The Golden Age - Chapter 72: Zhiming Academy
In the middle of the night, the Marquess sat in his brightly lit manor and looked at Shi Ling who was kneeling in front of him with a gloomy face. After a while, he asked coldly, “Flipped over the wall?”
“Sir, that is correct. The woman that we are looking for arrived at the east gate and climbed up the wall.” Shi Ling replied, “When the guards saw her, they immediately shot arrows trying to kill her. But her skills were incredible, she dodged them and also beat up the two guards on the outside.”
“Did they see Qin Xiao with the woman?”
Shi Ling replied, “The woman had a person on her back. Many people saw clearly that the person on her back looks almost identical to Qin Xiao. Some even reported that they saw Qin Xiao’s wine gourd. Qin Xiao has a habit of drinking, and the gourd almost never leaves his body. It can be almost certain the woman and Qin Xiao left together tonight.”
The Marquess frowned. Beside him stood a scribe, he whispered, “Marquess, Qin Xiao knew that you were going to search every single inch of the city. Maybe that’s why they left tonight.”
“Have you figured out where the woman came from?” After thinking for a moment, the Marquess ignored the scribe and asked, “Where did she come from?”
Shi Ling lowered his head. “I’m not completely sure yet, but I suspect that she’s probably from Sword Valley.”
The Marquess frowned again. “From Sword Valley?”
“I myself asked several people at the Golden Bait Casino.” Shi Ling replied, “According to their descriptions and what I know about her, she should be around the age of twenty-six, loves to gamble, looks pretty, and her voices sound like someone from the Kunlun Mountains. Her cultivation level is in the Intermediate Heavenly Realm and fits almost every description with a person named Mu Yeji, one of the six masters of Sword Valley.”
“Since the incident that happened a decade ago, the people of Sword Valley have always been around the Kunlun Mountains. Why is Mu Yeji in Gui City?” The Marquess asked, “Qin Xiao is a jailer, how did he meet someone from the Sword Valley?”
Shi Ling replied, “I’m also puzzled. Qin Xiao is a member of the Manor of the Governor. People of Sword Valley would never be around government members. I can never imagine why a jailer would be with someone from Sword Valley.”
“Could Qin Xiao be a spy in Gui City from the Sword Valley?” The scribe suddenly spoke again, “According to our investigation, Qin Xiao was rescued by Meng Zimo three years ago on the side of the road. He was infected with the epidemic at the time and only survived due to the help of the Manor of the Governor. This history sounds really suspicious.”
“Spy from Sword Valley?” The Marquess leaned back onto his chair. “If he is from Sword Valley, then why did he attempt the assassination with Meng Zimo? It would only make sense if he is completely loyal to the Manor of the Governor. If he really is from Sword Valley, then he should know better than to make enemies with me. We never bothered the Sword Valley and they never bothered us before. We even helped each other back in the day. Although we can’t really call each other friends, we’re definitely not enemies.”
The scribe whispered again, “Marquess, this time Qin Xiao killed Lang Shenshui and injured the young master. Mu Yeji also killed four of our assassins at Qin Xiao’s house. Regardless of our relationship before, it’s gone now.”
The Marquess sneered. “Sword Valley is completely out of control right now. The six masters are in conflict with each other. Now they make enemies with us? That’s literally seeking their own death.”
“After Mu Yeji and Qin Xiao escaped, I already sent Wolf Riders to follow them,” said Shi Ling.
“Are they going into the Pass?” The scribe asked.
Shi Ling replied, “They should know that if they stayed in Xiling, then one day they’ll be found by us. The only way for them to escape would be to leave Xiling.” He stopped for a second, then continued, “They have two routes to escape. One, they could go toward the north and enter the grasslands in the Tusun territory. But that’s not likely. The second choice would be to go to the Jia Yu Pass and hide there.”
The scribe nodded. “The environment up North in the Moxi grasslands are indeed bad, they wouldn’t go there. Commander Shi is right, the only way they would go would be the Pass.”
“So even if my Wolf Riders can’t capture them, they’ll go to Jia Yu Pass and stop them there.” Shi Ling continued, “I’ll make it impossible for them to enter.”
The Marquess thought about it for a second before saying, “What if it’s a trick?”
“Trick?” The Scribe looked at the Marquess. “Marquess, didn’t Mu Yeji bring Qin Xiao with him?”
The Marquess said slowly, “Since Mu Yeji is that strong and can easily flip over the walls, how come our guards happened to see her? Did she purposefully let us see so that we would draw our attention there and Qin Xiao is actually still in Gui City?”
Shi Ling immediately replied, “Marquess, although that situation is possible, it’s extremely unlikely.”
“Oh?”
“We have completely surrounded the Manor of the Governor. There will be no way Qin Xiao can get any sort of help or assistance from the Manor of the Governor.” Shi Ling replied, “Other than Mu Yeji, there would be no one else strong enough to protect him. He should know that if he stayed in Gui City, he’ll definitely be caught. The only person who could help him get over the walls would be a master like Mu Yeji.”
The Marquess did not speak. Instead, the scribe nodded slightly, “Marquess, Commander Shi’s reasonings sound correct. If Qin Xiao stayed in Gui City, he’ll be found sooner or later. He could only use Mu Yeji’s assistance to help him leave the city as soon as possible. Now that Mu Yeji is gone, there’s no way he’ll still be in the city.”
The Marquess couldn’t think of anything that was wrong with this logic, so he ordered, “Shi Ling, send another team toward the North.”
