Chapter 76 She's there!
Dai Li was too tired. As soon as her nerves relaxed a little, many of her bodily functions went out of control, and she fell into a deep sleep.
She originally planned to get up at the beginning of Chenshi (7 or 8 a.m.) the next morning, but because there were no alarm clocks in this era, she automatically blocked out the noise outside the window and slept straight until the end of Wushi (11 p.m.).
Clutching the blanket, Dai Li suddenly sat up on the tatami mat, looking at the angle of the incoming sunlight and muttering, "Oh no, this is going to be bad."
The city gates will open at dawn, which is more than three hours ago. More than three hours, six hours—there are so many things that can be done in that time.
Dai Li dared not delay any longer, so she immediately got up, washed up, and put on makeup.
The inn she carefully selected was small in size, in a rather ordinary location, and not as clean or as good as others.
But there was one thing about it that really pleased Dai Li, and that was—
The receptionist was quite perfunctory.
When she checked in and paid the bill yesterday, she held her phone in her hand the whole time.
The lazy maid only glanced at it casually, without even mentioning that she should remove the finger that had "accidentally" covered half of her name.
She was certain he hadn't seen the name "He Hua" clearly, but that didn't mean she could rest easy.
The sheer size of the Green Lotus Sect's lower-level followers is evident from the number of commoners who came to participate in the grand ceremony on the first day of the month.
They blend into the lowest rungs of society, appearing and disappearing without a trace. Perhaps they are the street vendors, or even the most unremarkable maid in some inn.
Dai Li's luggage consisted of only a small, light bundle containing a few brocade handkerchiefs, face cream and face powder, a few pieces of jewelry, and not even a second set of clothes. As for money and some other small ornaments, she kept them close to her body and dared not put them in the small bundle.
Leave the side room and go down the stairs.
After thinking for a moment, Dai Li went to the counter to renew her stay, saying, "I'll extend it for two more days."
"Sixty coins." The maid quoted the price first, then glanced at the bundle on Dai Li's shoulder: "Miss, you can leave your things in your room. Our shop is very safe, no one dares to steal anything."
"No, I'll take it myself. The same thing happened to the person I met last time, and they still ended up losing things when they got back to their room," Dai Li refused.
She thought the maid would stop there, collect her money, and she would go find food.
Unexpectedly, the maid then said, "Our master's elder brother is no ordinary man. He knows many influential people and has countless brothers and sisters of different surnames. Let me tell you this, there are plenty of petty thieves in Xia Valley, but here..."
The maid held up one finger and waved it, "The thief wouldn't dare come."
Dai Li's brow twitched, and an ominous premonition arose inexplicably. "Countless brothers and sisters of different surnames? Are you trying to deceive me? Even the Oath of the Peach Garden only resulted in a few sworn brothers at most."
“Ignorant woman. My master’s brother is a believer,” the maid scoffed.
There is no official order banning religion today, so people don't keep quiet about it, and many even take pride in it.
Dai Li felt dizzy.
Yesterday she inspected many outposts, her legs were sore from walking, but unexpectedly, after all her careful selection, she ended up choosing the worst one, the enemy camp.
What bad luck!
No, not really, at least it was discovered early.
The maid said the employer's elder brother was a believer, not the employer himself, which created a barrier. As long as they haven't come looking for us yet, there's still time...
However, just as Dai Li was thinking this, someone rushed in from outside, and judging from their footsteps, there was more than one person.
Then someone spoke:
“Brother, my inn is not very large. I heard that you are looking for a distinguished person. How could such a noble person look down on my small inn?”
"You don't need to worry about that. Just give the maid a few instructions."
With her back to the door, Dai Li's heart leaped into her throat, then slowly calmed down a little.
Sounds like the guys from the landlord's team.
So only two people came?
"Your Excellency, please rest assured, I will do my utmost to fulfill the orders given from above." It was that elder brother's voice.
Dai Li shuddered, feeling her entire body twitch. A chilling, snake-like sensation surged from her tailbone, eventually coiling around her neck, and the surrounding air seemed to thin out.
The temple wasn't very big; she remembered that the door was only seven steps away from the counter.
There are more than two people coming!
People from the Green Lotus Sect have also arrived.
“You’re right, then I’ll stay here with peace of mind.” Dai Li put the money in her hand on the counter. “I suddenly remembered that I seem to have left something in the room. I’ll go up and take a look.”
After speaking, Dai Li didn't wait for the maid to respond and turned to walk towards the stairs.
The main entrance and the staircase are not on the same side; walking towards the staircase will prevent you from facing the people at the entrance.
The maid also heard the conversation and his attention had already drifted over there. He instinctively shoved the money on the counter into the cabinet, rubbed his hands together, and left the counter to greet them.
As for the woman staying at the hotel?
Oh, if you want to stay, then stay; if not, then forget it. The money from the hotel stays won't end up in his pocket anyway.
The most important thing now is to entertain the host.
