Chapter 82

The entire street was soaked in the color of blood. Corpses lay haphazardly across the ground, scattered among broken blades and shattered bows.

The doors of the shops lining both sides of the street were thrown wide open. When the wind brushed past, the dilapidated window shutters were blown inward, groaning under the strain with a heavy creak from their wooden hinges.

Qin Shaozong flicked his blade, sending a thick trail of blood splattering loudly onto the bluestone pavement. He looked up and gazed ahead. The street before him was dead silent, the shop doors shut tight. It was impossible to tell if there was an ambush lying in wait within.

The horse he had previously borrowed from Gao You was dead. The enemy had deployed tripwires and then focused their attacks relentlessly on the beast.

"My Lord, we are but one street away from that residence," Feng Feng said, his eyes also fixed straight ahead.

Looking at it like this, one truly could not discern how many hidden troops lay ahead.

"Tear down the shop doors to use as shields. Position the archers in the center of our formation and the infantry on the outside." Qin Shaozong sneered. "It is merely the distance of a single street. How could we possibly fail to cross it?"

As for the enemy's cavalry outside the city, Qin Shaozong paid them no mind whatsoever. The enemy had reinforcements, but so did he; it was just a matter of waiting a little longer.

When Third Young Master Xie's men arrived at the city walls, he would simply close the city gates.

They had no siege ladders or battering rams. Did they really think they could force their way in with just that handful of men outside? It was a pipe dream.

...

The commotion from the earlier slaughter was not small; it could be heard several streets away. Xie Yuanxiu, who was residing in a courtyard pavilion on the West Street, was no exception.

He was not stupid. Upon hearing from his attendants that the Marquis of Wu'an was slaughtering his way over, he immediately ordered a retreat. As for the belongings inside the residence, they took absolutely nothing. Fleeing for their lives was the priority.

"The Marquis of Wu'an brought no more than two hundred men to Xiagu this time. He has to divide his forces to search for people, keep an eye on the situation at all four city gates, and still keep guards by his side. He needs men everywhere, yet he somehow managed to spare enough hands to find my hiding place?" Xie Yuanxiu truly felt as if he had seen a ghost.

He had naturally heard of the fearsome reputation of that man from the North. He was incredibly vicious, and facing his wrath head-on was the worst possible plan. Therefore, when he first heard that the Marquis of Wu'an had also arrived in Xiagu, he quickly found a place to hide.

The hiding place was provided by Diting. Logically speaking, it should have been perfectly secure. Even if the Marquis of Wu'an's men came knocking to investigate, they shouldn't have been able to find any clues.

Where exactly did the leak happen? Could Gao You have betrayed him?

That shouldn't be the case. Now that the city gate guards had mutinied, Gao You had no turning back. It was absolutely impossible for him to still be wavering.

Xie Yuanxiu's subordinate also didn't know the reason, but did his best to comfort him. "Third Young Master, please do not be angry. Fortunately, we prepared a backup plan at the time. We will leave through the back door now, pass through the alleys, and head toward the North Street to lay low for a while. Commander Ni and the others are already outside the city. With Prefect Gao and our men cooperating from within, entering the city is only a matter of time. Once Commander Ni leads his troops here, why worry about not being able to take the head of the Marquis of Wu'an?"

The subordinate added, "Furthermore, Commander Ni has always been resourceful. If he cannot enter through the East Gate, he will certainly try the other gates. He will get in eventually."

Xie Yuanxiu's expression softened slightly. "You are right. Let us avoid the brunt of his attack for now. By the way, how many men did Gao You arrange to assassinate the Marquis of Wu'an?"

The subordinate replied, "Four hundred men. Plus the one hundred we lent him, that makes a total of five hundred."

Xie Yuanxiu gasped. "Five hundred men still couldn't stop the Marquis of Wu'an? What are they good for!"

The subordinate was also incredibly anxious.

He had always heard that the Marquis of Wu'an commanded an invincible elite force under his banner, every single one of them a master capable of taking on ten men at once. Could it be that the unit outside was...

Subordinate: "The back alley is too narrow for carriages to pass. I must trouble the Third Young Master to proceed on foot."

Xie Yuanxiu gritted his teeth. "Let's go!"

At the same time, at the East City Gate.

Dai Li looked at Mo Yanyun, who was staking out the area not far away, and cursed inwardly. With Mo Yanyun here, could it be that Qin Shaozong had discovered her?

However, Dai Li quickly overturned this speculation.

He probably hadn't found out. She observed him for a moment and saw that Mo Yanyun was solely focused on staring at the caravans leaving the city, not looking anywhere else.

"Mother, we will leave with the merchant caravan shortly." Qin Yanzhou had already made the arrangements.

Dai Li followed his gaze and saw a group of traveling merchants not far away. It was a group of about twenty people with five donkey carts, each packed to the brim.

