Chapter 77

On the Jin River, the wind slowed down, and consequently, the wind-powered ships also reduced their speed.

The gyrfalcon flew in from the west once more. After a slight shift of its sharp raptor eyes, it locked onto a room with an open window on the first floor of the tower ship.

Tilting its wings, the white and brown shadow descended from the sky like lightning.

With a whoosh, the falcon landed on the window sill. It let out a cry, then folded its wings, waiting for someone to approach.

In the main hall, several people who were brewing tea and chatting stopped simultaneously. Feng Feng, being closest to the window, took the initiative to go over and remove the small bamboo tube tied to the gyrfalcon's leg.

"My Lord." Qin Shaozong took it from him.

Two days had passed since the last letter, and they were due to arrive in Tianshui Commandery in just one day. Unless there was a major incident, the other side wouldn't be sending letters so frequently.

Qin Shaozong pulled out the silk cloth from inside and unrolled it. Upon reading it, the man froze for a moment. Then, he couldn't help but chuckle softly, his laughter growing louder and louder.

His feelings at this moment were hard to describe. He felt invigorated, smug, relieved, and even harbored a touch of private schadenfreude that he couldn't share with others.

She had run away!

Back then, dissatisfied with him, she had managed to escape from his grasp. Now, evidently dissatisfied with them as well, she had successfully fled once again.

She always managed to make him see her in a new light.

Tianshui Commandery was located on the border of Yan and Si provinces. By heading east, she had left Si Province and returned to Yan Province.

She was moving closer to his direction!

However, as he read further down, the high, amused arc of Qin Shaozong's lips gradually flattened.

Xie Yuanxiu?

This Xie San had actually gotten involved, and even personally led a team across the border into Yan Province to search for her. Could this bastard have seen his wife before...

Qin Shaozong's hand slowly tightened, crumpling the silk cloth into a tight ball in his palm.

His emotional shifts while reading the letter were entirely too obvious. He had been joyous at first, but then his smile faded, and the aura around him became heavy and oppressive.

The surrounding military officers were astonished by this sight.

Ever since Madam Dai had gone missing, the Lord had been in a foul mood. Just now, the gloom had seemingly been swept away, only for his face to darken once again. Was the news sent back good or bad?

Mo Yanyun couldn't help but ask, "My Lord, what does the letter say?"

Qin Shaozong didn't answer him immediately. Instead, he loudly summoned a soldier from outside. "Pass on my orders: turn around immediately and head to Xiagu. Also, tell Wei Qing's ship behind us not to change course with me. Have him take his men to Jiulu County and act according to the situation."

The tower ship had several levels and could actually carry quite a few soldiers. However, the northern soldiers were used to marching on land; their horsemanship was unmatched, but on the endlessly rolling rivers, they were full of distress.

Many soldiers simply couldn't handle being on a ship.

Besides the soldiers being unaccustomed to water travel, another issue was that the more people the tower ship carried, the heavier it became, causing it to sail much slower against the current.

Qin Shaozong couldn't wait, so for this trip, the men were divided among ten ships, with each carrying no more than thirty people.

The guard received the order and went down.

The crowd was surprised. "My Lord, are we not going to Tianshui Commandery anymore? Why is this?"

"Could it be that they relocated Madam Dai?"

"Or do they have an operation elsewhere, so they took Madam Dai away from Tianshui Commandery?"

Listening to their varied guesses, Qin Shaozong's anger over learning that Xie San had personally led troops to catch her subsided slightly.

Well, every single one of them had guessed wrong.

"How could she be compared to an ordinary woman?" Qin Shaozong chuckled.

The men looked at each other in dismay, truly unable to figure it out. "Please enlighten us, My Lord."

Qin Shaozong smiled and said, "Madam ran away while they were holding a ceremony. She left Tianshui Commandery all alone. Right now, she might be in Xiagu, or she might be in Jiulu County."

Everyone was dumbfounded.

Ran... she ran away?!

After the initial shock, they couldn't help but sigh in admiration in their hearts. As expected of Madam Dai, a true heroine among women!

Xiagu Commandery.

After forging her travel pass, Dai Li's courage grew. She brazenly took to the streets, changing her route to visit a fabric shop to buy herself some clothes.

There was no other way. She currently only had one outfit, and it was still the same set from Caoxiang.

The servant boy at the previous inn had seen her. The people pursuing her would definitely have the boy describe her appearance and clothing. She had to change her look again.

