ebookland Chapter 687 - 686: Malicious Intent
Chapter 687 - 686: Malicious Intent
About an hour later, those remaining in the mountain stronghold saw a group of eight set out on their journey. Among them were Captain Liao and a soldier under his command from General Situ, two imposing guards from the side of the Golden-faced Imperial Censor, and four unfamiliar faces.
The people in the mountain stronghold were puzzled, but considering that Captain Liao, after arriving, only showed deference to the Golden-faced Imperial Censor and was sternly silent towards others, they held some respect for him, knowing he was from General Situ’s side, and didn’t dare to rashly inquire further.
The two guards beside the Golden-faced Imperial Censor were even more untouchable, responding only to their master and ignoring others completely.
So, the crowd decided not to probe further—after all, the Golden-faced Imperial Censor had already arranged everyone’s departures; they chose to mind their business.
Among the eight setting out from the mountain stronghold, the four unfamiliar faces were naturally Lu Qing, Zhu Yu, Chang Yu, and Lin Kun.
Lu Qing and Zhu Yu were quite adept at disguising themselves, similar to their previous experiences elsewhere.
Lin Kun, being a brawny person, was given a small bundle by Lu Qing and donned a large robe. With facial prosthetics, he appeared as a portly middle-aged man, wealthy in appearance. If not for his calloused large hands, one wouldn’t guess he was a hardened martial artist.
The eight rode their horses tirelessly, day and night, crossing the large mountain between the stronghold and the capital, arriving at the capital area within a few days.
This was Lu Qing and Zhu Yu’s first time reaching the capital of Lan Country. Their previous encounters with Immortal Castle and Little Mountain Building were far from the capital, and this time, as they traveled from afar, they found the areas they passed through bleak; even the slightly bustling towns paled in comparison to elsewhere.
Zhu Yu had thought that things would surely improve somewhat upon reaching the capital, but she found that while the situation resembled her expectations in some ways, it also greatly differed.
The guards of Lan City’s capital weren’t very strict; the group of eight easily entered, and the bustling city was crowded with people and lively markets.
As they walked, Zhu Yu’s brow furrowed.
Not long after entering the city and reaching a busier area, she detected a faint fragrance in the air. Though they had already donned the scented pouches prepared by Mu Hong and taken detoxification pills before entering the city, the pervasive aroma made her uneasy.
Moreover, she soon noticed that although the streets bustled with activity, she rarely saw vendors, meat stalls, cloth shops, or any places people usually frequent for daily needs. Nor did she see pharmacies or medical clinics; instead, pawn shops were abundant.
In addition, there were countless musical and performing houses on nearly every street, adorned with red silken drapes swaying in the wind like hands beckoning people towards indulgence.
The time was still early, and many of these establishments hadn’t yet officially opened, but as they walked, Zhu Yu noticed quite a few men already lingering outside, appearing impatient.
She observed these men as they walked, noting their vibrant spirits, a subtle excitement in their demeanor, and their uniformly rosy complexions.
Wanting to share her observations with Lu Qing but wary of eavesdroppers, she decided to hold back for now.
During her failed attempt to communicate with Lu Qing, she noticed the soldier under Situ Jing’s command following them. Though he showed no overt signs of abnormality, his breathing was slightly heavy compared to the rest.
Zhu Yu hadn’t interacted with this soldier before and hadn’t particularly noted his usual demeanor over the past days, so she chose to overlook it for now to prevent any commotion.
However, as they continued through two more streets, the fragrance grew stronger, and the soldier’s behavior became increasingly unusual.
His steps slowed, his face began to flush, and several times he found himself subconsciously drawn towards the music houses, each time quickly pulled back by the sharp-eyed Liao Yu.
"Tired from walking? There’s a small pavilion at that street corner; why don’t we rest there for a while," Zhu Yu quickly suggested to Lu Qing upon noticing the anomaly.
Lu Qing nodded, and the group turned into the simple street-corner pavilion, where Zhu Yu had Chang Yu and Lin Kun flank the soldier to prevent any sudden actions on his part.
"Check if his scented pouch is still there," Zhu Yu whispered to Liao Yu.
Liao Yu nodded slightly, felt around the soldier’s body, then turned to Zhu Yu and shook his head: "Gone, it might have fallen off somewhere along the way."
As expected.
Zhu Yu promptly took a spare pouch from the small wooden box in her possession and handed it to Liao Yu, who quickly fastened it around the soldier’s neck.
The herbal aroma from Mu Hong’s antidote scented pouch gradually revived the soldier’s dazed eyes and the unusual flush on his face slowly receded as he regained clarity.
Realizing his near-mistake, the soldier awkwardly tried to express something but was stopped by a glance from Lu Qing, swallowing his words and sitting silently with a guilty expression.
"The city’s fragrance indeed is suspicious," Zhu Yu softly told Lu Qing.
Lu Qing snorted softly, "Truly sinister."
Zhu Yu frowned and nodded.
By now, she had discerned the purpose behind the fragrance and the abundance of music houses lining the streets.
Someone intended to systematically strip Lan Country’s populace of their fighting spirit and self-preservation ability.
Outside the capital, the citizens, having lost their land and livelihoods, were already displaced and without fighting capability.
Within the capital, the most affluent and prominent people of Lan gather. If any among them disliked Prince Lan’s foolishness and sought to replace him, they would undoubtedly have some potential for success.
Thus, there was a need for these people to be corrupted, to wallow in indulgence and forget their aspirations, transforming even the good men into hollow shells over time.
In this way, should Lan face encroachment from neighboring countries, the entire nation might lack the ability to resist, falling prey to its adversaries.