Chapter 12 Someone is late

　　"I see. The Liang Ran mirror master hasn't been home for decades, and he misses his hometown very much, so he went back. You... are you here to participate in the competition? The disciples of his old man coming to participate will definitely be interesting. I'm optimistic about you." With that, the porter picked up the bamboo pole and walked away slowly.

　　The two disciples were disappointed and helpless not to see their teacher.

　　They discussed what to do next. Sheng Huan planned to simply stroll around and then return to Huanxi Building for rest, while Zhou Ge wanted to pay a visit to Shiyi General early, so they parted ways in front of their teacher's house.

　　At Shiyi Court"Looking for someone?"

　　Zhou Ge and Sheng Huan heard someone speaking behind them and turned around at the same time. Standing in front of the teacher's house was a porter who appeared to be a local.

　　"Is the teacher Liang Ran indeed living here?" Zhou Ge asked.

　　The man put down the bamboo pole and the wicker basket, and replied, "The teacher doesn't live here anymore."

　　"He doesn't? Where did he go?"

　　"To his hometown in Huajun County."

　　"How do you know?"

　　"I often deliver vegetables to the Liang Ran mirror master. Of course I know. Who are you?"

　　"Disciples from Binhricheng."

　　yard, the guard told him that the deputy general had gone to guard the northern city and would not be relieved until May 1st. Once again, Zhou Ge arrived with high spirits but left disappointed.

　　He didn't meet anyone he wanted to see, and his mood was not good. He wandered aimlessly along the main street, not feeling like eating, looking, or playing; As evening fell, he found himself in the southern part of the city without realizing it.

　　While sitting on the side of the road sipping tea, someone suddenly said, "Hey, it looks like there's someone causing trouble at the southern gate. Let's go see."

　　Zhou Ge was curious. Although Xiyue was a small country, daring to cause trouble at the gate of the royal capital was a bold act, and it was necessary for him to see such a person.

　　He followed the crowd to the southern city gate and saw a crowd gathered.

　　In front of the city gate, a handsome blue-clad swordsman with twin swords stood with his head bowed, with several guards blocking him. It seemed that they didn't want this swordsman to enter the city.

　　The onlookers had different intentions. Some people pointed and commented, while some people whispered and discussed, and there were also several young women with hot gazes.

　　"Shen Huan? Isn't that Shen Huan?" After confirming several times, Zhou Ge shouted, "Is that Shen Brother over there?"

　　The blue-clad swordsman looked up and then bowed solemnly: "Zhou Brother, it's good to see you here. Could you help me explain?"

　　The guard at the city gate recognized Zhou Ge: "Oh... Liang Ran's disciple, you know him?"

　　"I do. His name is Shen Huan, a police officer from Shaowen Beici County. The seal on his sword is proof."

　　"He also said so."

　　"Hmm... can't I enter the city?"

　　"You can at other times, but not now. During other times, you can enter the city any way you want. During the competition, no suspicious person is allowed to enter the city.What's more, he is a Shaowen Kingdom person, first, he has no pass check, and second, he has no permission to handle the case, so he went into the city to arrest the suspect? Why? It's a bit whimsical, and a little wishful thinking。He said whatever he wants? Who believes that?"

　　Zhou Ge thought this person still had such a sarcastic mouth, turned to look at Shen Huan, and asked,

　　"Shen Brother, do you have a pass check or other proof?"

　　"I forgot to bring it. Zhou Brother, the person I'm looking for is inside the city. Can I...?"

　　The soldier cut in: "Can what? Do you think this is a market? There's no way in hell! Move along!"

　　Shen Huan felt helpless. He never thought that the prisoner would escape into the capital again. It was unrealistic for him to take action on someone else's turf. This way, he would have to delay for a long time.

　　"Zhou Ge, is there any other way?" asked Shen Huan.

　　Zhou Ge shook his head and had a brief chat with him before returning to the city.

　　On the way back, he bought some things and returned to the Huanxi Building. When he passed by Sheng Huan's room, he found that Sheng Huan had not yet returned.

　　At 9 am on April 25th, less than 15 minutes before the competition, many people had gathered at the venue. Nowadays, the stage was surrounded by colorful flags. There was a bell on one side of the stage and several people in elegant costumes were discussing something next to the other side. They seemed to be discussing something related to the competition, or maybe just gossiping.