Dai Li didn't dare to go to a large silk shop, worried that looking out of place would only attract more attention. However, after arriving at a small fabric store, she encountered a new problem.

"Miss, I only sell bolts of fabric here. We don't have ready-made outfits for sale," the fabric shop owner explained.

Buying just the fabric was cheaper. Commoners at the bottom of society all knew needlework and preferred to spend their money wisely. Ready-made clothes were much more expensive, not to mention that the seller wouldn't give you the leftover scraps of fabric once the clothes were made.

Dai Li looked disappointed and was about to go look elsewhere.

Seeing that she wanted to leave, the shopkeeper quickly said, "But making ready-to-wear clothes isn't hard. I know a nimble seamstress, and her three daughters also have excellent embroidery skills. For a simple dress, if the mother and daughters work together to rush it, it can be finished in a day at most."

Dai Li was reluctant to wait that long; she wanted to buy ready-made clothes and change into them immediately.

So, she still took her leave of the fabric shopkeeper. But whether it was just her bad luck today, she visited four fabric shops in a row, and none of them sold ready-made clothes.

Dai Li stopped in her tracks. An indescribable feeling prevented her from going to look for another fabric shop.

She retraced her steps and returned to the first fabric shop. "Shopkeeper, please introduce me to the seamstress you mentioned earlier."

The shopkeeper gave her an address, then said, "Take the fabric to the East Street and look for Madam He. Tell her I recommended you, and she will definitely treat you as an honored guest and won't dare to neglect you. It's just..."

At the end, the shopkeeper rubbed his hands together. "Hiring Madam He will require an additional fee."

He was certain Dai Li would agree. After all, someone looking to buy ready-made clothes wouldn't be short on a few extra coins, right?

Dai Li nodded in agreement and headed towards the East Street carrying the fabric. Following the address, she successfully found the Madam He the shopkeeper had spoken of.

Three generations were crowded into the small house in the city's poorer quarters. The dwelling was very cramped, so Dai Li didn't go inside. She simply handed over the fabric and a deposit at the doorway, agreeing to come pick the dress up tomorrow.

After finishing this task, Dai Li went to look for another inn.

But she didn't know that shortly after she left the He residence, a group of men who had been sweeping through fabric shops since morning arrived at the store where she had just bought her fabric.

"...Yes, I've seen her. She left quite an impression."

Hearing that harboring a fugitive carried the same punishment, how could the shopkeeper dare to hide anything? He immediately spilled everything like beans from a pod. "That young lady was in a hurry to buy ready-made clothes. At first, seeing that I didn't have any, she left. About three-quarters of an hour later, she came back. I'm guessing she couldn't find any elsewhere, so she finally decided to seek out the seamstress I recommended."

"What is the name of the seamstress you recommended, and where does she live?"

The shopkeeper said, "Madam He on the East Street. She has three daughters. Your honors just need to go to the East Street and ask."

After saying this, the shopkeeper asked cautiously, "May I ask what crime that lady committed? She looked quite ordinary to me, no different from a regular woman."

The leader scolded, "Just cooperate honestly. Why do you have so many questions?"

This group of men came quickly and left in a hurry. Not long after, the door of Madam He's house was knocked on once again.

At the same time, several teams went to various hostels, inspecting their registration books one by one. The commotion was quite large, and it eventually alarmed the Grand Administrator of Xiagu.

However, just as this Grand Administrator Gao realized that someone was making trouble in his territory and felt displeased, a servant came to report that a distinguished guest had arrived to visit.

"A distinguished guest? Where is he from?" Gao You lazily held his wine cup.

The servant replied, "He is the third son of the Inspector of Sizhou, Third Young Master Xie."

Gao You paused, sucked in a sharp breath of cold air, and his expression turned solemn.

It was true that Xiagu, under his jurisdiction, belonged to Yanzhou, but it was located to the west, not too far from Sizhou. The transition of power in Sizhou was closely watched by a multitude of prominent and wealthy families, and Gao You was among them.

Now that the most likely successor to Sizhou had come to his door, he naturally could not turn him away. He had to see what the other party's intentions were.

"Entertain him well. I will go over after I change my clothes."

...

Outsiders had no way of knowing what transpired in the Gao Residence. Many people only knew that a large number of city guards were mobilized in the afternoon, joining forces with several other teams to rush to the various hostels in the commandery.

At the same time, the city's military patrols posted notices in bustling markets all over, claiming that a female thief had recently entered the city and ordering the commoners not to take in any outsiders.

