Chapter Seventy-Four: Crimson Powdered Gauze

  Here is the translation:

  Yang Zhao retreated from the Eastern Palace's bedroom and left. When he returned to the Ganlu Temple in Taiji Palace, he saw that the morning court had just dispersed. However, Mohe Ye, Yang Su, and other high-ranking officials remained behind to continue discussing military affairs with Yang Jian, and it seemed they wouldn't be able to leave for another two or three hours. Yang Jian sent someone to convey a message, also reminding his grandson to return to the palace and wait patiently, not to run around randomly if there was no need. The young prince thought that since the palace had been built, he hadn't even stepped over the threshold more than half a time, and anyway didn't want to go back to Jile Temple and see Shan Qingfeng, so it would be better to go take a look instead. He set off from the palace immediately.

  Mohe Ye entered the palace today, not alone. Apart from Yang Zhao, two others from the Five Departments, Che Li and Tuo Luo, also accompanied him. At this time, they saw the young prince walking out of the Taiji Gate alone, and naturally went up to ask him. The young prince shrugged his shoulders and said: "Father is still recovering from his illness and needs rest, while Master is discussing military affairs with the Emperor, it won't be over so soon. So, I'm left all alone, not knowing what to do. How about this, two senior brothers? Why don't you accompany me back to the River South King's residence? It would seem pointless going back by myself."

  Lei Shenbu shook his head and said, "This attire of mine is not suitable for running around in the city, I'd better stay behind and wait for Master. Che Li, you accompany little Shidi to take a stroll and clear your mind."

  Che Li glanced at the armor on Tuo Luo's body and shook his head with Yang Zhao. The armor itself didn't have anything special, but Tuo Luo had installed a gold-plated beak at the mouth position, making him look like Lei Gong from mythology. This strange appearance would be intimidating on the battlefield, but it was too eye-catching for everyday wear. In comparison, Che Li's attire was much more normal, just ordinary monk's clothing with a Bilu hat. Che Li sighed and said, "Alright, when Master finishes discussing business and leaves the palace, please explain this to him." He then led his horse and said, "Younger brother, let's go."

  Inside the palace, no one is allowed to ride a horse, so the two of them just walked slowly while leading their horses. After passing through the Naiyi Gate and exiting from the Yong'an Gate, they arrived at the horizontal street, which was already within the imperial city. The three departments of the Great Sui Dynasty - Zhongshu, Menxia, and Shangshu; the Taipu Temple, Taichang Temple, and Guanglu Temple; the Jiangzu Monitor, Junqi Monitor, and Dushui Monitor; as well as the Left and Right Qianwu Guards, Left and Right Wuwei Guards, and Left and Right Xiaowei Guards - were all located within the imperial city. As a result, restrictions were somewhat relaxed, but only a select few were allowed to ride horses here. After exiting from the Zhuque Gate and arriving at the Zhuque Avenue, they entered the outer city of Daxing. With the Zhuque Avenue as the central axis, the east and west market districts belonged to Chang'an County and Daxing County respectively. It was here that Yang Shuang and Che Lian mounted their horses and headed towards the residence of the King of Henan. After riding for a while, Young Master Wang suddenly slapped his forehead and turned back to ask: "I just thought of something - let's not return to the king's residence yet. Che Lian, do you know if there is a Wu'an Escort Agency within the city of Daxing?"

  "Ah, the Wu An Escort Agency..." Che Li thought for a moment and nodded, "Not bad, I remember now. The head of the escort agency seems to be called Qin Wu An. His martial arts skills are only mediocre, not worth mentioning at all. However, he has been in the jianghu for a long time and is familiar with many people, so he does have some reputation. What's going on, do you have a grudge against this escort agency? Do you want me to lend a hand and help you take it down?"

  Yang Zhao was startled and hastily waved his hand, saying: "No, no, Brother Che Li, you mustn't come to any harm because of me." After a pause, he said gloomily: "The head of the escort agency, Qin Wu'an, two escorts, Tuo Ba Wen Zheng and Hu Jing Shui, and over a dozen porters, all died miserably at the hands of the King of Shu and the Tang clan because of me. I didn't kill Bo Ren, but he died because of me. The widows and orphans left behind, Brother Che Li, tell me, if I don't go to visit and take care of them, am I still human?"

  "Ji Le Zheng Zong has always been kind and generous. Repaying kindness with kindness, and resentment with resentment, there is no room for ambiguity." Che nodded slightly and said: "Since they died for you, Shi Di, Ji Le Zheng Zong should take care of them. Hmm... I remember that Wu An Paiju should be located near Yonghe Fang, let's go this way." He turned his horse around, whipped it lightly, and shouted: "Go!" The horse galloped west towards Yonghe Fang in Daxing County. Yang Zhao followed closely behind.

