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墨書 Inktalez
From Chang'an to Luoyang, if one rides swiftly, it is merely a two-day journey.
Thus, we summoned the energy from our previous sleepless nights, spurring our horses onward toward Luoyang.
It was "we," but in reality, it was just the two of us: me and Nie Qiuyuan.
We felt something was amiss; after all, it was merely an intuition. We could not afford to let our guard down regarding the defenses of Chang'an and Yongzhou Prefecture. However, intuition is important, especially since we had uncovered suspicious signs of troop movements gathering at Mirror Gate heading toward Luoyang. Therefore, before we set off, we had a private audience with the Emperor and obtained the military token to mobilize the troops stationed in Luoyang.
Bai Qianfan needed to remain stationed in Yongzhou Prefecture, and most others from the Jade Balance Bureau were not skilled in combat, making their presence in Luoyang potentially dangerous. Thus, having just the two of us as scouts would suffice.
In truth, Nie Qiuyuan alone would have been enough, but he was not at ease with me staying in Chang'an. After all, I was a key target for Mirror Gate. Although I might slow him down, having me by his side provided him with some reassurance.
(Hey, I'm not that useless!)
Ahead of us were half of the Shadow of the Night. Their movements were swifter, quieter, and less noticeable. They would arrive in Luoyang first, scattering throughout to gather information and intelligence. Therefore, we were not without support.
Since Nie Qiuyuan's identity had already been exposed within Mirror Gate, we had no choice but to disguise ourselves. Autumn was a master of disguise; this time, he ambiguously allowed me to sit on his lap while applying makeup on my face with surprising skill. I couldn't fathom how he managed to do it so deftly. I recalled the first time he had made me up as a ghostly figure; his fingers brushing against my cheek had left me flustered. Ah, time is indeed a wondrous thing.
Once disguised, we appeared as two ordinary young men in the mirror—though plain-looking, we bore enough resemblance to pass as brothers. It turned out that "couple resemblance" could be fabricated; if desired, it could be made even more convincing.
Thus, the next day, two unremarkable young men silently blended into the crowd of Luoyang City.
We lingered in the city's busiest areas: markets, taverns, and even brothels. This was my first time visiting such establishments; I approached it as an archaeological endeavor with excitement and seriousness. However, my husband forbade me from flirting with the courtesans and only provided silver coins to gather information instead, which left me quite disappointed.
Efforts did not go unrewarded; after three days in Luoyang, we finally confirmed a fact.
Recently, there had indeed been many outsiders arriving. These individuals appeared unremarkable at first glance; however, their destinations seemed surprisingly consistent—all heading toward Luhun County in the western part of Luoyang.
Recalling my geographical knowledge, Luhun County seemed to correspond to present-day Song County. In Song County stood Baiyun Mountain, the highest peak in Central Plains.
Could it be that the Mirror Gate is a collective outing organized by the group, perhaps a picnic or a mountain hike?
We saddled our horses, intending to head to Luhun County to investigate further. Just as we passed through West Market, we spotted someone unexpected.
As we approached a pharmacy at West Market, the curtain of the shop suddenly parted, and a figure emerged.
It was a tall man dressed in green, draped in a wide Outer Robe, with a conical hat that obscured his face. He carried a Deep Blue bundle on his shoulder, seemingly having purchased some medicine from the pharmacy. After exiting the shop, he untied the reins of a horse tethered at the entrance and swiftly mounted it.
The way he mounted the horse was incredibly graceful; his hands gripping the reins were particularly captivating, enough to mesmerize anyone who glanced his way. I was all too familiar with this silhouette—wasn’t it Ren Pingsheng?
He was truly in Luoyang?
What was he doing here?
If Ren Pingsheng appeared in Luoyang, then Nie Qiuyuan's intuition might very well be correct; the Mirror Gate could indeed be plotting a new scheme within Luoyang City.
Ren Pingsheng spurred his horse and galloped southwest toward Luoyang City.
We quickly mounted our horses and rode in the same southwest direction. However, Nie Qiuyuan controlled our pace; we couldn't follow too closely, or else Ren Pingsheng's keen senses would surely detect our pursuit. Autumn maintained a safe distance, but this kind of tracking felt rather unreliable—we could hardly catch sight of Ren Pingsheng, as if we were following him solely by instinct.
Following every small clue along the way, we eventually reached the mountainous region of Luhun County. Gradually, signs of civilization faded away. As we ventured deeper into the mountains, riding became impossible; we tied our horses in a grove outside the mountains to let them rest and graze.
The terrain of Baiyun Mountain Area was quite complex, with peaks that were generally high and perilous. The temperature dropped in the mountains, where many peaks met the clouds and mist lightly rose from the valleys.
