Chapter 43

The dilapidated inn, with its ruins bearing the marks of time, stood there. On the second floor, someone was hiding secretly. The mysterious person took out a long cylindrical object from their bosom. Then, they gently inserted the cylinder through the slightly open window and brought one end to their eye. The mysterious object turned out to be a千里镜 (千里镜, chōnirō), a device that could only be obtained from India, allowing one to see distances several times farther than the naked eye.

The千里镜 (千里镜, chōnirō) was a device made by fitting transparent jade stones at both ends of a long cylindrical bamboo tube, enabling one to see distant objects as clearly as if they were right in front of them. It was a wondrous device, and despite its value, the mysterious person handled it with great skill.

The mysterious person was observing a mansion across the way. After a considerable amount of time, with no sign of movement, they retrieved the千里镜 (千里镜, chōnirō) with a dissatisfied expression.

"Hmm, nothing unusual today either."

Surprisingly, the voice of the mysterious person was a woman's, smooth and melodious like a jade ball rolling. When she turned her head, the sunlight coming through the window revealed a glimpse of her face. Her hair was as black as lacquer, and her eyes sparkled like obsidian. Her sharp nose and keen eyes gave off a fierce aura, but her slightly parted red lips and the white teeth between them added a mysterious beauty.

Compared to her beauty, Jin Meihuo was merely a firefly before the sun.

At that moment, she looked at the mansion she had been observing and muttered to herself.

"White Cloud Escort Agency. They are definitely hiding a secret."

Indeed, the place she had been observing with the千里镜 (千里镜, chōnirō) was the White Cloud Escort Agency. She had been hiding here, secretly observing the White Cloud Escort Agency for three days, but she had found no clues, and her frustration was evident on her face.

"Miss Tang."

Just then, a voice interrupted her deep thoughts.

"Miss Tang."

She tried to ignore it, but the voice continued.

"Miss Tang."

Finally, a vein popped on her forehead.

"Miss Tang, hiiik!"

When the voice took on a cheerful tune, she could no longer contain her anger and raised her clenched fist. The mysterious figure, like a cockroach disappearing into a wall crack, quickly moved to the corner of the room with a swish.

A man with half-closed eyes, indistinguishable whether they were open or closed, was sweating profusely with a terrified expression.

"Ah, outside, you should call me 'Commander'!"

Tang Xiaolin (唐夏隣) spat out each word with suppressed anger, and Zhuge Jun (諸葛君) scratched the back of his head and said,

"Hehe, since we are the only ones in this small room, calling you 'Commander' seems too impersonal, doesn't it?"

Feeling that Zhuge Jun's words were not even worth responding to, she inwardly cursed the Secret Falcon Team Leader (秘鷹團主) for assigning her to work with such a person.

"Still, it's not acceptable! Follow the rules of the alliance."

"Ah! Those rules, rules... of course, they should be followed, Commander."

When Tang Xiaolin clenched her fist again, Zhuge Jun stammered,

"Alright. Why did you call me?"

"Now, shouldn't we have a meal? I'm starving."

Realizing that he had called her just for a meal, Tang Xiaolin was speechless.

The people of the Zhuge family, known for their expertise in mechanisms and formations, were generally cautious and reserved. This person seemed to be the complete opposite.

When Tang Xiaolin looked at him with the same disdain she would show a bug, Zhuge Jun cleared his throat.

"Ahem, the ancient sages said that not eating on time is the root of all diseases."

"Who exactly said that?"

"Um, maybe a sage who died of hunger?"

Tang Xiaolin was truly exasperated by Zhuge Jun's words as he rubbed his stomach.

This person would whine incessantly if he missed a meal at any moment.

Seeing that she did not respond, Zhuge Jun, assuming it was a refusal, slumped his shoulders in disappointment, which did not seem to fit his martial artist's physique.

Finally, Tang Xiaolin sighed deeply and said,

"Ah, fine. Let's go, then."

Part 2

The two people who left the dilapidated inn had completely different faces. They were wearing intricately crafted human skin masks, giving them ordinary faces that seemed familiar from somewhere.

Even as they entered the bustling market, no one paid them any attention.

As they moved toward the inn that Zhuge Jun had already checked out, he discreetly sent a message to Tang Xiaolin, who was still looking displeased.

- ...Do you still think the mysterious disappearance is related to the White Cloud Escort Agency, Commander?

- Yes, my opinion hasn't changed.

Tang Xiaolin answered without hesitation.

The two belonged to the Righteous Martial Alliance, commonly known as the Martial Alliance, the foremost organization of the righteous martial world. The alliance, formed by the Nine Sects and Seven Families, included members from the Zhuge family and the Sichuan Tang family.

They were part of the Secret Falcon Team, which was spread across the country to gather intelligence and conduct reconnaissance.

Ten days ago, Tang Xiaolin and Zhuge Jun were given the task of investigating the sudden downfall of the Jin Family Manor. They delved deeply into the strange death of Jin Meihuo, who seemed to hold the key to everything.

