I Start with a Mysterious Island

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 hadn’t expected the man’s servants to list their own family’s address on the wanted poster.

Logically speaking, when you’re plastering wanted posters everywhere to hunt down an enemy, you shouldn’t use your own home address!

Looking at the magnificent mansions lining both sides of the street, he could easily imagine that the Zhou fellow’s 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 couldn’t just charge into the man’s 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,

he’d probably get lost in the winding paths of the estate before he even found his target, let alone succeed.

Then he’d 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 family’s home was indeed a magnificent mansion. What’s more, two strong-looking servants with First Rank Initial Stage cultivation stood guard at the entrance of the Zhou Family estate.

"What’s this guy staring at?"

"You’re 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 doesn’t belong to our family. If he wants to stand there and stare at us, let him. Best to avoid trouble."

"Er... I guess you’re right."

The two gate guards watched Lin Li, muttering quietly to each other.

’I’ll give it a try first, see if I can lure that Zhou guy out...’ Having spent so much time getting to Willow Lane, and even getting sick from the ride, Lin Li wasn’t ready to give up just yet.

"Hey, what are you doing? Don’t come any closer. This isn’t a place for you. Get lost."

Seeing Lin Li approach their master’s gate, the guards immediately stopped their discussion and stepped forward to block the man in the bamboo hat.

"I’m 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 you’re here to provide a lead! Wait here, I’ll 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. He’s 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 didn’t say. Whenever he goes out with the Young Master, their return time depends entirely on the Young Master’s 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 I’ll pass it on to Xiaoliu later."

’Tsk, my luck is terrible. That Zhou guy isn’t even home...’ Lin Li muttered to himself. His mind raced, and he quickly came up with a new idea.

"Doesn’t 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 can’t make that call, but don’t worry! Just ask around about our Zhou Family. You’ll find out that as long as your lead is valuable, we’d 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,

"I’ve 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 o’clock tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow morning at ten o’clock, he’ll be meeting someone in front of the pastry shop on Guangqi Road. Okay, I’ve got it." The shorter servant repeated the so-called lead Lin Li had given him, then nodded.

"As long as this lead you’ve provided is correct, you can come back tomorrow afternoon to collect your reward."

"Alright, I’ll be leaving then. I’ll come find you again tomorrow afternoon," Lin Li said in a confident tone before turning and walking away.

"It’s been almost half a month. I thought this whole thing had fizzled out, but who knew there’d be a new development," the shorter servant said to his companion, watching Lin Li’s departing figure.

"Now Xiaoliu can finally relax. The Young Master has been pestering him about the progress every few days. He’s been under so much stress he can’t 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, we’ll 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, let’s go have some fun there."

"Sounds good! It’s been a while since I’ve been to the Chunxiang Building. We’ll 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 Li’s 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 Family’s entrance and muttered to himself.

"The bait has been cast. I hope that Zhou fellow takes it... If it doesn’t work out tomorrow, then I’ll just have to let it be for now. I’ll find another chance to teach him a lesson later."

With that, Lin Li headed out of Willow Lane.