802 Delivering Goods (1/2)
Southern Jade City was quieting down in preparation for the night while northern Jade City was just starting to stir, its ”day” about to start. The autumn moon was still hanging high in the sky, and it felt like even if the sun rose, the cold moon would not easily fall.
Shangguan Fei looked back at the twilight haze of the city and sighed prophetically. ”Today, all of Jade City will go mad.”
Old Man Mu raised his long sword and patted Shangguan Fei's head, rebuking, ”Are you possessed by something evil? Why would you say such ominous words? Do you want the Waning Moon Hall to own Jade City? Don't ever say the word 'mad' in front of me again.”
Shangguan Fei, who had lived with his mother for several days now, had just recovered some of his old demeanor of a young master. He turned to glare at Old Man Mu, and his familiar feelings of cockiness immediately shattered. Scratching his forehead embarrassedly, he said with a smile, ”I mean, once news of the Meng family being robbed gets out… I can assure you that even Golden Roc Castle will fall today, and so this operation won't get as much attention. You know that the people of Jade City are always more interested in money.”
”Even so, those're ominous words. If news spreads today, we'll be in big trouble. Meng, the second one, has to last for at least five or six days.”
”Yes, yes. I was wrong.” Shangguan Fei had lost all interest by this point, thinking about when he would become the Unique King… But then again, he remembered that the future Unique King was merely a shell and that he might never return to the glory of the good old days. Overall, it made him respond listlessly, ”Not five or six days. Four days are enough. The Dragon King will take over by then.”
A long serpentine line of camel teams led out of Jade City's western gate. It wasn't the opening time of the city gate yet, but the caravan of the Meng family had their own special privileges.
Besides the large scale of the caravan, it looked very normal. Duan Zihua, the old steward of the Meng family, was personally leading them. There were bodyguards and supply servants, and even a Golden Roc Flag in front of the team. Everything that was needed was already supplied.
Several smaller camel teams which were also headed for Heaven's Pass emerged from the gap in the wall between southern Jade City and merged with the big caravan. By convention, they could follow the caravan of the Meng family and enjoy the highest level of security for just a small sum of money. This payment was usually given to the leader of the caravan, but Duan Zihua refused the money this time. ”The times have changed, and the good old days are long gone. There're no safe zones in the Western Regions anymore, and even I was robbed a few days ago. I have no objections if you want to follow us, but I won't take any money, nor do I guarantee safety.”
If the Meng family couldn't keep their goods safe, the small caravans were even less able to defend themselves, so they still voluntarily followed behind. ”The war is about to start, so let's do as much business as we can before it comes.” This was the philosophy of many merchants.
Old Man Mu and his partners were 'bodyguards' hired by one of the small camel teams. But what they actually wanted to protect was the Meng family's large caravan.
Dog Butcher followed closely behind Old Man Mu. After getting used to the saber, he had completely moved on from his cane in southern Jade City, but the excitement of last night's mission still lingered in his mind. ”Don't you think that we did it too early? They'll find the body at first light, and then… Would they chase after us?”
”How many times have I told you, do not talk about such trivial matters. Beware of eavesdroppers.” Old Man Mu impatiently scolded Dog Butcher, ”This is a so-called diversion tactic. As long as Golden Roc Castle is busy investigating the cause of death, they won't be able to pay attention to any other matters.”
”Will it work?”
”What, you don't believe me? The reason the Dragon King told you to follow my orders is that he thinks that I'm smarter than you…”
”The Dragon King forbade you to kill, but he didn't tell me to follow your order.”
Upon hearing this, Old Man Mu said, ”Huh, it seems that you are still unconvinced. Let me ask you something. Who made the plan two hours ago? Who led the old dog into the Bodhi Garden? And who comforted the trembling old fool pissing in his pants?”
”Instead of comforting me, you merely scolded me and hit me three times. And I neither trembled nor pissed in my pants,” Dog Butcher refuted.
Seeing that the two had started arguing again, Shangguan Fei immediately distanced himself, thinking that they were being too conspicuous, and that it would be better to pretend to not know them. This time, Shangguan Fei didn't disguise himself as a woman. Instead, he had dressed himself up like an ugly man, showing no trace of his true self.
Tie Linglong rode through the two old men without saying a word.
”What is she doing?”
”So impolite…”
Tie Linglong went straight up to Shangguan Fei and asked in a low voice, ”Are you sure that those people are Golden Roc killers?”
”There's no way I'm wrong,” Shangguan Fei replied in an even lower voice. ”I even recognize one of them. My mother has asked around. They are killers who lived on the mountainside. And many of them just retired from the castle earlier this year.”
In Golden Roc Castle, once a killer had lived past their prime, they were called 'old killers' no matter how old they were. There were only three destinations for old killers to go to. They could either find a job such as being a killer's master in the castle or wait for death on the mountainside with a poor wage. Finally, some of them left the castle and joined the ranks of wandering sabermen and bandits to make a living.
”At the beginning of the year?” Tie Linglong frowned. ”So it's just a coincidence that has nothing to do with us?”
”Coincidence. It must be a coincidence.”
Tie Linglong wished that she had the Dragon King's ability to see through the mist of uncertainty with a simple glance. But she really didn't have a clue, so she had to put it aside for the time being.
Nie Zeng was nowhere to be seen. He was the one who had hid himself the best.
The day arrived, and Jade City faded away as they moved on. Old Man Mu glanced back for another time and let out a long sigh. ”Alas, my lady is still in Jade City. I hope that she doesn't die miserably.”
Dog Butcher didn't recognize the sarcastic hope in Old Man Mu's words, so he thought that the other side was worried, and comforted, ”I don't think so. Hall Leader Han is very clever. She wouldn't act on her own without the help of the Dragon King.”
”You never know what a madwoman will do.”
The procession was not moving fast, and Dog Butcher had been waiting uneasily for news from Jade City to catch up. Every time there was a sound of horse hooves behind them, he would nervously look back. But it was quiet the whole day, and even the chilling autumn wind seemed to have stopped blowing.