Today, The Villain Couple is Settling Scores Again

Chapter 19

The summer dawn came early, as a crack slowly split open the pitch-black canopy overhead, with a bluish-gray gradually spreading across the horizon.

Rustling sounds emerged from the forest.

Jian Huan's specially made teleportation talisman was disorienting. The instant of spatial transfer felt like someone repeatedly pounding both his head and stomach, making Baili Dao nauseous.

Landing in the soft soil mixed with fallen leaves, Baili Dao found himself unable to get up immediately.

Jian Huan and Shen Jizhi stood nearby, watching Baili Dao struggle.

Shen Jizhi's expression was cold, like the dim sky above, as he looked down at this uninvited guest.

Jian Huan's eyes showed sympathy.

As the talisman user, her reaction wasn't as intense as Baili Dao, who was merely a passenger.

With no one offering help, Baili Dao had to rely on himself. He pushed himself up, sat cross-legged, and closed his eyes to concentrate, channeling his spiritual energy.

"This is my good friend, Baili Dao," Jian Huan introduced while taking out and consuming a fasting pill from her pocket. "Brother Baili cares about the world's affairs and can't stand those villains who kidnap children. He wants to lend us his assistance."

Shen Jizhi: "?"

Shen Jizhi looked at Baili Dao with slightly furrowed brows.

If he remembered correctly, the man who bought the talisman yesterday morning looked about seventy percent similar to the man before him - probably brothers?

Why did Jian Huan bring this person along? Was it because she was still angry from last night?

Shen Jizhi refused: "The two of us are enough."

After taking the fasting pill, the exhausted Jian Huan felt much better. She blinked and carefully chose her words: "He won't take any reward, he's just helping me."

Shen Jizhi fell silent.

Jian Huan added: "He's at the Foundation Establishment stage, more powerful than both of us. He should be able to help."

Shen Jizhi responded noncommittally: "Let's hope so."

Jian Huan glanced at him, remembering their unpleasant exchange from last night, and made her final decision: "I'm bringing him along anyway. If you don't like it, we can go our separate ways."

Shen Jizhi: "..."

Shen Jizhi weighed his options for a moment.

Jian Huan's presence was crucial; this matter couldn't succeed without her.

So he said: "As you wish, but you're responsible for whoever you bring. I won't be liable if anything happens."

Jian Huan made an 'OK' gesture: "Of course, no need for your concern."

While the two reached an agreement about Baili Dao's participation, he had already recovered.

He rose smoothly, first nodding to Jian Huan in acknowledgment, then turned to look at Shen Jizhi.

Baili Dao's eyes suddenly lit up, matching the first ray of dawn on the horizon.

He could hardly believe his eyes: "Are... are you the great equipment forging master from the Immortal Storage Tower?!"

Shen Jizhi maintained his cold expression, with an 'mm' sound barely escaping his nose - his attitude notably unfriendly.

Even Jian Huan shook her head at this, but Baili Dao didn't mind. He held up his sword: "Master, this is the sword you previously repaired for me. Do you remember?"

Shen Jizhi glanced at it.

While he didn't remember the person, the sword did look familiar.

Considering the man had been a paying customer, Shen Jizhi's expression softened slightly, and he offered a few more words: "I remember. How is it serving you?"

Baili Dao nodded eagerly: "It works even better than before it was damaged! I've always wanted to thank you in person, Master, but never had the chance. Who would have thought we'd meet again under these circumstances!"

Shen Jizhi said nothing more, merely lifting the corner of his mouth slightly. He checked the sky, then glanced at Jian Huan, who was watching the exchange with amusement, before taking the lead: "Let's go. We're heading to the south of the city."

Hearing this, Jian Huan immediately followed: "What did you find out?"

His target was so specific; he must have discovered something last night.

Baili Dao, left behind by the two, quickly caught up, ears perked to listen carefully.

...

Flying wasn't allowed within the city, so the group took a detour through the streets, walking along a cobblestone path by the river.

In the early morning, before sunrise, the scenery was still shrouded in a moist, thin mist. Only the three of them were around, making everything distinctly quiet.

