At Xushi, the sky had completely darkened.

The people of Changping County closed their doors and stayed inside. Only the Jiefanwei and Mijiesi, holding torches, rode their horses quickly through the packed-earth streets, with shouts of killing and the sound of copper whistles rising and falling.

The owner of Fulaike Inn was running in the opposite direction from the granary. He seemed to know where Lu Shi would hide, so he wanted to buy Lu Shi more time.

It wasn’t until he heard the whistling sound behind him, knowing that Xuan She had arrived, that he bit open the poison sac in his mouth, turned around, and spat at Xuan She: “Eunuch faction!”

With that, he slowly fell to the ground, his breath extinguished.

Xuan She, enveloped in a black cloak, slowly walked to the inn owner’s side and bent down to look. “A dead soldier with poison in his mouth? Whose? Strange.”

As he spoke, a fast horse arrived and quickly reported: “My lord, our colleagues at the inn were poisoned, and we, who were ambushed nearby, didn’t hear their cries for help. From the traces, they came out of a well. There’s a secret chamber at the bottom of the well.”

Xuan She’s expression turned grim. “No cries for help… A Xundaojing officer? Then it’s not Chen Ji. Could it be Liao Zhong? Are the facial features on the bodies still intact?”

The Mijie replied, “They are.”

Xuan She was puzzled. He stared down at the inn owner’s body for a long time without speaking. “It’s not Liao Zhong either. Then where did this Xundaojing officer come from? Did the Crown Prince’s dead soldiers rescue Liao Zhong? No, the Crown Prince’s dead soldiers would never rescue Liao Zhong now; they would only kill him.”

He speculated carefully, but repeatedly overturned his own conjectures, eliminating one wrong possibility after another.

The Mijie whispered, “Could it be dead soldiers from another family, unrelated to Chen Ji and Liao Zhong?”

Xuan She glanced at him. “Idiot, if they were unrelated, why would he hide in a well? Couldn’t he just pretend to be a guest at the inn and blend in? He must have a reason to hide in the well… Chen Ji must be with him! Strange, how could there be a Xundaojing officer in Changping County to meet Chen Ji? Could it be people from the Chen family’s main branch? Pursue!”

The Mijie asked, “My lord, which way should we pursue?”

Xuan She fell silent. The matter seemed to have returned to square one. With Chen Ji under the protection of a Xundaojing, he was now lurking somewhere unknown, and they would have to search all of Changping.

Just then, he suddenly looked down at the inn owner on the ground, then at the direction the inn owner had come from.

Xuan She narrowed his eyes slightly and pointed in the opposite direction of the inn owner’s escape. “What’s over there?”

The Mijie was startled. “My lord, that’s the Changping County granary. My lord, this granary is a jingcang, specifically for providing grain and fodder to the three imperial garrisons.”

Xuan She sneered. “Jingcang? So that’s it. They are in the jingcang. Surround the jingcang for me. We’ll go in and apprehend them tomorrow morning.”

The Mijie hesitated. “My lord, the jingcang is huge, and we don’t have enough men.”

Xuan She slowly stopped smiling, beckoned a trusted subordinate, and whispered, “Go find Wu Xuan-ge and tell him to immediately dispatch Jiefanwei soldiers. If I become one of the top three, it will also benefit Lord Wu Xiu.”

In front of the Changping County granary.

Chen Ji silently observed through the wooden fence: this granary was like a military camp, with watchtowers between the granary buildings, and archers holding bows and arrows patrolling in all directions. From time to time, foot soldiers in groups of ten also patrolled by.

It was the first time Chen Ji had seen a granary with such strict defenses.

Lu Shi looked back at him. Seeing his curiosity, she explained, “The Changping County granary is a jingcang and taicang, storing grain specifically for the three imperial garrisons, which is why its defenses are so strict. There are eight hundred granary buildings here, garrisoned by eight hundred soldiers of the Wansui Army. They patrol once every incantation stick’s time, day and night without rest… This is also why the eunuch faction doesn’t need to search this place.”

