Amid her shrill scream, He Lingchuan charged forward on horseback. Just then, Fusheng arced through the air and spun back to its master. He Lingchuan caught it in one hand, cutting down one man and striking at a second.
That second man reacted quickly, throwing himself into a roll to dodge the blade.
Before he could scramble to his feet, He Lingchuan threw his spear with a backhand flick. With a sharp whistle, it pinned the man's hand straight to the ground!
Agonized and unable to pull free, the bandit had no time to scream before He Lingchuan wheeled his steed around, and four rock-hard hooves trampled right over him!
With the combined weight of the fine horse and He Lingchuan, and the deliberately slowed pace of the trampling, onlookers heard several crisp cracks like firecrackers popping.
Spine, arms, and legs were all broken.
At that, a horrific screech pierced the very heavens.
Only then did He Lingchuan yank out his spear and leisurely run down the remaining bandits.
The bandits had barely heard the pounding hooves before three companions lay dead. Losing any will to resist, they cried out in panic and scattered in all directions.
He Lingchuan pointed at a few retreating figures and said to Dong Rui, "Care to take care of these ones?"
"Fine, fine." Good work never fell to him. Dong Rui flicked his reins resentfully and rode off in pursuit.
Before long, the screams from that direction grew louder, more panicked, and more prolonged, not ceasing until the time it took to drink a cup of tea.
By the time the two returned to the grove, the blood on the tip of He Lingchuan's spear had dripped dry, leaving it spotless as though freshly washed, while the green-skinned monkey on Dong Rui's shoulder was sitting with its mouth agape, picking its teeth.
Lingguang had already untied the captives on the ground. When Jin Bai and the others brought the child over, the woman rushed forward to hug her son, kowtowing repeatedly to He Lingchuan and Dong Rui.
All the rescued travelers bowed to He Lingchuan, calling him their benefactor.
He Lingchuan waved a dismissive hand. "Why abandon the main highway and venture down this side path?"
"We were on the highway," the boy's father replied, his face full of bitterness. "My wife had an urgent need to relieve herself in the woods, only to be captured by bandits. We went in to rescue her, but ended up unable to save even ourselves."
Another person added, "We even hired guards, but the guards ran off the moment we entered the woods, abandoning us to the bandits."
Jin Bai asked, "Those guards weren't hired through proper channels, were they?"
"Hired at the marketplace. I saw how burly they were, and they claimed they had fought in battles on the front lines, so..."
He Lingchuan understood. In a place like this, trying to skimp on small change would likely cost a fortune in the end.
He and the Shadow Tooth Guard returned to the main road.
"Master He truly is chivalrous and public-spirited," Jin Bai noted.
He Lingchuan gave a slight smile. "Hearts are made of flesh."
Red Cliff Road in the Panlong Desert used to have sand bandits as well, but once He Chunhua became Prefect, he imposed strict limits: bandits could rob money and goods, but they were forbidden from harming anyone, or they would be annihilated. After a few crackdowns, the surrounding bandit gangs became far better behaved.
Otherwise, they would be draining the pond to catch the fish—who would dare travel Red Cliff Road then?
It was nothing like this place, lawless and chaotic, where official patrols were virtually nonexistent.
***
This brief interlude on the road didn't cost them much time. By evening, the silhouette of Xun City, the capital of the Bo Kingdom, appeared in their sight.
The Shadow Tooth Guard cautioned He Lingchuan and Dong Rui, "Don't go to the greasy-spoon dives around here. It's easy to upset your stomach—several of our men learned that the hard way... And wandering about outside at night easily invites trouble."
However, neither He Lingchuan nor Dong Rui looked like people who feared trouble, so Jin Bai didn't bother reminding them to stay safe.
The party headed straight for the city gate.
The Yangshan Archipelago engaged in trade with the Shanjin Plain. Several vital ores were shipped by sea from the Shanjin Plain to the archipelago, and indeed they were transshipped through the Bo Kingdom and loaded at Julu Port. Consequently, He Lingchuan held legitimate commercial travel permits. In theory, entering and exiting the capital should pose no problem.
At the foot of the city gates, crowds bustled.
He Lingchuan thought there was a massive line waiting for inspection, but as they drew closer, he realized that very few people were actually queuing at the gates. Instead, a sea of people packed the shanties huddled at the base of the wall several dozen paces away!
The shanties stretched for two li, housing commoners displaced from elsewhere. In terms of tattered clothing, they rivaled the beggars at the Julu Port docks.
Yet at this moment, they were all stirred with excitement, craning their necks and clutching broken bowls as they surged forward, for someone ahead was distributing alms.
He Lingchuan had never liked crowding into bustling swarms. Passing by, he cast only a casual glance and saw several large carts parked in the open space amidst the shacks. Some workers hauled coarse steamed buns off the carts while others handed them out. Each refugee in line received two buns before moving along.