  Two people rode horses that were equally good, both of which were fine Turkic steeds. When they galloped at full speed, it was as if they were chasing the wind and lightning, not inferior to modern BMWs used for crashing into people. However, Daxing City was indeed one of the most prosperous and bustling metropolises in the world at that time, with crowded streets and pedestrians rubbing shoulders, almost comparable to National Day Golden Week. But this "BMW" was not as good as that "BMW", when it really came to killing people, it would also end up being heavily damaged. So, they couldn't speed up naturally. Moreover, Yonghe Alley was a relatively remote place, and neither of them had been there before, so they spent a lot of time on the road. It wasn't until almost noon that they finally found the place with great difficulty. Yang Zhao dismounted his horse and asked pedestrians on both sides of the street about the location of Wu'an Escort Agency, but for some reason, no matter whether it was men or women, old or young, as soon as they heard those four words, they all fell silent like cicadas in winter, shook their heads and waved their hands, saying they didn't know, and quickly slipped away, one after another. Yang Zhao was puzzled and felt at a loss for a moment.

  The cart driver was more worldly than Little King Wang. Seeing this scene, he knew that the Wu'an Escort Agency must have made a big fuss. He hesitated for a moment, took out several five-copper coins from his pocket, and grabbed a pale-faced man who looked like a vagrant, saying: "Friend, do you know where the Wu'an Escort Agency is? Tell us, and these are yours."

  That group of idle rascals suddenly heard that they were going to the Wu'an Escort Bureau, and subconsciously wanted to shake their heads. However, before the words came out, the yellow copper coins had already absorbed his line of sight. The Sui Dynasty's five-cash coin was very valuable, and a few copper coins would be enough for him to go to the best wine house for a big feast. This rascal's throat moved, and he quickly grabbed the copper coins with his hand, saying: "Go straight ahead, turn right at the second intersection, but... recently it is said that some officials want to find trouble with them, Master, I kindly advise you not to provoke unnecessary trouble."

  Yang Zhao furrowed his brow and asked: "High-ranking officials and nobles? What high-ranking officials and nobles? Why do they want to bother the escort agency?"

  The dilapidated house smiled wryly and said, "This, I don't know." He didn't dare to say more, bowed his head and turned around to leave hastily. The young master looked back at Che Li and exchanged a glance, with some doubt in their eyes. Che Li shook his head and laughed, saying, "Noble officials? Ha...". His tone was full of disdain. He said, "Let's go." and led the way. The two of them walked for a while, following the directions given by the dilapidated house, until they turned a corner and suddenly saw that the street was blocked by two horse-drawn carriages parked side by side. Through the gap between the carriages, they could clearly see a large mansion about 20 meters ahead, with a black background and red characters on the signboard above the gate, reading "Wu An Escort Agency". The wall surrounding the mansion originally had flags inserted, but at this moment, the flagpole was broken in half, looking desolate.

  Seeing this scene, Yang Zhao's anger suddenly surged up. He clenched his fists and handed the reins to Che Li, saying coldly: "Elder brother, trouble you to watch the horses, I'll go take a look at what's going on."

  Those two horse-drawn carriages had no signs or symbols, and it was impossible to tell which family they belonged to. However, the craftsmanship was exquisite, and the horses were top-notch, making them unaffordable for ordinary officials. So at first glance, one could tell that the other party's status was not ordinary. But with the Extreme Joy Sect's reputation and Yang Zhao being the current emperor's grandson, who would dare to be afraid? At this moment, he just smiled slightly and said, "Junior brother, go ahead and show off." He took over the reins and stopped in his tracks.

  Yang Zhao didn't think much about the differences in status, who could suppress whom and other such nonsense. His face was iron-gray, his eyebrows already filled with anger. He took big strides forward. Just as he had taken seven or eight steps, a figure suddenly appeared before him. A young woman wearing a pink fish-scale soft armor, with a sensual and alluring figure, had already gotten out of the carriage. She raised her hand to gesture and shouted: "Halt! This place is temporarily closed off, travelers please take a detour from elsewhere, hurry up!"

  "Could it be a woman? Yang Zhao was shocked in his heart, and immediately retorted: "The road is wide and open to all, each walking on their own side. As long as we don't interfere with each other, that's enough. This road isn't yours alone, what right do you have to stop others from passing?"

