The soldiers guarding the city took a closer look.
The token is engraved with the emblem of the Javanese royal family, symbolizing supreme power.
"Greetings, Your Majesty the Imperial Envoy!"
The soldiers defending the city knelt down in unison, their shouts echoing like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing through the sky.
This scene was witnessed by special forces soldiers from Shannan Prefecture who happened to be passing by.
Everyone was stunned.
"Lord Ye...you've...become an official?"
A young special forces soldier rubbed his eyes and asked incredulously.
"That's right! We just escorted the princess!"
"It has to be Lord Night Owl! We still have a lot to learn from him!"
Night Owl's days at Haixia Pass were incredibly successful; he was happier than a god.
During the day, he wore a coarse linen garment bestowed upon him by the king—in fact, this linen garment was specially made.
It was sewn with a layer of soft and smooth silk, making it more comfortable to wear than the king's dragon robe.
He deliberately covered his hemp clothes with a layer of mud, making himself look covered in dirt.
Anyone who didn't know better would really think he was working incredibly hard!
He led a group of Javanese craftsmen and gestured wildly on the dike.
Every now and then he would shake his head and recite a few lines of water management poems he had learned from storybooks.
He looked just like a seasoned water management expert.
In reality, he couldn't even understand the blueprints for the dam, let alone guide the project.
His favorite thing to do was to grab a lazy craftsman and yell at him.
That day, he was inspecting the dike when his eyes suddenly lit up.
He saw a craftsman dozing in the shade and immediately flew into a rage.
Hey! What are you doing?!
The owl roared, startling the craftsman so much that he jumped up from the ground.
"N-nothing... I didn't do anything, sir..."
The craftsman answered tremblingly, still clutching a handful of grass tightly in his hand.
"You didn't do anything? If you didn't do anything, why are you shaking? What are you holding in your hand?"
As he spoke, the owl snatched the grass from the craftsman's hand and examined it carefully.
"Well, you dare to slack off and sleep in! And you dare to argue back!"
The craftsman turned pale with fright and immediately knelt down, saying with a mournful face:
"My lord, spare my life! I know I was wrong, I will never do it again!"
The owl cursed in Javanese, "You useless thing!"
Of course, he was just trying to scare the craftsman; he really couldn't bring himself to kill him.
The surrounding craftsmen were so frightened by what they saw that they dared not utter a sound.
They all buried themselves in their work, afraid that they would be the next ones to be exposed.
The owl looked around smugly, secretly pleased with itself:
See? This trick still works!
But at night, the owl immediately changed its tune.
Shedding his mud-stained coarse linen clothes, Night Owl stretched his limbs, his weariness vanishing completely.
The hot water washed away the day's pretense, and also washed away the fatigue and feigned dullness on his face.
Dressed in a clean, black outfit, he resembled a sharp blade drawn from its sheath, his brilliance fully revealed.
In the room, a dim oil lamp flickered, illuminating his sharply defined face.
In the dim light, he unfolded a parchment scroll, his charcoal pencil scratching across it.
What appears to be a casual stroll during the day actually conceals a hidden agenda.
He meticulously described the defenses of Haixia Pass on a parchment scroll.
The number of guards at the city gates was recorded, not only in total but also in detail in the configuration of each gate.
Even the number of people rotating in each hour is clearly marked;
The patrol patterns were not only detailed in terms of routes, but also included the size of the patrol team and its weaponry.
And the time spent at each patrol point;
The location of the armory was not only precisely marked on the map.
It also describes the surrounding terrain, building structures, and possible infiltration routes.
Even the location and time of the soldiers' changing of the guard, and which tree they usually relieved themselves under.
He recorded everything in detail, down to the smallest detail.
Every few days, the owl would carefully roll up the completed parchment scroll.
It was stuffed into a specially made small bamboo tube and tied to the leg of an inconspicuous gray-feathered homing pigeon.
This carrier pigeon has been specially trained to fly across the vast ocean and accurately deliver intelligence to Lu Yan.
The carrier pigeons took flight and disappeared into the night, taking with them the owl's sweat and toil.
This intelligence will become a crucial weapon in Lu Yan's hands, determining the outcome of this war.
After releasing the carrier pigeon, the owl stretched and cracked its joints.
The fatigue from pretending to be stupid during the day vanished, replaced by a hunter's excitement.
A slight smirk appeared on his lips.
That old bastard Jin Xuanming really thinks he's something special, sending a bunch of oddballs to spy on him.
He doesn't even take a piss and look at his old face.
That old rascal Jin Xuanming is more suspicious than his beard; he's always on edge.
He was afraid that the owl would pull a fast one on him.
He secretly dispatched a few "elites"—actually just a few guys with poor eyesight.
Under the guise of "protection," it was actually a way of monitoring the night owl's every move, fearing he might pull some trick.
Night Owl knew exactly what was going on, but outwardly he acted like a spoiled brat.
He frequented casinos and brothels every few days, living a life of debauchery and pleasure.
At the gambling table, he tossed money down the table, like a fairy scattering flowers.
Anyone who didn't know better would think he owned a mine!
In reality, he secretly kept track of the amounts won and lost each time, as well as the gambling habits of each gambler.
Prepare to use it to pull off a major scam at a crucial moment.
"Come on, place your bets! I'm on a winning streak today, who's afraid of who!"
The owl shook the dice cup in its hand and let out a loud, exaggerated roar.
Then he slammed the dice cup down on the table.
The gamblers around them craned their necks, their eyes wide as saucers, as if they wanted to see right through the dice cup.
I'm betting on big!
The burly man with a face full of scars spoke in a deep voice, slamming a wad of silver heavily on the table.
I'm betting on small!
The man, who was as thin as a monkey, said in a shrill voice, and also placed a bet of silver.
The owl's lips curled up slightly, revealing a sly smile.
He had long seen through the gamblers' tricks.
I knew they were all habitual thieves who liked to use tricks at the gambling table.
"open!"
The owl suddenly lifted the dice cup, revealing three dice standing upright on the table.
They are four, five, and six, which add up to exactly fifteen points – big!
The surrounding gamblers immediately let out a sigh of despair.
"Haha! You flatter me!"
The owl laughed triumphantly and scooped the silver on the table into his arms.
In the brothel, he acted even more glib and extravagant.
He's always giving girls tips, acting like he's being taken advantage of.
In reality, he was secretly observing each girl's personality and preferences.
They even remembered the items in their rooms very clearly.
I'm preparing to use my "beauty trap" someday when I need to.
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