Quick Travel to the Clouds

Chapter 659 Fame Spreads Throughout the World 7

Yun Chu nodded slightly, her gaze sweeping across the alleyway entrance. Xu Bao's accomplices, who had been startled away by the green-clad youth, hadn't truly gone far; several gray figures were currently peeking out from the alleyway entrance.

She said nothing more, turned her horse around, and walked towards the inn's sign. The scabbard of the Cold Moon Sword left a cold, thin mark in her palm.

After passing the street corner, an inn called "Ten Miles of Smoke and Dust" stood in front of me. The hitching post at the entrance was polished to a shine, and the lobby was filled with the sounds of boisterous toasting and whispers discussing secrets of the martial arts world.

Behind the counter, the one-eyed old shopkeeper fiddled with his abacus, glancing at her with a slight lift of his eyelids. His cloudy eyes held a scrutinizing gaze, and a fleeting glint of shrewdness.

On the wall opposite the counter, a bright red dart flag fluttering in the wind is particularly eye-catching, with a golden eagle spreading its wings embroidered in the center of the flag—the emblem of Guangyuan Escort Agency.

The aftershocks of that brief conflict in the alley have already spread like boiling oil into the turbid, bubbling waters of the Central Plains.

Yun Chu requested a quiet room on the second floor facing the street. Pushing open the lattice window, she could see the street scene below.

As dusk quietly descended, the eaves of the houses held up dim, yellow lanterns. In the distance, a few lights suddenly appeared and then quickly disappeared, the traces of nimble night travelers.

A few fragmented words were carried on the wind:

"...Guangyuan Escort Agency has messed with 'Iron Falcon' this time, and it looks like they're going to be in big trouble..."

"...What's there to be afraid of? That little ancestor of the Tang Clan has shown his face..."

"...Heavenly Secrets? Never heard of it? I heard it's recently made a name for itself in the south, with a sword that's incredibly fast..."

"Tsk, that young lady in blue who just entered the city..."

"Never mind that, let's settle this on the sword-fighting stage tomorrow!"

The murmurs rose and fell like waves, eventually settling into the increasingly thick darkness of the night.

There was a very slight cracking sound coming from the roof ridge next door, as if the tiles were being stepped on and then immediately settled.

A moment later, a dark figure, almost blending into the moonlight, darted past along the eaves and disappeared in the distance behind the continuous outline of houses.

Yun Chu stood quietly by the window, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the texture of the cool sword sheath.

The night winds of Zhongzhou concealed sounds and atmospheres far more complex and vast than those of Wuzhou.

Every gust of wind, every fleeting figure, seemed to be silently playing the prelude to the upcoming moment of "fame throughout the world."

***

Outside the window, the hustle and bustle of Zhongzhou City did not quiet down as the night deepened. Instead, it resembled a huge net, flowing with another kind of restlessness under the dim light of the lanterns and sparse starlight.

The clamor of the tavern, the night patrolman's clapper, the distant barking of dogs, and the deliberately hushed discussions about "Iron Falcon's" broken halberd and "Little Sparrow of the Tang Clan's" appearance, all intertwined to create a stagnant background sound.

Yun Chu did not turn on the lights, letting the light filtering through the window frame create shadows and light within the room.

The scabbard beneath her fingertips felt increasingly cold and resilient, much like her current state of mind.

The air in Zhongzhou was so dense that it reminded her of the deep pool behind the Tianji Sect. It seemed calm, but it contained turbulent currents, and one could easily be swept into the whirlpool if one was not careful.

The fleeting movement on the roof of the neighboring house did not escape her notice.

Was it Xu Bao who sent people to keep watch? Or were they spies from other forces in the city? Or perhaps... that green-clad youth who appeared and disappeared in a flash, with a probing gaze?

A very faint sound came from behind me—not from outside the window, but from the wooden wall connecting the two rooms.

A barely perceptible wisp of air, carrying the dry smell unique to dust particles, slipped through before being blocked.

Someone is using extremely sophisticated methods to try and spy on this quiet room.

Yun Chu remained motionless, her gaze still fixed on a black carriage slowly passing by on the street.

The interior of the car was unlit, its outline deep and somber, but a tiny emblem, branded with a special technique, flashed by in the afterglow of the street lanterns at the corner.

