Chapter 50 She's got eight hundred schemes in her heart.
The maid saw the person in front of her staring intently at the notice, then opened their mouth, but no sound came out.
Not only is he ugly, but he also has a strange personality. He really is an oddball. The maid thought to herself.
The shopkeeper, a man who had seen it all, asked calmly, "Sir, do you want this?"
Seeing the man standing there like a block of wood in front of the counter, the shopkeeper assumed he was illiterate but too embarrassed to speak, so he kindly explained, "The person who posted this notice is looking for a child. The child is nine years old, named 'Qin Yanzhou,' with short hair, fair skin, and captivating eyes, and is about five feet seven inches tall. Um, the second half is missing; we can't see the information about the person offering the reward or the amount, nor do we know where this missing person notice came from."
After the shopkeeper finished speaking, he saw the young man standing in front of the counter finally move. He reached out again and took the notice from the young man's hand.
The crumpled mulberry paper was turned around.
The young man lowered his head, reading the contents word by word, and stroking the name back and forth with his scarred fingers.
The characters are not aesthetically pleasing; the ink has smudged considerably.
As the mulberry paper gets wet and then dry, the inscription "Qin Yanzhou" becomes less clear and requires some effort to discern, but it is indeed real.
Others saw it, read it aloud, and he saw it too, and even bumped into it.
It's not a dream.
So it wasn't a dream after all!
The only people who can find him using this name and this description are...
A small water droplet suddenly bloomed on the mulberry paper, wetting the larger ink spots.
"Oh, sir, what's wrong with you...?" the shopkeeper exclaimed in surprise.
"Where did this notice come from?" Inuaki looked up, staring intently at the two of them.
His face remained expressionless, wooden, and stiff, as if he were wearing a meticulously crafted mask. If it weren't for the redness around his eyes, one would never have guessed that he had just shed tears.
The maid was still afraid of him, but when she looked into those dark eyes again, she felt that they were quite different from before.
How should I describe it?
It's like spring returning to the earth and sweet dew falling from the sky.
And so, tiny grass sprouted in the desolate wilderness. The grass sprouts were tender and fragile, easily broken with a single twist, and could be uprooted with the slightest force. But they did indeed emerge, adorning that barren and desolate world.
"I...I just found it in the yard. It was windy and rainy last night, so it must have been brought here from somewhere by the wind and rain," the maid said softly.
Inujika carefully rolled up the mulberry paper in his hand, and without saying a word, took it out of the post station.
"Hey, sir! Don't you want your soup noodles anymore?"
"Uncle Ping, he doesn't want that soup dumpling anymore, could I have it?"
*
A heavy rain swept away all the gloom of the past two days, and the morning air became incredibly refreshing.
The county was bustling with activity early in the morning. The morning market was crowded with people, shops were wide open, stalls were selling goods, and customers came in droves.
As Inu-gaku walked down the bustling street, he initially tried to unfold the mulberry paper in his hand to ask questions, but when people saw his face, they immediately avoided him as if he were a plague. Often, before he could even open his mouth, they had already walked away.
Inu-Akuta stood there, suddenly feeling a bit lost.
The pedestrians seemed to be shrouded in a gray cloak, and the shops were also gray and black; everything resembled a traditional Chinese ink painting.
It's all the same everywhere, nothing special, and there's nothing to break through.
"Are you waiting to buy my things? If you're not buying anything, don't stand here and block my business." A merchant who arrived late that day saw a wooden stake in front of his shop and immediately waved him away.
As if waking from a dream, Inuyasha moved two steps to the side.
He was still somewhat dazed, his gaze unconsciously following the vendor. He saw the vendor open the shop door, pull out a piece of burlap and some paste from somewhere, and then "slap" the burlap onto the door panel.
Two large characters were prominently written on the linen: Clearance Sale
No one noticed that the vendor's slap not only shook the door panel beneath his hand, but also the young man standing not far away.
Inu-Akuta's pupils constricted, his mind reeling, as many forgotten images resurfaced.
The night was pitch black, patrols and night watchmen roamed the streets, and night travelers dressed in black. There seemed to be a notice behind the spot where he had been standing close to the door.
Inu-gaku followed his memories back to the streets and alleys of last night. There were many shops on that street, but he only vaguely remembered the general layout.
He took the notice and went to a rice shop first.
