Chapter 141: Disguise and Transformation

Today, Flame Li and Wushuang Ghost had also ambushed two carriage teams of nobles leaving the city, but she found herself unable to take action against the refugees.

This directly violated Tian Ze’s command to kill anyone upon sight.

"Rest assured, I won't tell the Crown Prince." Wushuang Ghost was not particularly clever, but neither was he a fool.

Flame Li shook her head and kept walking. "He shouldn't have targeted the refugees, and even less should he have turned against the old people of Baiyue!"

Sigh! Wushuang Ghost lowered his head, unwilling to argue further.

"Tomorrow I am going into the city for the day. You should dig another cave to use as a backup!" Flame Li dared not bring this massive brute into the city; even she had to disguise herself as an ordinary peasant woman.

"Alright! Be careful!" Wushuang Ghost felt a tinge of sorrow. With his monstrous appearance, he truly could not be seen in public!

The beauty was stunning, and her swaying waist was captivating, but at the thought of her tiny stature, Wushuang Ghost completely lost interest!

He looked at everyone as if they were mere children, and the loneliness of the night was something only the moon could understand.

It was precisely because Wushuang Ghost harbored no improper thoughts toward her that Flame Li was willing to stay close to him.

She busied herself until noon before heading into the city, but she was no longer a seductive beauty—she had transformed into a thoroughly ordinary country matron.

She carried a small woven basket and held a valid wooden travel pass. The guards were too lazy to ask any questions and simply waved her through.

Pedestrians hurried back and forth, accompanied by the endless sounds of vendors hawking their wares.

Beggars had become a rare sight; the regular mendicants had already joined Han Fei's ranks.

Carriages and horses were plentiful, carrying young noble lords and ladies who rode about in small canopied carts to sightsee.

Walking into a secluded corner, Flame Li emerged transformed into a refined swordsman, after which she strolled into a tavern for a cup of wine.

In broad daylight, she dared not approach guard-heavy mansions; nighttime was when her true work began.

Once well-fed and refreshed, the young hero gathered some news: for instance, Zilan Pavilion was the favorite haunt of the nobility.

Lingering for over an hour, Flame Li finally paid her tab.

"It really is expensive!" As soon as she stepped out of the tavern, Flame Li could not help but sigh. She must not be so lavish next time; most of the silver she managed to plunder had already been handed over.

Strolling along with intermittent stops, the young hero played the part of a drunken traveler.

There were simply too many despondent souls about, and even the passing patrol guards couldn't be bothered to care.

With a swordsman like this, one could never tell whether they were formidable or weak, and if they happened to be strong, killing them would only bring trouble without catching the culprit.

"This is... it!" Just moments after passing Zilan Pavilion, Flame Li's heart began to throb.

"All three auras are present! You were all lying to me after all! Pity they are already very faint! They shouldn't be right here, but they must be close by!"

Noticing a small inn directly across the street, Flame Li decided to set up her lodging nearby.

Having suffered a drain on her vitality over the past few years, Flame Li's internal cultivation was not profound. Her greatest asset was never her raw combat strength, but rather her enchanting charm and the Soul-Stealing Fire Charm technique that could captivate and bewilder the minds of others.

To someone like Xin Ying, a minor pawn with insignificant combat prowess wasn't even worth glancing at.

Soon, night descended upon the city...

"Young Master, we are going to Zilan Pavilion to visit Sister Zinv, and we will be back later."

At this moment, Nongyu's mother and aunt were both by her side. They would enter Zilan Pavilion through the back courtyard, avoiding the gaze of outsiders.

Southern Lord had been very diligent lately and was currently meditating, while little Yan'er had spent the entire day practicing the zither and martial arts and now intended to rest.

"Go ahead then."

After Nongyu and the others left, Lin Shu's eyes darted around. Truth be told, he was quite tempted to go over and take a look himself.

"Husband, do you want to go too?"

"No!" Lin Shu shook his head. The events of the previous night still filled him with a trace of guilt, and tonight he had no desire to seek out Concubine Yan for romantic escapades!

Concubine Yan chuckled softly. This husband of hers was truly terrible at hiding his thoughts.

"If you want to go, then go. Besides, Nongyu and the others are already there."

Of course Lin Shu wanted to go!

"Very well, we'll head over as well, but we need to disguise ourselves first. You'll have to change into men's clothing too!"

Concubine Yan smiled wryly and shook her head. "Oh, very well then!"