The reason the refugees queued up so obediently without swarming in a frantic scramble was that over a hundred armed guards stood by to maintain order. The instant someone acted out of line, a guard stepped forward with two sharp slaps to the face.
One scrawny old man, in his haste, fumbled with trembling hands and dropped his bun into the dirt.
Someone nearby picked it up, dusted off the dirt and grit, and handed it back to him.
Clutching the bun to his chest, the old man bowed repeatedly to the person and was about to withdraw, but the person said, "Eat it right here by the side. Leave once you've finished."
At the same time, Dong Rui let out an impressed "Whoa."
The speaker was actually an exquisite beauty adorned with jade pendants and jewels. A fox-fur cloak concealed her figure, yet it could not disguise her peerless, breathtaking beauty.
The beauty of Li Qingge, Master of Songyang Mansion, was brilliant and stately; Sun Fuling's beauty was gentle and elegant with an undercurrent of valor; but this woman's beauty was completely different from theirs, unlike any beauty He Lingchuan had ever seen before.
It was a fragile delicacy, like thin porcelain translucent under a spotlight, or a peach blossom jellyfish bobbing in a freshwater spring—something that people would tenderly cup in their hands, yet simultaneously feel a fierce, destructive urge to crush to pieces!
Though the woman was busy handing out rations and speaking to the refugees, paying not the slightest heed to passersby, the gaze of every onlooker was riveted upon her.
The hood of her cloak hid half of her delicate features, yet she still glowed brilliantly in the setting sun.
She needed only to stand there to exude a contradictory, alluring magic, without any need for flirtatious posturing.
He Lingchuan's first impression upon seeing her was of a narcissus suddenly sprouting in a muddy ditch—gracefully slender and utterly discordant with her surroundings.
Dong Rui stared at her unblinkingly, disbelief in his voice. "The Bo Kingdom actually has a beauty like this?"
What harm was there in looking? It didn't cost a copper.
He Lingchuan chuckled. "You're drooling. Wipe your chin."
Dong Rui actually gave a reflex wipe, found nothing, glared fiercely at He Lingchuan, and finally looked away.
"She came from the royal palace," He Lingchuan said, nudging his chin toward the escort. "See those guards?"
Without guards, a beauty like that would likely not survive a hundred paces on the streets of the Bo Kingdom.
On the flip side, for her to dare appear in a refugee slum outside the walls meant she possessed formidable backing.
This relief and charity convoy was clearly led by her.
Noticing the orderly manner in which the food was handed out and the refugees were queued, He Lingchuan knew this was not the first time she had done this.
Beautiful and kindhearted, eh?
Just then, a caravan ahead suddenly cut in line, granted priority entry into the city, forcing the other commoners and traveling merchants to wait considerably longer.
He Lingchuan and his companions were in no hurry. If they had to wait, so be it.
Another half hour passed before their turn came to clear the gate.
He Lingchuan handed over his documents and travel pass. The gate guard scrutinized them for a moment. "Merchants, hmm? First time here?"
"Yes."
"Then you don't know the rules." The guard pointed at the monkeys perched on their shoulders. "No domestic pets allowed inside."
He put heavy emphasis on the word "rules."
The two had traveled through countless places and had never heard of such a rule.
Dong Rui countered, "These aren't pets. They're demon companions."
"Then they're even less welcome!" The guard shot him a glare and put on a stern face. "This is the royal capital! How could we permit demon creatures to disturb it?"
Jin Bai and the others stepped up from behind, retrieved two pieces of broken silver, and slipped them into the paperwork.
"Actually, their demon companions are registered in this travel pass as well. They're docile and harmless. Why don't you have another look, officer?"
Having visited once or twice before, they knew the score.
"Let me see." The guard took the documents, shoved the silver straight into his tunic, and grunted, "Look at that, so they are. Move along, then."
Though He Lingchuan and his companions wore ordinary attire, they were broad-shouldered and healthy, and their clothes were clean and unpatched. The gate guards had sharp eyes; they recognized at a glance that these men lived comfortably and had deep pockets, making them prime targets to squeeze.
Having traveled north and south for years, He Lingchuan had seen people extort bribes, but never quite so blatantly and unabashedly.
This was the capital's south gate, right under the feet of the King of Bo!
And the city guards dared shake people down so openly?
Their captain was sitting just behind them; he clearly heard everything, yet didn't even twitch an eyebrow.
A nest of rats and vipers through and through.
After passing through the gates, the group found lodgings at an establishment called Rulin Inn.
Afterward, He Lingchuan and Dong Rui set out to stroll around Xun City.
Xun City covered only half the area of the Yuan capital, and its houses were more cramped. The upside was a higher visible density of residents, avoiding the desolate emptiness where three out of ten houses stood abandoned, as in the Yuan capital.