The emblem—shaped like a night owl with its wings folded—is hidden among the thorns.

A chill ran down her spine. The secret files of Wuzhou Sword Pavilion contained records of the "Night Owl Hall," an intelligence broker and assassination organization active in the dark side of Kyushu, whose actions were secretive and whose whereabouts were difficult to trace.

They also came to Zhongzhou. Is it for the Sword Debate tomorrow, or do they have other plans?

The noise downstairs suddenly rose a few notches, faintly mixed with the sounds of clinking cups and plates and cheers.

It seems that a new "江湖客" (jianghu ke, a term referring to people from the martial arts world) has joined the drinking party.

A particularly gruff voice stood out: "...Damn it, what bad luck! We ran into a bunch of taciturn cavalry outside the city, all black helmets and armor, like lumps of iron, not a drop of oil to be squeezed out, and they scared away the fat sheep I had just set my sights on..."

Black helmet and black armor? Yun Chuwei tilted her ear slightly.

This description is very similar to the "Black Armor Guard" of the imperial court.

The emperor's personal guards, who usually only roam the capital region, how could they appear outside the chaotic Central State City? This pool of water is deeper and more murky than she expected.

Slightly heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor, stopping in front of her door. Two soft, unhurried taps followed.

"Sir, I am an innkeeper's assistant, bringing you freshly washed horse feed and today's prefectural notices." The voice was respectful, with the shrewdness typical of a commoner.

Yun Chu turned around and silently walked to the door, but did not open it immediately. Through the faint changes in shadows through the crack in the door, she judged that there was only one person in front of it. She gently pulled the door open a crack.

The "waiter" outside the door was meek and obedient, holding a wooden tray with oiled paper wrapped around refined ingredients and a thin booklet on it.

However, in the instant he handed over the plate, a glint of light flashed in his lowered eyes, and his sleeve dipped almost imperceptibly downwards—a subtle movement that did not escape Yun Chu's notice.

That wasn't a gesture of giving something away; it was more like weighing something or testing the waters.

The coolness of the Cold Moon Sword Sheath spread from her palm. She reached out to take the wooden tray, a seemingly ordinary movement, but her wrist subtly contained the dissipation of force and the accumulation of power.

Just as her fingertips were about to touch the edge of the wooden plate—

laugh!laugh!laugh!

Three faint, sharp sounds, almost completely drowned out by the noise downstairs, came from the direction of the window in an instant!

It wasn't aimed at her, but rather struck with perfect precision the corner of the wooden table by the window that she had just put down!

The force wasn't great, but it was enough to make the wooden table tremble slightly.

Three short, polished sandalwood nails, each about the thickness of a little finger, are arranged in a slight acute angle on the wooden table. The nail ends are flat, indicating that they were either snapped off instantly or driven in using a special technique.

A nail tip was pointed directly at the "waitress" who handed him the plate.

The tip of the other one was steadily pointing towards the guest room next door!

The waiter's hand, which was handing over the tray, suddenly froze, his eyes revealing extreme shock and disbelief.

He clearly recognized the origin of this technique!

My body instinctively wanted to back away, but it was as if my ankles were nailed down by invisible wooden nails. I only dared to turn my head slightly and look towards the window. My throat bobbed twice, but I couldn't make a sound.

Outside the window, in the shadow of the taller roof across the way, a slender figure leaned against the roof ornament with his arms crossed.

His dark green robes blended almost into the darkness, with only the faint, ambiguous smile on his lips appearing in the dim light from afar.

He pointed towards Yun Chu, slightly raised his chin, the movement swift yet carrying an almost dazzling provocation and a knowing "see?" air.

It was the green-clad boy who had helped during the day and then vanished in a fleeting glimpse!

The "buddy's" face turned deathly pale instantly, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

Not daring to say another word, she loosened her grip and let the wooden tray fall—Yun Chu moved her wrist slightly and caught it steadily without making a sound.

He seemed to have seen a ghost, and almost scrambled back into the shadows, staggering downstairs.

The spying aura from next door vanished abruptly, clearly having detected the sudden, sharp warning.

The room fell silent again, with only the three wooden nails, faintly scented with sandalwood, lying quietly on the table.