Chapter 202: What is Power?

At this time of year, the nighttime temperature in Beidi is low.

Low temperatures mean the threat from Plague Ghosts is small.

The people of the Patrol Guard Division are very familiar with the official roads of Xinzhou, so traveling at night presents little difficulty.

The moonlight is decent tonight; those with good eyesight take the outer perimeter, while those with poor eyesight stay in the middle and keep close to the group. Take turns resting.

Seize the time to travel; the sooner we reach Xinzhou City, the more at ease we can be.

During the journey, when the light is good during the day, the group rests, and Yu He has everyone in the caravan registered.

Although the two children on the donkey's back did not reveal their detailed identities, perhaps out of respect for the official uniform Yu He was wearing, they still reported the names "Du Shitou" and "Yao Shanmi." The Xianshou Army had already cleared the Plague Ghosts from the vicinity of the main official roads, so even if the caravan encountered a few, the danger was not great.

All in all, the journey was quite fast.

By the time they were about to reach Xinzhou City, it was already night.

Bai Hang was lost in thought inside the carriage when he suddenly heard a burst of bell sounds.

They came from afar, carrying a unique rhythm—a kind of ethereal, spine-chilling quality.

The caravan stopped at this moment, and Bai Hang lifted the carriage curtain to look outside, exclaiming, "What is it?"

The bell sounds continued to slowly draw closer.

The servants of the Bai Family looked as if they had seen something terrifying; their eyes were fixed, and some were even trembling all over.

"Ma... Master!"

A servant leaned over, lowering his voice, his teeth still chattering, as if afraid of startling something.

"Master, look over there! Over there!"

Bai Hang steadied his mind and looked in the direction the servant was pointing, his breath instantly hitching.

Under the moonlight, he could vaguely see a row of pale figures over there, hopping along—they did not look like living people!

But Bai Hang had traveled far and wide with his old man in the past and had seen many strange anecdotes.

"Corpse Drivers?!"

Bai Hang also lowered his voice.

At this moment, the Corpse Drivers stopped.

Bai Hang could not sit still; he got out of the carriage, found Yu He, and said urgently, "Commander Yu, are those Corpse Drivers?"

What should be done?

Greet them? Give them paper money? Or pretend not to see them?

They truly did not know what to do about such eerie things!

A sense of awe toward ghosts and gods left them at a loss for what to do at such a moment.

However, Bai Hang was clever for a moment; he noticed that the people from the Patrol Guard Division were all very calm, and his panicked heart settled slightly. Sure enough, the people from the Patrol Guard Division skillfully burned a piece of talisman paper.

After this kind of talisman paper burns, the flame emits a strange-colored light.

Light is also a form of message; when one cannot see clearly in the dark, it tells the other party, "We are our own people."

However, in the eyes of those who do not know the truth, this is equivalent to a Dharma Assembly.

The Bai Family members: As expected, their magical powers are profound!

After the talisman paper burned, the stopped Corpse Drivers set off again, and the rhythmic bell sounds rang out once more.

When they were closest, the Bai Family members even saw that the Corpse Drivers seemed to be burning incense, the fire points flickering on and off. They dared not make a sound. Burning incense has special significance, and they dared not disturb them.

It was not until the Corpse Drivers had walked far away that Bai Hang asked.

Yu He introduced the identities of those people to them.

That group of Corpse Drivers now lives in the Outer City District; they are effectively their own people, so there is no need to be afraid.

Back then, the Corpse Drivers followed Wen Gu to Xinzhou, and after that, business was busy, they grew and strengthened, soon bought a courtyard, and even took in many Apprentices! After hearing this, the Bai Family members felt a bit more awe in their hearts, and their trust in Xinzhou City also increased.

In such a bizarre and chaotic world, having a few more capable and extraordinary people brings a bit more peace of mind. Even if they are just Corpse Drivers!

Not long after continuing their journey, the Bai Family caravan reached the Outer City of Xinzhou City and rested in a small isolation courtyard that had been prepared in advance.