While investigating even the slightest details of Jin Meihuo's movements, they stumbled upon another case. It involved the serial disappearances of vagrants and civilians in many areas of Zhejiang Province, including Hangzhou.

They discovered a hidden underground warehouse in the abandoned Jin Family Manor, where they found various gruesome torture tools and decomposed bodies. Realizing that some of the bodies were from the missing persons, they debated whether to report this to the alliance.

Ultimately, due to Tang Xiaolin's strong suggestion, they did not report it. They doubted whether the alliance would help with a matter that offered no benefit to the alliance's interests, especially given the scale of the issue.

If they brought the serial disappearances to light, they would inevitably clash with the high-ranking officials of Zhejiang Province, who had ignored these incidents. The alliance, which did not want to create a stir, would likely dismiss everything as the Jin Family Manor's misdeeds and close the case.

This would allow the perpetrators to continue their crimes indefinitely, and the innocent civilians of Zhejiang Province would suffer.

They needed to find concrete evidence and the culprit before reporting.

- We have determined that the person Jin Meihuo met secretly is someone from the White Cloud Escort Agency.

- Hmm, could it just be a passionate encounter between young lovers?

- No, there's definitely something suspicious.

- Then who do you suspect, Commander?

- You Xin Yun. I think it's him.

He was once a troublemaker ignored by everyone, but one day he suddenly defeated a peak warrior in a duel and ultimately dismantled the powerful faction led by his younger brother, who was a strong contender for the succession.

In her experience, such a sudden and explosive increase in strength was unprecedented.

...Except for one possibility.

'The strange death of Jin Meihuo and the disappearances could be due to the cultivation of dark martial arts.'

Unless he had learned dark martial arts.

He claimed to have obtained the extraordinary martial art, Thundercloud Sword Technique, but it seemed highly suspicious.

Tang Xiaolin, lost in thought, suddenly said with a glint in her eye,

- We need to infiltrate the escort agency.

- What? Suddenly infiltrate?

- We'll apply to become bodyguards at the White Cloud Escort Agency.

Zhuge Jun swallowed hard at Tang Xiaolin's sudden suggestion. Even through the thick human skin mask, his reluctance was evident.

- Hmm, I can manage somehow, but won't it be difficult for you, Commander, being a woman?

In a typical escort agency, it was almost unheard of to hire women. No matter how skilled they were, the long nights of travel and the inconvenience of sharing accommodations and facilities would be too much.

- I can disguise myself as a man.

Tang Xiaolin said with a sly smile, and Zhuge Jun shook his head.

- I've heard that the White Cloud Escort Agency only hires resident bodyguards. They share rooms and bathe together. No matter how well you disguise yourself, you'll eventually be found out.

Zhuge Jun muttered quietly,

- Hmm, though your shoulders are broader than most men, making it easier to pass as one...

Pang!

"Oof!"

Suddenly, Tang Xiaolin kicked Zhuge Jun's stomach with all her might. The sound was like a drum being hit.

People walking by were startled and looked at them, but upon seeing Tang Xiaolin's fierce expression, they hurried away in fear.

She spat and walked forward, leaving Zhuge Jun writhing on the ground like a worm.

However, she knew that if they had to share rooms and bathe together, her gender would eventually be discovered.

Sending Zhuge Jun alone to infiltrate was also impractical.

- Hmm, Commander.

- What? Do you want to get hit again?

- No, no, it's just...

Zhuge Jun pointed to a spot, and Tang Xiaolin's eyes widened in surprise.

'What is this?'

For some reason, a large crowd had gathered around the wall of the White Cloud Escort Agency.

"Wait a moment."

She pushed through the crowd with controlled force and finally reached the wall, where she saw a notice.

[Bodyguard Recruitment]

The White Cloud Escort Agency is recruiting bodyguards. We welcome applications from talented individuals with integrity and skill.

<Number of Positions>

1. 20 bodyguards for the Black Cloud Pavilion (黑雲閣).

2. 20 bodyguards for the Righteous Cloud Pavilion (正雲閣).

<Qualifications>

1. Black Cloud Pavilion bodyguards: Second-class martial arts or higher, 3 years of bodyguard experience.

This part of the notice was ordinary and did not explain the crowd.

But...

2. Righteous Cloud Pavilion bodyguards: Gender, disability, ethnicity, age, martial arts, and experience are irrelevant.

- Compensation by the head of the White Cloud Escort Agency, You Xin Yun.

The last part was what excited the crowd.

"Is this real?"

"What kind of 'irrelevant' is this?"

"Disabilities are allowed? That's ridiculous!"

"Look! The head's seal is clearly stamped at the end of the notice. This is real!"

As someone read the notice aloud, the crowd erupted in chaos.

'What is this?'

As Tang Xiaolin, who had never seen such a bizarre notice before, stood there with a puzzled expression,

"Damn, this is bad."

Zhuge Jun, standing beside her, frowned deeply.

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