Chapter 59: Easy Entry, Strict Exit
Chapter 59 Easy Entry, Strict Exit
Around dusk, the Bazhenlou restaurant, pulled by eight horses, was finally approaching Shanhe Town.
Based on past experience, whenever they approached an important town like Shanhe Town, Wang Sumo and the old man would leave one person to guard the carriage, while the other would first go to the town ahead to scout out the situation before discussing whether the carriage should enter the town.
Places like Carp Town and Lake Town don't need this, but Shanhe Town is the only major town in the vicinity.
A major town means a large number of troops stationed there.
In areas with a large military presence, the situation is always relatively complex.
Especially in recent years.
When the Eight Treasures Pavilion travels the martial arts world, it not only has to deal with martial arts figures, but also more or less has to interact with the government offices and garrisons of the towns it passes through.
Whether the Eight Treasures Pavilion is raised or not, it is too ostentatious and conspicuous.
When the situation is stable, it's fine to rest in the city; but if the situation becomes tense, not only the city, but even the nearby countryside is not safe.
In such situations, the old man would usually drive his carriage around or avoid the city overnight, just in case he got trapped.
Better safe than sorry, especially when traveling with the Eight Treasures Pavilion.
According to reports, Zhao Tong had already gone to Shanhe Town under cover of darkness last night, and indeed he did not see any tense atmosphere.
But a place like Shanhe Town must have a garrison.
This year is not peaceful, so to be on the safe side, Wang Sumo gathered a few people to discuss the matter first.
She was inclined to go to Shanhe Town.
The food boxes she bought last time were from when she and her grandfather went to Shanhe Town. This time, she could go to find out where their food boxes were made; even if she couldn't find out for the time being, she could still buy ready-made ones from the restaurant.
Anyway, she found it novel, and since there were indeed more people available than before, she wanted to give it a try.
But she still told the truth, “Brother Zhao went to Shanhe Town last night, so it should be safe. But according to what I did do, my grandfather and I did have an accident before. We were fine when we went to the town yesterday, and we wanted to stock up on some more ingredients the next day, but all the merchants and carriages that came and went were detained in the town.”
Bai Cen and Zhao Tong were both surprised!
No wonder Wang Sumo and the old man are so cautious.
They all have sources...
The old man crossed his arms, seemingly recalling the events of that time, and his expression still held a hint of displeasure. He said in a deep voice, "Although Bazhenlou is somewhat famous in the martial arts world, and you can reason with martial arts practitioners, if you pass through an important town, it will be full of government officials and garrison troops. There will be no rules of the martial arts world, and no one will reason with you!"
The old man spoke so pessimistically, and he must still feel that bad luck is still there.
The old man already had a bad impression of the current court and the garrison, and Liu Henshui's nagging earlier only deepened that impression in his mind.
The world of martial arts is treacherous, but compared to the turbulent and unpredictable affairs of the imperial court and the military, it pales in comparison.
Martial arts practitioners can still argue, but if it's the imperial court or the garrison, their voices will probably be drowned out.
He'd rather not go!
But if the girl wants to go, she can still go, but she must find out the details first.
Such a large building as the Eight Treasures Pavilion is a wonder to martial arts practitioners, who also maintain it, but it can also be truly dangerous in times of danger.
Old He might be alright, since Qingyun Manor has a good reputation and most people have heard of it.
In addition, Lao He's grand-nephew (He Huai'an) has some connections and has gotten involved in business with the military. Some of the wound medicines used in the military are supplied by Qingyun Manor, so he has some connections in the military.
Old He himself is a get-out-of-jail-free card!
Compared to Lao He, he is often referred to as the "Old Monster" in the martial arts world, but Lao He is highly respected.
His birth chart was clearly written there, and he had many admirers outside the martial arts world.
But Lao He isn't here...
Taking the old man as a bride was a matter of responsibility for the safety of everyone in the carriage.
Wang Sumo continued, saying that last time she and the old man were trapped in the city, they were fortunate to meet the city magistrate's wife, who had previously been a martial arts figure and knew a little about Bazhenlou, and thus had a natural affinity for Bazhenlou.
The city's commander was also afraid of his wife.
In addition, her meal caused him to fall ill, and the young master of the city lord's family, who had little appetite, ate a lot for several days in a row. His appetite gradually improved, and the city lord and his wife were grateful to her. That's why they withstood the pressure and secretly let them and Bazhenlou out of the city.
It was also a stroke of luck, but in the world of martial arts, one cannot always be so lucky.
She and the old man learned a lesson from this incident.
Whether you visited the night before or in the morning, if more than half a day has passed, you can't be careless...
After listening to Wang Sumo's explanation, Zhao Tong and Bai Cen had a better understanding of the whole story.
Bai Cen crossed his arms and nodded.
To be able to drive the Bazhen Tower this far truly requires both boldness and meticulousness!
He had been cautious before, hiding everywhere, but his target was not as big as Bazhenlou.
The Eight Treasures Pavilion has its advantages, but its conspicuousness is truly remarkable...
Bai Cen fell silent.
Wang Sumo continued, "By the way, Brother Zhao, did you see anything unusual when you went to Shanhe Town last night? It was already night when you went there. Were there people queuing in front of any shops, or crowds of people gathering somewhere, or anyone robbing something?"
Zhao Tong thought for a moment and was about to speak when the old man added, "Have the notice boards at the city gates and in the city mentioned any recent major events in the city? What officials or military generals have come to assume their duties? Have there been any adjustments to taxes, etc."
Zhao Tong frowned.
The old man spoke vaguely because he understood the intricacies of the matter, but Zhao Tong might not. Wang Sumo explained, "A new broom sweeps clean. When a new official or general arrives to assume office, they inevitably have to set three fires first. Either there's a real fire to burn in the city, or if there isn't, they have to start it themselves..."
