Chapter 104
The night was silent, especially inside the airtight treasury, where not a single ray of light could penetrate, making the darkness feel even heavier.
A key softly turned in the lock, and with a quiet “click,” the seal on the treasury door was lifted.
The intruder clearly knew this place intimately, even anticipating which way the lock would fall after opening. They caught it skillfully to prevent any sound.
Then they slipped skillfully slipped through the crack in the door, heading straight for the newly confiscated boxes. From their pouch, they pulled out several small bags, carefully filling each with some leaves from the boxes—taking enough to be significant, but not so much as to completely empty any single crate. These small bags, casually hanging from the person’s waist, wouldn’t arouse any suspicion if seen by others.
In the darkness, several pairs of eyes watched coldly, making no move to stop them. They simply allowed the person to leave unhindered, watching as they crawled through a dog hole in the side path, mounted a horse, and rode westward.
As the figure gradually disappeared into the distance, Lin Lin was the first to lose patience: “Should we follow now?”
Hua Yumu raised his hand: “Wait a bit longer.”
With their skills, they could track someone from an even greater distance, but caution was paramount.
“Muna.” Wakako tightly gripped the communication stone, whispering to pass the message, “Someone has taken the leaves… We’ll depart shortly.”
Muna acknowledged the message.
Wakako wanted to ask something more but held back. The Saint seemed to have injured her throat upon waking and had difficulty speaking. They had been staking out this place for a day and night, and she wondered how her recovery was progressing…
But… she still felt uncomfortable asking such things in front of others.
Fortunately, before Wakako could ask, Muna volunteered: “Lady Saint and I will head that way later. But you should know, she still can’t speak and can only communicate using paper and ink.”
Lowering her voice, she continued: “Actually, I tried to convince Lady Saint to stay behind and guard here, but she seemed determined, just kept shaking her head, refusing to stay…”
Others attributed this to the Saint’s stubborn nature, but Wakako wasn’t surprised by Miki’s decision.
After patiently waiting until the person had gone far enough, the three of them mounted their horses and followed, keeping a distance that ensured they wouldn’t lose him, but wouldn’t be detected.
The person seemed overconfident, likely due to their previous successful runs. Moreover, they didn’t seem well-versed in tracking or counter-surveillance and had no idea they were now the target of a pursuit.
Wakako narrowed her eyes, studying their distant silhouette. Even in the wind, with only a small piece of their black clothing visible, she managed to gather what she needed:
“They’re not from Jinxin Port… maybe they infiltrated under the guise of borrowed reinforcements.”
An archer’s eyesight was naturally exceptional, even in the darkest night. Lin Lin, peering into the distance, confirmed: “Yes… judging by their build and form, definitely not one of ours.”
The person was heading toward Jinxin’s western district. Unlike the capital, Jinxin had no curfew, making it particularly lively at night.
The western district was the most prosperous area, with many vendors setting up stalls at night, and even teahouses and taverns remaining open, welcoming customers even at this late hour.
As they rode westward, Wakako felt an increasing sense of unease. Then she saw their target…
Enter the largest restaurant.
This place was renowned far and wide for its cuisine, every dish prepared by kingdom acclaimed chefs, and offered many novel entertainments. For instance, they kept courtesans and actors to amuse guests…
This wasn’t good news for them. The restaurant was packed with guests, and if they fought here, innocent people would inevitably be caught in the crossfire.
No wonder the Eagle Kingdom’s agents chose this place —it was perfect for hiding in plain sight. And being in a foreign land, they couldn’t care less about the locals.
Lin Lin, hidden in a tree, watched the person enter a room on the third floor.
Wakako strode toward the restaurant’s entrance, where a young attendant immediately ran out to greet her: “Welcome! Are you…”
The attendant hesitated, sensing this person wasn’t here for entertainment but rather emanated a murderous aura, as if… seeking revenge.
Could she be looking to start trouble?
In the next moment, Wakako pulled the attendant close, speaking lowly: “Call out whoever’s in charge, quickly!”
The attendant trembled, catching sight of her deliberately exposed blade, absolutely terrified: “Please, speak calmly! There’s no need for violence…”
He practically scrambled inside to call someone.
This restaurant did extensive business and wasn’t unfamiliar with vengeful visitors, so they knew how to handle such situations.
Soon, a manager emerged with several strong-bodied enforcers, looking disdainfully at Wakako: “Just you?”
