Chapter 78 Who dares to take her in?

Dai Li froze, thinking she was hallucinating, and she turned around abruptly to look behind her.

As dusk approached, the last rays of light were swallowed up layer by layer by darkness, and the light gradually dimmed, making many people and things less clear. The young man's face behind her was also shrouded in darkness, but this did not diminish Dai Li's joy.

State!

Qin Yanzhou led Dai Li inside, and in just a few steps, they arrived at a household's storage area. As for why Dai Li thought this way, it was entirely because there was a back door next to it.

The place was cluttered and messy, with all sorts of things, including old bamboo baskets and broken jars with large holes in the bottom.

The vat was quite large, about half a meter in diameter, and to Dai Li's surprise, it was empty. Her waist tightened and then loosened; Dai Li was now inside the vat.

She tried squatting down and found that the space inside was just right to fit an adult woman, as if it were tailor-made for her.

"Mom, please stay here for a while. I'll be back later." Qin Yanzhou pulled out a piece of burlap from somewhere.

He tossed a piece of burlap over the broken jar, then used the jar's opening as a support to casually place two pieces of firewood on top.

After doing all this, Qin Yanzhou took out his mask, put it on, and quickly walked towards the alley entrance. Just as he reached the alley entrance, he ran right into his pursuers.

The other party quickly stopped, and seeing that he was coming from this direction, he thought to himself that the lady had definitely not escaped by this road. "Beacon, the target has appeared. She just turned into this area."

Qin Yanzhou said calmly, "I came from this side and didn't find her."

The man had no doubt about his words, after all, the other party was of a much higher level than him. However, subconsciously, his gaze still drifted from the side gap toward Qin Yanzhou's back.

Behind him was nothing but empty space, with only some miscellaneous items piled up in the alley.

The houses of poor people are all very small, no bigger than the palm of your hand. Being poor, they naturally cherish their possessions, reluctant to throw this away or that away. Over time, not only are the houses full of things, but some junk is even piled up by the door.

Many people are no longer surprised by this.

Qin Yanzhou: "She should have gone that way. If we can't catch her on this trip, she will definitely go back to where she was hiding yesterday. Go and tell the Third Young Master to guard those exits."

Three other men were following behind him. After he went back to report, the other three rushed towards the lower end of the "Y" alley.

After the group left, Qin Yanzhou pondered for a moment, then turned and walked towards the other end of the alley. The other end was also a fork in the road, leading in more than one direction; he blocked another group of people there as well.

With him running back and forth, no one else walked through this alley for a long time.

Dai Li hid in the broken jar and heard footsteps coming and going, as well as faint voices.

Her heart was pounding violently, her head was burning, and her blood was rushing. She could almost hear the sound of her blood surging, yet her hands and feet felt icy cold.

A guiding light?

Those people were calling him "Zhouzhou Mingdeng" (a popular internet meme), as if they knew him well.

No, it's not just a feeling, it's definitely very familiar. Zhouzhou can make the other party obey her every word, and she can even turn back a group of people with just a single sentence.

Dai Li recalled that her son had told her that when he first arrived in this strange world, he was rescued by a wealthy family. Later, he encountered bandits and got separated from them. He was then taken in by Fan Tianshi, who then became his adopted son.

In his sixth year at the Fan family mansion, he reunited with the wealthy family who had saved him, and spent the following year doing favors for them...

A fact that was gradually surfacing made Dai Li grit her teeth.

The "wealthy family" that the son mentioned was the Qinglian sect.

Nine years ago, during the great famine, Zhouzhou spent his time in the Qinglian Sect; he stayed there for at least two years.

Two years, plus last year, makes a total of three years. Is three years really enough time for a state to climb to a position where it can arbitrarily command the believers around it?

Especially in the first two years, he was still young, but in the last year he was Fan Tianshi's adopted son and spent most of his time at Fan's residence.

