Another morning dawned.
"Hasn't Elder Sun responded yet?" Ning Zhuo paced the room, his face darkened.
"If his secret mark isn't changed today, it will be the third day."
Sun Lingtong and Ning Zhuo had agreed on many ways to communicate.
In theory, as long as everything was normal, the secret mark would be changed once a day.
"Since the last time we interrogated Elder Sun in public, Zhu Xuanji hasn't appeared again."
"Could he have secretly attacked Elder Sun?"
By widely gathering information, Ning Zhuo had uncovered many pieces of intel about the black market. Over the past two days, Sun Lingtong had appeared normally and even handled a few minor black market disputes.
"Elder Sun must be in some kind of danger, beyond his control. The normal appearances are just a facade."
"In fact, he might not even be himself!"
Ning Zhuo pieced together the truth.
Sun Lingtong had been impersonated by Han Ming, who was now commanding Sun's subordinates and swiftly infiltrating the entire black market organization to convert it for his own use.
Some rumors also spread about Yuan Er.
"Someone seeks revenge and is targeting the Monkey Head Gang!"
"The leader is Bao Chou, whose entire family was killed by Yuan Yi. After narrowly escaping, he changed his name but not his surname, diligently training and connecting with people who had deep grudge against the Monkey Head Gang."
"After the Fire Persimmon Festival, the Monkey Head Gang fell to its lowest point. Bao Chou raised his arm in a call to bring long-accumulated forces to the forefront and avenge his family!"
Ning Zhuo was not surprised by this turn of events.
He had already anticipated that something would happen.
"If Bao Chou really makes a move, I can use him to my advantage. Wait for them to strike, then direct Yuan Dasheng to protect Yuan Er."
"However, the rumors about Bao Chou are too numerous and noisy."
Ning Zhuo felt a slight oddity.
Over the years, he had never stopped collecting intelligence.
This habit had honed his sense of discerning false information from the truthful.
The intel about Bao Chou didn't strike him as false but rather gave him a subtle, strange feeling.
After careful thought, Ning Zhuo considered a possibility.
"If I were Bao Chou, I would never be so blatant about my revenge plans!"
"Therefore, it could very well be the work of the Monkey Head Gang's elders."
"Bao Chou might have reached an agreement with some elder, or even multiple elders in the gang, to enhance the chances of successful revenge while reducing the risks and losses."
"But the gang elders also have their own agendas."
"They need to publicize the fact that Bao Chou is targeting the Monkey Head Gang and Yuan Er."
"Once Yuan Er is assassinated, they can more smoothly take over the entire Monkey Head Gang. Prior to that, they would have already established to the public that Bao Chou is the true culprit!"
At this realization, Ning Zhuo became more certain that Bao Chou and his allies would take action.
And judging by the rumors, the actions would likely occur within a few days.
"It looks like I need to keep an extra close watch on Yuan Er."
Yuan Er couldn't die just yet.
Ning Zhuo still planned to use him to solidify his control over Yuan Dasheng and eliminate the hidden dangers from the Spirit Movement period.
"Elder Sun is facing trouble, but it's not the first time."
"At this moment, patience and calm are most needed."
In Ning Zhuo's memory, Sun Lingtong had been captured for the first time when he was eight years old.
Frequent walking along the shore would inevitably lead to wet shoes.
Sun Lingtong often used theft to obtain resources for his cultivation, and it was only a matter of time before he encountered trouble.
This time, he was captured by a local gang and thrown into their private prison.
Bloodied and bruised, Sun Lingtong curled up in the corner of the cell, motionless.
Suddenly, two guards fell dead to the ground, motionless.
Startled by the noise, Sun Lingtong moved to the cell door, tense. He saw Ning Zhuo gradually materialize before him.
"Brother Sun, I'm here to rescue you!" Ning Zhuo said, face filled with tension. Seeing Sun Lingtong, he became excited.
"Little Zhuo, why have you come alone?!" Sun Lingtong was shocked, his face turning cold. "Did you forget what I taught you? If I get caught, you should report to the authorities! Get the City Guard Army to search the place, create chaos for me so I can escape."
"I already reported, I reported to the authorities." Ning Zhuo said quickly. "But they were too slow, and I was worried about you. You've been missing for three days. I was worried, worried about you..."
Sun Lingtong waved his hand: "Alright, alright, stop talking. Hurry and open the door."
"The situation is dangerous, don't waste time."
"Whatever you want to say, let's talk about it outside."
"The key is on that big guard. Be careful when you search!"
"Got it!" Ning Zhuo ran to the big guard, skillfully using the techniques Sun Lingtong had taught him, and successfully found the cell key.
The key slid into the lock.
Ning Zhuo channeled mana, struggling to turn it.
A wave of light spread rapidly from the lock hole, flowing across the lock, chain, and most of the cell bars, revealing many array patterns.
Ning Zhuo opened the door and helped Sun Lingtong out.
There were still cultivators patrolling outside the cell.
Using talismans and magic artifacts, they took full advantage of the shadows and blind spots, finally escaping the enemy gang's base after a long while.
They hadn't been out for long when the gang's base erupted in chaos.
"Someone has escaped!"
"That little thief is gone!"
"Quick, pursue them; they can't have gone far!"
From the shouts, Sun Lingtong recognized the voices of the two guards who had been watching him.