Chapter 12: Entering the City of Zhao County

Since they had to reach Zhao County to settle down, they couldn't keep waiting for the rain to stop.

Firstly, neither the people nor the horses could endure being soaked for too long; secondly, the roads would be even more muddy once the rain stopped, making it impossible for the carriage to move.

Regarding Mo Zheng's explanation, Yang Luo expressed that she would follow his lead. Thus, when the rain lightened slightly, Mo Zheng wrapped himself in a rain tarp and sat outside, urging the horse to pull the carriage forward.

Moving and stopping, after a day and a night, the walls of Zhao County appeared before their eyes.

By this time, the sky was bright, but there was almost no one entering or exiting the gates of Zhao County.

Yang Luo lifted the carriage curtain to look out, feeling somewhat puzzled. "I remember the servants at home saying that Zhao County was larger and more prosperous than Lu County. Why does it look so desolate, with no one around?"

Mo Zheng also looked confused. Upon reaching the city gate, he proactively dismounted and asked a gatekeeper who looked like he hadn't slept well, "Officer, is it possible to enter the city now?"

The gatekeeper snapped out of his daze. He didn't ignore him, nor did he tell him to get lost; instead, he curled his lips as if trying to smile. "Enter if you dare."

*Dare?* That was a strange choice of words.

"I saw almost no one and thought entry was forbidden," Mo Zheng explained. "We are exhausted from our journey. We intend to enter the city tonight to find an inn and get some proper rest."

Hearing this from inside the carriage, Yang Luo slightly lifted the curtain, her voice tinged with trepidation. "I'm fine. Perhaps we should just keep moving."

The gatekeeper looked at the pale, thin, and frail girl with the pointed face inside the carriage and curled his lip. "Don't be too frightened once you go in."

Mo Zheng wore an expression of incomprehension but did not ask further. He led the horse and carriage through the city gate.

The moment he passed through the gate, he knew why the gatekeeper had said that.

"Miss," he whispered, "get back in the carriage, quickly..."

But he was too late. Yang Luo, who had lifted the curtain to discuss finding an inn with Mo Zheng, caught sight of a row of... corpses laid out on the wide street by the city gate.

The corpses were all covered with white cloth, their shapes visible beneath. There were large and small, men and women. Even in her state of shock, she instinctively counted them: there were at least fifteen.

Although more people had died during the calamity in White Horse Town, Yang Luo had not returned to White Horse Town since that night of escape, nor had she ever seen a corpse with her own eyes.

Though they were covered in white cloth, the wind had partially lifted them, revealing the hands and feet of the dead, and a stench of decay wafted toward her—

These corpses had been dead for an unknown amount of time; their limbs had already begun to rot.

Yang Luo gripped the carriage curtain and leaned out toward the ground, retching violently as tears fell like rain.

*Mother... was Mother's body like this after she died?*

*No, Ah Sheng said Mother died in a fire. A fire... there was nothing left of her that looked human.*

"Miss..."

Seeing Yang Luo in such a state, a flash of apology crossed Mo Zheng's eyes. He turned to comfort her, but two commoners moving along the wall by the roadside saw them and hurriedly warned, "Stop patting her, just get out of here quickly!" "She's just a child; if she stays any longer, she'll lose her soul to fright."

Hearing this, Mo Zheng hurriedly urged the horse. The horse neighed and galloped forward with a rhythmic trot. The sudden jolting sent Yang Luo falling back into the carriage, and the carriage quickly sped away from the place.

...

...

Although Zhao County lacked its usual bustle, there were still people walking the streets and guests eating at two tables in the inn. A waiter stood idly by the entrance; seeing the carriage stop and the youth helping a pale, weak girl with tear-stained cheeks out of the carriage, he immediately approached with sympathy.

"Are you from outside?" he asked.

Mo Zheng nodded.

The waiter sighed and called out to the interior, "Fourth Brother, bring a bowl of calming soup."

Another waiter responded.

"There's no need to trouble you," Yang Luo said weakly.

"It's no trouble. You aren't the only one who needs it; everyone needs it. Right now, everyone in Zhao County has had their souls frightened out of them." A waiter brought the calming soup over. "Every household has some prepared."