Although she didn't want to admit it, Dai Li couldn't help but suspect that her son hadn't told her the truth before.

She felt anxious and fearful, with an indescribable unease.

It was pitch black all around, and the footsteps outside had faded into the distance, as if everyone had left the area. But Dai Li remained motionless, remembering her son's words that he would return, and did not get up on her own.

I don't know how much time had passed, maybe a quarter of an hour, maybe half an hour, when I heard footsteps again.

Someone rushed by, and a few words drifted over:

"It's not here either. Could it be that he really ran away?"

"Most likely, and with the curfew in effect, it's unlikely she's still out and about."

"Oh, that's troublesome. She'll definitely stay home after today. Let's go, let's take a look at that alleyway over there..."

The sound faded into the distance.

Dai Li was glad she hadn't gone out; otherwise, if the other party had turned around and attacked her, she would have been caught red-handed.

Then came another long wait, until Dai Li's tense nerves slowly relaxed, and she even fell asleep in the tub.

The sound of the wooden door hinges turning was particularly clear in the night, startling Dai Li. Before she could figure out where the sound was coming from, she heard people whispering.

"It seems like all the guards have left."

"Curfew's on, so we have to pack up, but things haven't been peaceful lately. Hey, what's that jar by the door? Old Li, when did you get it?"

"It wasn't me. I set up my stall during the day, how could I have time to pick up things and bring them back?"

"This tank is quite large, it's a good thing! Quickly bring it in."

“You woman, your eyesight is really bad. There are several big holes in the bottom of this jar, and it’s cracked on the sides too. It can’t hold any water at all. What’s so good about it? Someone probably just left it by our door temporarily. Let’s take a closer look tomorrow. It won’t hurt to wait a little while. If the patrol comes back and sees us outside, that would be troublesome.”

"Oh, you're right, let's go back first."

"Click." The door closed.

Dai Li, who was hiding in the jar, broke out in a cold sweat.

If that man and woman really came to lift the vat, she would be exposed in no time.

After that incident, Dai Li never dared to sleep again. It felt like a long time had passed, yet also like only a moment, when Dai Li heard footsteps.

The person who came was very light-footed, like a cat. Just as Dai Li was sure she wasn't hallucinating, she heard a noise above her head.

The carelessly pressed objects were moved aside, the burlap was lifted, and scattered moonlight fell into the vat.

"Mother……"

The young man nervously helped Dai Li out.

That's where we'll be staying tonight.

There were military guards patrolling the city, and with the night deepened and the dew heavy, it was impossible to stay outside all night.

As for where to go, Dai Li had an idea: "Zhou Zhou, I booked a private room at Shengyang Chuanshe on West Street. It's called Chuanshe after they changed their name. The room is on the second floor, and the window faces the alley and isn't closed properly. I can climb over the wall to go back tonight."

Qin Yanzhou was visibly taken aback, then whispered, "I'm sorry, Mom."

It was all because of the Qinglian Sect that his mother had to go into hiding.

"Why are you apologizing, child? You're not their leader. Do you expect them to listen to you? Don't take everything on yourself," Dai Li sighed.

Qin Yanzhou: "The sect once allocated an old residence to my son, which only has two servants guarding it. You can rest there tonight."

Dai Li asked him, "Are those two guards Christians?"

Qin Yanzhou nodded in agreement, but then said, "Those two are the most peripheral figures. I've met them a few times, and they obey me completely. They've always stayed in Xiagu County and don't usually come into contact with other members of the sect. When the time comes, I'll tell them that you're also a believer in the sect and need to live in seclusion because of secret matters, and they certainly won't suspect anything."

Dai Li understood.

This is someone who infiltrated the organization under the guise of a religious follower, creating a situation where the truth is hidden from view.

This is a great suggestion. They'll search high and low, racking their brains, but they probably won't realize she's hiding in their Qinglian Sect's residence.

There's just one thing...