　　Many common people sat on benches or stood on the roadside waiting, some even sitting on tables to get a better view. The porters and merchants who transported goods shouted and waited for the big event to begin.

　　In order to maintain order, two teams of patrol guards were added nearby. The outsiders, including the policemen and inquisitors who had not participated in the competition, arrived early and chose their seats. They were eagerly anticipating the upcoming show.

　　The nearby shops and businesses did not miss this opportunity to do business. They set up temporary stalls and displayed various snacks and desserts. Some even brought toys for children and were ready to make a killing.

　　Zhou Ge was anxious as he looked around, because Sheng Xuan had not yet appeared.

　　Just then, a man walked onto the stage through the entrance on the left side.

　　The man had a prominent red beard that made him easy to recognize. Some people knew that he was the city's official umpire, Hao Yun.

　　A clear bell sounded as Hao Yun walked to the center of the stage. When everyone thought that the competition would begin, they heard a discouraging announcement: "The competition will be postponed for half an hour!" With these words, he left the stage.

　　After 15 minutes, three people separated from the crowd and walked onto the stage.

　　The first person was an old man who appeared to be in his sixties. He wore a gray outfit with a small purse around his waist and a walking stick in his hand. When he walked onto the stage, there was a buzz of speculation among the audience.

　　Zhou Ge and Zeng Gang did not understand what was happening and asked those around them for information. They learned that this old man was a famous local diviner named Piao Yan.

　　The middle person was He Yuansheng again, and the last person was a young police officer dressed in a grubby uniform with patches on his clothes. He looked like he had just arrived after a long journey, covered in dust.

　　Piao Yan tapped his walking stick slightly, and Hao Yun understood his cue. He stepped forward and announced the reasons for the delay, explaining that a newcomer had arrived for the competition and that his name was Zhou Hong from Changfeng City in the northernmost region of Xiyue.

　　After explaining the reasons for the delay, he went on to explain the rules of the competition. This police competition involved nine policemen from five cities, with a total of four competitors and one blank spot left for advancement to the next round. The competitors could use any weapons they chose on the stage or use their own sidearms if they preferred not to use those provided.

　　To ensure fairness, respected figures from nearby cities were gathered as inquisitors for the competition. Additionally, in case of injury, doctors and pharmacists were prepared in advance.

　　Haoyun explained the rules at length, but the audience had already grown bored since none of them had come to see him.

　　After finishing the explanation, he retrieved a wooden box that had been prepared beforehand. Inside the box were ten wooden plaques, nine of which had names written on them, while the other one was blank.

　　He dragged the box over to the mirror master and asked him to shuffle the plaques.

　　Down below, Zhou Ge looked up at him with eager eyes. "Captain Zeng, who do you think will be the first match?"

　　"Hopefully it won't be me..."

　　A familiar voice reached his ears, and when he turned around, he saw Sheng Huan, who had been missing for over a day.

　　"Senior Brother Sheng, where'd you go?"

　　"Yeah, where were you?" Zeng Gang also wanted to know.

　　Sheng Huan looked serious. "Something came up. You saw Zhou Ge too, didn't you? He's not a good person."

　　"What do you mean?" The two men were puzzled.

　　"He didn't just arrive; he was here at least the day before yesterday. After the match, I'll tell you more about it."

　　Suddenly, the bell sounded, and everyone's attention returned to the stage. Hao Yun displayed the wooden plaques for everyone to see: "The first match is Sheng Huan from Binri city versus Bai Lie from Jiangxiao city."

　　Sheng Huan cursed under his breath. "Damn it, why me?" He reluctantly drew his fox-ear knife and slowly walked onto the stage. As he did so, he heard everyone shouting "Bai Lie!" He also heard some insults mixed in with the cheers, such as "You're no match for Bai Lie!", "Who do you think you are, a cop who doesn't know his place?"... and other words meant to intimidate him into withdrawing.

　　Sheng Huan was very polite as he bowed and said, "Binri city Sheng Huan, ready to receive your attack."

　　Normally, in this kind of situation, after one party bowed, the other party should return the bow. But that didn't happen.

　　Bai Lie looked at him with disdain and sneered, "Hahaha... it's you! I've seen your skills before, and you're no match for me. You can still withdraw now if you want, or else I'll give you some blood!"

　　He thought for a moment but couldn't remember. "Have we met before?"

　　"Hoh... you don't think I'm worth your attention? Watch out for my blade!" Bai Lie attacked with his knife.