Chapter 119: In Peril

It was nearly noon when Shen Duo finally grew impatient waiting, and only then did Feng Jun and Linghu Yu return.

Their illusionist robes were somewhat dirty and disheveled. Shen Duo frowned slightly as she looked at them. “What happened?”

Linghu Yu let out an exaggerated sigh. “On our way back, we ran into an investigation team from the Zhou family. It took us quite some effort to shake them off.”

Shen Duo was startled. “Does the Zhou family know that we are in the city?”

If that were true, the Zhou family’s main city would soon be placed under martial law, and leaving the city would become exceedingly difficult.

Linghu Yu drained the nectar on the table and shook his head with a smile. “It doesn’t look that way. The Zhou family’s investigators seemed to have mistaken us for someone else. They were pursuing another person.”

He was a high-ranking Sky Illusionist. Although the investigators were fairly capable, they were far inferior to him. While being pursued, he had used his mental power to determine that the Zhou family’s investigation team was searching for someone named Zhou Yangyun.

The Zhou family was an old rival of theirs at Jocelyn Academy, so Linghu Yu knew a fair amount about them. Yet he had never heard of anyone called Zhou Yangyun.

Why was this person being hunted by the Zhou family’s investigation team even within the Zhou family’s main city? What exactly had he done?

They said that the enemy of one’s enemy was a friend. If he happened to meet this Zhou Yangyun, Linghu Yu would certainly be interested in asking him about it.

After hearing Linghu Yu’s explanation and confirming it with Feng Jun, Shen Duo finally relaxed.

“How did things go?”

“We’re leaving now. The Zhou family’s main city is not a place we should remain in for long. I’ve already asked a friend to make the arrangements.” Linghu Yu rose and spoke solemnly. Then he took a pile of strange clothing and disguises from his storage ring and threw them onto the table.

“Since the Zhou family is searching for someone, the hidden sentries throughout the city will certainly be on high alert. We’ll change our clothes before leaving. Better to be cautious.”

No one objected. Shen Duo casually put on a gray men’s illusionist robe and draped a broad cloak over it. After a full day and night of rest, her body had recovered considerably. Although she could not yet use the sword aura within her body to fight, she could manage a simple journey.

The group exchanged nods and left the small inn.

Linghu Yu led them to an open carriage outside. The carriage was loaded with live poultry.

When Shen Duo saw the cargo, she finally understood. Linghu Yu intended for them to disguise themselves as petty merchants delivering poultry.

Ordinary storage spaces could not hold living things, so transporting live poultry was quite troublesome. However, many nobles and finicky customers preferred fresh ingredients, which was why merchants of this kind existed.

Shen Duo covered her small face with a dusty gray cloak and sat on the carriage bench. They were all dressed like rough, common peasants, and no one paid them any attention as they made their way through the city.

The journey was tense and cautious. Shen Duo had no interest in admiring the splendor and bustle of the Zhou family’s main city; all she heard was the clamor of the crowds along the road. Fearing that they might be recognized, Lou Jingbai and Benyi had both returned to their magical-beast spaces.

About an hour later, the carriage they were escorting arrived before an elegant little villa.

After Linghu Yu knocked, a middle-aged woman soon came to open the door.

She wore a light-blue cotton dress, and her long, wavy hair flowed down her back. Her eyes curved like crescents, and even when her face was expressionless, she seemed to be smiling.

“Come in, quickly!” The woman’s voice was wary and low.

Linghu Yu hurriedly led Shen Duo, Feng Jun, and the others into the small villa.

The moment the courtyard gate closed, the middle-aged woman, who had just looked so cautious and nervous, broke into a giggle.

Shen Duo watched as the woman’s shoulders shook beneath her folded arms. Her ample bosom trembled along with them, leaving Shen Duo awkwardly speechless.

“Linghu Yu, I never imagined that you would have a day when you needed my help. This is truly unexpected!” the woman teased coquettishly, even tossing Linghu Yu a flirtatious glance.

Linghu Yu now displayed the shamelessness for which he was known. “Eleanor, consider me indebted to you this time. Whatever you ask of me next time, I’ll do it. How about that?”

A delighted expression appeared in Eleanor’s crescent-shaped eyes. “Linghu Yu, do you really mean it?”

“Of course. I always keep my word!” Linghu Yu declared shamelessly.

“Fine. Just for those words, I’ll definitely help you today.” Eleanor winked suggestively at Linghu Yu.

The two exchanged flirtatious glances, completely ignoring everyone else in the room.

Shen Duo secretly watched the pair go back and forth. Judging by Eleanor’s expression, could Linghu Yu have sold his good looks to get her help?

Sensing the dawning understanding in his companions’ eyes, Linghu Yu coughed awkwardly twice.

“So this little girl is Shen Duo?” Unexpectedly, Eleanor turned her attention to Shen Duo.

Shen Duo did not avoid her gaze but met it calmly.

At a glance, Shen Duo saw through Eleanor’s strength. She was a Seven-Star Spirit Illusionist. Shen Duo gave her a friendly smile.

“She’s a Sword King at such a young age. The old fellow must be overjoyed.” Seeing that the girl was not timid in the least and that a faint sharpness seemed to surround her, Eleanor could not help but take a liking to her.