Wang Sumo said meaningfully, "Other things are hard to deal with. But if a notorious bandit, a womanizer, or some scoundrel who has infiltrated the city and angered the public comes along, that'll provide a gimmick and an excuse. Since we're going to do something big and achieve political success, it's bound to take ten days to half a month of turmoil. Even if it's some kind of bandit that's made up out of thin air, maybe he'll have already left, but you still won't be out..."
Bai Cen and Zhao Tong both stared wide-eyed, their expressions a mixture of belated realization and sudden enlightenment.
Bai Cen leaned closer and whispered, "Boss, how do you know so much?"
Wang Sumo also whispered, "I've been there before..."
Bai Cen clicked his tongue and sighed a few times, "Well, that's considered turning bad luck into good."
Wang Sumo sighed softly, "Money can make the devil turn the millstone..."
Bai Cen and Zhao Tong both understood: -_-||
"But it's not always easy to run into troublesome people," Wang Sumo said truthfully. "My grandfather and I, a young woman and an old man, are harmless, but if you two are added to the mix..."
Bai Cen and Zhao Tong: →_→
Bai Cen and Zhao Tong both understood again...
"The girl is right, think about it carefully," the old man instructed Zhao Tong.
In the past, he was the one who usually went to investigate, while Wang Sumo stayed in the carriage.
The old man has a lot of experience with these things.
Moreover, having spent many years in the business world, the old man knew how to avoid pitfalls and seek advantages.
Although Zhao Tong is the leader of the Rakshasa Alliance, judging from his interactions over the past few days, he doesn't seem to care much about the Rakshasa Alliance. Although he hasn't had time to find out the reasons behind it yet, he had been with De Yuan the whole time.
Deyuan had been pretending to have a broken leg for who knows how long, but Zhao Tong couldn't leave Deyuan alone for too long, nor could he stay in town for too long.
If Zhao Tong didn't want to be discovered so easily, he certainly wouldn't stay in towns for long periods of time, especially important towns like Shanhe Town.
Therefore, Zhao Tong may not have had such vigilance and awareness.
The old man had to give a reminder.
Zhao Tong was initially quite certain that the town was peaceful and stable when he went there last night, but after hearing what the old man and Wang Sumo said, Zhao Tong suddenly hesitated and calmed down.
He first needed to carefully search his memory to see if he had missed anything the old man had said.
Although others haven't spent much time with Zhao Tong, a person's personality will inevitably reveal some of their traits.
For example, Zhao Tong is not talkative and doesn't like to speak much, but judging from his early departure from Shanhe Town last night and his eagerness to work as a sous chef this morning, he is a very focused and serious person when he does something.
Strictly speaking, Zhao Tong might have more self-control than Bai Cen and the old man himself.
The old man reminded him to think carefully and not to reveal any details. Zhao Tong really put his fist to his lips and pondered carefully with dark eyes.
He left after talking with Wang Sumo last night. The place where he stayed last night was more than an hour away from Shanhe Town by fast horse, while Bazhenlou was two or three hours away.
He arrived in Shanhe Town around midnight.
Many towns do not have curfews.
So when he entered or left the city, the city guards routinely asked him what he was doing in the middle of the night. He gave a perfunctory answer that he was looking for someone and needed someone to stay overnight, and they let him in through the city gate.
He didn't think anything of it.
Aside from a few scattered patrolling soldiers, there was nothing particularly noteworthy on the road.
As for the queues and shopping frenzy that the old man and Wang Sumo mentioned, he didn't see them, but that doesn't mean they didn't exist. However, he didn't pay special attention to notices or similar things either.
but……
Zhao Tong said in a deep voice, "I just remembered something."
Wang Sumo, the old man, and Bai Cen all looked at him.
It was the first time Zhao Tong had been stared at so intently by three large faces and three pairs of eyes from his companions. He felt a little uncomfortable for a moment, but he tried his best to adapt. "Everything was normal on this trip to Shanhe Town. Nothing was abnormal, but it was just too normal."
The other three people: "..."
The communication methods and styles of the Rakshasa Alliance may differ from those of other martial arts sects.
Zhao Tong realized they might not have understood, so he coughed lightly twice and continued, "What I mean is that everything is too peaceful and quiet. I feel like something is off, but I can't quite put my finger on it."
All three of them breathed a sigh of relief.
We can still communicate.
Zhao Tong tried not to look at them and spoke more fluently while looking at the ground, “There is no curfew in Shanhe Town. When I entered, the gatekeeper asked me a few simple questions and let me through; but when I left the town, they asked me a lot more questions as usual than when I entered, but those questions didn’t seem like routine questions.”
“That’s just going through the motions, and they’re afraid of being seen through, so they’re deliberately using a routine tone…” Wang Sumo offered a suggestion.
Bai Cen crossed his arms and sighed softly, "No! Putting aside whether leaving the city is complicated or not, entering the city at midnight would definitely involve a lot of questioning. It's unlikely that they'd be so lenient when entering the city, but so strict when leaving, unless..."
Bai Cen was the first to react, "Easy entry, strict exit! They're looking for (arresting) people!"
[Author's Note]
Sorry, everyone. I suddenly stopped updating a couple of days ago because my elderly relative had a problem with their post-operative recovery and had to be rushed back to the hospital. If anyone in your family has high blood sugar, please be careful, as wounds heal very slowly and can be dangerous if you're not careful.
————
I won't mention it anymore, I'll be discharged from the hospital soon and will resume updates tomorrow.
I lost a chapter; I owe 20 more. I've added it to my record. [clasped hands]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com