It was, after all, the royal capital. The main streets boasted inns, taverns, restaurants, teahouses, and even all manner of pleasure quarters. Business appeared brisk; buildings were brightly lit, with richly clad patrons constantly coming and going.
When the breeze blew, it carried with it the laughter of women and the sweet scent of rouge and powder.
Yet turn off the main street and walk just two blocks back, and the road plunged into darkness on both sides.
Barely any households lit lamps; debris and refuse cluttered the streets; the stench of urine and feces drifted through the air.
A span of just two streets seemed to separate two entirely different worlds.
At occasional intersections, several people sat cross-legged in the middle of the road, burning spirit money. No matter who passed by, their expressions remained completely blank.
A few sheets of spirit money were blown by the wind to He Lingchuan's feet. Looking down, he noticed they seemed to depict a large-headed infant. Charred by the flames, its features were distorted, leaving only eyes larger than almonds staring out.
Passing several such households burning spirit money, the two took a shortcut back toward the main thoroughfare, intending to buy some cooked meats to accompany wine back at the inn.
A few dozen breaths later, they passed an old pagoda tree where people were burning spirit money beneath the branches.
The duo's sudden arrival seemed to startle them.
Those men hastily grabbed a memorial tablet off the ground and tossed it into the fire bucket, casting warning glares at the pair:
Mind your own business.
The memorial tablet was made of pasted white paper; the moment the tongues of flame licked it, it went up in a whoosh.
With his sharp eyesight, however, He Lingchuan caught sight of it clearly by the firelight before it vanished. Though half-buried in ashes, several characters were exposed:
"...Memorial Tablet of Lord Mai."
Soon, the flames devoured those characters as well.
He Lingchuan didn't care to pry further and continued along the alley with Dong Rui, soon returning to the main street.
As much as he loved frequenting hole-in-the-wall eateries, Jin Bai's warning kept him from seeking out tiny dives. Instead, he stepped up to an open-counter braised meats shop that looked clean and hygienic. He ordered a chicken claw to sample first, then pointed at the remaining braised dishes:
"Wrap it all up. We'll take everything."
There were seven or eight varieties of meat and vegetable dishes. Beyond braised goose, there were chicken offal, smoked rabbit, smoked bamboo rat, and various cold side dishes. In terms of sheer variety, it fell far short of Suoding Island.
Before they arrived, the proprietor had barely sold anything all afternoon and evening, dozing off with his head on the chopping board. Hearing this, he was overjoyed and scrambled up to chop and portion the meat for his generous patrons.
He Lingchuan then went to the tavern next door to purchase several jugs of wine, stowed them in his storage ring, and headed back to their lodgings with Dong Rui.
The people of the capital were all aware of the royal family's joyful occasion, as the King of Bo had ordered two days of grand celebration. Each person could claim two jin of grain, two taels of meat, half a jin of dates, plus ten pieces of malt candy.
Consequently, when daylight came, Xun City grew as lively as the New Year festivities.
Several shelters were set up outside the walls as well, handing out porridge and meals to beggars and vagrants—truly a cause for universal celebration.
Arriving in an unfamiliar territory, the hardest thing to secure was connections. He Lingchuan tasked Dong Rui with gathering intelligence in the pleasure quarters, hoping to find regular patrons hailing from the palace or the households of high officials, which would make it easy to plant eyeball spiders.
Intelligence had to be gathered bit by bit, following the vine to find the melon.
The crucial part was finding the right vine; only then would the melon follow.
Yet before Dong Rui could set off with the silver, a lead arrived at their doorstep first—
A-Hao from Julu Port had hurried posthaste to Xun City.
Dong Rui's eyes went wide. "News already?"
He hadn't even had the chance to step out the door!
"Yes, yes!" A-Hao had ridden hard all day and reeked of sweat. "The news you two gentlemen wanted—I found out! I treated those two guards to a feast, stuffed them with food and drink, and waited until they were thoroughly drunk to pry it out..."
Dong Rui cut him off. "Did you find out the origin of the Bright Lantern Cup?"
"No, no, not that. I couldn't find that out!" A-Hao shook his head like a rattle drum. "But there's new movement in the palace! Imperial Physician Chen recently received a reward—a massive one! Less than ten days ago, in fact."
"Imperial Physician Chen?"
"That's right. The Imperial Medical Bureau has had a rough time these past two years—the Assistant Director even had his head chopped off by His Majesty! Word is, it was all due to ineffective treatment when the Second Prince's illness worsened." A-Hao licked his chapped lips. He Lingchuan handed him a cup of water, which he took and drained in a single gulp.
He was already afflicted with their gu; they had no need to poison his water.