"Oh, I know about this. Old Gao next door put it up. Just yesterday afternoon, I asked him why he put it up, and he said he received some guidance from a master, and maybe he could make a fortune with a small investment. I guess the wind blew the notice away yesterday, and that's how you picked it up. You asked where Old Gao's shop is? Go out the door and turn right, it's the Gao's Sauce shop next door, just a few steps away," the rice merchant said with a smile.
Inu-Akuta thanked him and took the notice to the door.
It was indeed just a few steps away when he saw the condiment shop next door with the "Xianshi" flag flying.
The wealthy merchant opened his doors early to welcome guests. He had just seen off a few servants from a powerful family who had come to buy salt stones, and was about to take a sip of water to moisten his throat when he caught a glimpse of someone else arriving out of the corner of his eye.
He chuckled to himself, thinking, "Hey, he's probably here to buy saltstone again." Ever since he started stocking saltstone, his business has been booming.
That's wonderful, truly wonderful.
The merchant was smiling and about to greet the guest when he was startled by the newcomer's face. Before he could adjust his expression, the guest asked:
"Is this the notice you posted?"
The merchant's gaze followed his words and landed on the familiar mulberry paper. He had come to open the shop this morning and found the notice on the door gone, which he had found regrettable, but he hadn't expected it to be back so soon.
“Yes, I put it up.” The merchant Gao reached out to take it.
Inuyasu didn't give it to him, but instead unfolded it and showed him the incomplete notice, then asked, "Who posted this notice?"
The merchant replied, "It was shipped from the north."
This statement is too general, and Inujikat frowned unconsciously.
The merchant, not forgetting to promote the salt stone, said, "You know about salt stone, right? It's top-quality goods, highly sought after by the noble families of the county. This treasure comes from Ying County in the north. When we acquired it, an official from Ying County—I heard them call him Captain—asked us merchants to inquire about a nine-year-old boy. He said if we could bring him back, there would be a large reward..."
As for how to use such a large sum of money, the wealthy merchants knew it by heart.
As he repeated the phrase "a large sum of money," a thought stirred within him. "Sir, do you perhaps have news of that boy?"
"What's the captain's surname?" Inujiku asked instead of answering.
The merchant said, "It seems his surname is Yan."
Inu-gaku calculated silently in his mind.
Starting from this place, without stopping day or night, at full speed, we can reach Ying County in as little as five days.
Seeing him constantly asking about "Jinshan" without answering, as if money was glued to his eyes, the merchant sighed and said, "I was just like you before, thinking that if I found this kid, I could become rich overnight and live a worry-free life. I even went to the human market in our county, but I came up empty-handed. Later I realized that this is as difficult as climbing to heaven. If it were really easy, the North wouldn't offer such a high price. I might as well focus on selling my salt stones."
Inu-gaku turned to leave.
"Hey, leave me the notice. I just wrote it yesterday. It's a bit torn, but it'll be usable if I fix the rest," Gao Shangjia shouted.
Inuyasu suddenly remembered something. He stopped, but instead of returning the notice, he asked again, "Your saltstone has been sold for more than just one day, so you should have returned from the North long ago. Why did you only post the notice yesterday? Is it as the rice merchant next door said, that all of this was guided by a master? Who is this master, and does he hold an official position?"
If the "expert" holds an official position, it means there are people in Guoyun County who know more about the situation, and perhaps he can find out about his mother's current condition.
A barrage of questions came at Gao Shangjia, leaving him stunned. After a moment of hesitation, he scratched his head and said, "It wasn't any official, just a young woman. That 'expert' was a young woman, and she was quite quick-witted. I hadn't even thought of that move."
An inexplicable feeling lingered in his heart, and Inuyasu's speech unconsciously quickened, "A woman? What does she look like?"
The merchant recalled, "At that time, she was wearing a veil, so her face could not be seen, but her voice was very pleasant, like a spring breeze. I remember that she was wearing brocade, and the gold hairpin on her head alone was enough for an ordinary family to spend for several years, not to mention that she had several servants with knives. With such a configuration, she must be a lady from a wealthy family."
Dog Mustard remained silent.
Merchants are usually eloquent and talkative; very few are introverted. Since there were no customers in the shop at the moment, the wealthy merchant decided to chat with him for a bit, hoping that this man, like the lady from yesterday, would buy something after their conversation.
