Free Web NovelChapter 179: Chapter 171: So You Are Here (Part 2)
The Chu Mansion was heavily guarded, with plenty of martial artists at the Second and Third Layers of the Power Realm. There were even two Qi Realm masters stationed there, all hired by the Chu family at great expense.
Zhao Lin unleashed his ultrasonic waves, pinpointing the locations of all the guards, both those on patrol and those hidden in the shadows.
It just goes to show that money makes the world go ’round. The guards were quite diligent, remaining vigilant even at this hour. However, none of them could have imagined that someone was right above their heads.
He flew directly over the kitchens and slowly descended, first entering the "Upper Kitchen."
Pots, bowls, and ladles were arranged neatly on the stove. Zhao Lin glanced around before opening the lids of the containers one by one.
When he lifted the lid of a large clay pot, a rich, savory aroma greeted him.
Inside the pot was a rich stock. In this era, without MSG, every cook had to master the art of simmering broths. They relied on it to add flavor to everything, from stir-fries to soups.
’Time to add a little something.’
Zhao Lin smirked, took a packet of Musk powder from his robes, and poured some in. He then casually grabbed a ladle and gave it a stir.
He took another sniff. The scent of the powder was masked by the rich broth.
In fact, it seemed to smell even more fragrant.
He then moved on to the Inner Kitchen and the Small Kitchen, repeating the process and adding Musk powder to all the broths and braising liquids he found.
As he passed the Lower Kitchen, Zhao Lin paused. After a moment’s thought, he decided not to go in.
’If the Chu family wants to contact Chu Liu, they’re not likely to send a common servant.’
’Drugging everyone in the Chu Mansion would create too many targets to track, making it harder to find my man.’
With his work done, he leaped into the air and flew off, returning to his communal bunk to sleep.
The next day, Zhao Lin didn’t go out looking for odd jobs. Instead, he lingered near the Chu Mansion, concentrating on monitoring the activity within.
’The bait is set. Now I just have to wait and see if they take it.’
...
In this era, common folk ate two meals a day, but the wealthy were like people of modern times, eating three, four, or even five meals daily.
At noon, the Chu family gathered in the main hall to begin their meal.
"Let’s eat," Chu Hongtai said, picking up his chopsticks.
"Mother, have some soup."
Madam Chu’s teeth weren’t what they used to be, so her eldest daughter-in-law personally served her a bowl of soup.
"Alright."
Madam Chu used her spoon to take a sip, and the wrinkles on her face seemed to smooth out. "This soup today... it’s wonderful."
Hearing this, Chu Hongtai smiled. "Is that so? I’ll have to try some."
A nearby servant quickly ladled a bowl for him. Chu Hongtai took it, had a taste, and nodded. "It really is quite good. Here, everyone, try some."
Perhaps the Musk powder had been the perfect finishing touch, because the family drank every last drop of the soup.
Chu Hongtai was so pleased that he specifically called the cook over to praise him.
This left the cook completely baffled, frowning as he tried to figure out what he had done differently today.
Hearing this, Zhao Lin felt a surge of confidence.
’As long as they drank that doctored soup, they’re now walking tracking devices to me. They’ll leave a special scent wherever they go.’
...
For the next two days, Zhao Lin watched the main gate of the Chu Mansion. Just as he’d hoped, anyone who looked like they had some status now carried the scent of Musk powder.
After that, Zhao Lin stopped monitoring the Chu Mansion directly.
Instead, he began circling Qinghe County every morning, noon, and night.
’If anyone leaves the city, they’ll leave a trail.’
’The rest of the time, I’ll wander the city. If Chu Liu is brazen enough to be hiding right here in Qinghe County, I’ll be able to nab him the moment he makes contact with anyone from the mansion.’
Zhao Lin repeated this routine daily. One day, two days, three days...
At noon on the fourth day, he finally caught two distinct scents of Musk outside the city walls.
’Someone’s left the city!’
Zhao Lin’s spirits soared. He followed the scent and, in less than an hour, spotted a caravan moving in the distance.
The caravan consisted of more than twenty wagons. Judging by the emblems on the carriages and the attire of the people, it was a joint venture of at least five different businesses. freewēbnoveℓ.com
"So it’s a merchant caravan heading out of town to transport goods," Zhao Lin muttered to himself.
In the past, merchants had to hire professional escort agencies to transport goods to other regions.
But ever since the Drilling Mountain Leopard gang was annihilated, merchants no longer feared being robbed. So, unless the destination was very far, they mostly formed their own joint caravans, with each business contributing a few guards to share the risk.