Yu He settled them in and took the registered roster to find Wen Gu to report on his work.

Wen Gu happened to be inspecting a certain medical workshop in the Outer City District today, offering condolences (and spurring on) the physicians and Pharmacists working there.

After the inspection was finished, it was already late, and the gates of Neicheng were closed, so Wen Gu simply stayed in the Outer City District.

He had previously received news that the Bai Family's team was arriving soon, so he also wanted to wait here to see if the Bai Family members were as they had been investigated. However, when he saw the names registered on the roster, Wen Gu's gaze fell on the last two.

"Du Shitou, Yao Shanmi?"

Yu He asked, "Deputy Envoy, these two are not from the Bai Family; they were picked up by the Bai Family along the way. Do they have a problem?"

Wen Gu said, "A newly received message from the flying messenger says that something has happened again in Jizhou. The daughter-in-law of Councilor Yao was forced to die by fire, and Councilor Yao's own granddaughter is missing. His granddaughter's childhood name is 'Shanmi'!" After receiving the information from there, Wen Gu went to check the corresponding information files of the Patrol Guard Division.

The information on Yao Shiqi's family was not detailed, but the names and ages were there.

Before the chaotic times, Yao Shiqi went to the south to purchase medicinal herbs and lost contact.

Yao Shiqi's wife, Miao Niangzi, lived in Jizhou with her daughter and the family's servants, and their situation was not very good.

The flying messenger's letter said that Yao Shanmi was lost. She actually came to Xinzhou?

Was it specifically arranged?

I do not know what twists and turns are involved.

As it stands, the names match, and the ages match.

Wen Gu said, "Let's go take a look."

Du Shitou and Yao Shanmi were arranged to stay with the Bai Family people, sharing a small room with several others.

Now that Wen Gu wanted to see them, Yu He opened another room, invited the two children over, and said that Deputy Envoy Wen wanted to see them.

Being called out, Yao Shanmi was very afraid, but upon hearing the title "Deputy Envoy Wen," she felt a bit more urgency.

She could not remember things that were too complicated; her mother only told her to remember a few names and had repeatedly urged her many times, which she remembered very clearly. At this moment, it was like triggering a keyword. Her mother had said that as long as she encountered one of the names she remembered, it would be enough.

Upon seeing Wen Gu, Yao Shanmi asked, "Deputy Envoy Wen? Are you Wen Gu?"

Yu He thought to himself: Hey, kid, why are you calling him by his name directly? You should use his title!

He wanted to remind her, but Wen Gu waved his hand, not minding it.

"I am."

Wen Gu walked over, maintained a perfectly appropriate distance, crouched down, and looked her in the eye:

"May I ask, is there anything I can help you with?"

Yao Shanmi opened her mouth, paused for a good while, and said, "I want to see the picture books about Exorcism with spirit fire, is that okay?"

"Of course," Wen Gu said.

To facilitate sales, the picture books also had shops in the Outer City District, so a set was brought over very quickly.

Since Deputy Envoy Wen said he wanted them, even if the shop had closed, they would have had to scramble to prepare a set.

The picture books were delivered quickly.

Yao Shanmi saw many new picture books.

She picked up the one on top and opened it; as she flipped through it, tears fell from her eyes, crying more and more intensely until she started hiccuping.

Yu He was stunned: No way, do picture books have this effect?

Wen Gu had someone go fetch a female physician.

But at this moment, Yao Shanmi looked at Wen Gu and untied the woven Linglong Ball from her waist.

It was tied too tightly, and it took a good while to untie it.

She handed it to Wen Gu: "My mother said, this is for you!"

Wen Gu thought of the information regarding Yao Shiqi and Miao Niangzi, and his heart skipped a beat.

Yu He, fearing a trap, blocked the way in front. There were quite a few people who wanted to kill Deputy Envoy Wen right now!

One could not relax even when facing a child!

