"This is too dangerous," Xiao Liu said worriedly from the side. "Those assassins have already succeeded once, they'll definitely keep chasing us. Resting here is too risky."
As the group hesitated whether to go in for a quick bite and a rest, a man with a masked face and a saber tucked at his waist entered the shop. Seeing this, Shen Muzhou and the others quickly hid behind a menu board, not drawing the man's attention.
"Five baskets of buns, two portions of lamb, three pots of wine. The usual, bring it over when it's ready," he said, tossing a token from his怀.
The stall owner picked up the token with a troubled expression. "Officer, the shop is too busy, I can't leave."
The masked man shrugged. "Then have the girl from your shop deliver it."
The stall owner looked distressed. Gritting his teeth, he gathered his courage. "Sir, alas, those from the Kengyu come and go, always on credit. It's been months since any payment. My shop is small, I can't afford any help. Perhaps, Sir, you could be merciful and give a small reward for the tab?"
Shen Muzhou and the others, hidden behind a large board, heard the entire conversation clearly. They realized the masked man was from the Kengyu.
The masked man waved his hand impatiently. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Stop with the nonsense. Hurry up and make it, or I'll bring my men to smash your shop and drag you into the Kengyu to work!"
With that, he huffed and left. The stall owner reluctantly put away the token, muttering curses under his breath.
"It seems the stall owner knows people from the Kengyu. Let's get something to eat and gather some information," Shen Muzhou said in a low voice.
After the group sat down, the stall owner took their orders.
Three bowls of steaming hot noodle soup, two baskets of buns, and two simple side dishes.
And a plate of sweet candied fruits.
Lin Yanxi, clearly more interested in the bright red, glistening candied fruits, picked one up with her chopsticks and took a small bite. Her pale face regained a hint of color.
Seeing her enjoyment, Shen Muzhou placed another red fruit on her plate.
As the shop grew quiet, Shen Yu called the stall owner over and asked, "Stall owner, was that man just now from the Kengyu?"
The stall owner's smile stiffened slightly. He fidgeted, rubbing the white cloth tied around his waist. "Yes, he was. Why do you ask?"
Shen Yu didn't answer, continuing, "Just a bit curious about that place."
Shen Muzhou watched Lin Yanxi take the last bite of the red fruit. He picked up another bright red, sugar-coated fruit with his chopsticks and placed it on her plate, then moved the other candied fruits further away.
Lin Yanxi frowned, looking longingly at the plate of fruits, then glared at him.
Shen Muzhou chuckled. He hadn't expected that not giving her the candied fruits would make her angry. He coaxed her gently, "It's too sweet. You're still recovering, eat less."
Shen Yu had never seen Shen Muzhou treat anyone like this, and was greatly surprised.
The stall owner glanced around, making sure no one else was nearby, and then whispered to them, "Don't try to trick me. That place is a one-way trip. The people from the Kengyu are like man-eaters, everyone avoids them. Who would ask about it so eagerly?"
Lin Yanxi, eating the red fruit, began to sob softly. Her delicate and bright features, with tear tracks on her pale face, were exceptionally pitiable. "Stall owner brother, my mother was harmed. After much inquiry, I learned she was imprisoned in a place called the Kengyu. My mother is not in good health, she can't do any heavy labor."
"These two are my elder brothers. We are here to bring our mother home. We are willing to pay any amount to rescue her."
As she said this, she genuinely remembered her mother, but alas, her mother could no longer be saved.
The little girl's sorrowful tears tugged at anyone's heartstrings. But he was just a stall owner, how could he afford to offend the people of the Kengyu? He continued to press his lips together, looking troubled and silent.
Lin Yanxi's large, watery eyes welled up with tears. Piteously, she said, "Stall owner brother, please help us. My mother is frail. She owed a lot of money to get me treatment. We have money now, we can pay it back, but these people are relentless. They arrested my mother and took all our money."
The stall owner believed her wholeheartedly, his voice full of righteous indignation. "Those wretched souls! Not only do they eat and drink for free in the Ghost Market every day, but they've bullied such a pitiable young girl to this extent!"
Hearing this, Lin Yanxi's tears fell even harder, her expression one of aggrieved innocence.
Shen Yu, choked by a bun on the side, coughed a few times. A pitiable young girl?
She was the only Talisman Master of Yueyou, the one who calmly declared 'they deserved their fate' amidst a scene of corpses!
Shen Yu asked curiously, "You called them 'officers' earlier? Are they people from the government?"
The stall owner shook his head. "They are no officials. But their status in the Ghost Market is like that of government officials. Everyone fears them, so they are called officers."
Shen Muzhou interjected, "Stall owner, don't worry. We won't have you help us for nothing. Whatever debt those Kengyu people owe you, we'll pay it."
