A divine healer, a general, a young marquis! Who can rival them!

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Outside the City

It got dark when we were about ten miles from the edge of the city.

Yang Hu was in no hurry to enter the city.

The city gates are locked at night, and it's easy to offend someone if you try to sneak through.

Moreover, the letter in his arms and the bound living person were both dealt with at night before entering the city.

There was an abandoned old post station on the official road, with dilapidated earthen walls.

It's just right to block out the cold wind.

The group of people took a break.

As dusk fell, the wind from beyond the Great Wall, carrying dust, howled against the broken earthen walls.

Liu Ye, familiar with the place, grabbed a dry branch and lit a fire.

Lu Yan and Lu Rou took the dry food and water off the mule and gave each of them a portion.

Qin Ying didn't rest. She walked around the dilapidated post station, keeping the directions and gaps in her mind before sitting back down by the fire.

Soldiers are used to always looking ahead to their own safety, no matter where they are.

Yang Hu saw it, but didn't say anything.

Manager Zhou's caravan will also be taking a break. They will enter the city early tomorrow morning to unload the goods and then part ways with Yang Hu.

Manager Zhou, rubbing his hands together, came closer and handed over a crumpled piece of paper: "This is the address of my Zhou's Shop. If you encounter any difficulties in the city, just tell me my name."

Yang Hu took it and said thank you.

Once inside, you'll have a helper, which is a good thing.

After chasing away Manager Zhou, he returned to the corner.

Liu Ye lit a fire and threw the live victim next to it.

Qin Ying, holding a short knife, sat against the wall with her eyes never leaving the survivor.

Read the letter!

By the light of the fire, Yang Hu carefully peeled off the sealing wax.

There weren't many words on it.

There was no salutation or signature, only a single, crookedly written sentence: "The goods have been delivered, as usual."

He also drew a set of strange symbols, which seemed to be a code.

Yang Hu stared at it for a long time.

"Goods!" he murmured.

What is it?

Was it the box containing the rotting corpse and arrows on the vehicle? Or was it the person on the vehicle?

Qin Ying leaned closer, glanced at the code, and frowned.

"There are indeed such codes in military correspondence," she said, lowering her voice, "but these codes are not used for routine dispatch."

Having served in the military for over a decade, she could decipher the coded messages used in the Western Camp's communications even with her eyes closed. "However, this kind of code is hidden in a letter, meant for only one person," she pointed to the code, "it's used privately."

"It's someone's little secret," Yang Hu continued.

They both looked at each other and saw the same meaning in each other's eyes.

The person behind Squad Leader Zhao has his own set of people and his own set of secrets.

This letter was for their journey into the city!

Just reading books isn't enough.

We need to ask the survivors.

Yang Hu squatted down in front of the man in the straw hat, the firelight flickering on his face.

The man had blood on the corner of his mouth, his neck stiffened, and he refused to utter a single word.

He glanced at Yang Huzi and chuckled.

"You think you can mess with my mouth? You little brat, all bark and no bite, daring to pry my teeth!"

"Don't want to talk about it?" Yang Huzi wasn't in a hurry.

He slowly rolled up his sleeves, took out a finger, and gently touched a few spots on the man's neck and shoulders.

The man had a smile on his face.

But within minutes, his face turned green.

After those areas were pinched, I first felt a numb sensation, and then it felt like needles were pricking my bones, a pain that went deep into my flesh.

I just can't shout it out.

Sweat streamed down his forehead.

"What...what did you do to me...?"

"It's nothing," Yang Huzi said softly. "There are a few parts of your body that are particularly sensitive to pain. I know this from my line of work."

He paused.

"To be honest, it doesn't hurt anymore if you take your hand away. You're just being stubborn. You can stay with me all night."

Liu Ye was stunned.

She had seen men in the mountains get caught in traps with wild animals, but she had never seen a big man tortured so miserably with just two fingers.

