Lin Li had long suspected it. A guy like that, with the surname Zhou, who could bring so many servants with him when he went out, had to be the young master of some wealthy family in Dongwu City.
But he hadnāt expected the manās servants to list their own familyās address on the wanted poster.
Logically speaking, when youāre plastering wanted posters everywhere to hunt down an enemy, you shouldnāt use your own home address!
Looking at the magnificent mansions lining both sides of the street, he could easily imagine that the Zhou fellowās home was just like them.
A family that could afford such a splendid mansion would definitely have guards.
Lin Li had come to find that Zhou guy and teach him a good lesson, but he couldnāt just charge into the manās house, drag him out, and give him a savage beating.
Besides, even if Lin Li lost his mind and actually decided to storm the house and drag the man out for a beating,
heād probably get lost in the winding paths of the estate before he even found his target, let alone succeed.
Then heād be surrounded by the family guards and end up having to escape to the Mysterious Small Island.
Lost in thought, Lin Li walked along the street, heading deeper into Willow Lane.
Soon, he found the gate with a number "6" plaque on it.
It was just as Lin Li had first thought. The Zhou familyās home was indeed a magnificent mansion. Whatās more, two strong-looking servants with First Rank Initial Stage cultivation stood guard at the entrance of the Zhou Family estate.
"Whatās this guy staring at?"
"Youāre asking me? How should I know?"
"His face is covered. I think he looks extremely suspicious."
"So what? You want to run over and shoo him away? The street outside doesnāt belong to our family. If he wants to stand there and stare at us, let him. Best to avoid trouble."
"Er... I guess youāre right."
The two gate guards watched Lin Li, muttering quietly to each other.
āIāll give it a try first, see if I can lure that Zhou guy out...ā Having spent so much time getting to Willow Lane, and even getting sick from the ride, Lin Li wasnāt ready to give up just yet.
"Hey, what are you doing? Donāt come any closer. This isnāt a place for you. Get lost."
Seeing Lin Li approach their masterās gate, the guards immediately stopped their discussion and stepped forward to block the man in the bamboo hat.
"Iām here to see Wang Xiaoliu. Could I trouble you two gentlemen to announce me?" Lin Li stopped in his tracks when blocked and spoke to the two servants.
"Why are you looking for Xiaoliu?" the slightly taller servant asked suspiciously.
Lin Li pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket, unfolded it, and handed it to the servant. "I have a lead on the person from this wanted poster," he said.
When the two gate guards saw the wanted poster Lin Li handed them, looks of sudden understanding appeared on their faces.
"Oh, so youāre here to provide a lead! Wait here, Iāll go get Xiaoliu," the shorter servant said to Lin Li, turning to head inside the gate.
But just as he was about to leave, his companion grabbed him.
"Wait. Xiaoliu went out with the Young Master early this morning. Heās not back yet!" the taller servant said.
"Huh? Did Xiaoliu say when he and the Young Master would be back?" the shorter servant asked his companion who had stopped him.
"He didnāt say. Whenever he goes out with the Young Master, their return time depends entirely on the Young Masterās mood. Who can say for sure!" the taller servant replied.
"Uh..." The shorter servant turned back to Lin Li and said, "Friend, how about this? You tell me the lead, and Iāll pass it on to Xiaoliu later."
āTsk, my luck is terrible. That Zhou guy isnāt even home...ā Lin Li muttered to himself. His mind raced, and he quickly came up with a new idea.
"Doesnāt the wanted poster mention a reward? If I tell you the lead, do you have the authority to give me the reward?" Lin Li asked.
"We canāt make that call, but donāt worry! Just ask around about our Zhou Family. Youāll find out that as long as your lead is valuable, weād never stiff you on a reward like this," the shorter servant said.
After hearing this, Lin Li feigned hesitation for a moment, then nodded and said to them,
"Iāve found a lead. The man on the wanted poster, Lin Li, will be meeting someone in front of the pastry shop on Guangqi Road at ten oāclock tomorrow morning."
"Tomorrow morning at ten oāclock, heāll be meeting someone in front of the pastry shop on Guangqi Road. Okay, Iāve got it." The shorter servant repeated the so-called lead Lin Li had given him, then nodded.
"As long as this lead youāve provided is correct, you can come back tomorrow afternoon to collect your reward."
"Alright, Iāll be leaving then. Iāll come find you again tomorrow afternoon," Lin Li said in a confident tone before turning and walking away.
"Itās been almost half a month. I thought this whole thing had fizzled out, but who knew thereād be a new development," the shorter servant said to his companion, watching Lin Liās departing figure.
"Now Xiaoliu can finally relax. The Young Master has been pestering him about the progress every few days. Heās been under so much stress he canāt eat or sleep properly," the taller servant said with a smile.
"Haha, if this gets settled, the Young Master will definitely reward Xiaoliu handsomely. When that happens, weāll get a little something out of it too."
"I heard the Chunxiang Building has some new girls. After the Young Master gives out the reward money, letās go have some fun there."
"Sounds good! Itās been a while since Iāve been to the Chunxiang Building. Weāll have Xiaoliu take us. If he takes us, we can even save some money."
After getting the so-called lead from Lin Li, the two gate guards wore ecstatic expressions.
They began to fantasize about the wild carousing they would do after receiving their reward from Zhou Tianci.
WHOOSH...
RUSTLE RUSTLE RUSTLE...
A sudden gust of wind swept down the street, making the roadside trees rustle. It also lifted a corner of the black veil that concealed Lin Liās face.
Hearing the faint sound of discussion from behind him, Lin Li stopped walking. He glanced back at the two gate guards at the Zhou Familyās entrance and muttered to himself.
"The bait has been cast. I hope that Zhou fellow takes it... If it doesnāt work out tomorrow, then Iāll just have to let it be for now. Iāll find another chance to teach him a lesson later."
With that, Lin Li headed out of Willow Lane.