Chарtеr 261: Guаngсhun Наll 6
No onе rеsроndеd, and Xiuxiu соntinued as if sрeaking tо hеrsеlf, "Whаt diffеrеnce is thеre between men and wоmеn, reаlly? Тhings mеn саn do, wоmеn mау nоt neсessarily bе inсaрable of. Тake Lоrd Zhu, for eхаmрlе—а wоmаn, yet shе сan ехаmine сorрsеs and investigаtе cаses, with courаge and insight no lеss thаn аny mаn's. Truly, a hеrоinе who rivаls thе hеrоеs. Yеt evеn sо, she rеmains mеrely а minor еighth-rаnk оfficiаl. Dо wеll, аnd you might eаrn a word of praisе or some gоld and silver; mаke а mistаke, аnd you could lose everything, even your life. If you ask me, it might be better not to do anything at all."
Xiuxiu's words seemed disjointed, but they plunged Zhu Yan into deep thought, inevitably reminding her of Shen Du's mention of the "three delusions." Indeed! Her life and property were far from secure.
Setting that aside, the work she had done had already harmed the interests of many. It was only natural they would want her life.
Her thoughts swirled, trapped in a corner of her mind. Zhu Yan watched as Xiuxiu went to console Du Xiaowan again. After a few comforting words, Du Xiaowan indeed seemed much better.
Her delicate brows furrowed, Zhu Yan observed Xiuxiu. Xiuxiu had an oval face, willow-leaf eyebrows, and refined features. Years of practicing music and other arts at the Scented Pavilion had given her an elegant demeanor. She spoke softly and gently, and her comforting words felt like a spring breeze. The other young women, who had been trembling and restless, all calmed down after Xiuxiu arrived, as if, as if...
Zhu Yan struggled to find the right words.
Just as she was pondering, Xiuxiu looked up and met Zhu Yan's gaze. Zhu Yan was momentarily stunned, for the bright, unusual gleam in Xiuxiu's eyes at that moment was too striking.
Xiuxiu seemed not to have expected Zhu Yan to be watching her. She smiled openly at Zhu Yan, then lowered her head and continued to soothe the other sisters.
——
Shen Du was wholly preoccupied with Zhu Yan's safety, while Jing Lin was concerned for Shen Du. Without a moment's delay, they hurried back to the county office.
Even so, from the moment the Half-Faced Ghosts began slaughtering the people—not to mention the fierce battles that followed—to tracking the Half-Faced Ghosts to Guangchun Hall, discovering they were outnumbered, and then returning to seek reinforcements, most of the day had already passed.
The sun set in the west, and the sky gradually darkened, though it was not yet dark enough to light candles.
Jing Lin strode into the county office without pause and immediately ordered the Inner Guard Bureau to prepare horses, mobilizing half of their forces while leaving the rest to guard important prisoners like Mo Qianzhi.
As for the Yingzhou city garrison, not a single soldier was used, nor were they allowed near the dungeon, lest they collude with Mo Qianzhi and others to help them escape.
Seeing that it was getting late and worried about Shen Du's safety, Jing Lin considered seeking out the Unrighteous Agents but ultimately feared it would take too long. The Unrighteous Agents typically did not answer to the government and had their own methods of communication, which he could not decipher. Rescuing them was more urgent.
Just as he left the office, he ran into a group of people—the very Unrighteous Agents who had supported them at the city gate earlier that day.
Without exchanging pleasantries, Sun Tan asked directly, "Has Lord Zhu returned safely?"
After escorting Pan Chi to the medical clinic and learning from the physician that Pan Chi was out of danger, Sun Tan left two subordinates to care for him and headed straight for the city gate.
The chaos from the earlier battle at the gate had been mostly cleared away. Sun Tan searched around but found no trace of Zhu Yan, nor even Shen Du. A sense of foreboding welled up in his heart.