  The woman seemed to be used to being domineering, and when she heard the young master retort with two sentences, she suddenly became furious on the spot. Her eyebrows were upside down, and she pulled out a finely crafted arm guard from her waist, "Clang" installed it on her right arm guard, loaded with fine steel crossbow arrows and opened the mechanism. The whole action was neat and efficient, taking less than three seconds, but she shouted loudly: "What's all this nonsense? When I tell you to scram, hurry up and scram, don't make Miss angry, or I'll shoot you through with one arrow!"

  Yang Zhao initially crossed over and received guidance from the eunuchs in the Daxing Imperial Palace. Therefore, she was familiar with various military equipment used in the Great Sui Army. At this glance, she quickly realized that the compact arm crossbow she was using had a small body but strong shooting power, capable of piercing five layers of thick cowhide within fifty steps. It was a sharp instrument that only the Imperial Secret Service had access to, strictly controlled and impossible to purchase with money. However, there were no female members in the Imperial Secret Service. The fact that she could casually take out such an item proved that her identity was indeed extraordinary. Nevertheless, using such a deadly weapon under broad daylight also proved that she was accustomed to taking lives lightly and disregarding the laws of Great Sui. Looking at the signboard of the Wu'an Security Bureau in the distance, Young Master Wang's chest surged with anger, and he coldly said, "If you know what's good for you, put it away immediately and make way. Otherwise, I guarantee that you will regret it."

  These few words were filled with anger, and although the voice was not loud, the momentum inside was extraordinary. The woman's slender body trembled slightly, and a hint of fear had already appeared on her beautiful face. But she immediately gritted her teeth and shouted: "Red powder and silk, advance without retreat!" A sharp, ear-piercing whistling sound broke through the air, and a cold arrow shot out in front of her. The young master was well-prepared, his eyes bright and his hands quick as he reached out to grab it. In the blink of an eye, he pinched the steel crossbow bolt with his thumb and index finger, and with a swift flick of his wrist, he counterattacked, the force of which was even more fierce than the original shot by three points.

  Only the sound of "whoosh" echoed, the steel arrow pierced flesh and bone, first piercing a blood hole through the woman's right shoulder scapula, then drilling out from her delicate back and rushing towards the horse carriage. With ease, it broke through the thick two-layered carriage board wall, which was half an inch thick, and continued to fly straight for over ten feet before landing with a "clang". The woman was thrown to the side by the great force, and instantly lost control of her body as she crashed backwards. A pained cry of "ahh" and the sound of her body hitting the carriage echoed out at the same time. The horse pulling the carriage was startled, standing up on its hind legs and whinnying loudly. In the midst of the chaos, someone else shouted: "What little thief, trying to steal a horse?"

  The sound had barely faded when seven or eight lithe figures darted out of the Wu'an Escort Agency's main gate, dressed and adorned exactly like the woman before. The two women appeared to be twin sisters, with heights of around 1.7 or 1.8 meters, dark skin, curly hair, and seemingly of Kunlun slave descent. Their long legs were full of youthful vitality. They were beautiful in appearance but had a ferocious expression, like tigers or leopards.

  Suddenly seeing her sister injured and fallen to the ground, someone immediately came forward to help her bandage. The twin sisters of Kunlun slaves, like tigers and leopards, were furious and shouted: "Dare to hurt our sister? You stinky boy, come at me with your life!" Without saying a word, they drew out the thorny long whips coiled around their slender waists and pounced on Yang Zhao, striking him on the head. The long whip broke through the wind with a sharp whistle, its power was flexible yet strong, and their martial arts skills were not weak either.

  Young Master Wang stepped out with the Xiantian Bagua step, turning in a small circle and avoiding the whip's swing. Two loud cracks echoed through the air as the stone slabs on the ground were deeply indented, sending dust flying everywhere and obscuring the view. Young Master Wang frowned and shouted, "Do you want to take someone's life with your moves? Do you still remember the laws of the Great Sui?" He rushed forward, his shoulders shaking violently as he shouted, "Go!" With great force, the twin tiger cubs were sent flying backward, crashing into the carriage and causing their ribs to ache as if they would break. The other women saw their leader lose and became enraged, taking out their crossbows and firing at Young Master Wang in rapid succession. In an instant, cold steel flashed through the air, the sound of the wind breaking like a chorus of ghostly wails, the momentum so great that even the distant onlookers couldn't help but sweat with fear.

  Clicked over 500,000 times already, really want to thank everyone for their strong support, bowing down 12 times oRZ