Half an hour later, Lin Shu had transformed into a wealthy young lord, while Concubine Yan had completely changed her appearance, turning into a handsome young scholar.

"Hey, don't kiss me! You'll ruin the makeup." Concubine Yan hastily retreated.

Lin Shu shook his head. "I was just checking how you applied your makeup. It really doesn't look like you at all!"

Lin Shu's disguise had been applied by Xin Ying, whereas Concubine Yan had done her own makeup.

"Hmph! This young master won't tell you." Concubine Yan was quite pleased with her own handiwork; draped in flowing white robes, she looked utterly bewitching.

"Alright, let's set off!" Lin Shu felt that in his dark blue and black robes, he looked rather like a pageboy or a scholar's attendant trailing behind Concubine Yan.

Leaving their carriage to follow invisibly in the vicinity, the two young gentlemen strolled toward the bustling night streets illuminated by flickering lanterns.

...

Han Fei, whose mood was far from pleasant, had already downed several cups of wine, accompanied by the three members of Quicksand.

"They have gone into hiding!" Wei Zhuang was deeply disappointed; he had scoured the area for half a day without encountering a single Baiyue tribesman.

Zhang Liang took a sip of his wine and spoke up, "My lord, should I inform my grandfather about the disappearance of Lady Hu?"

Today, Han Fei had deliberately set aside court affairs. Ji Wuye claimed that the incident was either the work of remnant forces from Baiyue or phantom soldiers, utter nonsense that Prime Minister Zhang naturally refused to accept.

Ultimately, the King of Han had ordered Lord Zhang to investigate Lady Hu's whereabouts, yet Zhang Liang found it difficult to disclose the matter to his grandfather, especially since it was hardly a glorious affair.

"Ziliang is better off keeping silent! Spreading this will bring not an ounce of benefit to the state of Han!" Han Fei frowned; this matter was truly troublesome to handle.

Wei Zhuang loved nothing more than watching Han Fei struggle with difficult dilemmas.

"The Ninth Young Master occupies a high and influential position, so failing to find the military provisions carries no consequence. But if Prime Minister Zhang achieves nothing, the King of Han will surely cast blame. Even if he doesn't, the King will rely all the more heavily on Ji Wuye and Bai Yiwei!"

Just as Zinv opened her mouth to speak, a knock sounded at the outer door.

"Please excuse me for a moment, Zinv."

Han Fei watched Zinv's swaying waistline as she walked away, momentarily dazed.

Zhang Liang smiled secretly without interrupting.

Hmph! True to form, the lust for beauty brings ruin to men. Such was Wei Zhuang's verdict.

"What is it?" Zinv's expression was less than pleasant; she had just been on the verge of comforting her lover.

"Sister, it's Nongyu. She has returned, entering through the back courtyard with her mother and aunt." The calm-faced maid was, in reality, a top-tier assassin.

It was them! Hearing this, Zinv found her anger dissipating.

"Just the three of them?"

The maid knew which young master Zinv was referring to. "That's right, that young master didn't come over."

Zinv smiled faintly. "Good! It's good that he didn't come!"

She had little fondness for this Young Master Lin; his appearance always brought trouble! If not for him, Han Fei would not be suffering headaches over Prime Minister Zhang's predicament.

"Wait here a moment." Since Nongyu was back, Zinv was naturally delighted, and though she couldn't leave immediately, she intended to inform the others.

Seeing Zinv return in quick strides, Han Fei set down his wine cup.

"Nongyu and her mother have arrived, so please excuse me for a moment."

Han Fei beamed with joy before shaking his head. "Go ahead, don't mind us, Lady Zinv."

Zinv gave him a parting smile and turned to leave.

Wei Zhuang could not resist casting a glance at Zinv's smooth, slender waist.

"Since that fellow isn't here, do you not plan to ask Nongyu and her mother about the Lady Hu affair?"

Han Fei looked around. "Can Brother Wei be certain he isn't nearby? Besides, Lady Hu's matter is ultimately their private business!"

"The affair of Lady Hu should come to an end now; it is time for us to make our move, starting with Emerald Tiger." Zhang Liang hurriedly intervened. The Zhang family could afford to offend the King of Han, but they could not afford to cross the Northern Kingdom.

Wei Zhuang smiled faintly and nodded. "How do you plan to deal with Emerald Tiger?"

"Emerald Tiger has inflated grain prices and monopolized the markets. In a few days, starving refugees will surround his several manors outside the city." With over fifty thousand militia under his command now, Han Fei's confidence had grown substantially.