Chapter 15: A Flavorful Morning

The rhythmic *bang-bang* of the night watchman's clapper echoed through the streets.

A stretch of darkness before the dawn made the lit windows within the city appear dim.

The night watchman, who had endured the entire night, felt a surge of energy; dawn was imminent.

The night was finally over.

He had been following his elders in night watching almost since he could run. During the most chaotic years at the end of the previous dynasty, Zhao County had never been this deathly silent; it was truly bone-chilling.

It was good that dawn was coming.

But at the thought of the row of corpses displayed at the city gates, the watchman couldn't help but hunch his shoulders again.

Zhao County during the day was also terrifying.

A massacre had occurred in the county, and while officials were in a frantic rush to investigate and avenge the dead, the Embroidered Uniform Guards arrived and simply ordered the corpses to be dragged to the city gates for public display. They claimed the Jiang family were rebels. When the County Magistrate asked for evidence, that high-ranking Embroidered Guard official simply smiled and said that his word was the evidence.

"You..." He had pointed at the officials and local gentry present, "must be implicated in the rebellion as well."

Then, he ordered everyone who had ever dealt with the Jiang family to recount their interactions with them one by one.

Jiang Wangchun was a local teacher; almost every child in the county had studied under him or received basic education from him. In other words, everyone in Zhao County was implicated in the rebellion!

This was blatant persecution!

He might have been as handsome as the Erlang Zhenjun, but he was a complete bastard!

Taking advantage of the thick darkness, the watchman spat fiercely and struck his clapper again. Suddenly, he saw a light glowing from a storefront ahead.

Familiar with the county, the watchman recognized it instantly as the Weiyuan Escort Agency.

Because the Embroidered Uniform Guards did not follow human logic, everyone in Zhao County avoided them. Without people around, more than half of the shops remained closed during the day, and the agency's business was not what it used to be. Furthermore, the owner of the agency, Li Zhen, had been summoned to the county yamen to wait, and his son, Li Hao, who had taken over the family business, had gone out on an escort mission and had not yet returned.

Who would be there in the middle of the night?

The watchman approached slowly and saw that not only were the lights on, but the four large doors of the agency were wide open.

This...

It was far too early to open the doors.

The watchman thought to himself. As he drew closer, he saw swaying shadows inside.

Heh, quite a crowd.

Could they have taken on a big contract?

Thinking this, the watchman walked to the entrance and stood still, preparing to offer a greeting. Just as he opened his mouth, his face contorted as he saw the figures hanging inside the open doorway—

*Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!*

The urgent, irregular clanging of the night watchman's clapper shattered the pre-dawn silence.

"Murder! There's been a murder!"

...

........

Yang Luo jolted awake, seeing the dim blue light of the room.

She pressed a hand to her chest, her heart racing.

It must have been a nightmare. In truth, ever since her rebirth, she had suffered nightmares every night—or more accurately, she relived her past reality.

When she was among the beggars or sleeping outdoors, she hadn't dared to sleep too deeply, fearing she might accidentally say something she shouldn't.

Last night was the first time she had slept alone, so she had slept soundly.

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but feel grateful for Ah Sheng's choice.

Before setting out, she had suggested they continue to disguise themselves as men. Although her mother had used other corpses to fake her death, it was better to be safe—or they could simply remain beggars so as not to attract attention on the road.

But the young hunter had shaken his head in opposition.

"If we dress as men, you and I would have to eat and live together. Although you trust me, Miss, there is a distinction between men and women that would be inconvenient. Neither of us would rest well, and if someone falls ill on the road due to lack of rest, it will be a great trouble."

"Furthermore, if we pretend to be beggars, it might actually invite trouble. Beggars are vulnerable and can be bullied by anyone. But if we appear to be wealthy, people will be more cautious and hesitant. That is why they say, 'travel with wealth when leaving a poor home.'"

Yang Luo was not a stubborn person, especially since her sole objective now was to have Ah Sheng by her side as they traveled to the capital. Therefore, she listened to whatever he said.

Following Ah Sheng's plan, they had purchased fine horses and a good carriage. She had also bought some beautiful clothes, checked into a high-end room at the inn, and was generous with the staff. As expected, they were treated with great respect.