In his anxiety, Sun Tan revealed his identity and asked the Inner Guards, only to learn that Zhu Yan had been captured by the Half-Faced Ghosts.Upon learning of the situation, Sun Tan immediately gathered the Unrighteous Agents to raid Guangchun Hall’s stronghold. He had already pinpointed the location and was about to inform Zhu Yan when the Half-Faced Ghost made a preemptive move, nearly rendering his hard-won intelligence useless.
Just then, a subordinate reported spotting Jing Lin, Shen Du’s most trusted deputy. Sun Tan went straight to him for an update.
Zhu Yan held the Unrighteous Commander’s seal, and the Unrighteous Agents were duty-bound to protect her life.
Anxious, Jing Lin urged his horse forward a few steps while shaking his head. “We’ve located the Half-Faced Ghost’s lair, but their numbers are overwhelming. My lord and I cannot retreat unscathed on our own.”
“The Great Pavilion Commander ordered me to return for reinforcements. We must hurry to provide support.”
In just a few words, he laid out the situation clearly and without delay.
The Half-Faced Ghost’s cannibalistic crimes had spread panic throughout Gannan Circuit. Sun Tan and his men had investigated thoroughly but had yet to uncover any leads.
Officially, Shen Du and Zhu Yan had come for this very case. Sun Tan’s cooperation with Zhu Yan was on orders from Commander Xu. Now, with a chance to wipe them out in one fell swoop, Sun Tan was more than willing to assist.
“Please lead the way. We will certainly lend the Great Pavilion Commander our aid.”
Without further ado, Jing Lin led the Inner Guard Bureau brothers ahead, with Sun Tan and his men following closely behind. The group marched in force toward Guangchun Hall’s secret entrance.
Inside Guangchun Hall, Shen Du made his way to the kitchen. Before he could even attempt to gather information through conversation, the kitchen supervisor assigned him a slew of tasks.
To think that he, the Great Pavilion Commander of the Great Zhou Dynasty, known as the White King of Hell, would one day be ordered about doing such menial chores. If not for Zhu Yan, anyone who dared boss him around would have already lost their head.
Frowning, Shen Du shoved a log into the stove, stoking the fire so fiercely he nearly set the kitchen ablaze.
Fortunately, his mask concealed his face; otherwise, his intimidating aura would have given him away instantly.
Elsewhere, Wang Buzui bathed, changed into fresh clothes, and returned to the Dark Hall.
Wang Buzui’s current location lay beneath Guangchun Hall. With the hall as cover, even if authorities searched the premises, they would only inspect Guangchun Hall superficially before giving up. Moreover, the entrance was so well hidden that no one could possibly find it.
Thus, Wang Buzui paid no mind to the outside world, focusing solely on his long-planned grand scheme.
Hearing footsteps, Zhu Yan snapped back to attention. Fresh from his bath, Wang Buzui carried a damp chill. Though it was late June, with summer heat rising, the underground location remained untouched by the warmth. Having just bathed, Wang Buzui’s facial hairs stood on end, starkly visible under the lamplight, and even his exhaled breath was clearly discernible.
This confirmed Zhu Yan’s suspicion: they were trapped underground, making it even harder for Shen Du and the others to find them.
As Wang Buzui passed by Zhu Yan, the hem of his robe brushed against her delicate nose. The fabric was smooth and luxurious, made of fine cloud-patterned brocade embroidered with scenes of moths drawn to flames and cocoons transforming into butterflies—vividly lifelike. Unfamiliar characters were also woven into the fabric, which Zhu Yan tried to decipher under the light. Concluding she had never seen them before, she let it go.
Suddenly, Zhu Yan’s nose twitched. She leaned in slightly, taking a few more deliberate sniffs, then looked back at Wang Buzui’s face.Wang Buzui's face was pale and bloodless. Zhu Yan had initially thought it was due to years of wearing the Half-Face Ghost Mask and hadn't paid much attention. However, since learning that Ji Dafu was also a member of the Half-Faced Ghost, she compared the two. Although Ji Dafu had also worn a mask for years, his skin was pale and slightly puffy, yet the veins beneath his skin were clearly visible. In contrast, Wang Buzui's facial veins were indistinct, and most importantly...
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