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

As soon as it was light, the group set off.

The city gradually came into view through the fog.

It's bigger than I imagined.

The city wall, a bluish-gray color, was three or four zhang tall. Soldiers patrolled back and forth on the top of the wall, their swords and spears gleaming coldly in the mist.

This is a military town.

To control the vital border passes.

The people entering the city formed a long, snake-like line, and each one was checked.

Yang Hu knew what was going on.

The more rigorous the investigation, the more trouble he and his group would face.

Qin Ying's identity, the fact that he was alive, and the box—none of these things could be revealed to anyone.

Yang Hu gave the instructions again in detail.

Qin Ying wore her straw hat low, her face was smeared with ash, and she looked like a woman fleeing famine.

Liu Ye tightened the loose hemp rope and covered it with a thick wad of straw.

Lu Yan and Lu Rou hid inside the car, with the curtains drawn.

They're walking so slowly.

Yang Hu looked ahead without paying any attention.

The guards were extremely thorough in their checks, inspecting travel permits and even lifting and turning over the bottoms of wagons. If they encountered strangers or people whose origins they couldn't explain, they would immediately pull them aside for questioning.

A man couldn't find his travel permit, so two soldiers grabbed him from both sides and carried him out, ignoring everything he said.

Yang Hu's heartstrings tightened even more.

They couldn't stand the detailed investigation.

By the time they reached their destination, the sun had climbed over the city walls.

The gatekeepers were two soldiers with swords at their sides.

The burly man at the head of the group glanced at them from head to toe.

"What's it for? A travel permit?"

"Sir," Yang Hu greeted him with a forced smile. "I'm a doctor, and I've brought my family into the city to beg for food."

He handed over a travel permit, which Manager Sun had prepared in advance. The business he was doing was ostensibly buying medicine for shops in the city.

The soldier took it, glanced at it, and then looked down at the cart.

What's in the car?

"There was a patient in the countryside who had gone mad. His family couldn't take care of him, so I sent him to a clinic in the city. I was afraid he would have a relapse and hurt someone, so I had to tie him up."

The soldier frowned and reached for the rope.

Yang Hu was anxious inside, but outwardly appeared calm.

Inside were bundles of live people, and inside were thighs bound with hemp ropes. If you lifted them up and looked closely, you would know that defeat was inevitable.

He quickly thought of what to say and secretly placed his hand on the medicine pouch.

Just as the soldier's hand reached for the rope, the survivor in the haystack struggled twice, uttering a strange, indistinct sound.

This is why Yang Hu administered the medicine but deliberately didn't stab the mouth shut.

The soldier was startled.

"Damn it!" He spat, taking a step back in disgust. "Crazy...get away from me, don't bring trouble to the city!"

It was a close call, but no real danger.

Just as Yang Hu was about to thank him, the burly man glanced at him sideways again.

"Your chicken feet have so little skin and fur, and you dare to pretend to be a doctor?!" he sneered. "The streets are full of self-employed quacks who come to the city to freeload. Don't blame me if you cure a patient!"

The people around them also burst into laughter.

Yang Hu wasn't angry, and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Sir, you're right. This is how I make a living; I would never dare to cause trouble!"

The more humble he was, the more smug the soldiers became, waving their hands impatiently to let him pass.

The car rolled and rolled into the city.

At that moment, the contents of the box Yang Hu was carrying on his back felt heavy against his spine.

The rotten objects, arrowheads, waist badges, and large seals made of military wax were all brought into the city silently!

Qin Ying covered her face with her straw hat and walked behind, never looking up.

Only after she had exited the city gate did she take a deep breath and turn to look at Yang Hu.

There was an indescribable feeling in that glance.

Men who seem carefree and irresponsible can always be quite capable when it comes to crucial moments.

Once inside the city, it was a completely different scene.

The streets were much wider than those in Maocao Village, and both sides were lined with shops.

Rice shops, silk shops, blacksmith shops, and doctors' clinics—one after another.

