I followed Zhang Dabiao's gaze and indeed saw a portrait of myself. The likeness was uncanny, capturing even the mole on the corner of my mouth.
"Not good," I said, standing up in a hurry. "Brother Zhang, let's go."
My sudden movement immediately drew their attention.
The bearded leader turned his gaze towards me. "Where are they? Seize them!" he ordered. His soldiers, like a pack of bandits descending a mountain, charged towards me without regard for any obstacles. They overturned diners and caused chaos.
Zhang Dabiao swiftly drew his cleaver. "Qingyun, you go first. I'll hold them off."
Before I could respond, Zhang Dabiao swung his cleaver, felling two soldiers. Seeing them groaning on the ground, I knew Zhang Dabiao hadn't delivered a fatal blow, or they would have been dead.
Seizing the moment, Zhang Dabiao turned back. "What are you still standing there for? Run! Otherwise, neither of us will make it."
Witnessing his subordinate's swift defeat, the bearded leader drew his own long saber and engaged Zhang Dabiao. They fought fiercely, but Zhang Dabiao held a slight advantage.
"Go quickly."
I knew Zhang Dabiao was right.
We could only escape by splitting up.
"Brother Zhang, be careful."
Without waiting for Zhang Dabiao's reply, I leaped out the window.
"Chase him! Don't let him escape."
Outside the inn, the street was still bustling. The bearded leader's voice could be heard even from outside the inn, and several soldiers scrambled out of the establishment.
"Kid, stop running!"
"I'm talking to you, do you hear me?"
I cursed inwardly. It would be foolish not to run. Knowing they were Zuo Quan's men, I had to escape. Moreover, the sooner I left, the safer Zhang Dabiao would be.
To further evade their pursuit, I activated the Tian Qiao Seal, which significantly increased my speed. I moved like a fish in the noisy street, and the soldiers' shouts further agitated the crowd, causing pedestrians and merchants to flee in all directions. This gave me the opportunity to escape.
After shaking off the soldiers, I changed my clothes. My original attire was torn and snagged from my hasty escape. I deliberately ripped it further, making it look even more ragged, transforming myself into a beggar. I grabbed some dirt from the ground and smeared it on my face, making me indistinguishable from a genuine beggar.
Then, I swaggered back towards the inn, passing several groups of pursuing soldiers. However, thanks to the Hu Kui Seal, my Yang energy was completely undetectable. Even with my portrait in hand, they couldn't recognize me.
They say the most dangerous place is the safest. When I returned to the inn, hardly anyone was dining or drinking. Pedestrians were leaving in a hurry.
The innkeeper stood at the entrance, looking dejected. I suspected that the commotion had caused many customers to leave without paying.
"Innkeeper, please, could you spare some food?" I pretended to be a beggar and stopped at the entrance.
"Get lost... get lost... Can't you see the inn is empty? I can barely feed myself. Get out, or I'll have your legs broken."
As the innkeeper yelled at me and pushed me away, he suddenly stopped when his body touched mine. His mouth gaped in surprise, about to shout.
Before I could react, I had already formed the Tian Tui Seal, my hand glowing with a golden light, held in check. "Don't shout. If you make a sound and attract the soldiers, you'll be the first one I kill."
I knew the Tian Tui Seal's deterrent effect on Yin beings, evident from the fear on the innkeeper's face.
"I won't shout. Let's talk... let's talk."
Fearing to attract attention, I forced the innkeeper to go upstairs to talk.
A waiter noticed the situation and tried to approach the innkeeper, but the innkeeper glared at him fiercely, forcing him to back away. "My poor relative has arrived. Don't bother me."
The waiter flinched and ran towards the back hall.
Upon reaching the second floor, I pushed the innkeeper aside and sat down in a chair, revealing a sliver of the golden light from the Tian Tui Seal.
"Did you betray me? How else would they know I was here?"
"Oh, you're wrongly accusing me. I don't even know who you are. What could I have said? If I had informed them, wouldn't they have pointed you out immediately upon arrival? See, I haven't said anything."
The innkeeper's face was filled with an expression of utter grievance, as if he were about to cry.
