Gong Yu sat on the bed.
Dressed in white, her hair held up by a jade hairpin, which accentuated her clear, cool features.
She listened intently to the low whispers of the boy on the rooftop, a flicker of unusual color passing through her eyes.
For the innkeeper, this night was destined to be one of insomnia.
A bloodbath, no less than five lives lost.
In the demeanor of the people of Great Qin, it wasn't enough to shut down business, but it was ample fodder for the neighborhood gossips to prattle on about for a good while in his ear.
Wang Anfeng sat on the roof all night. It was rare for government officials to encounter such a major case. Riding horses and carrying torches, they scurried through the streets like fire snakes, a rather striking sight. The most formidable figure in the city was an Eighth Rank military officer, who seemed quite excited about showing off his skills on a significant case.
He questioned everyone involved with vigor, the room where the murders occurred was sealed off, and two officials with saber at their hips stood guard at the door, occasionally yawning but standing ramrod straight.
They toiled all night until the dawn began to show a faint white glow.
The travelers from the Dashi gang were finally questioned and led towards the county jail. Each looked ragged, entangled in a case of murder and human trafficking. Wu Lao Liu and his group likely couldn't avoid some suffering.
The boy stretched and leaped down from the inn's roof, landing lightly without going inside, but turning onto the street. The sleeping county city of Great Qin gradually awoke in the morning light, as familiar vendors greeted each other, and the life and human sentiment typical of Great Qin filled the air.
The inn had not yet spread news of the homicide, so peace prevailed. Wang Anfeng found some hot pork buns and freshly made soy milk. The buns were wrapped in greased paper, and the soy milk was put into a bamboo tube, its lid fastened with a bamboo stick and tied with a thick thread through holes on either side, which made a crisp sound when jostled, creating a full and satisfying bundle.
Back at the inn, the shopkeeper, unsurprisingly, had no mind to prepare breakfast, his chubby cheeks with dark circles under his eyes seemed to have slimmed down overnight. Wang Anfeng handed the food to Baili Feng to distribute.
He then took two buns and a bamboo tube of soy milk and gently pushed open his room door to find the child awake, huddled in the corner trembling.
Even on a face unrecognizable with features, one could see full-blown wariness and fear of the unfamiliar surroundings. The tension in his body eased when he saw Wang Anfeng, a look of affinity and embarrassment crossing his face.
Wang Anfeng smiled, walked over, and handed the boy the breakfast. Watching him hesitate before starting to devour the food greedily, the pork bun, the size of an adult's fist and the freshly made soy milk was quickly half gone. Though clearly starved, he stopped eating after half a bun, rewrapped it neatly in the greaseproof paper, and carefully placed the soy milk aside.
The customs of Great Qin are generally plain, especially in the counties and border cities, and the bun was genuinely substantial. With oily hands, he greedily licked his fingers clean, his pupils glowing with delight.
He looked up at Wang Anfeng and said:
The young man smiled warmly and asked:
"Why have you stopped eating..."
The child paused, struggling to reply:
"Father, back home, hasn't eaten yet."
"I'm saving it, for Father."
Wang Anfeng suddenly felt a tightness in his heart. He raised his hand and gently stroked the child's head, softly saying:
"Eat without worry, there is plenty more. What's for your father has also been bought."
But the child stubbornly shook his head, his face once again showing embarrassment as he said:
"You, you saved me..."
"I shouldn't trouble you any further."
As he spoke, his gaze involuntarily shifted towards the bun in his hand, seemingly feeling that having just partaken of the bun diminished the convincing power of his words. A blush of embarrassment surfaced on his face, he opened his mouth, raised his head to look at Wang Anfeng, lifted the bun in his hand, and said,
"I, I will repay you, help you."
Wang Anfeng felt a pang of discomfort in his heart, yet his expression remained gentle.
He nodded, earnestly saying,
The child looked slightly bewildered, as if puzzled. The youth stroked his hair and chuckled lightly,
"Thank you for helping me in the future."
Despite the murder case, Wang Anfeng and his group encountered no obstruction in their departure.
In Jianghu, the identity of a first-class expert, just below a Grandmaster, within the Qingfeng Edge of the Hidden Sect, was now the greatest pass. The rough and robust Military Officer before the indifferent Gong Yu almost assumed the demeanor of a Confucian Scholar well-versed in poetry and literature.
Upon learning that Wang Anfeng intended to personally escort the child on his quest for family, not only did he not perceive it as a difficulty, but he also kept giving his consent. The Government Officials heaved sighs of relief, looking at Wang Anfeng kindly, almost wishing to present the youth with a grand plaque of commendation.
Searching for lost relatives, especially in cases where the individual's features were marred, often proved to be a thankless task.
After expending great effort, the relatives could still vent their resentment on you in the end. If they reported to officials, a simple remark of negligence in handling the case - though it might not lead to any serious consequences - would leave one feeling embarrassed and without a place to reason out the situation.
Thus, everyone, from the County Magistrate to the Defending General, was more than willing to have someone take on this challenging job.
The County Magistrate repeatedly offered encouragement, and the Defending General, not caring about his rank, personally escorted Gong Yu and his party out of the city before returning.
The group advanced in silence, and because of concern about colliding with pedestrians, Qin's State City forbade riding horses within five hundred meters of the city gate. Thus, they led their horses by the reins. Wang Anfeng held the horse's bridle in one hand and the boy's hand in the other, moving at a very slow pace. Everyone moved in quiet unison without widening the gap.
After a dozen or so steps, Gong Yu's pace slowed down slightly, and he turned to give Wang Anfeng a glance, saying indifferently,
"To the north of this region lies Fufeng's Border Pass City. Are you aware of that?"
Wang Anfeng had planned to bid farewell and apologize then and there. Hearing this, he paused briefly. Although he didn't understand Gong Yu's intent, he nodded in acknowledgment.
Great Qin's County City was the most prosperous, the further one traveled towards the border pass, the more desolate and impoverished it became. Yet, the exception was the border cities.
They were majestic and formidable, almost comparable to the state capitals, and they were garrisoned with troops. Inside the city, there had to be a Martial Artist of at least Middle Third Rank to maintain order. With the flourishing of Martial Arts across the world, these border cities, to be frank, couldn't stop these Martial Artists. However, they were more than sufficient to halt the caravans.
To not travel by the well-maintained imperial road and choose the mountain forest paths instead seemed to save some money. But the time wasted was enough to earn back twice the money saved. Moreover, the mountain paths were rife with bandits and exceedingly dangerous—far worse than taking the imperial road and honestly paying taxes.
The Border Pass City customarily collected commercial taxes. And should there be war or disaster, it could control the circulation of merchant caravans throughout the seventy-two counties of the realm.
Gong Yu glanced at Wang Anfeng and said,
"We will wait for you there for three days."
"If you can't make it within three days, you will miss this journey."
PS: Thank you for another flying saucer reward; I'll offer a long chapter tonight...
Going on the shelves on Friday... It finally arrives