There was no time to waste. Wakako quickly grabbed the man by the collar, flashing her mercenary token in front of his face: “This token represents the authority of the Queen herself. Do you recognize it?”
“Mer… mercenary…”
Ignoring their shocked expressions, she issued instructions rapidly: “Act like nothing’s happened. Go tell your boss to discreetly clear out the other guests—except the one on the third floor. Post guards outside that room. If they try to leave, find an excuse to stop them. Do not, under any circumstances, let them escape. Understood?”
“Y-yes… understood…”
The enforcers exchanged confused glances, but after the manager nodded, they followed Wakako’s orders, though they had no idea what was going on.
She hadn’t released the manager yet: “Who are the people in that room? Tell me everything you know.”
“I…” The manager was so scared his voice trembled, almost on the verge of tears. “I don’t know anything… only that those men have been very generous, have stayed here many days, don’t want company, only order food and wine, won’t even accept service… they… they often go out at night doing who knows what… only returning by morning…”
“Anything else? Did they carry anything?”
“Yes, yes, a few of them carried a lot of pouches. I remember seeing that, so it stuck in my mind.”
Wakako asked: “Are the pouches still inside?”
“I… I’m not sure. May I ask what they’ve done?”
Wakako was about to give a vague excuse but changed her mind, deciding to tell the truth: “They are spies from an enemy kingdom, did you know?”
They were outnumbered. Excluding the Saint and Muna, they only had three capable fighters.
The trial’s location in Jinxin was both a restriction and an advantage. Being overly cautious would only lead them further away.
Perhaps the local people could help.
The manager turned pale with shock: “Spies?! No, no, our establishment has nothing to do with this, master! Please have mercy!”
Everyone in Jinxin knew what had happened to the Saionji clan. Who would dare get involved in something like this?
“Whether you’re involved or not will be clear soon enough. For now, focus on getting everyone out without raising suspicion. Don’t miss a single detail. Understood? If one of them escapes…“
Wakako wasn’t particularly skilled at threats, but even without showing any fierce expression, her words were enough to terrify the manager.
“Yes… yes…”
He wasted no time following her orders.
It must be said, there was good reason this restaurant did such successful business—they worked with remarkable efficiency.
Within ten breaths, using who knows what excuses, the resting guests came out one by one, all appearing unsatisfied, complaining: “What’s going on? This is outrageous?”
The restaurant staff just bowed and smiled apologetically: “Thank you for your understanding, honored guests… please forgive us…”
Soon, most of the guests were gone. Hua Yumu, a skilled tracker, remained hidden, keeping a close eye to ensure that only regular customers left, and none of the Eagle Kingdom agents escaped.
Wakako posed as a dining guest, entering their main hall to sit. The manager from before quietly approached her again:
“Master, our boss is aware of the situation and wished to meet you personally, but feared it would attract attention, so he sent me. What’s the next step? How can we assist you?”
Wakako stared into her wine cup, which was half-full, reflecting the soft light.
The guests upstairs were almost all gone, but occasional laughter still drifted down, a deliberate act by the restaurant staff to maintain a semblance of normalcy and avoid alarming the spies.
She had heard that the restaurant’s most famous offering was its wine, considered the best in Jinxin. Reportedly aged for decades, its flavor was rich and mellow, far superior to wines aged just a few years.
After a moment, Wakako drained the cup in one gulp. A brief bitterness and spice gave way to a rich, lingering aroma.
Wine could cloud judgment, but it could also bolster courage, pushing aside hesitation and preparing one for a fight.
“Make sure no one else leaves, then get out of the way.”
***
The third floor was lavishly decorated, with special incense permeating the air to mask certain unspeakable odors, elegant without being vulgar.
Only two types of people stayed here—regular patrons and big spenders.
The people in the room belonged to the second category.
“So tired…” The person by the window yawned. “Aren’t they here yet? Are they really this slow? If the mercenaries are this incompetent, wasn’t it a joke to think they were a threat?”
Another person sneered: “You don’t get it. Didn’t you hear that Kitagawa is already downstairs?”
“I didn’t see her. Where?”
“I don’t know. I just heard her voice, but I could tell she was there.”
“I don’t have your exceptional hearing! Come on, what about the others? Where’s Lin? Their captain? The Saint?”
“You…”
The five bickered incessantly.
The moment the sixth person in the center spoke, all the chattering vanished, replaced by reverence and obedience.
“Silence.”
“Do you have orders, Third Young Master?”
Saburo smiled slightly, covering his face with a fan: “Yes.”
He had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