"Is that a caravan from the Green Lotus Sect?" Dai Li asked.

Qin Yanzhou replied, "Not entirely. Only the lead merchant is a believer. I told him that we would be leaving the city with his caravan shortly, accompanying another divine envoy, which is you, to execute a secret mission, and that we needed to borrow his wife's travel pass."

Just by looking at her son's placid expression, Dai Li knew that the merchant had raised no objections to this.

It seemed that the Green Lotus Sect's influence among the common folk was far greater than she had imagined. To think that they would lend out something as important as a travel pass just like that.

"That Commandant Mo is staking out the city gate," Dai Li said in a low voice.

Qin Yanzhou said, "It doesn't matter. He is the only one familiar with us. The other Northern soldiers rarely see you, so they likely won't recognize you. When the time comes, walk alongside the cart and use it as a shield to block his view. If you are inevitably seen by him, just turn the scarred side of your face toward him. Furthermore, when we go out, I have arranged a diversion to lure the tiger away from the mountain. He will most likely not have the energy to conduct the inspections himself."

Perhaps worried that Dai Li was still anxious, Qin Yanzhou spoke more than he usually did. "Do not worry. From my observations, that Commandant Mo is a bit more slow-witted than the rest. He will not notice."

Dai Li didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

As they spoke, the merchant caravan moved forward a distance, passing right by the two of them.

The mother and son joined the group. They did not walk at the front or the rear, but stayed in the middle, pretending to watch over the goods on the carts alongside the others.

Perhaps because they had been notified beforehand, not a single person showed any surprise at the two joining their ranks midway.

Everyone kept their mouths shut and walked forward in silence.

Mo Yanyun was filled with endless regret. The Marquis had sent him to tail them. He had thought it would be a simple task, never expecting the young master to be so deeply hidden and capable. Upon discovering him, the boy had immediately shaken him off.

The Marquis had said that the mother and son might take advantage of the chaos to leave the city. Looking at the young master's previous route, they were undoubtedly heading east.

By staking out the city gate, he should be able to intercept them. In the past, people always said that fools have foolish luck. He hoped that saying would hold true now, allowing him to fish out Madam Dai.

With a bitter expression, Mo Yanyun stared closely at every young woman leaving the city.

At this moment, a merchant caravan arrived. With several donkeys pulling carts and about twenty people, it was considered quite a sizable group.

Seeing that there were a few women in the group, Mo Yanyun swept his gaze over them roughly. Each of them had dark, rough skin and plain features. He walked over to take a closer look at two of them. Before they even opened their mouths, he already knew his hopes were dashed.

Just as he was planning to carefully inspect the remaining women, a sudden commotion erupted not far away.

Mo Yanyun subconsciously raised his head, and that single glance caused his pupils to constrict. He thought he saw that slender, white-clad figure.

The young master was wearing a white robe today!

Could it be that they tried to leave the city but accidentally alarmed the city patrols?

Mo Yanyun immediately sprinted in that direction to chase after them. However, when he reached a crossroad, he was left utterly bewildered once again.

Where should I go?

Ah, it seems I've lost them again...

His head was suddenly pressed down hard. Mo Yanyun cried out "Ouch" and clutched his head. "Bai Ye, what are you doing?"

The gyrfalcon, its feathers a mix of white and brown, landed on his head, tapped twice with its claws, and then spread its wings to fly east. It flew a distance, circled back, and continued eastward.

Mo Yanyun froze, then his spirits suddenly lifted. "Are you saying they're over there?"

He immediately hurried back to the east city gate, grabbed a horse belonging to the city guards, mounted it, and chased after them.

Not long after Mo Yanyun left the city, a squad of Xuanxiao Cavalry led by Kuang Ye arrived and ordered the city gates to be closed.

The heavy city gates slowly shut.

...

After following the merchants out of the city, Dai Li and Qin Yanzhou broke away from the caravan.

Qin Yanzhou had hidden a good horse in the suburbs. The mother and son shared the ride, rushing toward the south at top speed.

It was now the end of the noon hour. They had to reach the ruined temple in the southern city before dark; that ruined temple was their resting place for the night.

After staying a night in the temple, they would travel for a whole day tomorrow to reach a small mountain village. They would spend another night there, travel for one more day the day after, and then reach the border of Yuzhou. There was a small county next to the Yuzhou border. As long as they entered that small county, it would be like a fish returning to the sea.

"Zhou Zhou, now that you've left with me and the Green Lotus Cult can't find you, will they guess that you've defected?" Dai Li asked worriedly.

The believers of the Green Lotus Cult were spread across all provinces. The sheer number of people was one thing, but the key was that they were hard to identify. However, communication in ancient times was slow; a piece of information could take half a year or a year to transmit.

Half a year or a year?