Yu He brought over a clean wooden box, wanting to take it.

Yao Shanmi would not give it to him.

Wen Gu took the box and said to the little girl: "It's alright, put it in, I will keep it personally!"

Only then did Yao Shanmi put it in.

She said to Wen Gu: "My mother said, you will know once you look at it."

"Many thanks," Wen Gu said.

The female physician who had been sent for arrived; Wen Gu had someone look after the two children and took the wooden box to another room.

He was not without precautions; he put on a mask and gloves and carefully untied the Linglong Ball.

He unfolded the gauze that had been rolled into a string, only to see rows of characters embroidered inside.

There were not many characters, but the amount of information was immense!

Although he had already guessed it just now, now that it was truly confirmed, Wen Gu still could not help but be shocked!

Yu He, who was nearby, saw this and asked: "Deputy Envoy?"

Wen Gu put the item away and ordered: "Prepare a carriage, take them into the Neicheng immediately!"

The sky had already turned completely dark, and the Neicheng gates had long since closed.

All the ward gates were also closed.

However, special matters were handled with special procedures!

The Neicheng gate was opened temporarily, and after this group of people entered, it was closed once again.

Inside the city, the patrolling City Defense Army held torches and walked back and forth between the wards.

Seeing that this group had such a large commotion, they were startled, but once they saw clearly that it was the people from the Patrol Guard Division, the reprimands that were about to spill out turned into routine politeness. "Deputy Envoy Wen, are you carrying out an urgent official duty?" the leader asked amiably.

"There is an urgent matter, sorry to disturb your patrol," Wen Gu said.

Wen Gu was traveling on horseback, while the two children were in the carriage.

The patrolmen only saw Wen Gu riding on the outside and were curious about the identity of the people in the carriage, but one must not ask what one should not ask.

They were let through quickly.

Du Shitou lifted a slit in the carriage curtain and looked outside.

Before stepping onto the carriage, he did not know what level of status "Deputy Envoy Wen" held, only that it was higher than that Commander. But all the way here, he saw the city gate opened specifically for them, the guards at the gate did not even have a single word of complaint and were even piling on smiles, looking very diligent. Now, the Armored Soldiers on patrol also had a friendly and amiable attitude.

In Du Shitou's impression, whether before or after the chaotic times, the soldiers guarding the gates and the patrolling Armored Soldiers were never amiable. Ordering people around and extorting them should have been the norm.

But the scene before his eyes refreshed Du Shitou's perception.

He knew that the Zhao Family of Xinzhou had a similar status to the Du Family of Jizhou, but "Deputy Envoy Wen" was not surnamed Zhao!

Inside the city, most of the wards were silent and dark.

The wards where the wealthy gathered, however, were lit with many lamps.

Besides those, there was also a special ward.

After this group of about ten people entered the Neicheng, they did not go far; they arrived at Jingxing Fang.

The closed ward gate opened, and the group entered.

Nowadays, Jingxing Fang was even livelier once night fell!

The number of completed buildings in Wanfu Garden increased, and the wealthy young masters who came here to kill time also grew more numerous; the night was exactly when they played wildly. The ward gates were closed, no one from outside came to disturb them, and no one from home came to lecture them; a group of people with common hobbies gathered together to drink and play. The tone of their drunkenness carried a reckless, wild madness.

Du Shitou tensed up, as if by reflex.

Wealthy young masters in this state would hit people!

If nobles took action, even if one were beaten to death, one could only accept one's fate!

Before the chaotic times, he had seen this more than once.

When nobles went on drunken rampages, beat people to death, or rode horses recklessly and trampled people to death, they would only ever pay off the victim's family with a small bag of grain. No one dared to pursue the matter further.

Qian Quezi said to Du Shitou, "It's not that the arm can't twist the thigh, but that the ants have no voice at all. If you keep holding on, it's just like a cicada trying to shake a tree or a mantis trying to stop a chariot; there will be no good end!" Other commoners who saw such situations could only sigh softly, saying that so-and-so was unlucky to have run into a noble who was drunk or in a bad mood. After the chaotic times, order had completely collapsed, and the grassroots commoners dared even less to provoke them.