The sounds of people carrying loads, pulling carts, and transporting goods filled the air with shouts and hawking cries.

Beneath the surface of the bustling scene, however, lies an unspeakable unrest.

At the foot of the wall, the ragged vagrants stared blankly. Several men with knives swaggered down the street, while passersby kept their distance.

There was a woman on the street corner, holding a child and begging for food, but no one paid her any attention.

At a pancake stall, a few teenagers stood with their eyes fixed straight ahead, and the stall owner dismissed them.

Yang Hu saw all this and couldn't quite describe the feeling in his heart.

Wealth is the face of this city. But those huddled at the foot of the walls are its true substance.

This is the true border town.

It is richer than Maocao Village, but also more dangerous.

Yang Hu didn't rush to find a house to stay in, as arranged by Manager Sun.

That place is too conspicuous; the guys watching them might go check it out first.

He led a group of people into a secluded alley and settled in an inconspicuous inn.

They ordered two upper rooms and arranged for the survivors to be inside. He wore the box close to his body, while Liu Ye guarded the door.

Lu Yan had been carsick for half a day, and her face looked terrible. Lu Rou quickly poured her some tea and massaged her back.

Qin Ying didn't rest. She first looked through all the windows and doors inside and outside the house, then sat leaning against the wall, her hand still holding the short knife in her sleeve.

This was an unfamiliar place, and she was more cautious than anyone else.

It was almost noon by the time everything was settled.

Yang Hu changed into his usual clothes, went out alone, and wanted to familiarize himself with the city's roads first.

They were in an unfamiliar place, and the enemy was lurking in the shadows.

We must be extremely careful in this business transaction.

He walked slowly along the street, silently memorizing several important streets.

Which areas are government offices, which are military areas, and which are areas with many people and suspicious eyes...

As a doctor, one must first observe, listen, inquire, and palpate to diagnose illnesses. The same applies to this case; one must first assess the pulse of this city before proceeding.

There's no need to rush!

The confession came out, the grain store was right in front of them; the old man waiting to treat his illness was still not far away; and there was that letter sealed with wax from the army... everything was like loose threads.

You have to touch them one by one, slowly.

He came to a sudden stop at a street corner.

Over there was a large shop with a white flag displayed.

The white flag had three characters written on it: Zhouji Grain Store.

Yang Hu's heart skipped a beat.

Weekly journal.

The shopkeeper Zhou who accompanied him on the road said that he was the owner of Zhou's Grain Store, and the old man who was going in to treat a wealthy man in the city was also one of the top grain merchants in the city. In addition, the person who was arranged to make contact mentioned by the survivor was also from a grain store.

These three words, "week," seem to tightly connect the three clues.

Coincidence? Or is it a trap set by someone?

Yang Hu looked at the words on the white flag, hesitated for a while, and finally did not say anything. Instead, he went back to the inn where he was staying.

Now we can only rely on luck; after all, blindly trying won't work.

When I got back to the inn where I was staying, it was already dark outside.

Liu Ye stood guard at the entrance of the inn, but her expression was more solemn than in the morning.

"What's going on?" Yang Hu whispered.

"That teahouse in the back." Liu Ye glanced at the entrance of the inn.

"Ever since noon, someone has been watching our inn's door!" Liu Ye's face darkened considerably.

Yang Hu's heart immediately turned cold.

They had just entered the city when this man quickly caught up with them.

Do not!

That's not the case.

Rather, the city had already laid a huge net, just waiting for them to walk right into it.

I walked to the window and, under the cover of twilight, looked in the direction of the teahouse outside.

In the dim light there, a figure was indeed leaning against a pillar next to the corridor, motionless.

The person didn't seem to be waiting for someone, nor would they be resting here. They just casually glanced at the inn.

They used the same methods as the man in the straw hat they encountered outside the village not far from their lodging.

It seems that the person to be met "according to the old rules" mentioned in this letter is not just someone who is carrying goods.

There are also people who deliver the goods inside.

The city here is deeper than he imagined.

And now, they've already got one foot in the door.