"Imperial Physician Chen, who took over as Assistant Director two months ago, was originally just an attending physician. Nobody thought he would last. The palace guards even opened betting pools on how long he could hold on. Who could have guessed that his wondrous hands would bring about a miracle, dramatically improving the Second Prince's condition?" A-Hao added, "They say Imperial Physician Chen has become the darling of the palace lately, frequently visiting the Second Prince's chambers. Two days ago, His Majesty rewarded him in front of everyone with several rare delicacies and tribute items. Everyone is green with envy."
Dong Rui clicked his tongue twice. "If he's that capable, why was he only an attending physician before?"
Following that line of thought, He Lingchuan asked, "Why was Imperial Physician Chen promoted directly from attending physician to Assistant Director? Were there no other skilled physicians in the Imperial Medical Bureau?"
That was skipping several ranks in a single promotion.
"Ah..." This barrage of three questions left A-Hao completely bewildered.
He had simply memorized whatever the palace guards told him; he hadn't given those questions a second thought.
Indeed, why would an attending physician suddenly be vaulted to head the Imperial Medical Bureau?
Seeing his blank look, He Lingchuan knew he had no answer, so he changed tack: "So, is it really Imperial Physician Chen who cured the Second Prince's madness?"
"It hasn't been officially announced yet. But once the Second Prince makes a full recovery, Imperial Physician Chen will soar to the heights of fortune."
"Good, very good." He Lingchuan patted A-Hao's shoulder. "You can find out where Imperial Physician Chen resides, right?"
"Yes, absolutely! Give me one day!"
Dong Rui tossed him an elixir pill. "Swallow this. It will delay the gu poison for seven days."
As A-Hao swallowed the medicine, He Lingchuan suddenly asked out of the blue, "By the way, how is your partner? That tall fellow?"
Cough! The pill jammed right in his throat. A-Hao coughed violently and gulped down several mouthfuls of water before recovering.
"So agitated? Did something happen to him?"
"Nothing, nothing," A-Hao waved his hands. "When he woke up, he didn't say much—just cursed his rotten luck. It's not the first time he's run into a tough mark."
"That's good." He Lingchuan said unhurriedly, "I thought he might not let you off easy. Seems you settled it yourself."
A guilty conscience needs no accuser; a chill ran through A-Hao's heart. Seeing He Lingchuan's placid expression, he couldn't tell if the remark was deliberate or coincidental.
He hurriedly excused himself and took his leave.
Once A-Hao was gone, He Lingchuan asked Dong Rui, "Did you really plant a gu in him?"
Did this fellow even know how to use gu?
"Of course!" Dong Rui said smugly. "When I say something, I see it through."
He couldn't wait to head out, silver from He Lingchuan tucked in his robe, ready to splurge lavishly.
Oh, wait—no, this was official business, official business!
After the weariness of travel these past few days, Master Dong needed to unwind.
The pleasure quarters of Bodu were truly thriving. Which establishment should he visit?
With an attitude of rigorous academic inquiry, Dong Rui intended to visit several.
Yet the moment his foot crossed the inn's threshold, whoosh—two figures darted past at breakneck speed, nearly crashing headlong into him.
He couldn't see their faces, only that they ran blazingly fast, clearly possessing cultivation.
Clatter, clatter, clatter. In the blink of an eye, the two vanished down an alleyway to his rear.
Fleeing for their lives? Dong Rui cursed under his breath.
The people on the street didn't make a fuss either, wearing indifferent expressions as they carried on with whatever they were doing.
Yet Dong Rui had walked barely a dozen paces when over thirty bailiffs rounded the corner, sprinting furiously in his direction.
One look was enough to tell they were chasing someone.
Dong Rui finally understood why those two earlier had bolted for dear life.
He kept his head down and went on his way, but just as the bailiffs were about to sweep past him, their leader abruptly turned to look at him, raised an arm, and pointed: "That's him!"
Who? Who're you talking about?
Seeing the man pointing at him, Dong Rui looked left and right, but there was not a soul beside him.
He shifted two steps to the left, and the pointing finger shifted along with him, still aimed dead at him.
With a shout from the leader, dozens of subordinates surged forward, clanking manacles ready to seize him.
The berserk ape perched on Dong Rui's shoulder chattered twice, itching to leap down.
Dong Rui clamped a hand over it. "Don't."
A demon ape running amok in the Bo capital was a mess he had no desire to invite.
His footwork was remarkably nimble, and two or three guards lunged only to grasp empty air.
Dong Rui shouted, "I'm a visitor from out of town! You have the wrong man!"
The leader merely snapped, "Kneel! If you're not a fugitive, what are you afraid of?"
The words sounded reasonable enough, but after witnessing the caliber and virtue of the local constables, Dong Rui had zero confidence in their investigative competence or judgment of character, and he was firmly resolved never to set foot in their dungeons.
Chapter 1110