I thought about it and realized he was right. If he had betrayed me, the bearded leader wouldn't have asked him if he had seen anyone.
"Ahem..."
I coughed to cover my embarrassment and changed the subject. "What about the person who came with me?"
"You mean the fellow who was wielding a saber?"
I nodded. "Yes, him."
"You know, he's quite a character. No one has dared to kill soldiers in so many years. After you left, he fought with the leader. Seeing someone chasing you, he killed several soldiers and escaped before being surrounded. Tsk tsk... In all these years, this is only the second time I've seen someone dare to kill soldiers."
Hearing that Zhang Dabiao had left, I breathed a sigh of relief, but then my brow furrowed.
The second person to dare kill soldiers? Was there a first?
"Have you seen anyone else kill soldiers?"
The innkeeper became nervous at my question. He glanced around, saw no one unusual, and then whispered, "This is something I can't talk about. If the Prince's Mansion finds out, it's a capital offense."
My curiosity piqued, I said, "Don't worry, it's just the two of us. How could I possibly tell anyone? What exactly happened?"
"This matter isn't exactly a secret, but people are forbidden to speak of it. More than ten years ago, a group of people came. They were incredibly fierce. They not only killed soldiers but also Yin spirits. Anyone who stood in their way was killed. If the Fifth Prince hadn't been away from the mansion, they wouldn't have dared... Alas, without the Fifth Prince, the Fifth Princess is also missing. It seems the Half-Yin Realm is about to change."
Having obtained the information I wanted, I let the innkeeper go and gave him a gold ingot. He was so delighted that his eyes crinkled, and he kept telling me to ask him if I needed to inquire about anything.
Without being polite, I casually asked how much he knew about East Village.
The innkeeper, who had been smiling, suddenly looked embarrassed. "Are you joking with me? East Village is a place for the living. How would I know anything about it?"
I had already anticipated this answer. Since he didn't know, I would have to rescue Old Ghost and ask him.
Old Ghost had been hiding in East Village for so many years; he must have been aware of every move there.
Rescuing Old Ghost from Zuo Quan's clutches wouldn't be possible for me alone, not even with Zhang Dabiao. The only one who could help was the Fifth Princess.
I remembered the Fifth Princess mentioning that besides the direct path from the Prince's Mansion to the Yin Bamboo Forest, there was another route. After inquiring about the path to the Yin Bamboo Forest from the innkeeper, I left.
To my surprise, the path to the Yin Bamboo Forest was the boundary between East Village and West Village – the Han River.
The innkeeper said it wasn't a secret and that most people knew about it, but he advised me against going. Firstly, there were many ferocious Yin beasts on the road that liked to eat people. Secondly, one couldn't just enter the Yin Bamboo Forest. He suggested I abandon any thoughts of seeking opportunities there.
I merely smiled. If others couldn't enter, it didn't mean I couldn't. Without the Hu Kui Seal, I wouldn't be able to enter either, but with it, things were different.
As I traveled towards the Han River, the number of pedestrians dwindled. I encountered a couple of patrols, but they mostly glanced at me and moved on. They were looking for the living, not me, a "dead person" exuding Yin energy.
As I neared the Han River, I wanted to return to East Village to see if Zhang Dabiao had escaped. However, since I hadn't heard anyone discussing his capture along the way, I abandoned the idea. Besides, if he knew I was going into the Yin Bamboo Forest, it would be troublesome if he followed.
With the Hu Kui Seal, I could move freely. What if he went there? After much deliberation, I decided to go to the Yin Bamboo Forest first to find the Fifth Princess and then figure out a way to rescue Old Ghost.
During the day, the Han River was merely a dry riverbed. If not for the withered trees along its banks, no one would believe a river had once flowed here.
At night, the Han River was different. Yin energy flowed through the riverbed. Near the boundary of the two villages, it was not very noticeable, but the further upstream I went, the denser the Yin energy became, and its force grew more immense. It felt as if I were submerged in a river.
After walking upstream for about five li, I had to get ashore. It was too cold, like being stripped naked and thrown into the icy, snowy northern lands during the coldest part of winter.
Once on shore, the chilling sensation subsided, but a sense of danger immediately washed over me.