“Is the Marquess worried that they will guess we’ll block their path at Jia Yu Pass?” The scribe asked, “Maybe they’ll be smart and go toward the North.”
Shi Ling respectfully replied, “Yes, sir!”
“Also, keep searching the city.” The Marquess continued, “Do not overlook anywhere. Send more posters saying, ‘If anyone who saw Qin Xiao and Mu Yeji or give us any clues, there’ll be rewards.'”
Shi Ling knew that the Marquess was doing this to be careful just in case his prediction was right.
While the Marquess was discussing their plan, Qin Xiao and Hong Ye had already arrived at the foot of the walls on the west side.
After Mu Yeji left, Hong Ye changed into a pair of black clothes and left within an hour. She led Qin Xiao to the walls on the west side.
When Mu Yeji left the city from the east, she will attract the attention of the Manor of the Marquess. Since their attention would be directed there, the guards at the west gates should be less cautious.
This time, she was not dressed as an old woman.
Before going out, she changed into tight-fitting clothes meant for sneaking around during the night. This allows easier mobility and faster movements.
But in this way, her body shape was also exposed.
The tights outlined her whole body out.
Hong Ye didn’t look as hot as Mu Yeji, but every body part was well proportioned. Thin waist, long body, and when she walks, her muscles look healthy and lively.
She was a bit thinner than Mu Yeji, and had a thin and long pair of legs.
Mu Yeji was casual and lazy most of the time, but compared to Mu Yeji, Hong Ye looked like a leopard that will burst out any moment.
The process of instantly changing from an old woman into a beautiful and young lady really amazed Qin Xiao.
But he was still confused as to why a person with so much potential like Hong Ye would spend all these years disguised as an old woman living inside a tiny shop.
It was already about one in the morning. There were guards all day and night, but with them standing at the corner, it would be really difficult for the guards to see them.
Although the walls of Gui City were not as tall as those of big cities, they’re not low either. The walls are sturdy and smooth. For ordinary people, climbing up these walls would only happen in a dream.
Standing at the foot of the wall, Hong Ye did not waste any time. She took out a long cattle tendon rope from the bag she brought and tied it to a metal hook. She held the hook, looked at the top of the wall, and threw it towards the top. She did this quickly and smoothly that it looked like she’s done this many times before.
The rope was like a small dragon flying into the sky at incredible speed. Qin Xiao opened his mouth wide, not believing a gentle woman like Hong Ye could have such strength.
Crack!
The iron hook had already stuck on the top of the wall. Hong Ye pulled twice to make sure that it was stable and then grabbed it with both hands. She said quietly to Qin Xiao, “I’ll throw the rope down after I get up. Tie it to your waist.” With that, she stepped on the wall and ran up in an instant.
After that, Hong Ye threw the rope back down. Qin Xiao tied it around his waist as instructed and pulled the rope to signal Hong Ye everything was ready.
Hong Ye pulled Qin Xiao to the top and looked on the other side. After making sure there were no guards around, Hong Ye whispered, “After you leave the city, find a remote place to live. Do not come near Gui City for at least the next half a year.”
Grandma Hong! Qin Xiao wanted to say that, but at this moment, it doesn’t really make sense to call her a grandma, so he whispered, “Sister Hong Ye, how do I find you in the future?”
“Don’t look for me.” Hong Ye said coldly, “Just take care of yourself.”
“Why don’t you come with me?” asked Qin Xiao, “I don’t think I can handle it alone.”
Hong Ye sneered. “Can’t handle it? Do you think you’ll have people protecting you every day? It’s your own path, you must walk it yourself. Some people can only help you for a bit, but no one will walk with you until the end. Do you understand?”
Qin Xiao’s lips moved but didn’t speak.
“The Marquess should be searching Wood Street soon.” Hong Ye continued, “If I leave, then my shop closing at this time of the year would be very suspicious.”
Qin Xiao knew what Hong Ye meant. He nodded and suddenly asked, “I only have one question. I hope you can answer before I leave.”
Hong Ye hesitated for a moment before nodding.
“Did you stay in Wood Street all these years because of me?” Qin Xiao looked at Hong Ye’s beautiful eyes and asked, “Is it because of me that stayed in that shop alone for so many years?”
Hong Ye did not reply. Instead, she changed the topic, “If one day, you are in some serious trouble, go to the capital.” She leaned towards Qin Xiao’s ear and whispered, “Zhiming Academy. Remember this place.”
Qin Xiao wanted to say more, but Hong Ye had already turned around. “It’s time to go. Stop wasting time.” Before Qin Xiao was about to go down, he asked for one last time, “What is Zhiming Academy? Are you from the capital? What does that have to do with me?”
“Stay alive.” Hong Ye looked at Qin Xiao’s eyes. “There are no rules, no restrictions, no justice. Just make sure you stay alive, otherwise, many people will be disappointed.” Without another word, she pressed Qin Xiao down the wall and sent him down with the rope.
Qin Xiao landed on the other side, untied the rope, and the rope was quickly pulled up. He raised his head to look at her one last time, but she had already disappeared.
Qin Xiao carried the bag that Hong Ye had prepared for him and quickly walked toward the west. Every once a while, he would look back at Gui City and watch it slowly disappear behind his tracks.
“Goodbye, Gui City!” Qin Xiao said in his head, “But one day, I’ll be back.”
Edited by: EyljeeÂ