Chapter 353

According to the will of the late Baekho, Go Tangdongryang, for this mission to eliminate the traitors, everyone had to dress up as bandits.

Qing thought it was bizarre—why did individuals have to prepare disguises for a military operation?

However, it’s common for primitive, ancient armies to have soldiers prepare their own gear.

Anyway, Qing took the fur coat from a specially trained macho man with a broken neck. It definitely looked premium.

Sniffing the fur coat, Qing caught a whiff of a scent that seemed like it came from a temple or Taoist shrine. Despite being a fake Daoist, the aroma comforted her a bit.

Wow, this incense is well done!

Although, it was a bit amusing too.

What kind of bandit would wear such a high-quality raccoon fur coat and still bother with incense?

What on earth do they imagine bandits to be like? Is their fantasy about bandits too much?

And the peak of absurdity was the hat.

If it’s a sable fur hat, isn’t it among the finest winter hats one can find?

After flipping it on, Qing tied the straps and completely covered her face, leaving just her eyes peeking out.

Moreover, the hat of the late Baekho Tangdongryang was also quite a luxury item.

Because fur hats, even if not for pretending to be bandits, were used among soldiers to flaunt their wealth.

That hat is a real treasure!

Considering that in the afterlife, one might as well keep warm since hell is like a cozy furnace, why bother with a hat?

The coat isn’t as good, but it’s still premium.

Hmm, should I give Jang Myung a call?

Finally, Qing packed the coat and hat of Tangdongryang tightly into her backpack with the strength of Han Yu.

Dressed as a bandit, Qing now looked the part.

She buried the corpse beneath a pile of leaves to hide it and climbed the mountain again.

Even though he was a mighty Baekho, was he just a foot soldier in this operation against the traitors?

If this lowly foot soldier could wear such fine clothing and a hat, what must the higher-ups be like?

Maybe I should stock up on a few winter clothes?

As the sun set, Qing’s coat became even more of a luxury item, now topped with the finest sable fur hat.

The value of her winter outfit skyrocketed, but she, regrettably, had no real gain from it.

Having come to catch traitors, the order was that if they spotted a suspicious person while wandering around the mountains, they should immediately raise the alarm.

However, there was bizarrely insufficient information about the “suspicious”.

The only detail was that they’d recognize a suspicious person at a glance if he had pale skin—what kind of a description is that anyway?

Besides that, the size of the mobilized army was quite alarming.

Each belonged to different general offices, so exact numbers were unknown, but it was said that five general offices sent out around two hundred each, there were whispers of some Golden Guards wandering about, and annoying eunuchs (yes, they really said that) were reportedly roaming around.

Iron soldiers weren’t involved in the search and set up their own temporary camp, with only staff knowing where their ambush points were.

When I heard the term “Golden Guard,” memories of the incident at the Tang family resurfaced.

That special energy tonic given by Grand Elder must’ve been strong, making that fake realm master sturdy enough to withstand anything.

There were especially tough guys at the gruesome scene that happened around lunchtime too.

Thinking of this made my teeth clench anew.

How rotten are these bureaucratic bastards in this country?

I’ve already heard that the current Emperor is grinding his teeth wanting to kill all those martial world kids.

Some might think it’s understandable that public authority hates private violence.

But what kind of case is it to kill passing people just to catch traitors?

When it comes to bureaucratic events, everyone typically keeps quiet. Well, yes, some would throw a fit at first, but later just grumble about why their bribes weren’t returned, then obediently turn back.

Yet, their choice was mass murder.

Disguising as bandits, no less.

That Great Master Mucheondae didn’t ransack the Imperial Palace and grab the Emperor by the scruff for nothing.

Because if it were me, I wouldn’t just grab him by the collar; I would’ve disconnected his head from his spine too.

That thought originates from Qing not being from the Central Plain and having that terrifying mindset.

Even that walking definition of extremism, Great Master Mucheondae, had only intended to give a stern warning, never thinking of committing the terrible treason of killing the Emperor.

It was also why Qing roamed the night.

They were also sneaking around because they couldn’t act openly.

Considering the Tang family incident, mobilizing those tough guys meant it wasn’t a trivial matter.

So ignoring it wasn’t an option.

That would be cowardly and morally wrong.

It’s one thing not to know, but you can’t pretend not to know once you’re aware.

And then there were those unjustly killed, and surely many died before that too.

Even in this situation, wearing a uniform, they at least owe a memorial to the aggrieved.

Qing composed herself.

—-

The winter in the Namnyeong Mountain Range isn’t exceptionally harsh compared to the Central Plain.

But for the people of Sichuan, it’s cold enough.

In the coldest winter in Sichuan history, water never even froze, so that says something.

So, two Sichuan people were hiding somewhere among the rocks at the foot of the Namnyeong Mountain Range, feeling the biting chill of the winter night seeping deep into their bones.

One person was just feeling cold.

The other was a master who shouldn’t feel cold, but when skin and muscles were exposed and blood was oozing out, even a master couldn’t avoid shivering from the chill.

“Wang Ya, leave without me. Just go.”

“Don’t say something ridiculous.”

“Please, I’m begging you! The Heavenly Maiden earnestly requests this—”

An old woman with white hair but not many deep wrinkles spoke.

Yet, blood had spread around her mouth, and she looked pale with dark shadows under her eyes indicating severe sickness.

To that, the young man snorted.

“Humph, what nonsense you’re spouting. What can a white-faced scholar do all alone in these mountains?”