“Your suggestion is good, but it’s too late now. Going there at this time would be too conspicuous, especially since there are notices everywhere in the city. I’m worried they’ll get suspicious. Let’s go tomorrow.” Dai Li was very cautious.

Better safe than sorry.

It seems that only the higher-ups in the North know about her mother-son relationship with Zhouzhou. This must be kept strictly confidential, otherwise she and Zhouzhou will become each other's weaknesses.

Qin Yanzhou listened to Dai Li; whatever she said went.

Dai Li followed her son away from East Street. Qin Yanzhou scouted the area along the way, precisely avoiding all the patrols.

Upon arriving at the back street of the post station, Qin Yanzhou said to Dai Li, "Mother, I'll go take a look first."

Dai Li nodded.

In the short time it took her to nod, she saw the young man who was standing on the ground jump up, grab onto a small protrusion on the wall with his hands, and then do a pull-up using only the strength of his arms. He then used his feet to push off the wall and shot up a height.

In the blink of an eye, her son, who had just been in front of her, was already upstairs, even peeking out of the window to look at her.

Dai Li, her eyes wide open: "..."

Qin Yanzhou first bolted the door, then rummaged through the closet for a quilt, and then did something somewhat similar to what Dai Li had done before: he threw the quilt down. He didn't tie it directly to the bedpost, because it wouldn't be long enough if he did.

Dai Li can't fly or do pull-ups, but she still managed to get upstairs in the end.

We went up in a human-powered swing chair.

A dim lamp was lit in the room, and it was quiet all around. Dai Li didn't dare to speak loudly. "Zhouzhou, are you going back tonight? If you can avoid going back, then don't."

This inn is better than the previous one; it has a small couch and two quilts, enough for two people to sleep comfortably.

But Qin Yanzhou shook his head, "I need to go back."

Dai Li was disappointed, but she knew he probably had no choice. "Alright, be careful. I won't go out all day tomorrow and will wait for your arrangements."

After saying goodnight to his mother, Qin Yanzhou pushed himself up and jumped out of the window.

Dai Li was startled by him and chased after him to the window, but when she looked down, the alley, which was slightly illuminated by the moonlight, was quiet and deserted, and there was no shadow at all.

"This child is really..."

*

The sun rises in the east, and the east is bathed in light.

Dai Li had a nightmare about being captured the night before last, so she didn't sleep well; although she unexpectedly reunited with her son last night and made a rough plan, she still didn't sleep well.

Zhouzhou is a follower of the Qinglian sect.

Religious organizations are not something you can just break away from, especially since her son seems to have risen from the bottom up.

Once you reach a certain level, you'll inevitably come into contact with some secrets. If you could come and go as you pleased, the church would definitely be in chaos, and there's no guarantee they wouldn't have some methods to control the followers.

Dai Li tossed and turned, and even when she finally fell asleep, she couldn't sleep soundly. When she woke up the next day, she had unusually dark circles under her eyes.

Not wanting to go downstairs for breakfast, Dai Li spent a few copper coins to have the maid bring it up. After breakfast, Dai Li took a nap and waited until late afternoon before Qin Yanzhou finally arrived.

"Mom, come with me." The young man seemed a little anxious.

Dai Li only had a backpack, which she grabbed and left: "What's wrong? Did they come looking for you?"

Qin Yanzhou: "The warrant for the arrest of the female thief has swept through the entire Xiagu City, but there has been no movement from the commoner believers. Di Ting believes that you are still hiding in the post station. Today, he ordered an expansion of the search area. All women who have checked into the post station with a surname that sounds like 'He' must be thoroughly investigated. They are on their way, and it is not advisable to stay here any longer."

Dai Li gasped.

It seems the other party suspected she might have altered the name uploaded.

With a small bag slung over one shoulder, Dai Li followed Qin Yanzhou out of the post station. Qin Yanzhou was wearing a black mask outside, so Dai Li didn't walk alongside him but lagged behind a short distance to avoid drawing attention.