Just posting notices was not enough. The military patrols went in batches to several major gathering places for commoners, which were the urban villages, and spread the word alley by alley.

Xie Yuanxiu walked out of the Gao Residence, took the horse led by his subordinate, and rode to a mansion.

The exterior of this mansion was simple and unadorned, but the inside was extraordinary. Xie Yuanxiu quietly took in his surroundings, thinking to himself that the foundation of the Green Lotus Cult was truly profoundly deep.

They had been in Xiagu for less than twenty-four hours, yet Diting had already managed to secure such a decent residence.

He walked to the door of the main hall and heard a hearty laugh coming from inside. It was Diting smiling and saying "perfect." When he entered, he happened to see a person retreating.

Presumably, that person had just reported some good news.

The moment Xie Yuanxiu thought about how he could get intimate with that beautiful woman as soon as they found her, it felt as though a fire was burning in his heart. He did not even bother to tell Diting about what had just happened and directly asked, "Is there any news of her?"

Diting wore a silver-white mask when outside. The mask covered his face down to his upper lip. Hearing this, he curled his handsome lips. "Indeed there is, and it is good news."

But he did not say it directly. Instead, he asked, "How did Third Young Master's discussion with Prefect Gao go?"

This was not what Xie Yuanxiu wanted to hear. After a brief reply of "Not bad, he was very cooperative," he hurriedly brought the topic back. "What good news? Do you know her hiding place? It is getting dark now, and there is no time to delay. We should hurry and invite the Honored Sister to return home."

"Her hiding place is unknown," someone suddenly said.

It was still that unpleasant, hoarse voice. Xie Yuanxiu frowned in repulsion, his excitement once again extinguished by a basin of cold water.

He subconsciously turned his head and saw that black figure again. The person was dressed entirely in black and wore a black mask, looking as if he had blended into the gradually darkening sky outside the window.

Even though he had interacted with quite a few cult members, Xie Yuanxiu just found this person to be an eyesore no matter how he looked at him. Furthermore, he could also sense a hidden hostility from the other party.

He had never even met this person before, right? It was truly baffling.

Xie Yuanxiu's excitement was mostly gone. "Since the Honored Sister's whereabouts are temporarily unknown, what could possibly be considered good news?"

Diting said, "She visited a fabric shop, attempting to buy ready-made clothes there. However, the shop did not sell ready-made clothes, so the shopkeeper only sold her some fabric."

"How is this good news?" Xie Yuanxiu asked anxiously.

Diting smiled and continued, "Seeing that she was in a hurry to get clothes, the shopkeeper recommended a seamstress on the East Street to her. We sent someone to that seamstress's house and learned that she had arranged to pick up the clothes at the beginning of the You hour tomorrow. With this, does Third Young Master still think it is not good news?"

Xie Yuanxiu was slightly stunned, and then he was filled with wild joy.

Pick up the clothes at the beginning of the You hour tomorrow?

Since the appointment had been made, as long as they sat and waited for her to walk right into their trap, they would definitely be able to catch her!

...

While the search for her outside was intensifying, Daili had already checked into a hostel.

Yes, she was still staying in a hostel today.

Compared to the one from yesterday, she had specifically chosen a larger one with a better environment today.

Since she was using the name Lotus Scholar anyway, she figured that those people who did things by the book would not be able to wrap their heads around it anytime soon.

Dusk had passed, and the sky was covered with a hazy, dim color. Daili sat by the window, opened it slightly, and observed the main street from the inside.

Pedestrians came and went on the street. There was no shortage of armored soldiers, as well as some people wearing ordinary clothes who would converse with the soldiers.

Those people were dressed differently; some looked ordinary, while others appeared wealthy. They were clearly not from the same family.

Daili looked thoughtful.

Were they cult members? From the looks of it, there were quite a lot of cult members in this Xiagu Commandery.

Daili gently closed the window and returned to lie down on the bed. A single set of clothes was difficult to wash and change out of, so she had to prepare new clothes.

After she went to Seamstress He's place to pick up the clothes tomorrow, she would not go out for the next few days.

Daili lay on the bed and closed her eyes, falling asleep without realizing it. Her sleep quality was usually very good, but tonight she was plagued by endless nightmares.

She kept dreaming that she was caught by the Green Lotus Cult, subsequently locked up, and could never see Zhouzhou again.

Daili woke up with a start in the middle of the night. When she fell back asleep later, she actually had the same kind of dream again. As a result, she woke up the next day feeling listless and did not feel better until the afternoon.

