Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Zhang Yun struggled to get up and walked to the cave entrance, watching the direction in which the man in black had disappeared, feeling a mix of emotions. He knew that his burden had grown heavier; he not only needed to recover from his injuries but also had to uncover Li Gonggong's conspiracy, protect the emperor, and safeguard this unstable country.
Days later, Zhang Yun's injuries had mostly healed. He changed into a coarse linen outfit, tied his long hair back, and smeared some soot on his face, making him look like an ordinary villager. He bid farewell to the cave and followed the route map left by the man in black, heading west.
His destination was a small town located about a hundred miles from the capital, a necessary stop on the way to the Southwest Frontier. To avoid drawing attention, Li Gonggong would likely claim that he had been killed and send people to hunt him down. Therefore, he could not take the main roads and had to choose secluded paths to evade Li Gonggong's surveillance.
Along the way, Zhang Yun traveled through wind and rain, carefully avoiding anyone who might expose his whereabouts. He was well aware of Li Gonggong's vast influence; one misstep could lead him into a trap.
Half a month later, Zhang Yun finally arrived at the small town marked on the map. The town was nestled between mountains and rivers, with beautiful scenery, but it seemed sparsely populated. The streets were quiet, with only a few hurried pedestrians who appeared to be avoiding something.
Zhang Yun entered a tea house, ordered a pot of tea, and found a corner to sit down. As he sipped his tea, he observed his surroundings. He noticed that although there were few customers in the tea house, they came from all walks of life—wealthy merchants in fine clothes, farmers in coarse linen garments, and even a few Wanderers with long swords on their backs and curved knives at their waists.
"Sir, you must be from out of town," an elderly voice said beside him.
Zhang Yun turned to see an old man with gray hair smiling at him. The old man wore a faded coarse linen robe and held a chipped tea bowl in his hands; his murky eyes sparkled with shrewdness.
"You have sharp eyes, old man. I indeed come from afar; may I ask what advice you have?" Zhang Yun put down his teacup and cupped his hands in greeting.
The old man sat down across from Zhang Yun and lowered his voice. "Sir, you look unfamiliar; are you perhaps hiding from someone?"
Zhang Yun was taken aback but maintained his composure as he replied, "You jest, old man. I am merely passing through; there is no question of hiding."
The old man smiled and pointed at the bulging package at Zhang Yun's waist, saying, "Guest, what valuable items do you have in that package? I've noticed you've been very cautious on your journey, as if afraid of being discovered."
Zhang Yun thought to himself: This old fellow is quite perceptive; he can tell I'm hiding something. He smiled slightly and replied, "You're joking, old man. I'm just a humble merchant, and the package contains nothing of value."
The old man shook his head and said, "Guest, don't try to hide it from me. I've lived in this small town for decades; I've seen all kinds of people. You clearly are not an ordinary person, and..."
At this point, the old man suddenly stopped speaking, looking meaningfully at Zhang Yun.
Zhang Yun felt a tightening in his chest and asked, "And what?"
The old man slowly extended his hand and pointed at Zhang Yun's chest.
Zhang Yun looked down and saw that a white feather had somehow landed on his chest. The feather was pure white and emitted a faint fragrance; it was the distinctive token of the Imperial Guard.
Zhang Yun's heart sank: This is bad!
Zhang Yun quickly covered the feather on his chest with his hand, glaring at the old man with a cold gaze. "Who exactly are you?"
The old man calmly took a sip of tea, a glint of cunning flashing in his murky eyes. "I'm just an ordinary tea seller. But you, guest, possess an Imperial Guard Token. Could it be that you are from the palace?"
Zhang Yun noticed that the old man meant no harm, and he felt somewhat reassured. He stood up, placed a silver ingot on the table, and said in a deep voice, "Thank you for the reminder, but I have important matters to attend to, so I must take my leave." With that, he turned to leave.
"Please wait, honored guest!" the old man suddenly called out to him. "I can see that your forehead is dark; you may be in danger of bloodshed!"
Zhang Yun paused in his steps and turned back, his gaze sharp as he stared at the old man. "What exactly do you want to say?"
The old man sighed and slowly replied, "In the capital city, the situation has become quite turbulent. If you have no urgent matters, it would be wise to leave as soon as possible."
Zhang Yun's heart stirred. He had been away from the capital for several months; could something significant have happened during that time? He lowered his voice and asked, "Can you explain this more clearly?"
Comment 0 Comment Count