She walked casually down the main road, encountering several patrols along the way. However, they were mostly busy getting to the post station, or perhaps they didn't expect her to be so blatant. In any case, no one paid her any attention.

Stepping out of the main street and into the alley, the distance between Dai Li and Qin Yanzhou shortened somewhat. The mother and son turned left and right, until finally the young man in black stopped in front of a house.

Qin Yanzhou raised his hand and knocked on the door. Perhaps they had been notified beforehand, because the door opened as soon as he knocked.

The person who opened the door was an old man in his sixties, with gray hair and wearing hemp cloth; behind him stood a boy of about fifteen or sixteen years old, who looked three or four parts similar to the old man, and they seemed to be grandfather and grandson.

"Greetings, Divine Messenger." The two said respectfully and excitedly.

Qin Yanzhou's voice was cold, "This is another divine envoy of the sect. Serve him carefully and do not neglect him."

The grandfather and grandson knelt down and kowtowed, repeatedly making promises.

A complex emotion flickered in Dai Li's eyes.

Qin Yanzhou seemed to have other things to attend to, so he didn't stay long. After bringing Dai Li over, he left in a hurry, and the mother and son barely exchanged a few words.

This old residence is a single-courtyard house shaped like the Chinese character "品" (pin). It doesn't occupy a large area, but it is small yet complete, with everything you need.

Dai Li settled down here.

*

"Why haven't we found her yet? Did she sprout wings and fly away?" Xie Yuanxiu was extremely annoyed.

The city's missions and residences underwent a thorough search, led by military patrols; the latter, on the other hand, were secretly investigated by believers who acted on the news.

However, after such a long time, they still haven't found the person.

No, it can't be said that they didn't find her at all; she did show her face, but they just lost track of her.

A group of people went out together, but they couldn't even catch a girl.

They're all trash! Completely useless!

The messenger lowered his head, not daring to face the anger of the prospective governor.

Xie Yuanxiu paced back and forth in the main hall again. Seeing that Di Ting was still brewing tea, he couldn't help but say, "We've already searched the county's post stations twice. The second round was the same as you said, even checking homophones, but we still found nothing. Your elder sister is missing, and you, as her younger brother, aren't worried at all."

Di Ting lightly tapped the table with his finger, his mind filled with doubt.

He thought she would stay at the inn, but now the inn is empty.

Is she not in the post station?

But if not at the inn, where could she be? With wanted posters plastered all over the city, who would dare take her in...?

“Summer Valley is quite large; there may be other things we’ve overlooked. Let’s take another look,” Di Ting said.

His voice was calm and composed, and Xie Yuanxiu's anger subsided slightly upon hearing this. He thought to himself, "That makes sense."

Let's wait and see; we have plenty of time.

*

Bathed in the warm sunlight, the tall and burly soldiers deftly furled the sails, causing the warships to lose wind and slow down. Several warships lined up and slowly approached the Xiagu ferry crossing.

In the past, there was no shortage of boats at Xuan Shui Jin in Xia Gu, but it was rare to see such uniformly sized multi-story ships docking together. The fishermen and cart drivers on the shore couldn't help but take a second look.

Long planks were thrown off the boat and precisely connected to the shore. Amidst the furtive glances of passersby at the ferry crossing, a group of burly men in full armor nimbly filed out of the boat.

They were all strong and robust, with swords at their waists and piercing eyes. They jumped from the boat onto the shore without wobbling, their stances were extremely stable, and it was clear at a glance that they were martial artists.

Qin Shaozong stepped off the boat, and the man looked up at the sky, his brown eyes narrowing slightly.

It's early Shen Shi (3-5 PM), and at this time, going into the city to the governor's mansion in Xia Gu is just the right time to have dinner.

Let's drink and chat about all the big and small things happening in the city.

Author's Note: Here I am! [starry-eyed]

I need nutrient solution.