you or the Great Pavilion Commander. We only wanted to delay you both briefly so you could encounter Ji Dafu."
"What?" Zhu Yan was taken aback. How did the Unrighteous Agents know that Ji Dafu was involved in the case they were investigating?
"It's like this," Sun Tan continued to explain. "We have a case related to this person, but after investigating, we discovered his identity is not simple. Currently, we lack sufficient manpower and hoped to borrow your and the Great Pavilion Commander's resources to jointly investigate this case."
"So you lured me here this way?"
Sun Tan smiled awkwardly. "It was a last resort. Please do not blame us, Lady Shen."
"Fair enough," Zhu Yan replied with a helpless smile. "But this method was too risky. If someone observant had noticed you, you would have been exposed."
"You are absolutely right, Lady Shen. We were careless this time and will be more cautious in the future."
Zhu Yan said no more and directly took out the token Xu Xiangren had once given her from her pocket. "If not for this, I truly wouldn't have guessed you were Unrighteous Agents."
Seeing the token in Zhu Yan's hand, all the Unrighteous Agents looked astonished. This was the token of the Unrighteous Agents' commander—how could it be in Lady Shen's possession?
But they understood the rule: seeing the token was like seeing the person.
"Rest assured, Lady Shen. In the future, if there is any way we Unrighteous Agents can be of service, we will spare no effort and not hesitate to assist."
Sun Tan quickly pledged, and the Unrighteous Agents behind him followed suit with clasped fists.
Zhu Yan was not particularly surprised by this and continued to inquire, "What crime has this Ji Dafu committed? How did you come to suspect him?"
Sun Tan promptly clasped his hands and bowed. "Not long ago, we received a case involving usury. We initially intended to investigate the mastermind behind it through this person but discovered he is not simple. Not only is his identity suspicious, but the matters he is involved in likely extend beyond this."
"Oh?" Zhu Yan looked puzzled. Could Ji Dafu have some other identity?
Sun Tan continued, "After careful investigation, we found that this person may be connected to the Fire Moth Party."
"Is this true?" Zhu Yan looked at Sun Tan with great surprise.
It seemed heaven itself was helping. Shen Du had been tirelessly searching for clues about the Fire Moth Party with no success so far, and now, unexpectedly, the Unrighteous Agents had delivered the information right to their doorstep.Zhu Yan was so excited she could hardly control her expression, while Sun Tan nodded with firm resolve, answering her question.
"Not only that, but he also has many mysterious people coming and going around him. He is likely an important figure, though his exact position has yet to be uncovered."
"That is enough." Zhu Yan's eyes darkened slightly. Such news was truly a delightful surprise to her.
The trail of the Fire Moth Party had surfaced. As long as they seized this clue and continued their investigation, they would surely uncover the truth behind it all.
Even if he were some crucial core figure, he would have nowhere to hide from them.
Realizing this, Zhu Yan felt immensely thrilled. She had to share this with Shen Du immediately—perhaps he might even praise her.
But just as she turned to find Shen Du, she noticed he had already appeared at the mouth of the alley. His face was dark and gloomy, as if he had encountered something unpleasant.
Upon seeing Shen Du, the Unrighteous Agents quickly clasped their fists in salute. Yet Shen Du strode toward them coldly.
Shen Du did not know these Unrighteous Agents personally, but he had dealt with and studied them before, so he could tell at a glance that something was amiss. Seeing them together with Zhu Yan left him deeply puzzled.
Instinctively, he could sense that Zhu Yan must be hiding something from him, which displeased him.
Zhu Yan, however, gave no thought to such subtleties. Seeing Shen Du approach, she hurried forward to meet him. "You came just in time. I’ve made a major discovery—there’s news about the Fire Moth Party."
Hearing this, the gloom in Shen Du’s eyes eased slightly, but he ignored Zhu Yan and instead fixed his gaze directly on the group of Unrighteous Agents.
Sun Tan also noticed this and quickly clasped his fists, addressing Shen Du. "For the sake of the case, we have also been investigating Ji Dafu and have already made some findings."
"Speak," Shen Du said coldly, the darkness in his eyes devoid of any emotion.
Sun Tan began to analyze for Shen Du what he had uncovered about Ji Dafu during this period. Meanwhile, Zhu Yan, standing beside them, pursed her lips, deeply dissatisfied with Shen Du’s attitude.
Only after Sun Tan finished speaking did Zhu Yan speak up. "Weren’t you chasing him earlier? Where is he?"
"Without evidence, even if I caught up, I couldn’t arrest him. He’s gone." Shen Du’s words remained icy, irritating Zhu Yan greatly.
Just as she was about to erupt, Shen Du continued, "Before this, I never imagined he might be connected to the Fire Moth Party. You never mentioned it to me either. Is it my fault?"
Though blunt, his words held truth, and Zhu Yan found herself unable to retort.
She opened her mouth but could not utter a word, while the Unrighteous Agents nearby also felt awkward.
They had always heard that the Great Pavilion Commander and his wife enjoyed a harmonious relationship. Yet today, for some reason, they seemed to be bickering as soon as they met. Could it be that those rumors were false?
"Regarding Ji Dafu, is there any other information?"
Shen Du turned his gaze to the Unrighteous Agents. At that moment, he was seething with anger inside, but with so many people present, he felt too embarrassed to speak directly.
"That is all for now."
Sun Tan quickly clasped his fists in response.Shen Du's eyes darkened as he began to ponder. According to the intelligence provided by the Unrighteous Agents, it was almost certain that Ji Dafu was a member of the Lai Party, and he was also involved in this case. It was likely that the case would not be as simple as it appeared on the surface.
Just as Shen Du was deep in thought, a sudden loud shout interrupted his train of thought.
As soon as the Unrighteous Agents and the others saw someone approaching, they immediately retreated and vanished without even having time to exchange greetings.
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