This, in turn, had a considerable impact on the business of the escort agencies.
The Chu family owned two silk workshops that spun raw silk, imported from other regions, into satin. They sold it both within Qinghe County and shipped it to other counties.
Zhao Lin hesitated for a moment before deciding to follow them.
After observing the caravan for a while, he recognized the leader of the Chu family’s party: Chu Zelin, Chu Hongtai’s fourth son, who was also Chu Liu’s fourth uncle.
Chu Zelin had once trained at a martial arts academy and reached the Qi Realm, but he had never managed to break through to the First Layer. As he got older, he returned to the family to handle their external business affairs.
The other leader was a man named Geng Jin, a veteran guard captain from the Chu Mansion. He had worked for the Chu family for over ten years and had reached the Third Layer of the Power Realm.
Both of these men carried the scent of Musk powder. A few other attendants did as well, but Zhao Lin paid them no mind.
Along the way, Zhao Lin monitored the conversations between Chu Zelin and Geng Jin. But just as it had been back at the mansion, the two never mentioned Chu Liu’s name, as if it were cursed.
Zhao Lin grumbled inwardly, ’The Chu family is being awfully careful, not even saying his name. But the more you try to hide it, the more suspicious you seem!’ freeweɓnovel.cøm
Two days later, the caravan reached Lushan County. Chu Zelin and Geng Jin didn’t stay long; they unloaded their goods at the family shop and immediately started the return journey.
This was a major disappointment for Zhao Lin. ’Was this really just a delivery run?’ he wondered.
But he had come this far; there was no sense in giving up halfway. He patiently continued to trail the caravan on its way back to Qinghe County.
The journey was uneventful. The caravan came to a halt when it reached Baisha Town, which was just over thirty li from Qinghe County.
Chu Zelin and Geng Jin had a quick meal, then bought a large amount of food in town: pastries, roasted chicken, beef, sliced roast duck, and strong liquor...
’They’re almost home. Why are they buying so much food?’
Zhao Lin frowned, slightly puzzled, but didn’t think too much of it.
’Maybe the food here is just that good, and they have a particular craving for it.’
But soon, something even more suspicious occurred. When the caravan left Baisha Town, Geng Jin didn’t go with it. He remained behind by himself.
’Could it be that Geng Jin’s family lives nearby, and he bought the food to visit them?’
Zhao Lin tried to find a reasonable explanation for Geng Jin’s actions, but subconsciously, he hoped the truth was something else entirely.
After the caravan departed, Geng Jin lingered in town for quite some time before finally picking up his food-filled bundle and heading north.
’To the north is Baitou Mountain. What would a guard captain be doing over there?’
’Was he originally from the mountains, perhaps?’
Zhao Lin’s suspicion mounted. His intuition told him things weren’t so simple, but he didn’t follow immediately.
’Geng Jin carries the Musk scent, so I won’t lose him. I absolutely cannot let him spot me.’
’Otherwise, I’ll alert my quarry, and this whole opportunity will fly right out the window.’
He settled in and waited, not moving until Geng Jin’s figure had shrunk to a small black dot in the distance. Only then did he get up and leave Baisha Town.
Geng Jin proceeded with extreme caution, frequently glancing over his shoulder. He even took detours at times, hiding in spots to see if he was being followed.
If it weren’t for the dual advantages of his sensitive nose and extraordinary hearing, Zhao Lin would have likely been discovered.
Geng Jin continued north until, just as the sun began to set, he reached a place called Sanmo Village.
Sanmo Village was the last settlement before Baitou Mountain. Beyond it... there was nothing but wilderness.
Seeing Geng Jin continue onward, Zhao Lin’s heart began to race. He had a strong suspicion about who all this food was for.
’He’s not carrying all that food just to have a picnic, is he?’
Once deep in the mountains, Geng Jin stopped trying to conceal his trail. He picked up his pace, hurrying toward the heart of Baitou Mountain.
The sky grew dark, and a mountain wind began to stir.
Even though it was the third month of spring, the mountain air was still cold, and patches of old snow remained in many places.
The deeper he ventured into Baitou Mountain, the more snow covered the ground and the denser the forest became. After Geng Jin had been walking for four hours, the sky was completely dark.
By now, Zhao Lin had no doubt left in his mind. Geng Jin was definitely on his way to find Chu Liu.
’Hiding out in Baitou Mountain... he picked a good spot!’
Amid the flickering shadows, Zhao Lin saw Geng Jin arrive at the foot of a mountain ridge and finally come to a stop.
Zhao Lin looked up at the peak in the moonlight and was stunned. ’This is Old Ridge Peak!’
