Thousand Miles of Bright Moonlight - Chapter 151.2

Yaoying walked along absentmindedly, her thoughts adrift, and failed to notice the person ahead suddenly stopping and turning around to face her. She walked straight into him.

Caught off guard, she staggered back, but the other person was as solid as a wall, utterly unmoving.

Beside her, Yuanjue’s eyes widened in surprise.

Yaoying rubbed her forehead, raised her face, and met Sultan Gu’s deep turquoise eyes.

She gave him a soft smile, her eyes fluttering with charm. With her face veiled, her expression was hidden, making her eyes appear all the more enchanting.

Yuanjue’s expression grew odd.

Once Yaoying steadied herself, Sultan Gu said, “In three days, Yuchi Damo will visit the Wang Family Monastery to offer prayers.”

Yaoying understood immediately and nodded. Three days later, they would finally meet Yuchi Damo.

“General Su, I’d like to spend the next few days wandering the marketplace,” Yaoying said after a moment’s thought.

She added, “I want to gather some information. It’ll give me a better chance when we negotiate with Yuchi Damo.”

Sultan Gu gave a soft hum of agreement.

Yaoying let out a quiet breath of relief. Fierce and intimidating as Sultan Gu appeared, he was actually quite reasonable. All along the journey, whenever she had something to discuss with him, as long as she provided a valid reason, he would always give it careful consideration.

They soon found an inn to lodge in. The innkeeper greeted them warmly, “Esteemed guests, you’ve braved the dust and hardships of travel. Please, have a seat in the main hall to rest a while.”

A fire burned in the hall’s brazier, and everyone, weary and hungry, gathered around to drink soup and warm themselves.

Yaoying too was exhausted. After a bowl of hot broth and a few pieces of flatbread, she retired to her room to rest. A servant brought in a tub of hot water, and at once her spirits lifted. She peeled off her dust-caked, mud-spattered clothes and sank into the fragrant warmth, so comfortable she hardly wanted to move a finger.

She was travelling with men, and she didn’t wish to become a burden. Along the way, she gritted her teeth and rode hard, eating cold, hard bread when hungry, piling on coats when cold, and, when weary, sleeping fully clothed like the others. During this time, there was no chance of bathing. She couldn’t even dream of wiping herself down with hot water. Luckily, it was winter, so she could bear it.

Soaking in the hot water for a while, her stiff limbs gradually relaxed, aching all over, and Yaoying drifted towards sleep. But suddenly, the sound of noisy hoofbeats and clamorous voices echoed from below. Someone was shouting angrily at the inn servants, and horses neighed shrilly.

Footsteps came up the stairs.

Yaoying immediately got up, quickly towelled off her soaked hair, hastily tied it into a loose bun, and dressed herself.

There was a knock at the door, followed by Xie Qing’s voice.

“Come in.”

Xie Qing stepped inside, brows knitted, and spoke in a low voice, “The young prince of the Northern Rong has followed us here.”

Yaoying’s heart gave a sharp jolt. “Has he discovered us?”

Xie Qing shook his head. “They don’t recognise us. It’s just coincidence. They’ve ended up staying in this very inn too. There are eighteen of them in total, blocking up the courtyard downstairs. Yuanjue sought instructions from the Regent, and the Regent said to remain calm and unchanged no matter what.”

Yaoying frowned.

Once was bad enough. It seemed their paths were destined to cross. She’d thought they’d already shaken off the young prince of the Northern Rong, yet barely had they checked into the inn when he appeared right behind them.

After a brief silence, she said, “The Regent is right. Remaining unchanged is the best course. We’ve just arrived; if we suddenly move to another inn without cause, it would only arouse the Northern Rong’s suspicion. Better to stay put. Besides, since we know who they are, we can take the chance to find out why they’ve come to Gaochang.”

This inn was one of the Royal Court’s safehouses in Gaochang. Oherwise Sultan Gu and the others would never have chosen it. The young prince had sharp instincts indeed, picking out the most dangerous place without realising it.

Xie Qing gave his assent and went to instruct Xie Chong and the others to stay vigilant and, if possible, avoid going out. As Han Chinese, they stood out too much.

The young prince’s entourage was as arrogant and domineering as ever. From the moment they entered the hall, they barked orders at the inn servants, drove away other travellers, and monopolised the fire. They summoned a group of foreign singing girls to dance and perform for them in front of the hall, the music of the pipa by turns rousing and mournful, interspersed with the raucous or coy laughter and banter of the girls.

The merchants at the inn were seasoned travellers, well used to the ways of the world. One look at the prince and his guards’ attire, and they knew these were people of wealth and status. None of them dared voice their anger.

Yaoying and her companions, utterly drained, retired to their rooms early and did not step outside.

The laughter and merriment showed no sign of abating even as midnight approached.

The young prince’s voice was loud and piercing, keeping Yaoying tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep. Not until the latter half of the night did the noise finally subside. Half-asleep, she drifted off, only to jolt awake from a dream. She sat there dazed for a moment, then got up and poured herself a bowl of cold water.

A dark shadow stood silently by the window, motionless. Like a ghost.

Startled, Yaoying dropped the clay bowl in her hand.

The sharp crack of breaking pottery rang out as the shadow stirred, lifting the window. In the darkness appeared a face concealed by a fearsome yaksha mask.

Goosebumps broke out over Yaoying’s arms, her entire body frozen, cold sweat beading on her skin. But when her gaze met a pair of turquoise eyes, she paused. Then gave a helpless smile. “General Su?”

Sultan Gu looked at her, saying nothing. His gaze slowly lowered to the shattered bowl on the floor.

Yaoying murmured softly, “I was thirsty. I got up to drink water and accidentally dropped the bowl.”

Sultan Gu gave a low hum in reply, said nothing, and turned to leave.

Yaoying watched him disappear into the distance, then fetched another bowl, poured herself some water, drank a few sips, and sat back on the bed, lost in thought for a while before lying down to sleep again.

Before long, the sound of deliberately softened footsteps came from outside the window.

Yaoying’s eyes snapped open. In the darkness, her eyes gleamed sharply. Her pupils darted about as she sat up carefully, got out of bed, and tiptoed to the window. With a swish, she pushed it open.

A dark figure stood there, calmly watching her through the mask, turquoise eyes fixed on her without emotion.

Yaoying couldn’t help feeling a little sheepish. Clearly, he knew she hadn’t really been asleep.