"I heard her servants call her 'Madam,' so I suppose she's already married." The merchant Gao spread out one hand and counted, "There are only a few prominent families in the prefecture: the Feng family of Prefect Feng, the Zhang family with connections to Chang'an, and..."
"Dog mustard".
Both of them paused, and Quan Jie turned around and saw Wang Jiang.
Wang Jiang was the only remaining companion who had sneaked into Qin's residence with him last night.
"It really is you. What are you doing here?" Wang Jiang stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over Gao Shangjia with a look of inquiry in his eyes.
Could this person be a contact person?
Inujiku didn't intend to say anything more to him and turned to leave. Wang Jiang followed him.
As the merchant watched them leave the shop one after the other, he muttered, "It's strange. Why are they all so interested in that boy they're looking for in the north? They brought it up as soon as they came in."
The young man paused slightly as he left.
Wang Jiang said in a low voice, "Quan Jie, when are we going back to Gaoling County? Yesterday's matter failed. Although there is no curfew or search in the county for the time being, there is no guarantee that it will not be lifted. It is not advisable to stay here for long."
Inu-Akuta: "I won't go back."
Without hesitation, almost as soon as the other person finished speaking, he threw those two cold and harsh words at them.
Wang Jiang paused for a moment, then said with a strange expression, "You want to have a second round? Don't say I didn't warn you. Now it's just the two of us. With last night's incident, the area will definitely be heavily guarded for the next few days. Going there rashly would only be a waste of your life."
Dog Mustard remained silent.
Wang Jiang was angered by his attitude. "What exactly do you want? You're neither going back to Gaoling nor continuing that thing. Don't tell me you're going to betray your benefactor?"
Inuyasha glanced sideways coldly, "Why not?"
Wang Jiang was stunned by his gaze. In his mind, Inu-Akuta was a cold, efficient knife, always ready to strike wherever its master pointed, even more effective than a dog. After all, dogs sometimes have extraneous thoughts, but Inu-Akuta didn't.
But now, this knife has actually developed impure thoughts.
"If you dare to betray your master, you will surely die without a burial place!" Wang Jiang was both shocked and furious.
If a dog is going to betray its master, what should it do?
As if hearing his thoughts, Inuyasha coldly said, "Do whatever you want. We'll go our separate ways."
Seemingly sensing a hint of murderous intent, Inuyasha looked directly into his eyes and said, "Whether you tell Fan Yanzhou about my departure is up to you, but if you want to take my head back for a reward, you should consider whether you have the ability."
A glint of light flashed in Wang Jiang's eyes, and he suddenly laughed, "Quan Jie, you've misunderstood. If you want to leave, then leave. What does it have to do with me? From now on, you go your sunny path, and I'll cross my narrow bridge. We'll never meet again."
Dog Mustard didn't utter a word.
The two parted ways at the intersection ahead; Quan Jie went east, and Wang Jiang went west.
After taking a few steps, Wang Jiang looked back and a strange smile appeared on his lips.
The timing of this betrayal of the Lord is perfect!
There must be a reason for this mission's failure. Let's pin it all on Inu-Akuta. That way, our benefactor's wrath will be directed only at Inu-Akuta, and he'll be less harshly criticized.
Ignoring Wang Jiang's sudden change in attitude, Quan Jie walked down the street, taking in the surrounding houses one by one, the words of the merchant surnamed Gao still ringing in his ears.
The married woman, with a voice as gentle as a spring breeze, is focused on the person being sought in the North…
The inexplicable feeling grew stronger and stronger, completely transforming into invisible threads that wrapped around Quan Jie's legs, preventing him from leaving Guoyun County immediately.
Even in a prefecture, rather than a county, not many families could afford to provide their female relatives with armed attendants. He would stay in Guoyun Prefecture for two more days to thoroughly investigate the high-ranking families there before heading to Ying Prefecture.
*
The Qin residence, a side room in the main courtyard.
"...You said there was an assassin last night?" Dai Li asked in surprise.
Nianxia nodded emphatically, "Yes, Madam. Just now, I heard from the patrolling guards that several assassins dressed in black suddenly came in the middle of the night. They sneaked into the house of the village chief Bai and tried to take his life. Fortunately, the village chief Bai happened to get up to use the toilet last night, and the two groups of people ran into each other in the house."
Dai Li: "Is Commander Bai injured?"
