Сhарtеr 259: Guangchun Наll 4
Sеtting аsidе the matters оf thе Dark Hаll for now.
Оutsidе Guаngсhun Наll, Shen Du and Jing Lin fоllowed the retreating Наlf-Faсed Ghоsts, quiеtlу rеaсhing thе оutеr wаll of thе compоund.
Сoinсidentally, just оutside the сourtyаrd, nеаr thе соrnеr of the wаll, stоod а lаrgе treе with lush, densе fоliage. Тhе two hid аmong its branchеs; as long as thеу mаde nо noise, theу wоuld rеmain соmрlеtеlу undetесted.
Аfter Wаng Buzui returnеd and issuеd оrdеrs, the guаrds within thе соurtyard werе noticeably rеinforced. Еverywhеre, Наlf-Faсed Ghosts wearing ferocious green-faced masks patrolled.
Shen Du gritted his teeth: "This must be the Fire Moth Party's stronghold in Yingzhou. Judging by this setup, Zhu Yan is definitely here."
Mo Qianzhi had long been colluding with the Fire Moth Party, and that Half-Faced Ghost leader had stood beside Mo Qianzhi during the Sacrificial Ritual. This was likely more than just simple collusion.
If his guess was correct, these Half-Faced Ghosts were actually members of the Fire Moth Party. They wore ghost masks only to conceal their identities, putting on a supernatural act to mislead outsiders.
No one would ever imagine that the Half-Faced Ghosts who had been committing atrocities in Gannan Circuit all these years were actually the Fire Moth Party, backed by Guangchun Hall, which had always publicly advocated healing and saving lives.
Committing evil under the banner of curing illnesses and saving lives—they deserved death a thousand times over.
Jing Lin thought the same: "Since it's their stronghold, the defenses are bound to be tight. With just the two of us, I fear we cannot escape unscathed."
Moreover, they were both injured and had expended much of their strength. Charging alone into the dragon's den would only lead to being torn apart and devoured.
If that happened, not only would they fail to rescue Madam, but they would also be lost themselves. Jing Lin was deeply worried.
As the saying goes, the onlooker sees most of the game. While Zhu Yan remained blind to Shen Du's feelings for her, he understood them perfectly.
A dragon's reverse scale—touch it, and death follows. Zhu Yan was Shen Du's reverse scale, but also his weakness. He feared Shen Du would disregard life and death and charge straight in.
What difference would that make from seeking death?
"How about I go scout first, Commander? You stay here and wait for news." Having said this, Jing Lin prepared to descend.
Shen Du reached out to stop him, narrowing his eyes as he looked down and quickly making arrangements: "Jing Lin, you return to the county office first. Mobilize some brothers from the Inner Guard Bureau for support. I'll find a way to infiltrate and locate where Zhu Yan is being held."
After a moment's thought, Shen Du added, "If you can find the Unrighteous Agents, ask for their assistance as well. Let's wipe out their stronghold in one fell swoop."
Back when Sun Tan had approached Zhu Yan, Shen Du had secretly ordered Jing Lin to investigate their identities. Today, they had come to lend aid, sharing hardship together—they could be considered friends now.
Besides, Zhu Yan held the commander's seal of the Unrighteous Agents' leader, Xu Xiangren. Seeing the seal was like seeing the commander himself; they would not stand by and watch her perish.
"But you going alone to scout is like a lamb entering a tiger's den. It's not advisable," Jing Lin shook his head. "Sir, why don't you stay here to observe the movements? I'll go quickly and return swiftly, and I will definitely bring reinforcements."
"Jing Lin, listen to me."
Shen Du's tone undoubtedly grew firmer—this was an order, not a discussion.
"Yes."
Obedience was his duty. Upon joining the Inner Guard Bureau, the Great Pavilion Commander's orders were paramount. Though Jing Lin worried for Shen Du's safety, he had no choice but to comply.
Concealing his presence, Jing Lin leaped down and quietly departed.
Shen Du sighed, tore off several strips of cloth, and hastily bandaged his wounded areas. Seizing the moment during the guard shift change, he leaped from the tree onto the wall and flipped into the courtyard.
The moment he landed, Shen Du heard footsteps. Without hesitation, he ducked into a nearby shrubbery.Shen Du had just hidden himself when several Half-Faced Ghosts passed by. One of them couldn’t help grumbling, “Hurry up, all of you. If we delay the Deputy Helm Master’s plans, there’ll be hell to pay.”
“Boss, those women have been kept for so many days now. When will they…”
Shen Du’s brow tightened slightly, his gaze sharpening. These people actually described the imprisoned women as if they were livestock—and those women included Zhu Yan.
A trace of icy killing intent leaked out…
“So cold…” someone muttered, glancing around. There was no wind, and the leaves hung motionless.
Shen Du reined in his aura, waiting for them to pass.
“Shut up. Mind your tongue. Don’t ask questions you shouldn’t.”
The one called “Boss” snapped, and the questioner fell silent, embarrassed.
Once the group ahead had moved on, Shen Du crept forward, covering the mouth of the last man and snapping his neck before dragging him swiftly into the bushes behind.
Only when the footsteps faded into the distance did he strip the Half-Faced Ghost’s clothes, hesitate for a moment, then grit his teeth and put them on. He donned the ghost mask and emerged from the grass.
Shen Du stood in the courtyard, straightening the robes, then followed the others. Passing through a corridor and a side gate, he entered another courtyard. Before he could survey the layout, a Half-Faced Ghost blocked his path.
“From the kitchen? What are you doing wandering around here?”
Shen Du froze slightly. Was there some distinction? They wore the same attire—how could this man tell he was from the kitchen?
Seeing his dull expression, the man slapped him. “What are you staring at?” No wonder he was stuck in the kitchen—utterly clueless.
Shen Du snapped back to attention, clenched his fists, then relaxed them. Clutching his stomach, he forced a smile, lowered his voice, and stammered, “S-sir… m-my stomach hurts. I-I’m looking for the latrine.”
“The courtyard’s too big… W-where is it?”
“Go that way. There’s a latrine in the back courtyard. Don’t wander around aimlessly. Finish your business and get back to the kitchen. If you offend someone important, you’ll regret it.”
Seeing him stammer and act slow-witted, the man kindly pointed the way.
Shen Du immediately complied, bowing repeatedly. “Y-yes, yes. Thank you, sir. I’ll leave right away.” With that, he turned and headed in the direction the Half-Faced Ghost had indicated.
The man watched him go, muttering in confusion, “He’s not stammering now…”
The estate wasn’t particularly large, but searching every corner would be time-consuming and risked alerting others if he were exposed. So Shen Du pretended it was his first day on duty, asked for directions to the kitchen, and headed that way.
Since the kitchen staff knew about the women, they must have delivered meals to them—meaning they’d know where they were being held.
Inside the Dark Hall, Zhu Yan stepped closer, the honeyed sweetness growing stronger.
Seeing Wang Buzui and the others absorbed in the Sacrificial Ritual, treating her as nothing more than a dead woman walking, she felt no restraint and boldly approached the stone table.
On the table were jars of various sizes, from which the sweet fragrance emanated.
Zhu Yan took a step forward, leaning in to examine one of them. Even with her extensive experience examining corpses, she couldn’t help but gasp in shock, exclaiming involuntarily, “Ah!”Inside the jar was actually a human head, fresh and intact, showing no signs of decay. Its eyes were wide open, staring fixedly ahead.
Clearly, it was a death with unclosed eyes.
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