If someone's trail vanished into such mountainous terrain, finding them would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Yet all signs pointed to Luhun County; Ren Pingsheng had led us into this undulating range of mountains. If we didn’t search here, what other options did we have?
Nie Qiuyuan scanned the surroundings for a moment before taking my hand and heading southwest once again.
We concealed our movements as much as possible in the jungle and advanced stealthily. Although my lightness skill was lacking, I had learned how to move quietly; otherwise, how could I catch criminals in such an environment? Therefore, my stealth work was certainly better than that of the average person. Soon, we delved deep into the heart of the mountains.
Luck was on our side. I had thought we would be groping around for a long time, but everything unfolded like an RPG game, and we quickly triggered the first event.
As we entered a valley where a waterfall cascaded into a secluded gorge, a sudden clamor of voices reached our ears.
We immediately silenced ourselves and crept forward to see where the voices were coming from.
It was a shocking sight.
On a massive rock beside the waterfall stood seven or eight people, each holding swords and knives, vigilantly scanning their surroundings. At the center was an elderly man with white hair and beard, who held no weapon but appeared grave and alert.
A glance was enough for me to recognize him; he was Fu Zhifeng, the owner of the Medicine King Pavilion whom we had encountered in Chang'an City.
Just then, a gigantic creature suddenly emerged from a crevice in the rock and pounced on a young man, knocking him to the ground.
I barely managed to stifle a gasp that had risen to my throat. Upon closer inspection, I saw that the creature atop the young man was a massive centipede, entirely black and nearly as tall as a person. Its shiny body made my skin crawl. This was a creature straight out of a horror movie, and here it was right before me.
The centipede bit down on the young man's shoulder. Despite holding a weapon, he seemed unable to resist or even cry out. I guessed that these people were likely healers from the Medicine King Pavilion and that the centipede must be venomous.
The sudden turn of events left everyone present stunned; they seemed to forget to rescue their companion. The Medicine King Pavilion had once shown me kindness by providing medicine, so I tugged at Nie Qiuyuan's sleeve. After hesitating for a moment, he swiftly drew his sword. With a light step on his toes, he soared into the air like a great bird and aimed his sword at the gap in the centipede's neck armor from above.
To our surprise, the centipede's shell proved as hard as armor; despite Nie Qiuyuan's internal energy flowing through his sword tip, it merely produced a clang sound without piercing through. The centipede seemed to feel pain and loosened its grip before twisting its body to lunge at Nie Qiuyuan.
He swiftly twisted his body gracefully to evade the attack while not letting up with his sword. He struck downward from beneath the centipede, cleanly severing two of its legs.
However, given how many legs a centipede has, losing just two didn’t faze it at all. At this moment, Fu Zhifeng finally snapped out of his daze. Seizing the opportunity, he unleashed a powerful palm strike toward the Giant Centipede.
The force behind this palm strike was incredibly strong; it seemed we had guessed correctly—Fu Zhifeng was indeed an extraordinary martial artist. His strike was executed with such precision that it caused the centipede’s head to rear back high, exposing its belly to everyone’s view.
The centipede's abdomen was not encased in the hard shell like its back; instead, it was white and appeared quite soft. Nie Qiuyuan seized the opportunity, swiftly thrusting his sword deep into the centipede's belly. With a powerful twist, he opened it up, leaving the creature eviscerated.
The Giant Centipede crashed to the ground, thrashing wildly for a moment before gradually falling silent. The people from the Medicine King Pavilion, armed with their weapons, jumped back in astonishment, unsure of what to do next.
Fu Zhifeng looked at Nie Qiuyuan with a puzzled expression. After a moment of hesitation, he called out, "Lord Nie?"
I was hidden behind the bushes, startled by this turn of events. Hadn't we disguised ourselves? How could he see through it?
Outside, Nie Qiuyuan furrowed his brow. Fu Zhifeng continued, "It is you, Lord Nie? I sense another presence nearby; the aura feels quite familiar. Could it be the Respected Lady?"
I then realized that a skilled healer could discern a person's identity through the natural aura they emitted. We had changed our appearances, but it was difficult to alter this aspect—truly a significant flaw in our disguise.
"Why are you here?" Nie Qiuyuan wiped his sword clean and sheathed it. His words effectively acknowledged his identity.
Fu Zhifeng waved his hand, instructing others to quickly check on the injured and administer treatment and antidotes. He stepped forward to stand beside Nie Qiuyuan.
"Your Excellency has come to Luoyang and ventured into these desolate mountains; surely it is not without purpose?"
Upon hearing this, I was taken aback. We had come to Luoyang to investigate matters concerning the Mirror Gate; what else could there be? Was there something remarkable hidden within these mountains outside Luoyang City?
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