Initial deployment of hidden sentries

A clear morning in Qixia'ao.

The thin mist had not yet been completely dispelled by the rising sun.

The air was filled with the unique aroma of wood ash, quicklime, and tenaciously growing grass.

The clanging of hammers, shouts, and the occasional laughter of children replaced the deathly silence, proclaiming the fragile life that was sprouting from the ruins. Amidst the broken walls and rubble, the skeletons of new houses stubbornly rose, to the aid of the guards and craftsmen's sweat.

Aunt Wang, along with several other women, was weaving simple curtains and fences using freshly collected vines.

Create safer play spaces for children.

In the terraced fields and herb garden, Daya's slender figure stood out. With several older children, she carefully squatted beside the potato rows and herb beds where tender green shoots had just sprouted, meticulously pulling weeds and lightly loosening the soil. Her eyes were focused and calm, as if she were holding not humble seedlings in her hands, but the future lifeline of the entire valley.

Not far away, clear mountain spring water gurgles from the water purification pool and flows into the newly dug water storage pit.

It truly becomes the lifeblood flowing through this newly born land.

At the valley entrance, inside the makeshift meeting shed built against a half-remains wall and huge rocks, the atmosphere was completely different from the bustling activity inside the valley; it was as still as water.

Ling Zhan stood at the entrance of the shed, her gaze piercing through the gaps in the simple tarpaulin, scanning the busy figures inside the valley, finally settling on the nascent defensive fortifications. Footsteps approached from afar, carrying a hint of haste, yet maintaining the restraint of a well-bred lady.

Su Wan appeared at the entrance of the shed, her hair slightly loose, with a few strands of hair sticking to her smooth forehead, looking travel-worn.

Instead of carrying bark paper, she was holding an inconspicuous bundle containing several bolts of ordinary coarse cloth—a perfect cover for her identity as the owner of "Yunshangji" (Cloud Garment Shop), making it perfectly normal for her to go in and out of town to buy cloth.

"Sister Ling," Su Wan said in a low voice, slightly out of breath from her journey, "there's news."

Old Yang immediately looked outside the shed warily to make sure no one was approaching.

Ling Zhan turned around, his gaze falling on Su Wan, silently signaling her to speak quickly.

Su Wan put the bundle aside and spoke clearly and quickly: "I asked Xiao Cui from the shop to make an excuse to go to the prefectural city to buy the newly arrived 'Suzhou and Hangzhou fine brocade'. She was clever and sat in the 'Lao Shun Ji' teahouse in the prefectural city for half a day and overheard some important things."

She paused, her eyes grave: "Firstly, in the direction of Mountain Eagle Gorge, some people did see scattered lights the night before, flickering and not like hunters' campfires, but more like... some kind of communication signal. The location was remote, and the hunters nearby all found it strange and dared not approach."

"Secondly," Su Wan's voice deepened, "Xiao Cui saw Huo Heng's trusted advisor outside the teahouse, accompanied by several people dressed as clerks from the prefectural government office, enter through the back gate of the government office. Although they didn't speak, judging from the advisor's respectful demeanor, it was definitely not an ordinary official business. Furthermore, some people in the teahouse were whispering that Magistrate Huo of Linshan County had been 'diligent' lately and had gained favor with his superiors, so he was probably about to be promoted."

“Thirdly,” a cold glint flashed in Su Wan’s eyes, “the discussions in the streets of the prefectural city about the fire at the Shen family’s house in Linshan Town and the ‘officials arresting people’ have not subsided. But the wind has shifted. Some people have started to say that the Shen family ‘caught the eye because they are too big for their own good’ and ‘has offended the wrong people.’ Some have even implied that the artisans who were arrested ‘deserved it’ and that ‘the government’s conscription is justified’! Such arguments are rarely heard before.”

Ling Zhan's gaze remained unwavering. After listening to Su Wan's report, he simply nodded slightly and looked at Old Yang.

