ebookland Chapter 322 The Mystery of the Snowy Canal Transport
Chapter 322 The Mystery of the Snowy Canal Transport
Chang'an during the Zhenguan era appeared to be a bustling and prosperous city, but hidden beneath the surface was a deep pool of undercurrents, where every ripple could potentially unleash a raging storm.
Beneath the eaves of the corner tower of Zhuquefang, Niwanzi and Du Xiaobing, like two black panthers poised to pounce, stared intently at the habitual thief couple weaving through the crowd. The woman gracefully waved her wide sleeves, as if performing an elegant dance, while the man, his clothes slightly tucked in, straightened out the wrinkles. In the blink of an eye, a silver ingot had been transferred to a different owner without anyone noticing.
"Go!" Niwan Zi and Du Xiaobing exchanged a glance, their figures shooting out like arrows. In a few leaps, they had the thieving couple completely subdued and were escorting them towards the Jingzhao Prefecture. The people along the way clapped and cheered, some even joking, "These two constables are more impressive than the heroes on the stage!"
Meanwhile, inside the "Wolf King's Residence" on West Street, a bronze mirror reflected the Wolf King's newly styled hair, with a few stray strands playfully clinging to the ends. He casually tossed his black cloak over his shoulder, about to leave, when he heard hurried footsteps approaching from afar.
Song Erjiu stumbled over, his coarse cloth clothes stained with grass clippings, and his face showed the same panic as a rabbit that had just escaped from the jaws of a hungry wolf. "Hero, save me!"
Song Erjiu clutched the wolf king's sleeve, her sobbing voice laced with a touch of acting, while her other hand, like a viper's hiss, silently reached for the copper key at the wolf king's waist. But the wolf king seemed to have eyes in the back of his head; with a gentle twist of his wrist, the copper key landed steadily in his palm.
Song Erjiu was struck dumb, collapsing to the ground, his face ashen. "Great hero, spare our lives! We three will endure another six months in Licheng before fleeing to another place. Please, have mercy!" Song Erjiu pleaded desperately.
The Wolf King looked down at him, a half-smile playing on his lips. He pulled out a Golden Guard token from his sleeve and sneered, "If you can steal the Golden Guard's carrier pigeon flag, I'll spare you this time."
The next day at noon, the market was as bustling as a boiling cauldron, with shouts and calls of vendors rising and falling. Song Erjiu mingled in the crowd, his eyes fixed on the Imperial Guards patrolling not far away. The carrier pigeon flag gleamed coldly in the sunlight, swaying gently with the steps of the leading guard, as if in defiance.
Song Erjiu took a deep breath, pretended to be drunk and stumbled forward, snatching the command flag with lightning speed. By the time the Imperial Guards reacted, he had already slipped into the crowd like an eel.
The guards mounted their horses and gave chase, while the Wolf King leaned against the carved window on the second floor of the tavern, leisurely sipping his wine and watching Song Erjiu darting about below. His eyes were full of mockery, and his smile grew even more pronounced.
Inside the Jingzhao Prefecture government office, the thief couple knelt on the bluestone slabs, tears mingling with dust, looking like two pathetic quails. "We only resorted to this desperate measure to cure our young daughter, Kuaizi's, illness!"
The woman, her face filled with sorrow, slowly took out a tattered swaddling cloth from her bosom. Inside the cloth lay a child with a sallow complexion and barely breathing. This little girl was named Yu'er, and her nickname was Kuaizi (Chopsticks).
Du Xiaobing squatted down and gently touched the child's forehead. His eyes instantly reddened, and he turned to look at Niwanzi with pleading eyes. Niwanzi sighed helplessly and led everyone to the thief couple's house. Pushing open the mottled wooden door, a musty smell hit them. Inside, there was nothing but a broken bed and a few old quilts.
Niwan Zi frowned and suddenly asked the female thief, "Have you ever lured innocent passersby to a secluded spot to commit your crime?" The female thief paused for a moment and murmured, "The most dangerous place is the safest..." These words were like a heavy hammer blow, instantly reminding Niwan Zi of Huo Bing's cold and aloof face, and her eyes turned icy cold in an instant.
The thieving couple was caught, but the habitual thief, Four-Eyes, became a pariah. Whenever he appeared in the cloth shops and rice stores of the East Market, the shopkeepers treated him like a plague carrier, ordering their employees to chase him away.
That evening, Four-Eyes made another mistake and was forced into a dark and damp alley by several of his colleagues. Moonlight filtered through the high walls, casting pale patches of light. He leaned against the moss-covered brick wall, his dagger trembling slightly, large beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.
"Brothers, I... I'll join you, okay?" Before he could finish speaking, fists and clubs rained down on him. Four-Eyes curled up on the ground, letting out screams of agony.
In the distance, the Wolf King leaned against the wall, watching the scene with great interest. After everyone dispersed, he slowly walked out and helped the nearly lifeless Four-Eyes to his feet: "Let's go, have a hot meal at my place." Four-Eyes raised his blood-covered face, his eyes filled with shock and gratitude.
Niwan Zi and Cong Xiaoye were escorting the thief when, suddenly, the thief's eyes rolled back and he collapsed to the ground. The two hurriedly carried the thief towards Huobing Medical Clinic. Inside the clinic, the air was filled with the aroma of herbs. Huobing, dressed in a plain white dress, was grinding medicinal herbs. Hearing the sound, she looked up, her willow-leaf eyebrows furrowing slightly, and quickly stepped forward to take his pulse.
After a long while, she gently shook her head: "The pulse is disordered, I can't figure out the cause of the illness, please go to the Imperial Hospital for treatment immediately." Niwan Zi stood aside, his eyes watching her every move like a hawk. Although her expression was normal, he always felt that something was strange about her.
Meanwhile, a thousand miles away on the snowy plains of Tibet, Si Zi stroked a Bagua compass. Suddenly, the metal surface emitted an eerie blue light, causing her pupils to contract slightly. The compass needle spun wildly, eventually pointing towards Chang'an. "Qiu Rongmu, look!" She tugged at the sleeve of the person beside her, only to find that the other person was staring intently at a mani stone pile in the distance.
Qiu Rongmu frowned, pointing to the shadowy figure that appeared and disappeared under the prayer flag: "Someone is following us." Before he finished speaking, three fast horses galloped in, breaking through the morning mist. The Golden Guard token on the waist of the leader was so bright in the sunlight that it was hard to open one's eyes.
Si Zi suddenly remembered the strange phenomenon of the compass, and alarm bells rang in his mind—this token was indeed exactly the same as the one in the wolf king's hand!