She glanced subconsciously at Yang Huzi's two fingers.

Plain and unassuming, with clearly defined joints, just finished taking someone's pulse, applying acupuncture, and prescribing medicine.

One hand is for saving lives, the other is for being beaten to death.

She suddenly understood something.

This carefree, roguish man's skills are far more than just treating illnesses.

The man in the straw hat gritted his teeth and endured it for a long time.

The excruciating pain was worse than being stabbed.

Finally, some words came out of his throat.

"I...I said..."

Yang Huzi put his finger down.

The man collapsed, panting heavily, as if he had been soaked in water.

After rambling on for a while...

He let out a spit.

He was a lowly henchman, someone who made money off others. He was ordered to keep an eye on the man carrying the box and follow him all the way out of the city. He had never seen the face of his superior, only heard the person in charge call out, "Manager."

"We've entered the city," he gasped, "There's someone waiting for us inside, at a grain store..."

Grain store!

Yang Huzi paused, his fingers hovering over his raised hand.

The old lady he was going to take to the city for medical treatment was a well-known grain tycoon in the city.

Was it a coincidence, or was his trip to the city a setup from the very beginning?

His mind was racing.

He learned from Manager Sun that Old Mrs. Zhou had fallen ill and was seeking medical help.

But from which level did Manager Sun, the introducer, come from?

Could it be that someone was already watching him and set him up?

He quickly changed his mind and didn't say anything.

There's no basis for this wild guess.

He just glanced at the survivor again.

"What grain store? Who's in charge?"

"I...I really don't know." The man's eyes showed genuine fear. "I only know we meet at the grain store...I'm low-ranking, I can't see the people above me..."

Yang Hu stared at him for a while, and was about 70% convinced.

These errand runners are basically just given a lead, but they never really get anywhere.

But the two words "grain store"... were enough for him to remember for a lifetime.

The fire crackled and popped as it burned.

It's time to plan our expansion into the county town.

"Going into the county town? The water's deeper than we think!" Yang Hu circled around and whispered his instructions. "A few rules, everyone must remember them!"

Qin Ying continued to live as a refugee woman, smearing mud on her face, squatting on the ground, and doing nothing.

He still carries this box with him everywhere, and no one will take it away.

The captive was tightly bound and hidden under the cargo, and Liu Ye kept a close watch on him without taking her eyes off him.

We need to change our accommodation.

The house that Manager Sun originally wanted to arrange was too obvious, so we won't consider it for now.

Once inside the city, I found a small inn to stay in, kept out of sight, and slowly began to investigate the grain store.

Lu Yan and Lu Rou were settled in the inn and would not go out easily.

Lu Yan softly agreed. Although she didn't understand the ways of the martial world, she could see that Yang Hu's expression was serious, so she secretly tightened her grip on Lu Rou's hand.

Liu Ye tightened the rope binding the man's hand even more: "Don't worry! He can't get out."

"You remember everything?"

They all nodded.

Qin Ying suddenly spoke up.

"Yang Hu." She stared at the flames, her voice low. "Could the grain shop incident be related to the family you're targeting?"

Yang Hu did not answer.

He looked at the city shrouded in darkness before him.

The city wall was a dark, indistinct mass, like a giant beast lying on the ground. I wonder what was inside?

"Those who treat the sick are the ones who treat the sick, those who arrest people are the ones who arrest people," he said slowly. "You'll see when you get to the city; it's really your own backyard."

A gust of wind blew in from the outside, causing the flames to deviate from their course.

He secretly took back the letter with sealing wax.

The fire is getting smaller and smaller.

Lu Yan and Lu Rouhe slept next to the cargo, while Liu Ye tied the live captive tightly. Qin Ying leaned against the wall with her eyes closed, resting, but she never put down the short knife at her waist.

Yang Hu, however, did not feel sleepy at all.

The city is just around the corner.

For some reason, Yang Hu felt even more nervous than when he was ambushed in the desert.