Lu Shi continued as she walked, “Jingcang, shuicicang, zhouxiancang, and weisuocang are all different. If you’re familiar with the jingcang, it’s the safest. Shuicicang must have river boats nearby, where ordinary people can pay a toll and use the Caobang’s influence to escape, but the Caobang is greedy and most likely to betray you, preferring to fleece fat sheep. Don’t hide in zhouxiancang; the eunuch faction has the right to open granaries and search. Don’t hide in weisuocang in border towns either; nine out of ten are empty.”

Chen Ji listened for a moment. It turned out that hiding in the most heavily guarded jingcang was the safest. But how could they avoid the intricate defenses within the jingcang?

Moreover, a doubt suddenly arose in his mind: this masked woman, whose origin was unknown, seemed to be… teaching him?

Su Zhou crouched in the grass outside the granary and asked Lu Shi beside her, “Aren’t all the granary buildings sealed? Where can we hide once we get inside?”

But Lu Shi seemed not to hear her, paying her no mind at all.

Su Zhou cursed in a low voice, “Dead hag!”

The next moment, after a team of guards passed, Lu Shi immediately climbed over the ten-foot-high fence and entered the jingcang. She looked back to see Chen Ji following, then continued to stealthily move forward without looking back, completely unconcerned about Su Zhou’s fate.

Su Zhou, still outside the wooden fence, grumbled and quickly climbed over the high wooden fence, quietly following. None of the three were amateurs; they all landed lightly and moved silently.

Lu Shi weaved among the granary buildings.

The so-called granary buildings were high-ridged brick houses with gray tiles, blue bricks, no windows, and seals on their doors.

One building was a room, five buildings made an ao.

Lu Shi suddenly stopped beside a granary building, quietly waiting for something.

The next moment, the sound of patrolling guards’ footsteps echoed a few zhang away. Chen Ji couldn’t see the guards, only heard a team of guards “passing by” on the other side of the granary building.

Only when the footsteps faded away did Lu Shi move again.

Lu Shi walked and stopped. Along their way, they hadn’t even seen a single guard. They seemed to be precisely threading through the “gaps” in the guards’ patrols.

Strolling leisurely. These four words suddenly popped into Chen Ji’s mind.

At this moment, Lu Shi arrived beside a granary building, only to see that the granary door was not sealed.

Lu Shi pushed the door open. “This is the ‘Qisishu’ granary. Holes have been opened in the surrounding brick walls specifically for catching rats. Guards don’t usually come here, and granary workers patrol once every seven days. The last patrol was three days ago, so we can hide here for another four days.”

Chen Ji entered the “Qisishu” granary and saw several open large urns buried inside. Grain was scattered in the urns; rats, looking for food, would fall in and be unable to get out.

Su Zhou whispered behind her, “It’s like coming home.”

Lu Shi ignored her. Instead, after Su Zhou entered, she turned back and closed the granary door.

An unexpected change occurred.

The moment the granary door closed, in the darkness, Lu Shi lunged forward, pressing a palm towards Su Zhou’s face.

Su Zhou’s face changed. As she retreated, she used her left hand to parry the blow, but Lu Shi’s palm was like a swimming dragon, suddenly twisting at Su Zhou’s wrist, deflecting Su Zhou’s hand and leaving her open.

Lu Shi’s left hand suddenly reached out from under her right arm, like parting clouds to reveal the sun or a flower hidden among leaves, instantly gripping Su Zhou’s neck and pinning her against the blue brick wall of the granary.

Chen Ji’s heart tightened.

With just one move, this masked woman left Su Zhou with no ability to retaliate, so fast and swift.

Su Zhou, with her neck clamped, her face flushed, said, “Yedizanghua… Where did you learn that?”

In the darkness, Lu Shi stared intently at Su Zhou. “Why are you still following us? No one is wanted for you, and no one knows you were just at the inn. You can leave on your own.”

Su Zhou drew the Emei dagger from her waist and thrust it at Lu Shi’s wrist, forcing Lu Shi to release her and retreat.

She bent over, panting heavily. “You suspect me? The inn owner and I have been friends for many years!”

Lu Shi said calmly, “Hearts change easily. Who knows whether you are human or ghost now?”

Su Zhou said gravely, “I, Su Zhou, have worked in Denghuo for over ten years. I’ve seen all sorts of situations, big and small. If I were to betray Denghuo, I wouldn’t have waited until now.”