Bibo: "Your life is not in danger. I heard you suffered some minor injuries. Things have not been peaceful in the county lately, so please do not leave the manor. If there is anything you wish to buy, just tell me to go and buy it."
Dai Li recalled that someone had come looking for Qin Shaozong late last night, apparently about the attack on the mansion. But speaking of things to buy, there really were some.
The rain that fell in the middle of the night came at a very inopportune time, soaking all the fish bladders she had laid out to dry on the winnowing basket.
The swim bladders need to be prepared again...
“Madam, from now on, no matter what happens, I will sleep in the small side room. If any villains attack, Bi Po and I can hold them off for you,” Nian Xia said earnestly.
Not only were they well-fed and clothed, and did little work, they also received a generous monthly bonus. Following such a master, their lives were far more comfortable than those of many ordinary women.
The advice from the benefactor was indeed correct; kneeling down immediately softened the lady's heart.
Bibo, standing beside her, nodded. "Madam, Nianxia and I have actually served our master in bed before, so we know what to do."
Dai Li: "..."
No, that's not the reason at all.
Just as the atmosphere became somewhat tense, a tall figure walked in from outside the door.
As soon as Qin Shaozong arrived, Nianxia and Bipo tacitly withdrew.
"Why isn't Your Excellency at the military camp today?" Dai Li asked, looking at him. Someone had sneaked into the mansion, but the person didn't seem angry at all.
“Let’s not go for now. Have you heard about the attack on the manor, Madam?” Qin Shaozong sat down beside her.
“I heard about it,” Dai Li asked him. “How many people were arrested?”
Qin Shaozong: "We captured one alive, and two escaped. After interrogation, the man claimed to be from Qingzhou."
"How is that possible?!" Dai Li questioned instinctively.
"Does Madam think it's impossible?" He smiled.
Dai Li: "Of course not. Nangong Qingzhou invited you here to form an alliance to jointly attack the Qinglian Sect. How could he possibly turn around and attack your troops at this critical juncture? He is not secretly allied with the Qinglian Sect."
However, in the end, Dai Li was a little uncertain, "They shouldn't have been secretly hanging out together, right?"
On the surface, things are clearly divided, black is black, and white is white. But with so many "Infernal Affairs" films made, some things are really hard to say.
Qin Shaozong raised a smile at the corner of his eye, "What does Madam consider to be sneaky?"
There were only the two of them in the room. Dai Li sensed that something was wrong and looked at him warily. "They certainly wouldn't do it in broad daylight, would they, Lord Jun?"
Qin Shaozong gave a soft chuckle.
This fox always has eight hundred schemes up its sleeve whenever it comes to him.
He began by saying something similar to what Bibo said, "The county has been quite unsettled lately. Two of the thieves who broke into the manor last night escaped, and there's no guarantee they won't return. Madam, please move in with me."
Dai Li froze, her first reaction being rejection. "They won't be back, will they? If their attack fails, the guards in the manor will surely be heightened. Besides, there are only two of them left; they are outnumbered and outmatched. How can they possibly succeed?"
"Assassinations cannot be deduced by common sense. Moreover, only two escaped; the total number of assassins is unknown. Who knows how many more are still hiding in this prefecture?" Qin Shaozong said calmly.
Fortunately, the group of men in black last night entered other courtyards. If they had tried to sneak into her side room through the east window, the distance would have been too great, and since he was already asleep, he wouldn't have been able to hear anything from there.
Dai Li opened her mouth as if to speak.
He made the final decision: "This matter is now decided."
Now Qin Shaozong is in charge of the entire mansion. With his order, Nianxia and Bipo quickly moved Daili's belongings to the main house.
I didn't have much luggage, mainly just a pillow and a few clothes.
Dai Li tried to salvage the situation: "This isn't good, it's disturbing your rest."
"You'll only stay for a few days. Once the army sets off, you'll have time to sleep on your own." Qin Shaozong suddenly smiled. "Besides, Madam sleeps quite peacefully, so it won't bother you."
When they haven't had enough sleep, they can be quite irritable and might scratch people with their fox claws.
Author's Note: Actually, I also want to update earlier every day, 11 pm is a bit late, but I never finish writing [crying emoji]. And after finishing, I still have to carefully check for bugs to ensure the best experience for the official version, so I really can't update earlier [crying emoji].
By the way, you guys keep asking when we'll reunite. Everything's been set up, it's tomorrow! [shy]
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