Shen Jizhi's voice, calm as water, broke the silence: "I went through the case files from the past two years. There were one hundred and eighty-one missing children cases, most disappeared while out. Only seven cases, including Chu Chu's, involved children vanishing during sleep."

Walking alongside him, Jian Huan furrowed her brows in thought. As soon as he finished speaking, she fired off her question: "Do these seven children have anything in common?"

Shen Jizhi answered quickly: "According to the files, no."

Jian Huan: "Is there any pattern in the timing?"

Shen Jizhi: "No, but the magistrate's office only has some records. The rest are with the Imperial Pacification Office."

Jian Huan: "Then how do you know to go to the south of the city?"

Shen Jizhi glanced at her: "Oh, you didn't let me finish before asking questions."

"..." Jian Huan gritted her teeth, "Are you suggesting I ask too many questions?"

Shen Jizhi pushed aside a hanging green branch, looking down: "No, I wouldn't dare."

How could he dare when she kept threatening to go separate ways?

Talisman masters weren't to be trifled with.

The path only allowed one person to pass at a time. Standing behind Shen Jizhi, Jian Huan quickly extended her leg upon hearing his words, aiming a kick at his calf.

While he appeared to be a refined and elegant young gentleman, he was actually quite sarcastic and full of schemes.

The talisman master might be skilled at drawing talismans, but she wasn't so capable in other areas.

Without even looking back, Shen Jizhi stepped aside, easily avoiding the kick.

"Then tell us now," having missed her target, Jian Huan withdrew her leg resentfully and urged, "Quickly."

Shen Jizhi turned his head to glance at her, and under her unfriendly gaze, he continued: "Before leaving, I looked through the magistrate's assistant's room and found a paper stating that Wang Shan from the south of the city came to the magistrate's office yesterday afternoon, reporting that his son had gone missing the night before. The Wang family searched all morning but couldn't find him."

This was their breakthrough.

Whether they could find Chu Chu depended heavily on the Wang family.

Their child had just gone missing, so using a teleportation talisman might still allow them to track their whereabouts. If they missed this chance, it would likely become another unsolved case like the other seven.

Understanding the key point, Jian Huan rushed ahead of Shen Jizhi.

The group moved quickly, no longer speaking.

As they were about to exit the cobblestone path, Baili Dao, who had been quiet all this time, suddenly spoke: "I understand now! Common people would only report to the magistrate's office, which is why Brother Shen went there last night to look through the files for clues! As for the Wang family in the south of the city, since their son has only been missing for a day, using Miss Jian's extremely powerful talismans, we can track the child's location through his belongings!"

Jian Huan: "..."

Shen Jizhi: "..."

Both stopped and silently turned to look at Baili Dao.

In their view, Baili Dao wore an expression of joy at having figured it out.

The morning sun rose from the horizon, its golden light falling on his handsome bronze face, highlighting the wrinkles between his brows.

Those were the marks left from his intense concentration earlier.

Shen Jizhi looked away, exchanged a glance with Jian Huan, saying nothing yet somehow saying everything.

He shook his head slightly, lowered it, and walked past the lush foliage almost blocking the exit of the cobblestone path.

Jian Huan watched him leave, then turned back to Baili Dao with an encouraging expression and enthusiastic tone: "Yes! That's exactly right! Spot on!"

Baili Dao smiled sheepishly: "You and Brother Shen were talking so fast earlier, I could barely keep up. It took me a while to figure it out."

Jian Huan's gaze was...

Looking lovingly at her other ten thousand spirit stones: "I've known him for a while, so we have good chemistry. We just met, but things will get better with time."

Baili Dao accepted Jian Huan's explanation, and they both exited the riverside path.

Shen Jizhi had already walked quite far ahead. Baili Dao looked at Shen Jizhi in the distance, then at Jian Huan beside him, and said: "You two have a really good relationship."

Jian Huan: "??"

Jian Huan was shocked: "What makes you think we have a good relationship?!"

Can't she change that perception?

Baili Dao thought for a moment and replied seriously: "Just a feeling."

Jian Huan: "..."