"Old Yang, does the location of the fire you saw at the outer outpost last night match what Su Wan described?"

Old Yang immediately bowed and said, "Madam, the direction and distance match perfectly! It is indeed Mountain Eagle Gorge! Our outposts have also determined that it was not the work of hunters and have taken it into account at the highest level of alert."

Ling Zhan's gaze returned to the message Su Wan had brought. His voice was calm, yet carried a chill beneath the frozen surface of the lake.

"Huo Heng... is indeed quick to act. The Ministry of Works just 'took over' the Shen family's artisans, and he's already busy claiming credit and seeking rewards, and has even started... manipulating public opinion. Those rumors circulating on the streets are probably partly due to the Huo family's influence."

She looked at Su Wan and said, "Have your people in the shop try to find out exactly what the people from the workshop came for and what they talked about. Be careful."

"clear."

Su Wan nodded solemnly, "Yunshangji still has a foothold in Linshan and the prefectural city. It's a ready-made clothing shop that relies on its own craftsmanship, so the Ministry of Works isn't interested. Buying and selling is a regular occurrence, and it's relatively cheap to inquire about some publicly available information. I'll make further arrangements."

Su Wan's intelligence was like a pebble thrown into still water, clearly outlining the undercurrents in the outside world.

Old Yang then added information about the outer outposts he was in charge of, which corroborated Su Wan's report, making it seem as if a storm was brewing.

Ling Zhan turned around and his gaze fell on a list spread out on a simple wooden table in the shed.

She raised her hand in greeting, and the old Taoist Xuan Chenzi silently stepped out from the shadows.

The three sat around a table in a dimly lit room.

Ling Zhan ran his fingertip over several names highlighted in charcoal on the list, his voice extremely low, almost a whisper.

"The time has come. Spread the word in these directions as if you were a herb gatherer, a merchant, or a refugee."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over Yang Sijian and Xuan Chenzi's eyes, which lit up instantly. "I told you... Qixia'ao has a remedy for 'chronic illnesses.' As long as a person is alive and willing to endure hardship, there is a way to survive."

She took a small piece of paper, wrote seven words on it with a charred twig, and pushed it in front of the two of them: "The fire of the earth still remains, awaiting the spring breeze."

These seven words, like a flint suddenly ignited in the darkness, instantly rekindled the flames buried deep in the eyes of Yang Sijian and Xuan Chenzi, flames almost buried by the dust of time! They were the marks of their glorious past, the secret code to summon their lost comrades!

Yang Sijian's hand trembled slightly, and Xuan Chenzi's stroking motion also stopped, a sharp light flashing in his cloudy old eyes.

Without further ado, the two carefully put the note away.

He bowed deeply to Ling Zhan, and then his figure disappeared silently into the busy crowd outside the shed, like a ghost.

Whether this spark can ignite a prairie fire remains to be seen, but the seeds of hope have already been sown.

Having completed his plan to summon his old subordinates, Ling Zhan turned his attention to the more pressing immediate issue—controlling external information.

Qixia'ao is like an isolated island; its temporary peace is like walking on thin ice, and it could shatter and sink at any moment.

Intelligence is the lifeline for survival and for anticipating danger.

She personally selected two guards: Azhu and Amu.

The two were only seventeen or eighteen years old, the youngest in the guard team.

Most importantly, their faces are so ordinary that they would be easily lost in a crowd.

But these two had sharp eyes, spoke clearly, and exuded a cleverness.

At Ling Zhan's command, the two men quickly changed into coarse cloth shorts that had been prepared beforehand, washed until faded and even patched, and put on worn-out straw sandals. Their faces were deliberately smeared with dust and sweat. In no time, the two spirited guards had become two country peddlers with dusty faces and slightly timid and ingratiating eyes.

Ling Zhan unfolded a rough sketch of the prefectural city in front of them, drawn by Yang Sijian from memory.