Yang Luo massaged her neck. Perhaps she had slept too well in one position, as her neck felt a bit stiff.

She got up to stretch, performed some simple washing, and watched the light brighten. She thought about checking if Ah Sheng was awake; since she hadn't been sleeping well lately, the young hunter likely hadn't either. She hoped he had a good night's rest.

Just as she opened the door, she saw an inn waiter looking up toward the floor while carrying a food box.

"The lady is awake." He greeted her with a smile and pointed to the box. "Your guard has brewed some calming soup for you."

Ah Sheng? Yang Luo asked hurriedly, "Is he up already?"

The waiter brought the box up. "He woke before dawn, fed the horses, cleaned the carriage, and even selected several medicinal herbs to brew this soup for you. He said the inn's calming soup wasn't potent enough, so he is now preparing breakfast."

Even though Ah Sheng came from a hunter's background, his care was incredibly meticulous.

"I looked after my grandfather for several years while he was growing up; being a guard is just like looking after the elderly. I'm used to it."

Ah Sheng had told her this.

Yang Luo took the soup from the waiter. The medicinal scent was much stronger than the one provided by the inn yesterday.

The waiter mentioned that Ah Sheng had personally selected the herbs.

Yang Luo tried to offer the waiter a tip, but he declined.

"It was all the young master's hard work; we cannot accept more money."

Ah Sheng truly knew how to win people over. Yang Luo couldn't help but smile, until she suddenly saw someone running through the inn's courtyard, accompanied by a commotion from ahead.

"What's happening? What's the matter?" Yang Luo asked, feeling a hint of tension.

The waiter didn't know either. Just as he was about to go ask, the young hunter, now dressed in black cloth, returned.

His expression was grim.

"Miss, someone has died outside."

Someone died? Yang Luo and the waiter looked on in shock.

The entire street was surrounded by guards in black with gold embroidery.

A black-clad guard knelt on the ground, his bright red sleeve fluttering. Wei Jiao stepped down, walking over the man's back, and took a deep breath.

"The scent of blood is truly thick," he said.

The scent of blood was indeed thick—so thick that the people standing at the street entrance felt a wave of nausea.

But Wei Jiao showed no sign of disgust; instead, he looked almost intoxicated.

He looked toward the open doorway and pointed toward the figures hanging inside.

These people had either been pierced through the chest or the throat. Blood dripped from their bodies, soaking their robes and pooling on the floor in a crimson expanse.

"One, two..."

Wei Jiao counted on his fingers.

"Fourteen."

There were fourteen corpses in total.

"The city gate guards said Li Hao returned last night," a black-clad guard whispered beside him, pointing to a gate guard who had been seized and was being held under control.

Wei Jiao glanced at the gate guard. Seeing the men kneeling on the ground with pale faces, clearly terrified and dazed, it was obvious they couldn't fathom how the people they had seen alive and laughing just last night could have turned into corpses.

"The people were killed in the rear warehouse," the guard continued, pointing to the long, bloody drag marks on the floor of the hall. "Then they were dragged here and hung up."

Wei Jiao looked at the chaotic bloodstains in the room. Although this wasn't the actual site of the struggle, it was still a bloody scene; one could only imagine the hellish sight in the warehouse.

His gaze stopped at the center of the hall, where four large, blood-red characters were written.

"Life for a life," Wei Jiao read aloud. He then laughed, his eyes dark and cold. He turned to look at the officials and prominent families of Zhao County who had been escorted behind him. "You people of Zhao County certainly play at mutual slaughter quite well!"

The dozen or so officials and elites of Zhao County were deathly pale. Among them, an elderly man in his sixties sitting in a wheelchair was trembling uncontrollably.

Suddenly, the old man let out a strange, wheezing laugh. He bit down hard, blood flowing from his mouth and nose, and his head slumped as he died instantly.

"Commander!" a black-clad guard stepped forward to check and shouted, "Li Zhen has committed suicide by poison!"

Wei Jiao was not angry. Instead, he reached out and counted: "Fifteen."

Then he laughed.

"Ah, fifteen exactly. Just like the Jiang family—it looks very beautiful displayed at the city gates."