Simultaneous travel: I am rampant in the domestic area

Late at night, the palace.

The palaces stood silently in the night. Led silently by Eunuch Hou, Ye Chong passed through the palace gates and arrived at the Imperial Study.

The lights in the imperial study were not very bright, just enough to illuminate the figure of the supreme ruler of the world.

Emperor Qing did not rest, but remained focused on his work, the arrowhead in his hand seemingly never to be worn out.

Ye Zhong stepped forward and knelt respectfully on the ground: "Your subject Ye Zhong has disturbed Your Majesty in the dead of night, and deserves to die."

Emperor Qing did not stop what he was doing, nor did he even lift his eyelids; his voice remained calm and unwavering.

"Eunuch Hou said you have important business to discuss. Judging from your face, you're so anxious, almost as anxious as I am. Tell me, what is it that has made my capital garrison so alarmed, that they don't even have the patience to wait until dawn?"

Ye Zhong straightened up, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Your Majesty, I suspect that Lord Wu Zhu may have already returned to the capital."

The air seemed to freeze at this moment.

The rustling sound of sharpening arrows abruptly stopped.

Ye Zhong felt an indescribable sense of oppression instantly envelop him, as if it were a tangible force, causing his heart to clench as if gripped tightly by an invisible hand, making it hard to breathe.

He subconsciously raised his eyes and met Emperor Qing's deep gaze.

With just that one glance, Ye Zhong felt his scalp tingle and his heart tremble with fear, realizing that His Majesty's oppressive aura was growing ever more profound.

Emperor Qing slowly put down the arrowhead and the grindstone in his hand, making a slight clinking sound.

He leaned forward slightly, staring intently at Ye Zhong: "How did you find out?"

Ye Zhong dared not hide anything and quickly recounted his daughter Ye Ling'er's encounter in Niulan Street, focusing on how the mysterious blind master easily suppressed Ye Ling'er, who was at the seventh rank.

However, after listening to his account, the solemnity on Emperor Qing's face gradually faded, replaced by a cryptic sneer:

"Ha... Just based on a young girl's vague observations and a few unclear descriptions, you, a ninth-rank garrison commander of the capital, have been frightened into this state. Ye Zhong, when did you become so timid?"

Emperor Qing stood up, took a step, and said with a hint of sarcasm, "Don't you even use your brain? If it really was Wu Zhu who did it, someone like Guo Baokun, and your naive daughter, would they be dead by now, and wouldn't be able to come back to you in tears?"

Upon hearing this, Ye Zhong immediately adopted a look of realization and shame, bowing again: "Your Majesty is wise! It was my haste and lack of foresight that led to my downfall! Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

Of course he knew that the blind man in black couldn't be Wu Zhu. As the garrison commander of Kyoto, he wasn't stupid. How could he so rashly assume that Wu Zhu had returned?

Just knowing doesn't mean you don't need to report it. If you don't report it, and something goes wrong, it will be Ye Zhong's fault for not reporting it, and it will become the Ye family's problem. If you do report it, then the responsibility will fall on Emperor Qing, and you can't blame the Ye family for that.

Similarly, Emperor Qing, being such a person, could easily see through Ye Zhong's desire to protect himself. He glanced at Ye Zhong and cursed inwardly, "The little fox taught by the old fox, so slippery."

"Enough," Emperor Qing waved his hand, seemingly somewhat disheartened. "Considering it was your duty, I know about this matter. Go back and wait. Also, tell the Guo family not to make a fuss, just keep an eye on things secretly. I want to see what kind of trouble this person you mentioned can cause."

"Yes! Your subject obeys the decree!" Ye Zhong felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He quickly kowtowed, stood up, took a few steps back, then turned around and quickly disappeared into the shadows outside the imperial study.

The palace gates slowly closed, separating the inside from the outside into two worlds.

The Imperial Study returned to silence, with only the sounds of Emperor Qing moving around remaining.

Emperor Qing stopped sharpening the arrows. He stood with his hands behind his back by the window, gazing at the deep night outside, his narrowed eyes gleaming with a complex and unfathomable light.

If Wu Zhu were to return to the capital after Fan Xian's return, it would be reasonable; it wouldn't be anything earth-shattering. Protecting that kid is Wu Zhu's obsession.

But who is this newly emerged ninth-rank martial artist who is also blind and possesses extraordinary martial arts skills?

Temple messengers? Unlikely. Temple messengers are all made of steel and have above-average strength. Moreover, they would not cause trouble for Guo Baokun for no reason.

A new disciple taught by Wu Zhu? If so, it's not impossible. Fan Xian had a conflict with Guo Baokun during the day, so it would be understandable if Wu Zhu's disciple stepped in to teach Guo Baokun a lesson.

Hmph, Wu Zhu...