The stall owner's face lit up with joy, then a hint of hesitation. "It's not about the money. You don't know, the Kengyu originally was a prison in the Ghost Market, used to lock up and punish those who broke the rules of the Ghost Market. But recently, for some reason, the Kengyu guards have been going out to the surface to arrest people in large numbers."
"I've heard many people are arrested without cause. You are capable enough to find out about this place, but most people are declared mysteriously missing and the matter is dropped. So now the Kengyu is overcrowded, even if you go in, it will be hard to find her, let alone rescue her."
Shen Muzhou said, "You don't need to worry about that. As long as you can help us get in and find... my mother's location, we will leave without causing you any trouble. How we rescue her later is our business, and we won't involve you."
He paused when he said "mother," a trace of awkwardness on his face.
The stall owner looked at Lin Yanxi's tear-streaked face and steeled himself. He took out the waist token. "I have a young helper, also a girl of your size. People in the Ghost Market all wear masks, so their faces can't be seen clearly. You can pretend to be her, and use the waist token to deliver food."
Before the stall owner could finish, Shen Muzhou objected first, "Absolutely not!"
"It's too dangerous."
Shen Yu agreed with Shen Muzhou. "Indeed, this method won't work. Or I can go?"
The stall owner withdrew the token. "That won't do. You are too different from my helper, it will surely be discovered."
Lin Yanxi stood up from her small chair and said, "Give it to me, I can do it."
The stall owner hesitated, then placed the token in her palm.
Lin Yanxi's palm was small and cool white. The waist token was much larger than her palm when she held it.
Following the stall owner's instructions, she disguised herself as the young helper Chunhua, tying a small blue kerchief around her face. With her cat-like strength, she struggled to carry two large food boxes and walked ahead.
Shen Muzhou frowned deeply, following behind her. He stopped when they could go no further, and Shen Yu held him back. He watched her retreating figure with worry, stopping every few steps as she walked towards the Kengyu.
Shen Yu comforted him, "Don't worry, she's a Talisman Master. Even if she's discovered, she can escape."
Soon, a sharp glance flew his way, silencing him immediately.
"Where did this little girl come from?" Two burly guards blocked her.
Lin Yanxi obediently put down the food boxes and took a waist token from her sleeve, handing it to a guard. "I'm from the bun shop, delivering food."
The guard glanced at it, felt the texture of the waist token, found no issue, and returned it to her. "Pass!"
Lin Yanxi walked a few steps inside and then stopped.
Before her lay a very open area, sloping downwards, forming a huge pit. Dozens of people in tattered clothes were in the pit.
They moved with heavy steps, dragging iron balls weighing dozens of pounds on the ground. With every step, the iron balls made a "clang" sound on the ground. Almost everyone's ankles were worn to a bloody circle.
In their hands, they dragged baskets filled with stones, tree trunks, ironware, and coal slag.
What were they doing with all this?
"Hurry up! What are you dawdling for?" A guard raised his whip and brought it down without hesitation.
The old man who was hit stumbled forward and fell to the ground. His hair was white, his body withered and hunched. He covered his head in fear. The whip struck his arm, and his skin immediately split open, bleeding.
Another whip fell. The people around them buried their heads and worked even harder, occasionally glancing at the old man, but only for a fleeting moment before quickly looking away.
No one dared to speak more, lest the whip fall on them.
The old man struggled to get up, but as soon as he straightened, he fell back to the ground.
"Officer, I haven't eaten in days."
The guard looked at him impatiently, wrapped the whip around his hand, clenched his fist, and punched the old man in the face. "Eat? With the work you're doing, I'll let you eat!"
Just as he was about to throw another punch, a pleasant, soft voice rang out, "Officer."
The guard turned around furiously. It was a petite young girl. Her hands and feet were not bound by heavy iron balls, and although half her face was covered by a kerchief, the exposed skin was very fair.
It was clear she was not a prisoner of this Kengyu.
"Where did this little girl come from?"
Lin Yanxi took out the waist token and pointed to the food boxes. "I'm from the bun shop, delivering food."
Another guard walked towards the food boxes. He was the masked man from the bun shop earlier. "I told them to send it. Hurry and call the brothers to eat."
The two guards each took a food box, slung arms over each other's shoulders, and walked away. After a few steps, one of them turned back. "You, little girl, I'm talking to you. Finish delivering the food and go back! These are all prisoners, don't linger here!"
Lin Yanxi nodded. Seeing the girl was very obedient, he didn't arouse any suspicion and continued to signal the other guards to walk out of the pit.
She saw the two of them walk a distance away, then took a bun from her sleeve and stuffed it into the old man's hand.
He looked at her in terror, but after a moment's pause, he shoved the bun into his mouth desperately, filling it to the brim, and then coughed a few times, choked.
The others with lead balls chained to their feet also knelt on the ground, begging Lin Yanxi for a little food.