Today, she had an appointment with Seamstress He to pick up the clothes at the beginning of the You hour. Daili did not leave the hostel until nearing the end of the Shen hour.

Seamstress He lived on the East Street, while Daili was on the West Street. They were exactly in two different directions, and it would take about three quarters of an hour to walk there.

Soldiers could still be seen hurrying along the main street, and some pedestrians were discussing the notices in the city.

Daili's footsteps grew slower and slower, and finally, she stopped as she approached the East Street.

Notices had been posted in the city, and the fact that a female thief had entered the city was well known to many people. It was hard to guarantee that Seamstress He had not heard about it. Just like back in the Taiping Commandery, she had stayed at Madam Lin's house, thinking it was absolutely safe, but she was still caught by Qin Shaozong.

She could not go directly.

Daili looked up at the sky. Dusk had arrived. Today's sunset glow was very beautiful, like an unfurled oil painting.

There were a few young children playing with mud at the entrance of the alley, muttering childish words. Daili looked at those children, a gleam of shrewdness flashing in her eyes.

She walked toward them.

...

Knock, knock. The sound of someone knocking on the door came from outside.

Seamstress He's whole body shuddered. She subconsciously turned her head to look at the man beside her, cowering and extremely timid. "Noble sir, she is here."

Xie Yuanxiu stared intently at the door. The shocking fanaticism in his eyes made Seamstress He's blood run cold. "Go open the door and invite her in."

Seamstress He did not dare to disobey.

Creak. The door opened.

However, the expected figure was not outside the door. There were only three little kids standing at her doorway.

"Madam He, we are here to pick up the clothes ordered yesterday. Here is the final payment for you. Please bring the clothes," the three children said in unison.

The sweet, childish voice sounded incredibly endearing. Yet, to Xie Yuanxiu, it felt like stepping off a sheer cliff. His hopes were suddenly dashed, and the immense disappointment caused his normally handsome face to contort.

"Where is she?!" Xie Yuanxiu demanded, striding toward the exit.

The few children were frightened by his imposing aura, stammering and too intimidated to speak.

Seeing this, an embroideress hidden in another part of the alley hurried over and crouched down. As a woman, her deliberate use of a gentle tone worked wonders in soothing them.

After just a few words, the children, who had been shivering like quails moments ago, finally calmed down.

The embroideress quickly asked, "Who sent you here? Where is that person now?"

"It was a tall lady with a very pretty voice."

"She said she wanted us to do her a small favor and help her fetch some clothes."

"She also said she'd treat us to sesame flatbreads once we were done. Yes, sesame flatbreads! I'm planning to eat two!"

Chiming in one after another, the three children explained the gist of what had happened.

The embroideress thought to herself that the woman was truly cautious, actually sending little pawns to test the waters first. She looked up at Xie Yuanxiu. "Third Young Master, why don't we play along for now and let them take the clothes back?"

Xie Yuanxiu had recovered from his immense disappointment and was invigorated once more. "Yes, play along! Playing along is a great idea!"

...

Dai Li stood at the alley entrance, gazing at the entrance to East Street in the distance. Shortly after, she saw three small figures walk out, the middle one carrying a sack.

Dai Li's gaze shifted behind them. She noticed that after the three children emerged, a woman also walked out of the alley.

The woman was short and dressed in ordinary clothes, carrying a basket on her arm. There was no one else behind her.

Dai Li watched the woman for a moment. Seeing that she was simply walking forward without looking around, Dai Li figured she was most likely just an ordinary passerby.

Suddenly, the woman looked over, and their eyes met across the distance.

A sudden chill shot straight to the top of her head. Dai Li couldn't explain why, but alarm bells violently rang in her mind. Before she could even process the thought, her body reacted faster than her mind, shrinking back into the alley.

"She's over there!"

"Quick, after her!"

Someone shouted loudly from not far away.

Dai Li's mind buzzed, and she instinctively took off running deeper into the alley. This alley had many forks, and having been here before, she was relatively familiar with the terrain. She should be able to shake them off here.

After taking two consecutive turns, just as Dai Li was about to veer into the lower end of a Y-shaped fork, a figure suddenly darted out from her rear flank—from an even narrower adjacent alley.

The person grabbed Dai Li's arm with one hand and covered her mouth with the other, dragging her into the narrow alley.

Dai Li's pupils shrank in sheer terror. Just as she opened her mouth to bite the hand and simultaneously bent her elbow to strike backward, she suddenly heard—

"Mama, please don't move, and don't make a sound."