Mo Zheng offered his thanks and helped Yang Luo sit down. Yang Luo took the soup and began to sip it in small amounts.

She could not fall ill. She had to get better. Her life was her mother's life; she could not let her mother's tragic death be in vain.

Mo Zheng saw that although her complexion was still poor, her eyes had regained some spirit, and he felt relieved. He turned to ask the waiter, "What happened back there?"

The waiter glanced cautiously outside and lowered his voice. "It's the family of Mr. Jiang from our city's Chunliu Academy. They met with a disaster."

Mo Zheng was puzzled. "A disaster? They were victims; why were their bodies displayed at the city gate?"

Only those who had committed heinous crimes were displayed after death as a form of punishment.

Another waiter let out a cold sneer. "Because a high official from the capital said Mr. Jiang was a traitor, so his entire family had to be displayed at the city gate as a warning."

The other waiters hurriedly signaled him to be quiet. "Say less. Do you want to be dragged out for public display too?"

Fear surfaced on the waiter's face, but he still muttered under his breath, "Without any evidence... I think they just couldn't catch the real culprits, so they framed the victims instead."

Yang Luo's expression also turned strange. She wanted to say something, but Mo Zheng interrupted her.

"Since we've entered, we will stay here for the night," he said, then turned to Yang Luo. "Miss, shall I go call a doctor?"

Yang Luo waved her hand. "No need. I'll rest for a bit, and I'll be fine once we leave tomorrow."

The waiter deduced from their manner of speaking that the youth was a servant and the girl was the young lady of the house. He complied, personally leading them to a superior room and specifically selecting an adjacent ordinary room to make it convenient for the servant to attend to her.

This arrangement pleased the young lady. She instructed her servant, "Ah Sheng, give the waiter some money for tea."

Mo Zheng took a few copper coins from his pouch and handed them to the waiter.

The waiter, overjoyed, thanked them repeatedly and withdrew.

Only then did Yang Luo whisper to Mo Zheng, "Was the Jiang family also killed by bandits? Surely not... would they go so far as to create a fake scenario for us by even targeting Zhao County?"

Even though she was a victim, she felt this was too exaggerated.

Mo Zheng shook his head. "It should be a different case."

Yang Luo recalled the corpses from earlier—old and young. It was clear the entire family had been slaughtered.

"The world is so chaotic," she murmured softly.

She had never left home since she was a child. It was like this in White Horse Town, and it would likely be the same in the capital. The only time she had traveled was under the protection of the Ding'an Duke's manor, where everything had been safe and smooth, without seeing criminals or the dead.

"Yes, so traveling is not easy," Mo Zheng said. "Miss, for now..."

He was about to advise her not to go further, but Yang Luo preempted him. "Go check if the horses are settled. Our journey depends entirely on them. Make sure they have enough fodder."

Mo Zheng smiled and pressed his bamboo pole against his chest. "As you command," he said, before walking out without further word.

Watching the door close, Yang Luo exhaled softly. Traveling was indeed not easy, but she had Ah Sheng.

Not only would she need him on the road, but she would need him even more once they reached the capital. She must never give him the chance to leave her behind.

...

...

As night fell, the inn became very quiet.

Yang Luo had already fallen asleep, but her sleep was restless. Her brow furrowed from time to time, and she let out intermittent sobs.

Mo Zheng leaned down slightly and heard vague words through her weeping: "...don't kill me..." "...why kill me..." "...Zhu Yunxiao..."

It seemed that in the girl's foresight, she died as well.

And she didn't die in White Horse Town, but in the capital.

Yet despite this, the girl was still determined to head toward the capital.

She certainly had a large amount of courage.

Mo Zheng straightened his body and reached out, pressing his finger gently against the side of Yang Luo's neck.

Yang Luo's head tilted slightly, her previously tense body relaxed, her furrowed brow smoothed out, and her sobbing ceased.

This way, she wouldn't wake up startled in the middle of the night.

Mo Zheng turned toward the outside. With a light tap of his bamboo pole, he passed through the window and vanished into the night.

(End of Chapter)