"My Lord, the man has been brought."
At the prefectural governor's mansion in Xiling County, the steward brought a man dressed in coarse linen, looking apprehensive, into the study. It was late, and several oil lamps were lit. The brightest one was placed on the desk, illuminating a face that was somewhat carelessly drawn.
This was the new prefectural governor appointed by the court, Cao Zhiwei.
"This humble subject pays his respects to the Prefectural Governor."
The man knelt, his back hunched like a shrimp, his hands on the ground, his head buried between them.
Cao Zhiwei put down the brush in his hand and shifted his gaze from the ledger before him. His rough, messy brows furrowed slightly, and his voice was tinged with authority, "You say you discovered a suspicious person?"
The man trembled inwardly and replied hastily, "Yes, yes."
"Elaborate."
Hearing his continuous assent, Cao Zhiwei, sensing he wasn't fabricating, straightened his back and adopted a serious demeanor.
"Yes."
After his affirmative response, the man spoke, "I set up a tea stall outside the city. Today, some strange guests came to my stall. Although they were dressed simply, the man leading them exuded an air of nobility. When he arrived at my tea stall, he didn't drink much tea but asked many questions."
"The thugs who assassinated the previous prefectural governor before also asked many questions like them. I felt something was amiss, so... so I came to report it."
As he spoke, he quickly glanced at Cao Zhiwei.
Cao Zhiwei relaxed his furrowed brow, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. He deepened his tone, yet his voice seemed to carry a hint of amusement, "You are quite astute."
The man shuddered, his head nearly burrowing into the ground. He said tremblingly, "It was... it was the yamen runners from the prefecture who ordered me to always observe people entering and leaving the city. If I found anyone suspicious, I was to report it immediately. That's why I... I dared to..."
His voice trembled to the point of being almost distorted, becoming incoherent at the end.
Upon hearing this, Cao Zhiwei turned to look at the steward. Seeing the steward nod discreetly, he retracted the sternness from his eyes and softened his voice, "Very good, you've done well." After praising the man a few times to calm his nerves, he continued, "Do you know where they went after entering the city?"
The man shook his head, "This humble subject does not know."
"Can you describe their appearances?"
The man continued to shake his head, then added, "I can only vaguely recall the appearance of the man who was leading them."
"Good, describe it in detail."
Cao Zhiwei spread out paper and brush. As the man spoke, he drew the described person's likeness onto the paper.
Looking at the person who had come to life on the paper, he fell into a brief silence.
Perhaps his description was too precise, leaving no room for error.
Why would this lord come to their Xiling County?
Where was the Prince?
Was he following?
Thinking of the Regent, his hand holding the brush trembled slightly, and his voice tightened, "Are you certain he was the leader?"
The man blinked slightly, then nodded, "Certain!"
"How many people were with him? Were they men or women? Old or young?" Cao Zhiwei pressed on.
The man replied hesitantly, "There were two people with him, a servant driving the carriage, and an old man about seventy years old."
A servant, an old man?
That couldn't be the Regent then.
Cao Zhiwei truly breathed a sigh of relief, so much so that the tea stall owner could hear it. He looked up, his gaze meeting Cao Zhiwei's eyes, and the man hastily lowered his head.
"Alright, I have what I need to know. It's getting late, you should go home and rest!"
Cao Zhiwei dismissed the man and then looked down at the portrait again. He couldn't help but lift his head and press his temples. He wondered if this person was just passing through or had a mission. Speaking of missions, he remembered Wucheng. He hadn't been transferred back to the capital then, but he had heard about the Wucheng county magistrate entering the capital without an imperial edict to strike the Drum of Warning. He had lamented it at the time, but never expected to be transferred to Xiling County by His Majesty... This dilapidated place, Xiling County, still followed the management policies established by Old Liu. Over the years, there had been no adaptation or change. Now, the vast Xiling County was controlled by a martial arts sect. For the past three months, he had been constrained everywhere, and even the prefectural governor's mansion was filled with spies from the Ghost Shadow Sect.
Now... should he make contact discreetly? The problems in Xiling County had to be resolved as soon as possible.
...
After the man left the prefectural governor's mansion, his hunched back instantly straightened, and the careful, subservient look on his face vanished. He strode into the darkness and disappeared at the end of the street.
After a few turns, he entered a residential house and knocked on the door.
"Darling, why are you only back now?"
A woman's complaint came from the courtyard, followed by the man's impatient roar. Soon, with the sound of the door closing and the bolt being drawn, everything returned to silence.
Inside the house, the positions between the man and woman reversed. The woman sat on a chair, while the man stood respectfully by her side.
"What was Cao Zhiwei's reaction?"
The woman's voice carried a hint of laziness, with an ineffable charm.
"As you predicted."
"Cao Zhiwei was startled at first, then nervously inquired about the people accompanying me. After I finished speaking, he breathed a deep sigh of relief, as if a great burden had been lifted."
Hearing him finish, the woman's lips curved into a beautiful arc. She lowered her head, playing with her fingers, and said with a half-smile, "As expected, it's that jinx."
"Jinx? Who is Red Aunt referring to?"
"Who?"
"Of course, it's Feng Luan, the great physician Feng, who, despite the name of a living Bodhisattva, acts like a living阎王. The great physician Feng."
Feng Luan's portrait was already on the blacklist of major sects. The common people revered her like a Bodhisattva, but those in the martial world scorned her. If she weren't from outside the martial world, she would have been drowned by spit long ago. As early as the discovery of the court's spies, the tea stall outside the city had changed owners. Now, the one operating the stall outside the city was an outer disciple of the Ghost Shadow Sect.
The moment Feng Luan and her two companions appeared, they fell into the Ghost Shadow Sect's sight.
That person always carried a complex and contradictory aura, much like her actions. She could rush to disaster areas and diligently treat the common people, and she could flick her sleeve and easily kill anyone she wished. Earlier this year, she traveled to Wucheng, causing bloodshed along the way. Now, the deputy楼主 of Wan Ku Lou was still roaming the martial world, and despite knowing she had returned to the capital, they dared not enter the city for revenge.
She wondered if the people of Wan Ku Lou would send assassins to take her life if they knew the person who killed their楼主 was now in Xiling County.
She was truly looking forward to it!
The woman's lips curled slightly, feeling that her newly dyed nails weren't vibrant enough, lacking a bit of blood color. She looked up and ordered, "Spread the news of Feng Luan's presence in Xiling County."
"Yes!"
The man responded.