Thinking of this, Emperor Qing slowly walked back to the table, picked up the cold and heavy armor-piercing arrow again, and ran his fingertips over the incomparably sharp arrowhead, feeling the chill on the arrow.

"It's almost done, almost finished..."

"The more muddy the waters of Kyoto become, the better. It will allow me to see just how many demons and monsters are lurking there."

……

The next morning, before it was fully light, the sky was still dark.

At the Fan residence, Russell met Fan Xian, who was yawning as he returned, in the back garden.

"Is the matter settled?" Russell asked with a smile. Given Fan Xian's still-intact state, he could easily practice a virginity-training technique.

"It's all done. How's it going on your end?" Fan Xian asked.

"It's all done. Guo Baokun should be the scapegoat who was pushed out. There must be something wrong with the case file." As he spoke, Russell recounted his chance encounter with Ye Ling'er during the retreat.

When Fan Xian learned that Russell had later used his own voice, his face lit up noticeably.

He just wanted to make a big fuss about this so that the whole of Kyoto would know that he was a playboy who frequented pleasure boats, thus achieving his goal of announcing the engagement. He didn't really want to get into a lawsuit, although it wouldn't matter to him anyway, given his status.

With Ye Ling'er as a witness, it saved a lot of trouble.

"Okay, I got it. I'll go get some sleep now." Fan Xian nodded and went back to his room to catch up on his sleep. He asked Russell to keep an eye on things and to call him if anyone came looking for him.

Russell readily agreed, and then began practicing on his own in the back garden.

Because Fan Xian had already mended his relationship with Aunt Liu, the servants of the Fan family held basic respect for Russell, the young master's blind friend.

Before long, the sky had gone from being dimly lit to being brightly lit.

Russell also put away his white cane and prepared to go to the front hall to get breakfast.

But as soon as he lifted his foot, he saw a pretty young girl carrying a plate full of meat and steamed buns walking over from the other end of the garden.

The girl wasn't particularly beautiful, but her features were exceptionally clean, and she possessed a natural gentleness mixed with a hint of coldness.

This indifference is not the kind of cold beauty that people usually describe, showing contempt for the filth around her, but rather a kind of apathy based on some unknown confidence, a feeling of resistance to her surroundings.

"Young Master Luo, is this enough?" Fan Ruoruo placed the plate on the table and relaxed the muscles in her forearms.

Although she regularly exercised as Fan Xian instructed, she had never practiced martial arts, so this weight was truly difficult for her.

"Thank you for your trouble, Miss Ruoruo." Russell nodded slightly and nodded to Fan Ruoruo in acknowledgment.

The two had met last night, and she had wanted to go to Zuixianju with Fan Xian, but Fan Xian had to persuade her to give up the idea.

"I heard from the servants that my brother just came by?" As a true brother-obsessed person, Fan Ruoruo naturally couldn't stop talking about Fan Xian.

Russell nodded, gnawing on a chicken leg, and casually remarked, "It's probably sealed in by the blanket by now." This simple sentence made Fan Ruoruo's eyes light up.

Besides Wu Zhu and her grandmother, she was the one who knew Fan Xian best.

Just as she expected, the friend who suddenly came to her brother's door was just like him.

"So what should we do next?" Fan Ruoruo asked.

Although she was also a participant in the plan, Fan Xian clearly didn't want her to be involved too much.

"Of course we're just waiting for the authorities to come knocking," Russell reassured her. "Don't worry, Miss Ruoruo, your brother is very shrewd. He'll never be in trouble, no matter who's in trouble."

"I could hear you talking bad about me from far away," Russell said, as Fan Xian walked over, rubbing his neck.

He's waiting for the authorities to summon him, but there's been no response at all. Could something have happened?
That shouldn't be the case. Guo Baokun, a general of exceptional talent, doesn't seem like the type to leave a grudge unavenged.

"Brother." Upon seeing Fan Xian, Fan Ruoruo immediately stood up, a few excited blushes appearing on her cheeks.

"Perhaps the Prefect of Kyoto hasn't woken up yet. Let's wait a little longer," Russell said.

He remembered that Mei Zhili tried to avoid offending either side, but ended up offending both and was eventually killed by the Imperial Guard bandits on his way back home.

"That's true." Fan Xian believed this statement.

However, after waiting and waiting, even after he had practiced a set of boxing moves in the garden, the authorities still hadn't come to arrest him, and he finally started to get anxious.

"Young Master Guo is so tolerant?" Fan Xian asked, his face full of disbelief.

So Guo Baokun is not only a cowardly paper tiger, but also a ninja turtle.

This evolutionary path is quite unique.

Russell shrugged; he didn't know, and it wasn't his business anyway.

"Forget it, there's nothing I can do if he doesn't come to me. Here's what I'll do: I'll go to the Supervisory Commission to check on Teng Zijing's matter. As for you..."