Dai Li's heart pounded like a drum, so loud it hurt her eardrums, but she dared not walk too fast. If she showed even the slightest panic, she would surely attract their attention, and besides, she didn't know if the "sir" they were talking about had ever seen her before...
Reaching the stairwell, Dai Li stepped onto the stairs.
The wooden stairs made a slight "crunching" sound when stepped on, a sound that would normally be quite ordinary, but now it sounded like needles pricking Dai Li's ears, making each step particularly difficult for her.
However, Dai Li later realized that she was just feeling guilty and had been nervous for no reason, because these people hadn't noticed her at all, even though she was dressed plainly.
After turning the corner, Dai Li stopped.
She didn't go upstairs; instead, she hid here to eavesdrop.
"Let's take a look at the check-in list from yesterday," said the landlord's elder brother.
"No, there's no register. Our shop always just glances at the guests when they check in, we don't register them," the maid replied, her voice growing softer and softer.
"Nonsense! How can you do this!" said the elder brother of the landlord.
Dai Li didn't hear any sound immediately after that part, probably because the boss pulled his brother aside to whisper.
After a moment, the landlord's elder brother coughed lightly, "It's fine if we didn't have the previous ones, but we have to now. Everyone who checks into the inn must register their information. Go do it now, take the booklet and go door to door..."
Dai Li's breath hitched, and she didn't dare to linger any longer, so she quickly went upstairs.
This small inn had three floors, and Dai Li's room was at the far end of the second floor. She hurried back to her room, locked the door, and then spread out the blankets on the couch.
She grabbed one of the corners and tied it to the heavy bedpost. Dai Li used the kind of tying method used when escaping a fire, and she wasn't worried that the blanket would suddenly come loose due to the great force.
The window was right next to the tatami mat. After tying the knot, Dai Li pushed open the window and looked down.
This inn was small and naturally didn't occupy a prime location like the larger ones. It was located in a small alley, surrounded by other alleys in all directions.
Unfortunately, a woman carrying a bamboo basket was passing by in the alley at that moment.
The other person is full and is now taking their time.
Dai Li bit her lip, extremely anxious. The other person hadn't left yet, and she couldn't lower the rope now. But she could already hear footsteps.
It's late noon now, and there aren't many guests still in the inn at this time.
"Open the door, is anyone home?" came a knock on the door.
However, she wasn't knocking on Dai Li's door; she peeked down again.
The woman had walked halfway and was about to turn out of the alley.
"Who is it? Why are you knocking at this hour? I don't remember letting the maid into my room."
“A wanted criminal has recently arrived in the city, and the authorities are searching for him everywhere. We hope for your cooperation.” Dai Li heard an unfamiliar voice.
I estimate that this person is the "Your Excellency" that the employer mentioned.
Dai Li stared intently down below, deciding not to wait any longer and to lower the rope down first. The rope was lowered gently, and the woman didn't notice, turning out of the alley without even stopping.
As soon as the person left, Dai Li immediately climbed out the window.
This inn was built quite high, over ten feet tall. Dai Li's current height from the ground is about that, plus the height of the windowsill. Falling from that height, if she's unlucky enough to hit her head, it's not impossible for her to be reincarnated.
Dai Li dared not relax, gripping tightly while trying to keep her feet perpendicular to the ground.
...
Second floor.
"Is anyone home?" The maid went inside and knocked on the door of another room.
After knocking for a while, no one answered.
"Could he have gone out?" the landlord asked.
"Push the door open," said the elder brother from the landlord's household.
None of the side room doors had external locks; to lock them, one had to use a bolt from the inside. The owner always obeyed his elder brother, not to mention that his elder brother had contributed some money when the inn was first established.
The host immediately pushed open the door himself.
The room was empty.
"Did they go out? Or is no one living here?" the landlord asked the maid.
"Oh, this room is empty, no one's here." The dazed maid finally realized what was happening, and as soon as she finished speaking, she was slapped on the head by her employer. She quickly covered her head and begged for mercy, "The next room isn't. The room next door is occupied by a young woman. She's definitely in there."
"How did you know she was there?" the elder brother from the east asked.
The maid didn't think much of it: "She just came downstairs. She wasn't supposed to stay, but she extended her stay for two more days."
"Just now?" someone asked.
"Yes, just now, when you first arrived, she went upstairs after renewing her payment." The maid said as she walked to the door at the end of the corridor, raised her hand and knocked on the door, "Madam, please open the door."
There was no response or sound from inside.
The landlord reached out and pushed, only to find that the inner bolt was stuck, and the door could not be opened.
"Lady?!" The maid was still knocking on the door. "Please open the door. A wanted criminal has arrived in the city. We need to register the information we sent."
The room remained quiet.
"Could she be asleep? That shouldn't be the case; she came downstairs just fifteen minutes ago..." the maid muttered to herself.
"Get out of the way." This means they're going to kick the door down.
The employer was not very happy, but seeing his elder brother's resolute expression and the unusual appearance of the person beside him, he had no choice but to swallow his polite refusal.
"Bang—!"
The door was kicked with tremendous force, the not-so-thick bolt inside was knocked off, and the two doors suddenly opened.
