#601 - Walking into a trap
“Who goes there?!”
At the south gate of Zhongling City, several men dressed as soldiers blocked Wei Changtian's path.
It was only just nightfall, but the city was already deathly silent. If it weren't for the occasional barking of dogs, Wei Changtian would have really thought that this Zhongling County town, like the villages he had passed along the way, had become a dead city.
“Greetings, officers, we are just passing through.”
Zhang San jumped down from the carriage and trotted to the soldiers: “It's late now, and we want to enter the city to find an inn to rest for the night.”
“A small token of our appreciation, hoping you will grant us passage.”
As he spoke, he quietly handed over some loose silver.
Under normal circumstances, the guards watching the city walls would not excessively question the people entering and leaving the city.
And if they did ask, it was most likely to ask for some benefits.
Zhang San naturally understood this. He had done this kind of thing many times before, so he smoothly and discreetly stuffed the loose silver into the hand of the leading soldier.
Four or five people, four or five coins of silver.
It wasn't much, but it should be enough.
But who knew that the leading soldier glanced at the silver and shook his head with a sinister smile.
“Entering the city is easy.”
“But you must first have everyone on the carriage come down and be interrogated by us.”
“If there are no problems, then you can enter the city.”
“This...”
Zhang San subconsciously glanced back. Seeing that there was no movement from either of the carriages, he immediately understood Wei Changtian's attitude.
He immediately took out a five-tael silver ingot from his pocket, and said with a smile on his face:
“Officer, we have been traveling for a day, and the people in the carriage are all asleep, you see...”
“Oh?”
Looking at the silver ingot, the soldier seemed a little surprised.
He didn't hide it, took the silver ingot and played with it for a while, and then nodded with a smile that was not a smile.
“Since that's the case, then there's no need to check.”
“Let them pass!”
“...”
“Chila.”
The chevaux de frise blocking the city gate was moved away by several soldiers, leaving a passage wide enough for one carriage to pass.
Zhang San hurriedly cupped his hands to the soldier to thank him, and then turned around to prepare to drive the carriage into the city.
“At this time, there is only one inn in the city that is still open.”
“It's in the north of the city, with no name, and six red lanterns hanging in front of the door, which can be seen from a distance.”
“You'd better stay there.”
“...”
Suddenly stopping, Zhang San looked back at the soldier's expression, and immediately replied:
“Thank you for the reminder, officer!”
“Yeah, go in.”
“Yes, yes.”
“Glulu.”
The wheels rolled, and the three carriages quickly drove into the city gate under the watchful eyes of several soldiers.
Wei Changtian didn't say a word throughout the whole process, just silently listening to the conversation outside the carriage, his face becoming more and more gloomy.
The moonlight was cold, the wheels rolled over the deserted street, the sound of hooves pierced the darkness, and then was quickly swallowed up in the further darkness.
Most of the houses on both sides were dark, and the occasional light was very weak, as if there was some curtain covering the windows.
“Young master, although those soldiers are wearing military uniforms, the weapons they carry are not standard issue in the army.”
While driving the carriage, Zhang San lowered his voice and said softly: “I used to be a bandit, and I deliberately paid attention to their words and deeds just now. I think they should all be from bandit backgrounds.”
“...”
“Yeah.”
Wei Changtian's response was a little slow, and besides a slightly dull “Yeah,” there was nothing more.
Zhang San guessed what he was thinking, so after waiting for a moment, he asked again:
“Young master, are we going to the inn in the north of the city?”
“Should we find some people to inquire about the situation first?”
“No need.”
Wei Changtian's voice sounded from the carriage: “Just go directly to the inn, and someone will naturally come to us then.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“...”
After a brief conversation, everyone stopped talking.
The carriage moved very fast, and arrived at the inn mentioned by the soldier in about two quarters of an hour.
From the outside, it was indeed an inn, but there was no signboard, only three large red lanterns hanging on each side of the door.
And besides that, there was no light in the entire inn.
This scene was definitely a veritable “black shop.”
“Dong dong dong!”
After stopping the carriage, Zhang San got out of the car and knocked on the knocker.
Not long after, the door opened with a “creak,” and a woman with heavy makeup came out.
This woman had quite a bit of beauty, and her figure could be considered curvy, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that she still had some charm.
It's just that, perhaps because the light emitted by the lanterns was too strange, it actually made her look a bit eerie.
“Yo, does the guest want to stay at the inn?”
Standing in the courtyard while holding the door, the woman raised her eyes and looked at the three carriages.
Zhang San didn't reveal any flaws, and still replied in the tone of a servant:
“Yes, I just heard the officers at the city gate say that there is still an inn open here.”
“We plan to rest here for the night, please ask the shopkeeper to open a few superior rooms.”
“Easy to say, easy to say, everyone, please come in quickly.”
When the woman heard “officer,” she was slightly stunned, but soon the smile on her face became even stronger, and she welcomed Wei Changtian, Wei Xianzhi, and others who had already gotten out of the car into the yard with a smile.
Taking advantage of the light of the lanterns, her gaze swept over everyone one by one, and finally stopped on Wei Changtian.
It was not difficult for Wei Xianzhi and Qin Caizhen, this old “fox” couple, to hide their own aura, so they looked like ordinary wealthy masters and ladies.
And although Wei Changtian also deliberately restrained his aura, after all, he was too handsome...
“Young master, the courtyard is dark, please be careful...”
With a pretentious voice, the woman twisted her body and leaned close to Wei Changtian, seemingly wanting to support his arm, but also wanting to take the opportunity to flirt.
Not hiding her lust in front of so many people, it seems that this woman is not only running a black shop, but has also reached the point of being fearless.
But...
“Get lost.”
With a flick of his sleeve, Wei Changtian only used one word to make the woman's expression instantly freeze.
She paused, and the dazed look in her eyes gradually turned into a fierce look hidden in embarrassment.
But Wei Changtian didn't even look at her, and walked towards the main hall of the inn with Yang Liushi's waist in his arms.
Even Wei Xianzhi and Qin Caizhen didn't say much, just followed behind the two of them at a leisurely pace.
“Tch!”
Looking at the backs of the four, the woman spat lightly, and while quickening her pace to catch up, she muttered to herself in a low voice.
“If it weren't for your good looks, I wouldn't have given you a second glance.”
“Since you are so ignorant, then don't blame yourself for falling into my hands.”
“Hmph, wait to collect the corpses for your parents.”
“And your little mistress, can be sent to Liu Mazi.”
“With her delicate skin and tender flesh, I wonder how many days this little bitch can survive in Liu Mazi's hands.”
“Tsk tsk tsk, I didn't expect that there could still be such a big catch in this world today.”
“It's really God opening his eyes...”