Oh, by the time they noticed something was wrong, the two of them would have long escaped. They wouldn't just sit obediently waiting to be caught.

But if the Green Lotus Cult immediately realized that Zhou Zhou had defected, the nature of the situation would be entirely different.

"Diting had a premonition that the situation was bad and has already left with his people. I told them that I temporarily received a mission from the higher-ups and had to go elsewhere, so no one suspects anything for now," Qin Yanzhou said in a low voice.

Dai Li breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good."

By the time the Green Lotus Cult reacted, they would have already reached Yuzhou.

The horse trotted along the official road. After riding for a distance, the people on the road gradually became sparse.

With fewer people, other sounds became more obvious.

Qin Yanzhou suddenly reined in the horse and looked back.

The official road stretched out behind them, the small bend obscured by lush foliage, no longer visible. A breeze brushed past, making the leaves sway in the quiet and peaceful atmosphere.

"Zhou Zhou, what's wrong?" Dai Li also turned to look back.

But she saw nothing.

Qin Yanzhou turned his head back. "Nothing."

He continued to ride forward.

However, after some distance, the young man reined in the horse again. This time he did not speak, merely stopping the horse to listen quietly.

Dai Li didn't understand why, but her heart skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition washed over her.

After pausing for a moment, Qin Yanzhou suddenly urged the horse forward.

Dai Li could feel that their pace had quickened, and her heart rose to her throat. "Zhou Zhou, is someone following us?"

"There is one rider," Qin Yanzhou said.

Dai Li was taken aback. "One rider?"

What could a single person do? To put it bluntly, by the time they went back to report the news and returned, their target would have long vanished.

"I don't know whose side they are on yet. We'll see in a bit." After riding past a bend ahead, Qin Yanzhou quickly reined in the horse and dismounted.

The bushes here were dense. Holding the reins, Qin Yanzhou led the horse carrying Dai Li to the side, trying to let the bushes conceal them as much as possible.

After doing all this, the black-haired young man climbed up the tree above Dai Li's head in a few swift moves, hiding himself within the canopy.

Mo Yanyun couldn't hear the sound of hooves. This time, the pause was longer than before, so long that it seemed the rider had stopped to rest.

Could it be that they had realized he was secretly following them and had abandoned their horse to flee into the mountains?

His heart tightening, Mo Yanyun couldn't care about anything else and hurried his horse forward. At first glance, seeing the official road empty, his heart sank halfway.

But at second glance, he saw Dai Li on horseback, half-hidden in the tall grass not far away.

Their eyes met, and both of them froze for a moment.

Dai Li hadn't expected it to be Mo Yanyun. He had clearly been lured away earlier, yet here he was, back again.

Mo Yanyun's pupils contracted, his eyes revealing shock.

If Bai Ye hadn't reminded him, making him clearly aware that this was Madam Dai, he really wouldn't have recognized her. She looked like a completely different person from before!

"Madam Dai, the Marquis has been looking for you for a long time. Please come back with me." Mo Yanyun was solely focused on quickly persuading Dai Li to return.

Seeing him approach, Dai Li tightened her grip on the reins. "Save your breath. I'm not going back."

"Why?" Mo Yanyun didn't understand.

Dai Li looked away. "No reason."

Mo Yanyun dismounted and continued walking toward Dai Li, wishing he could just throw a net over her and drag her back. "There must be a reason. How could there be no reason? The Marquis..."

Before he could finish his sentence, alarm bells suddenly rang in the head of Mo Yanyun, a man who spent his life on the battlefield. He instinctively drew his blade and blocked horizontally, intercepting the strike from the young man who had jumped down from the tree.

Mo Yanyun felt a chill on his neck.

If his reaction hadn't been fast just now, his head really would have fallen to the ground.

Dai Li was also startled.

The two men immediately began to fight.

Mo Yanyun only defended and didn't attack. But later, he found that this approach wouldn't work; the opponent's moves were exceptionally fierce, and not attacking would only fuel Qin Yanzhou's aggression.

"Zhou Zhou, you can't kill this man. Just kill his horse," Dai Li said anxiously.

Mo Yanyun was a member of the core circle of the North. If he died by her son's hands, Qin Shaozong would have even more reason not to let them go.

Qin Yanzhou turned his blade, immediately abandoning Mo Yanyun to attack his horse.

Mo Yanyun cursed under his breath and hurriedly moved to block the blade.

A few more moves passed. The horse, frightened, stomped its hooves, looking ready to bolt. Seeing this, Mo Yanyun shouted frantically, "If you dare to kill my horse, I'll kill yours too! Then none of us will be able to run!"

Qin Yanzhou's eyes and brows instantly turned cold. He wanted to continue fighting, but Dai Li stopped him again.

Dai Li had been observing for a while. Seeing that it had been only Mo Yanyun from beginning to end, she was certain that he was the only one who had caught up.