A cool breeze suddenly blew in, like an invisible hand violently stirring the nerves of the group.
This room is not large, and there is no distinction between inner and outer rooms; you can see the bed inside from the doorway.
At that moment, everyone clearly saw a quilt twisted into a rope, one end tied to the bedpost, the other end extending towards the open window.
Two figures simultaneously strode forward, rushed to the window, and peered out.
Outside the window, the quilt fluttered in the wind, and the alley below was deserted, without a soul in sight.
"It's definitely her! She was in the room just now!"
"She hasn't been gone long, she definitely can't have gone far."
Someone braced themselves and nimbly climbed onto the windowsill, grabbed the rope made of a quilt and slid down with a "whoosh," but in the blink of an eye, their feet were on the ground.
The alley split into two ends. The man rushed towards the main street, but the pedestrians on the street looked normal and did not see anyone running. He then turned back to check the other end.
The other end leads to an alley, where there isn't a soul in sight, not even a bird.
upstairs.
The master of the house was questioning the maid: "What clothes was that young lady wearing? What did she look like? Tell me quickly."
The maid stammered, "She was dressed like an ordinary woman, with a dark face and many moles on her face. She always kept her head down, so I didn't see her clearly."
...
Dai Li had already slipped out two blocks, but the invisible boulder pressing on her heart remained unmoved, still making it hard for her to breathe.
They're coming after us; this area is no longer safe.
Yesterday she went to many places and explored most of Xiagu. Now that she has left this area, she is no longer wandering around like a headless fly.
After walking three blocks and confirming that she was some distance from the inn, Dai Li turned and went into a restaurant.
This restaurant has only one floor and no private rooms; diners eat in the main hall. Now, well past the usual mealtimes, there are only a handful of people left.
Dai Li didn't specifically choose a corner; she simply sat in a corner with her back to the shop door.
After ordering a bowl of soup noodles, Dai Li began to think about her future. The biggest problem now was her legacy. She reached into her pocket and took out a wooden plaque, looking down at it.
Name: He Hua
Dai Li stared at the two words for a long time, and then suddenly the corners of her mouth slowly curled up.
I've got it!
"Young lady, your noodle soup is here." The maid brought the noodle soup.
The road ahead became much clearer, and since Dai Li was indeed hungry, she ate with particular relish and even ordered an extra serving of flatbread.
After lunch, Dai Li didn't go outside, but went to the restaurant's kitchen. The kitchen was in the backyard, a place where unauthorized people were supposed to stay. For example, the servants stopped Dai Li there.
"Please wait, young lady. The kitchen over there is not open to the public," the maid said.
Dai Li: "I don't intend to cause trouble in your kitchen. I just want to borrow one of your items for a short time. I won't use you for free. How about I lend it to you for ten coins?"
A quarter of an hour, ten coins.
The servant was stunned. He only earned twenty-five coins a day working in the shop, and this was almost half a day's wages.
"What would you like to borrow, young lady?" the maid asked hastily.
Dai Li smiled and said, "A knife. I'd like to borrow your shop's small knife."
Talking wasn't enough; she took out a handful of silver coins from her purse. "Could you do me this small favor? I'm in the shop right now and won't take them with me. I'll return them to you in a quarter of an hour."
The servant stared at the money in her hand, his mind racing. He would take half of the ten coins and give the other half to Liu Paoding, who would most likely lend him the knife.
“Okay, young lady, please wait a moment,” the maid replied.
He returned quickly with a small knife. "How about this?"
Dai Li gave him the money and took the knife, saying, "Perfect timing, thank you."
Upon returning to the hall, Dai Li sat in a corner, still with her back to the entrance.
He held a knife in one hand and a small wooden plaque in the other, the back half of which was deliberately hidden in his sleeve, revealing only the name.
Then Dai Li made her move.
Her name is "He Hua". She plans to add a grass radical to the character "He" to make it "He".
The character “flower” was difficult to modify, so Dai Li simply left it alone and added another character after it. Her strength was limited, and she wouldn't be able to use the knife for long, so the character she chose was very simple: just “scholar”.
New name: Lotus Scholar
The name sounds strange, but there are many strange names in this era. Given the limited resources, there's nothing we can do but make do with it.
Dai Li was very careful in altering and adding words, as the management of documents was still very strict in this era. Those who sold fake certificates would be beheaded immediately at best, and severely punished before meeting their maker.
Of course, fake documents are not easy to obtain either. The official seals on them are complex and require special attention, and they cannot be easily faked.
If you ask to borrow a knife for a quarter of an hour, then you borrow it for a quarter of an hour.
Fifteen minutes later, Dai Li returned the knife and filled the scratches with black ointment, completely creating new handwriting.
Mission accomplished!
Dai Li smiled and relaxed.
They knew she was in Xia Valley, and the ferry crossing and several city gates were certainly guarded. Since that was the case, they thought it best for her to stay in the city for a while, until things calmed down, before leaving.
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Author's Note: I'm here! [Sprinkling flowers]
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