“But Wang Ya—”

“It’s all your fault. You should’ve foreseen this and taught me how to survive or scale mountains beforehand. Whenever I wanted to wash my face, you’d tremble and block even a drop of water, right? So how can I do anything alone?”

“Wang Ya, please.”

“Get well quickly. You need at least a solid guard to escape. If I leave alone, I’d die wandering in the mountains, even without those wicked bastards. The mountains aren’t easy to deal with.”

“Wang Ya, please. Just dash north. While the Heavenly Maiden can still create a ruckus, use me while I’m still useful! I beg you—don’t die in vain—”

“Death? Why should I die? If I was going to die, I should think about getting better with all my might. Hmm. Looks like there’s no water here. Ah, it’s empty.”

“Wang Ya, this is the Heavenly Maiden’s lifelong wish—”

“Stop. I’ll go fetch water. Just sit tight and wait. And stop saying that you have a lifelong wish. Everything is a lifelong wish these days, huh.”

“Wang Ya, Wang Ya! It’s dangerous, very dangerous!”

The old woman desperately called for Wang Ya, but since the enemies surrounded them, she couldn’t raise her voice any higher, sounding sorrowful.

However, Wang Ya only clucked her tongue and ventured out through the rocky gap.

Prince Deokhyeon, who’d come out to fetch water, couldn’t foolishly step into the deeper darkness than he anticipated.

He had seen the small stream below, which was more like a mere trickle than a stream.

That’s why he was brave enough to step out, but once outside, he realized it was bright where the moonlight shone through the rock crevice.

In fact, a Prince wouldn’t usually have to walk up a mountain on his own.

He was a precious royal body that should either be in a carriage, a palanquin, or at least on a servant’s back.

So, what would Prince Deokhyeon know about how difficult it is to descend a steep trail in the dark?

Carefully putting his foot down, he checked if it was slippery or if the shaky ground or rocks would crumble.

“Whoa.”

Crack!

Prince Deokhyeon immediately slipped down the slope, crashing into a root with his knee, and cried oof, rolling down and bumping shoulder-first against a rock, then splashing down into a small hill about three feet high.

Fortunately, the bottom was covered in water.

He ended up buried among a thick layer of fallen leaves.

“Ugh.”

Prince Deokhyeon couldn’t get up and squirmed among the leaves.

His knee felt like it had split open, and he wondered if this was how Guan Yu felt with an arrow lodged in him.

With pain making it impossible to even think about standing, he laid buried in the soft leaves, waiting for the agony to subside.

“Ugh.”

Prince Deokhyeon turned onto his back, sprawled out.

The pale moonlight peered through the skeletal branches.

His situation suddenly felt comical and pathetic.

Here he was, supposed to be a prince, completely unable to do anything, even fetch a single bucket of water, lying there in such a ridiculous manner.

But then—

A chilling shadow loomed over him, blocking the moonlight and sending a cold shiver down his spine.

The metallic chill of a blade pressed against his neck, and fear surged as his heart dropped and began racing wildly, making his limbs feel numb, tingling with dread.

“What’s this? Why are you rolling around under the moon? A perfectly able-bodied person would choose to crawl around like this?”

An unexpected female voice echoed.

One that was sweet with clear pronunciation, piercing right into his ears.

“I am… an herbalist, an herbalist.”

“An herbalist? What kind of herbalist speaks so succinctly?”

“Herbalist! That’s who I am!”

“I’ve never seen an herbalist dressed in fine clothes before. Especially not one rolling about in the mountains foolishly.”

“Ahem, I just tripped and couldn’t distinguish the ground during the dark.”

“No, if you’re pretending to be an herbalist, do it properly. What sort of herbalist writes characters? Are you a scholar who’s fallen into hard times and turned into an herbalist?”

“Ah yes. Exactly what I just said.”

“You sound rather noble, don’t you?”

“No! I-I’m not a noble! I’m not!”

“You almost said something ridiculously foolish just now. Who? What?”

Oops, a slip of the tongue slipped out.

With a blade at his throat, one could say it was impressive he didn’t stammer.

The woman suddenly grasped his collar and with a surprising burst of strength, lifted him up high.

Gasping for breath—

The woman suddenly pulled his collar toward her face, bringing their noses close together, almost touching the cloth wrapping his mouth.

Then, her eyes, strikingly familiar, grew wide as she examined him, lifting his face up and down, shaking it side to side.

For Prince Deokhyeon, dangling in such a manner was torturous.

Moreover, she had a rather unpleasant personality.

Why not just roll her eyes instead of swinging his body around to scrutinize him?

Suddenly, her eyes widened.

“Wait, is it… Jayu? It isn’t, is it?”

“Jayu? Why would you call me by that name?”

The pseudonym Jayu was made up on the spot.

And only one person in the world had ever called him by that name.

“Seomun Qing, are you my friend?”

“Wow, it’s really Jayu. Wow, this is wild! How did I see you here! Wait, why is a prince rolling around on the ground at night? Are you hurt?”

Finally, Qing set Jayu down, brushing off the dirt and leaves from his body.

With her hand patting his behind, Jayu found himself blushing fiercely—what kind of woman acts so casually? What on earth is happening here?

“Oh, I see. So the traitor was Jayu?”

“Traitor? How absurd!”

“Watch your tone! Are we treating the prince with respect?”

That made Jayu smile lightly.

“That’s only because my friend is talking nonsense. But you, no, no. It’s not the time for this.”

Smiling faded, and with urgency, Jayu grabbed Qing.

“Please help me! Yeon Pa is badly injured, and it doesn’t look good! She needs to be seen by a physician immediately, but I have no idea about this area. So I’m asking you, can you take her to the physician?”

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