Lu Shi said calmly, “Others avoid wanted posters like the plague, yet you actively came forward. What are your intentions? Even if you didn’t sell him out, as you said before, this kid offended you. It’s hard to guarantee you don’t harbor resentment against him and are waiting for an opportunity to retaliate.”

Chen Ji was slightly startled.

Su Zhou was also taken aback. “Did you misunderstand? Although I complained earlier about him and that dead girl Xiao Man abandoning me, they both truly saved my life. If not for them, I would have been captured by the Mijiesi. Besides, I am at least this kid’s elder. How can I stand by when he’s in trouble?”

Lu Shi looked at Chen Ji. “Saved his life?”

Only when Chen Ji nodded did she say to Su Zhou, “I can spare your life, but after dawn, we go our separate ways. Don’t bother us again.”

“Whether I leave or not is not for you to decide,” Su Zhou looked at Lu Shi, becoming suspicious. “On the contrary, you’re hiding your face and identity. How come I’ve never heard of someone like you in Denghuo? And why are you helping him?”

Lu Shi was silent for a moment. “There are many things you don’t know in Denghuo.”

She leaped onto the roof beam, pushed aside a gray tile, allowing a sliver of moonlight to shine into the granary building through the gap in the tiles.

In the dim granary, Lu Shi chose a corner to sit in.

Su Zhou sat far from Lu Shi in another corner, as did Chen Ji. The three were traveling together, yet they sat extremely far apart.

The granary was silent for a long time. Su Zhou looked at Lu Shi, who was resting with her eyes closed, then at Chen Ji, also resting with his eyes closed. She felt that these two were very similar in their bones, both appearing unapproachable.

Su Zhou couldn’t help but ask Chen Ji, “Now that wanted posters are everywhere, what are your plans? Leaving Ningchao?”

Chen Ji opened his eyes but didn’t speak.

Su Zhou teased, “What, you can’t bear to part with the Chen family’s foundation? Now, rumors are circulating that you’re going to be adopted into the Chen family’s main branch and marry the third Miss Qi, thereby transforming from a concubine’s son.”

Chen Ji didn’t speak.

Su Zhou smiled. “Just kidding with you. When I went to Luocheng, I inquired about you and knew about your broken ties with Chen Li-qin. I guess you’re not someone who covets vanity.”

She leaned against the wall and sighed, “Your mother passed away early…”

Lu Shi suddenly opened her eyes, glanced at her, and then slowly closed them again.

Su Zhou continued to speak to herself, “Your stepmother couldn’t tolerate you, and your father is a master at pretending to be confused. Chen Ji, why don’t you join my Denghuo? Do you know what Denghuo means? Where there is light, there is a home.”

Chen Ji still didn’t speak.

Su Zhou glanced at Lu Shi. “Although there are women like her in Denghuo, most people are good.”

Chen Ji suddenly said softly, “She doesn’t want you to get involved in this mess, so she’s trying to force you to leave, not truly suspecting you. If it were her style of doing things, if she truly suspected you, she would have killed you with one blow. A Xiantianjing facing a Xundaojing, you wouldn’t have a reason to live.”

Lu Shi opened her eyes again, staring directly at Chen Ji.

Chen Ji continued to say to Su Zhou, “Let’s go our separate ways at dawn. This journey is indeed a near-death experience.”

Lu Shi spoke, “Since you know it’s a near-death experience, why do you still want to stay in Ningchao? Could it be that you truly covet the Chen family’s power?”

Chen Ji leaned against the blue brick wall, looking at the sliver of moonlight shining in from the roof. “Of course not.”

Lu Shi looked at Chen Ji. “I can help you catch Liao Zhong, but not in Changping. Liao Zhong fled to Changping, so there must be dead soldiers here to meet him, treat his injuries, and help him leave. You can’t return to Jingcheng, and neither can he, so he can only flee outward.”

She drew a map on the ground in front of her with her index finger. “There are three ways out of Ningchao: one is Guyuan, one is Datong, and one is by sea. The sea route is in the hands of the Chen and Xu families, so he can’t use it. He also has no base in Guyuan, so that route is also impassable. He can only go to Datong, leaving through the smuggling routes of the Eight Great Jin Merchants.”

Lu Shi looked up at Chen Ji. “Don’t implicate any more people here. Come with me to Datong. If we wait there, we’ll surely catch him.”