"You go ahead, I'll just wander around the capital," Russell refused without a second thought.

The Censorate is not the Inner Court. He can neither obtain the Fallen Heart Flame nor enter the Heavenly Flame Refining Tower. It would be of no use for him to go there.

Instead, you might as well take a walk around and see the local customs and culture.

"Okay." Fan Xian didn't think much of it. He said a few words to Fan Ruoruo, telling her that if anyone from the capital came looking for him, she should send someone to the Censorate to inform him so that he could continue the charade.

Fan Ruoruo nodded repeatedly to show that she understood, and then Fan Xian left with Russell.

The two parted ways at the entrance of the Fan residence; one went to the Censorate, while the other walked in another direction.

As soon as he stepped out of the Fan residence, Russell's heart skipped a beat as he sensed a faint presence following behind him.

He's quite skilled at concealing his presence, possessing a cultivation level of around Rank 7 or higher; he's a professional spy.

Russell understood immediately; his actions last night had likely attracted the attention of some people, who had also guessed his relationship with Fan Xian.

However, he didn't care. A seventh-rank assassin wouldn't spoil his shopping trip. If the other party didn't know what was good for him, he could just get rid of him easily.

Kyoto was far more prosperous than the capital of Northern Qi. It was bustling with traffic and crowds, and all sorts of hawking cries could be heard.

Russell was quite pleased to have the gold leaf Fan Xian had given him in his pocket, no longer having to constantly calculate whether the reward money would be enough for his next meal, as he had in Northern Qi.

He wandered around casually, guided entirely by the aromas of food that he sensed.

Buy a freshly baked, crispy flatbread from this stall, take a bite and your mouth will be filled with the aroma of wheat, then go to that shop and buy a few ounces of flavorful, chewy, and tender braised beef...

It's a pity that Kyoto isn't Beijing, otherwise he would have liked to try the taste of douzhi (fermented mung bean juice) and luzhu (braised pork offal) and become a true Beijing local.

As the saying goes, "Nothing is more important than food." For him, beautiful scenery and beautiful women are not that important; only delicious food and fine wine are truly worth cherishing.

He walked and ate his way through the city, enjoying the lively atmosphere and finding his own pleasure in it.

Before long, he stopped in front of a restaurant called Yishiju. Fan Xian had told him that the food there was delicious, and he was wondering whether he should go in and try it.

Although a rather luxuriously decorated carriage was parked in front of the restaurant, no one paid much attention to it, since the capital city was never short of high-ranking officials and nobles.

then……

He then saw a figure in red step out of the stone house.

She met Russell's gaze... no, she looked at Russell.

Ye Ling'er was feeling down. Last night, her father had told her not to make a fuss, and today she had promised Wan'er to inquire about Guo Baokun's pageboy.

However, the owner of this stone house told her with certainty that the young master of the Guo family never brought any pageboys when he went out; instead, he brought burly guards and thugs.

How could she not know that Wan'er had been deceived? She was just thinking about how to explain it to Wan'er when she looked up and her gaze fell on the man in black who was slowly walking across the street with a string of candied hawthorns in his hand.

Although the clothes were different and he wasn't masked, his tall, upright figure and the black silk covering his eyes somehow felt so familiar...

It's really a narrow road.

Russell thought to himself, "Is this capital city really that small?" almost the instant Ye Ling'er's gaze fell upon him.
How come you can run into acquaintances just by taking a casual walk?
He shook his head, pretending not to see her, and continued walking forward with his cane.

Ye Ling'er stared intently at his back, her heart filled with doubt and uncertainty.

Although it is still not certain, it does look somewhat similar.

She was the type of person who preferred to believe it rather than not, so she didn't bother going back to find Wan'er. With a determined look, she quietly followed behind Luo Su.

Russell didn't care about one or two of them; following one was the same as following two.

But the scout was getting a little angry.

Ye Ling'er's tracking skills are practically nonexistent. Isn't this making Chun Chun's job more difficult?
As you walk through several streets, the scent of cosmetics and the sounds of traditional Chinese music gradually become stronger.

Finally, Russell stopped in front of a magnificently decorated building where the air was filled with the chirping of birds.

A plaque with the three gilded characters "Zui Xian Ju" (醉仙居) hangs high above the door.

Yes, I've heard of it for a long time. It's said to be the number one place in Kyoto for spending money, and its wine is exceptional. I stepped over the high threshold and went inside.

Not far behind, Ye Ling'er, who had been following all the way, saw this scene and her eyes widened instantly, her mouth slightly agape.

No, you're blind, can't you just eat whatever you want? Is there any need to go to a brothel?
In an instant, a piece of the image of that expert from last night crumbled in her mind. (End of Chapter)