Chapter 38

"Clank clank clank clank...!"

The armored troops stationed in Luoyang marched neatly down the street, the sound of their整齐的脚步声与盔甲摩擦的声音，让人感到莫名的震撼。

The bustling city of Luoyang seemed unusually quiet today.

"Clang!"

The golden gong sounded.

The Eagle-Brave Guards, holding the gong, ran through the streets, loudly announcing to the people of Luoyang: "Eagle-Brave Guard Commander Wu Fan, as the emperor's personal guard, failed to repay the emperor's grace and instead colluded with rebels, killing over fifty of his comrades. His actions are insane and beyond reason! This villain fled yesterday and is now in hiding. Anyone who provides information will be rewarded with ten taels of silver! Those who know but do not report will be punished as accomplices!"

They repeated this over and over, making Qian Rui's mouth dry and hoarse, and he couldn't help but slack off a bit. The newly appointed Hundred-Man Commander of the West City Post was actually quite depressed. Not to mention how difficult it was to secure this position! Just yesterday... the West City Post lost nearly a third of its men! All because of Wu Fan! The damn Wu Fan!

But then again...

Thinking about it, Qian Rui felt a surge of happiness. Not for any other reason, but because he no longer had to be so cautious! He was the Hundred-Man Commander! He could stand tall! There were many tears to shed, but who wouldn't be uneasy with a subordinate known as the "Superior Officer Killer"? Now that he was gone, Qian Rui couldn't help but feel relieved. The West City Post could recruit new members again, couldn't it?

Luoyang hadn't experienced such a heinous event in years. The last time was when a certain marquis, whose head seemed to be in the wrong place, dared to declare rebellion without any troops or power. It was later proven that he was indeed insane. So in Luoyang... were people anxious? Not really! These wealthy people of the Eastern Capital would only treat this as a topic for tea and dinner conversations!

At a tavern.

"Hey! Have you heard?"

"Heard what? Oh! The Eagle-Brave Guard thing? Hehe! I've been eyeing those bastards for a long time. This time, they've really made a big mess. Let's see how they clean it up!"

"Tsk tsk! You're right! I say, this is a sin! Why would a good Eagle-Brave Guard join those shady people? My nephew, who works in the Eagle-Brave Guard, told me that the families of those killed by Commander Wu have been blocking the entrance to the Thousand-Man Post, crying all day! It's really eerie!"

"Indeed! Commander Wu was part of the Eagle-Brave Guard, so he must know how powerful they are. His family has been arrested and is about to be executed as rebels!"

The diners in the tavern were talking heatedly, spitting out saliva as they spoke. To those who knew, this was just idle chatter, but to those who didn't, it sounded like they were discussing the fate of the nation!

Unbeknownst to them, a young nobleman, dressed in fine silk and wearing a golden crown, was sitting nearby, his eyes darting around after hearing these words.

As they say, a man is judged by his clothes, and a Buddha by his gold. After changing his clothes, Wu Fan exuded a certain nobility. This was due to his pale skin, which didn't look like that of a warrior, and the ornate lute case by his side, which actually contained a fourteen-section saber. He looked like a dissolute young master who frequented brothels and entertainment quarters.

Eating quietly, Wu Fan occasionally glanced at the soldiers and Eagle-Brave Guards passing by downstairs with the corner of his eye, his expression calm. He was playing the "light under the lamp" trick. He had no choice! Yesterday, Wu Fan went to the tea stall to meet Yu Xiang, but he forgot that she had already told him to wait for further instructions, as the place was no longer safe. So, after waiting for half an hour and seeing that Yu Xiang didn't come, and with his escape time running out, he stole a set of custom-made clothes from a Sichuan silk shop in the dark, transforming himself into his current appearance.

Wait!

Now, all Wu Fan could do was wait for Yu Xiang to come and help him.

With nothing to do, Wu Fan carefully pondered the meaning behind the old eunuch Luo Yuan's words. It was simple: the empire was about to move its capital, but Luoyang was teeming with all sorts of dangerous elements. In such a confusing situation, someone needed to infiltrate the enemy and thoroughly investigate everyone associated with the Maitreya Sect. The rest would be handled by the Eagle-Brave Guard and the Yellow Gate Guard.

Waiting was boring, long, and full of uncertainty.

After finishing his meal, Wu Fan sighed, threw down a few pieces of silver, and walked out of the tavern, carrying the lute case as a musician would. He had made up his mind: waiting was inevitable, but just waiting wasn't enough. He needed to take the initiative.

His eyes scanned the street, and Wu Fan walked with his head held high, looking arrogant. After all, the old eunuch Luo had already warned him to be careful, which meant that not only the Eagle-Brave Guard but also the Yellow Gate Guard would be determined to capture and kill him!

【Where... where to look! Damn! Those Maitreya Sect people won't have "I am Maitreya Sect" written on their foreheads. This is hard!!!】

Wu Fan walked, feeling secretly frustrated.

Suddenly—

Lost in thought, Wu Fan found himself in front of a mansion, where someone inside was waving to him.

The person waving to Wu Fan was a young girl, about fourteen or fifteen years old, with two buns and wearing a green silk dress, clearly dressed as a servant of a wealthy family. But Wu Fan's eyes were sharp, and he noticed something from the hand on the door, feeling secretly pleased!

【Finally found the organization! Tsk tsk! The damn Maitreya Sect! How could they be so heartless? Training such a delicate little girl to have calloused hands, truly...】

Taking a deep breath, he looked around to make sure there was no one suspicious, and with a lecherous gaze, he slowly approached the girl, asking with a hint of doubt, "Do you need something, little girl?"

"Come in and we'll talk!"

The girl smiled, showing a row of beautiful teeth.

Wu Fan, without any suspicion, carried the saber case and walked into the mansion. As the gate closed, he felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck, his eyes rolled back, and he muttered, "Why does this feel so familiar?" before losing consciousness.

The little girl smiled with her eyes squinted, like a crescent moon, and her pretty face was marked with two adorable dimples. She clapped her hands and laughed maliciously.

She stood there for a while, looking at Wu Fan, then picked him up like a chick and carried him to the main hall. Inside the hall, many people were tied to red lacquered pillars, all looking at the little girl with tearful eyes, unable to speak but pleading for mercy with their expressions.

"Ugh~~~"

The little girl paused, blinked her eyes, and smiled at everyone, saying, "Don't worry, I don't do things that kill the goose that lays the golden eggs! Just think about it, and when you've thought it through, talk to me. That will be better! Yes, that's it!"

The thirty-odd people tied to the four pillars in the main hall all sobbed and begged... 【We've been thinking all night, why do we need to think more? Can't you consider our feelings?】

The little girl, acting on her own, walked past the main hall, thought for a moment, and then turned back, found a rope, and went to a more secluded room...

...

PS1: Please follow, recommend, and like! I'm begging on my knees!

PS2: The update at 12:00 didn't go through, it seems the system was being updated.

PS3: Thank you to Cang Jian Weng for the two 588-point donations. Thanks a lot.

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