Linghu Yu said nothing, merely smiling.

“Everything is ready on my end. I don’t know what has gotten into the Zhou family’s investigation team today, but they’re searching for someone. We need to leave as soon as possible.” Eleanor put away her teasing expression and spoke seriously to Linghu Yu.

“I encountered them on my way back. The person they’re looking for is called Zhou Yangyun. Eleanor, have you ever heard of him?”

Eleanor’s brows drew together, and she shook her head. “As far as I know, there is no one named Zhou Yangyun among the Zhou family’s collateral branch. Could he be a direct descendant? Because of my work, I deal mostly with members of the Zhou family’s collateral branch, so I know them fairly well. I rarely encounter members of the direct line.”

Linghu Yu already had an idea forming in his mind.

Eleanor led everyone to change their clothes once more. This time, they all wore matching dark-green robes and cloaks.

After changing, Eleanor took them to the rear courtyard of the villa, where two enormous carriages stood waiting.

Inside the carriages were cages made from various materials. To Shen Duo’s surprise, each cage contained a tamed magical beast.

Shen Duo gave Eleanor an assessing look. So this woman was a beast tamer!

No wonder she had been able to secure a place for herself in the Zhou family’s main city despite possessing only the strength of a Spirit Illusionist.

Eleanor had also changed into a dark-green dress. Her long, wavy hair was neatly coiled at the back of her head, while the Spirit Illusionist badge and the badge representing her status as a beast tamer gleamed brightly on her chest.

Eleanor seemed to notice Shen Duo looking at her and turned to give her a gentle smile.

They were now disguised as the guard escort accompanying Eleanor in transporting magical beasts.

Their journey to the main city gates proceeded without incident. As expected, members of the Zhou family’s investigation team were stationed there.

Several people waiting to enter the city were registering nearby. Shen Duo sat in the open carriage, appearing to watch over the tamed magical beasts.

When they reached the gates, a soldier dressed in silver armor came over to question them.

Eleanor lifted the curtain and jumped down from the carriage in front. When the soldier saw the badges pinned to her chest, his attitude immediately became much more respectful.

“So it is Lady Eleanor. Please forgive my rudeness, but inspections have been extremely strict these past few days. We have received direct orders that everyone leaving the main city must present a travel permit and allow their goods to be searched.”

Although the soldier’s face showed a trace of embarrassment, his tone was firm.

Eleanor’s curved eyes carried a smile. She took a token from her storage ring and handed it to the gate soldier.

“Since it is an order, I will naturally comply. Go ahead and search. Just be careful with my beasts. Every one of them was commissioned by someone important.”

“Yes, yes, Lady Eleanor, rest assured. We’ll finish as quickly as possible and absolutely will not delay your journey.”

The soldier glanced at the token, immediately confirmed its authenticity, and returned it to Eleanor. Cold sweat had begun to seep down his back.

Although Eleanor spoke gently, she was actually a very difficult person to deal with in private. Her strength was merely ordinary, but she was a beast tamer—a person even members of the Zhou family’s collateral branch went out of their way to curry favor with. If he offended her by accident, all she would have to do was say a word, and a host of powerful illusionists might come after him. By then, a mere soldier like him would not even know how he had died.

Driven by that fear, the gate soldiers worked swiftly. They made only a cursory inspection of the two carriages carrying the magical beasts and did not even bother examining the guards accompanying them. They quickly allowed this untouchable beast tamer to leave the city.

Even Linghu Yu had not expected things to go so smoothly. As the carriages passed through the Zhou family’s magnificent city gates, everyone finally released the heavy burden in their hearts.

The two assistants driving the carriages also became much more relaxed.

If they had not still been within sight of the Zhou family’s soldiers, Linghu Yu would have loved nothing more than to fly straight back to Lorkadan with everyone.

Just as they were all beginning to relax, another carriage approached from the opposite direction.

It was a light brown carriage drawn by two horses. It was traveling very quickly, as though something urgent had happened.

The male servant driving it repeatedly lashed the unicorns with his whip, urging them to run faster.

As the carriage passed theirs, someone inside lifted the curtain, revealing the face of an angry young girl. She shouted toward the front of the carriage, “Faster! If we miss the selection today, I’ll have you dragged to the black market and sold!”

The male servant shuddered and swung his whip even harder. Just as the girl was about to lower the curtain, she happened to glimpse the girl in the dark-green cloak sitting on the carriage.

She would never forget that cold yet exquisite face. In all her life, no one had ever made her suffer such a humiliating loss.

The girl immediately changed her order. “Go after those two carriages! Quickly! I want to stop them at once!”

The male servant hesitated for only an instant before turning the horses around and rapidly pursuing the transport carriages that had just passed them.

Eleanor’s two carriages were carrying a large number of magical beasts, so they could not move very quickly. The light carriage soon caught up with them.

With a crack of its whip, the light carriage drawn by two horses swung across the road in front of Eleanor’s convoy, blocking their path.

The convoy had no choice but to stop. Eleanor was startled by the commotion and stuck her head out of the carriage, asking irritably what was going on.

P.S. Happy Children’s Day, everyone! There will be another chapter tonight!

If you enjoyed the story, please share the site more often. Thank you all for your support!

Fast updates, no pop-ups, pure text.