Her fingertips touched several key points.

“Remember the locations: Lao Shun Ji Teahouse at the East Gate is a gathering place for all sorts of people; Coolie's Shed at the West Wharf is the most chaotic place for gossip; Kuaima Carriage Lane at the South Gate is a must-pass for merchants; and Grocery Lane on the edge of the North Market is inconspicuous, but full of eyes and gossip.”

She raised her eyes and looked directly at the two of them: "Azhu, you're a peddler selling sweet cakes. Amu, you're a vendor selling mountain goods and furs. This is your identity, your livelihood, your life! Remember this well!"

"Three missions, etched into my very bones!"

"First, spend your days mingling in teahouses, docks, carriage shops, and general stores! Your ears must be like the finest sieve! Filter out every idle chatter, complaint, and boast from merchants, porters, cart drivers, laborers, and idlers! Pay special attention to anything mentioning 'Linshan Town,' 'Shen Family Workshop,' 'fire,' 'governments arresting people,' 'newly arrived artisans'... and..."

Ling Zhan's eyes suddenly sharpened. "'Magistrate Huo,' 'Ministry of Works commendation,' 'promotion,' 'Linshan County,' 'official slave,' and other such words! Not a single word can be missed! Note down the speaker's accent, physical characteristics, clothing, and tone of voice! Is it pride? Regret? Fear? Or indifference?"

"Second, pay attention to any new faces appearing in and around the city! Especially those with a 'fierce aura'—eyes that are too sharp like knives, or deliberately evasive like a rat; thick calluses on their hands, definitely not the kind from wearing down a hoe handle; walking or sitting with tense postures, like a leopard ready to pounce; gathering in groups of three or five, but without any clear purpose, looking around suspiciously; paying unusual attention to the movements of government offices, inquiring about the city gate guards, patrol routes of officials… For these people, note their approximate areas of residence, including inns, dilapidated temples, abandoned houses, etc. Also note their numbers, behavior patterns, when they go out, and where they usually go?"

"Thirdly, you are the most insignificant specks of dust in the prefectural city! Observe more! Listen more! Speak less! Absolutely! Do not argue with anyone! Your sweet cake stall and mountain produce basket are your best protection! Before sunset, you must! Evacuate the prefectural city! The intelligence will be provided by… The leader of the Asura Guard will give you specific details and arrange accommodations. In case of emergency, inability to escape, or significant discovery, you must immediately relay the information…"

Ling Zhan took out two small, inconspicuous cloth bags.

"Azhu, smash your sweet cake basket! Amu, light this special 'insect-repelling incense' in your mountain produce basket; it will emit thick, pungent white smoke when it comes into contact with water. Once you see the signal, someone nearby will come to your aid. Remember, coming back alive is more important than bringing back any news!"

Azhu and Amu held their breath, memorizing every word and every glance from Ling Zhan.

They knew the importance of this trip and understood the responsibility they bore.

News of the artisans being branded by government slaves had already spread throughout the valley, and although the guards were not artisans themselves, they felt the same way.

In the Shen family, they were guards who earned their living through their own abilities, not slaves!

Ling Dongjia gave them dignity and hope.

At this moment, being able to contribute to protecting this hope fills me with a mix of nervousness and a profound sense of mission, along with a feeling of being trusted.

"Azhu/Amu, obey!" the two replied in unison, their voices low but firm.

They shouldered their own "equipment"—A-Zhu's carrying pole had a simple steamer mold and a small bag of mixed rice, flour, and sugar powder on one end, and several empty bamboo steamers on the other; A-Mu's basket contained some dried common mushrooms, a few bundles of ordinary herbs, and a few tanned rabbit skins. They bowed deeply to Ling Zhan, then turned and walked steadily into the rugged and unknown mountain path leading to the prefectural city.

Like two drops of water, they resolutely merged into the turbid and surging river outside.

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