Now, that same arrogant and crazed voice that Du Shitou was familiar with came from outside again.

As it drew closer, the smell of alcohol also drifted into the carriage from outside.

Du Shitou became increasingly vigilant, staring fixedly outside through the gap in the door curtain.

There were many lanterns lit outside; although it was night, he could see clearly.

A young man dressed in fine robes held a wine jar in one hand and tilted his head back to take a gulp of wine.

A large amount of wine splashed out, soaking the front of the building.

In these chaotic times, the price of grain wine was very high, and high-quality grain wine was even more expensive.

Many people couldn't even taste a single sip, yet these people could splash it around while drinking.

At this moment, this group of people was frolicking outside.

The young man holding the wine jar was laughing loudly and about to chase someone when he turned his head and discovered that a procession had arrived from somewhere. At this moment, the area that had been frolicking, as well as the brightly lit pavilion behind it, suddenly seemed to have been pressed with a stop button; there was no sound at all. The young man holding the wine jar had cloudy eyes, but as the procession drew closer, the lantern light made everything increasingly clear.

The look of madness in the eyes of the young man in fine robes faded rapidly; in just a few blinks, they became incomparably clear.

Du Shitou watched this scene in a daze.

How truly miraculous.

It was like a cloudy, mud-stained pearl becoming clear and bright in the blink of an eye!

At the front of the procession.

Yu He saw the other party holding a wine jar and was ready to draw his blade from its sheath at any moment.

Lao Zhao had said that Wen Gu's safety was the top priority above all else!

Even if it were someone with the status of the Prince of Guangning or the Earl of Yangchuan, as long as they showed a threat, he would cut them down without hesitation!

Let alone a good-for-nothing playboy like this; just for the action of him holding a wine jar toward Wen Gu, regardless of whether it was a misunderstanding or not, Yu He could draw his blade! The edge of the blade had already been revealed slightly from the sheath.

The young man in fine robes quickly changed his posture, from holding the wine jar up to hugging it tightly with both arms, with no intention of throwing it, and also avoiding any posture that could easily lead to a misunderstanding! Yu He asked sternly, "What are you doing?"

The young man in fine robes looked at Yu He and replied humbly to Wen Gu, who was riding a horse: "Cleaning the floor!"

Even though he reeked of alcohol and his speech was not very clear, at this moment, the young man's eyes were clear and his words were quite rational:

"I don't know which bastard made this place dirty; it's simply devoid of any moral cultivation! Some stains must be wiped with wine; washing with water doesn't get them clean... *Cough*, Deputy Envoy Wen, you go ahead with your business; I'll continue cleaning the floor." As the young man in fine robes spoke, he turned and walked toward the pavilion behind him.

The group of fair-weather friends who had been playing around just now had, as expected, vanished without a trace, though they were certainly hiding in the building, peeking out.

The young man in fine robes cursed their ancestors for eighteen generations in his heart; damn it, why didn't you guys give me a heads-up?!

The procession continued forward, passing that luxurious, brightly lit pavilion.

Du Shitou thought about how his father and Qian had said that drunken young masters were all irrational and crazy, and that even the county magistrate couldn't do anything about them! He had told him that if he ever saw that kind of person, he must stay away and never confront them directly, as those people had no reason!

And now?

It turned out that it wasn't that nobles would lose their reason after drinking and would grab anyone to curse or kill at will.

It might just be because you aren't worth them being rational and clear-headed.

In the air, the heavy scent of alcohol still lingered, the smell of extravagance still permeated, and the candlelight of the lanterns flickered, shimmering with brilliant colors.

Du Shitou watched with his own eyes as those people switched from arrogant madness to humble politeness.

What is power?

At the very least, at this moment, it was the best sobering medicine.