Perhaps, as Zhou Zhou had said earlier, the city was already in chaos. Qin Shaozong had only brought a small number of people to Xiagu, and he simply couldn't spare anyone else at the moment.

Well, that made things easier.

Sitting on the horse, Dai Li raised her chin slightly, looking down at Mo Yanyun. "You just asked me why I am unwilling to go back. Very well, I will tell you plainly now: I refuse to be a concubine. Commandant Mo, now that you know the reason, go back and tell Qin Changgeng. Stop following me."

She had never inquired about Qin Shaozong's family affairs. But in this era, how could a man, especially a powerful figure who controlled the entire North, have only one woman?

Qin Shaozong wanted a lifetime with her, but she did not want to be trapped in such a place for a lifetime. Living under someone else's roof, bound by rules, pitifully and pathetically living at the mercy of him and his wife.

Mo Yanyun was dumbfounded and left speechless.

"Zhou Zhou, he came alone. Just ignore him." Dai Li gave the reins a tentative tug.

The horse beneath her let out a snort. Seeing this, Qin Yanzhou quickly grabbed the reins and led the horse out.

Qin Yanzhou swung himself into the saddle and rode off with Dai Li.

Mo Yanyun hastily followed after them.

Qin Yanzhou abruptly reined in his horse again and drew his blade.

Mo Yanyun quickly threw his hands in the air to show he meant no harm. "The Marquis ordered that if I encountered you, I must follow and ensure your safety. I dare not disobey his command. Please rest assured, Madam Dai, I am merely tagging along and absolutely will not do anything else. If you don't believe me, you can have the young master search me. I swear I have nothing on me that could be used to leave a trail."

Dai Li called out softly, "Zhou Zhou."

They were still on the outskirts of Xia Valley, a place where they shouldn't linger. They couldn't afford to keep arguing with Mo Yanyun over this matter.

Qin Yanzhou sheathed his blade and walked over. Mo Yanyun fully cooperated with the search.

After a thorough pat-down, he found nothing suspicious.

There was no cinnabar powder and no specially crafted tracking incense. Aside from the clothes on his back, a saber, a handful of copper coins, and a waterskin, Mo Yanyun had absolutely nothing else on him.

Qin Yanzhou coldly withdrew his hands.

The two horses set off once more.

Listening to the hoofbeats beside them, Dai Li pursed her lips.

They couldn't kill him, nor could they shake him off. It was a good thing Qin Shaozong couldn't spare any more men at the moment, otherwise, they would be in serious trouble...

Still, they had to find an opportunity to lose him.

Mo Yanyun trailed them all the way to a ruined temple in the southern part of the city. By now, the sky had grown dark, and night was fast approaching. He guessed that the mother and son intended to spend the night there.

A gaze as sharp as a blade shot toward him, laced with murderous intent. Mo Yanyun shuddered and quickly said, "Don't worry, I swear I won't step a single foot out of this temple tonight, except to relieve myself. If you still don't trust me, I can sleep in the deepest corner of the room."

After he finished speaking, Dai Li watched as he took the lead and entered the temple, saber in hand.

Old, ruined temples often served as hideouts for bandits and wanted fugitives. These outlaws might have blood on their hands, but such desperadoes were sometimes incredibly perceptive.

The moment Mo Yanyun stepped inside, the vagrants already taking shelter there all shrank back into a corner, lowering their voices to mere whispers.

Dai Li and Qin Yanzhou walked in after him.

Mo Yanyun took the innermost spot, Dai Li settled in the middle, and Qin Yanzhou guarded the outermost position near the entrance.

The cramped, ruined temple was divided into two halves; Dai Li's group occupied the left side, while the other group took the right.

Noticing someone stealthily peeking in their direction, Qin Yanzhou's eyes turned cold, and he stood up, gripping his blade.

Mo Yanyun had been pondering Dai Li's words for the entire journey. Seeing Qin Yanzhou step away, he seized the opportunity to whisper to her, "Madam Dai, the Marquis's estate hasn't had a mistress for fifteen years. Given how the Marquis treats you, you could absolutely do whatever you please once you move in."

Dai Li shot him a sideways glance but said nothing.

As someone who had spent plenty of time in pleasure houses, Mo Yanyun suddenly had a flash of inspiration. "If you don't like the idea of living in the Marquis's estate, there's no reason you and the young master couldn't live somewhere else outside."

Audaciously, he decided to take a completely unconventional approach. "What I'm about to say might sound utterly absurd, but it comes from the bottom of my heart. If there were ever a pleasure house in this world specifically designed to cater to women, and all of us military men from the North were lined up inside for the ladies to take their pick... well, with our Marquis's impressive physique and handsome face, he would undoubtedly be the top choice of the bunch, wouldn't he?"

Dai Li: "..."