Patrol Captain

Just as Xu Liang, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, was frowning in worry, the area outside the Prince's Mansion was bustling and lively.

The princely residence, though reduced to half the size according to the imperial court's system, was still astonishing in scale, comprising an inner courtyard, an outer courtyard, official residences, the princely office, and a guard camp.
In the outer courtyard, the side gate of the Prince's Mansion was wide open, and many guests who had arrived early were led to their lodgings by the servants of the mansion.

The guests who came included members of powerful families, local officials, and martial arts sects. Their demeanor and appearances varied greatly. If they were princes, nobles, or court officials, they stayed in the inner courtyard, like Xu Liang and Zuo Zongren. If they were mid-level officials, well-known and influential figures, they were arranged to stay in the guest buildings in the outer courtyard. Those of lower rank were all arranged to stay in the official residences outside the Prince's Mansion.

Different levels of people or forces have different arrangements. Those who stayed outside the Prince's Mansion did not even have the chance to enter through the side gate. These forces were basically martial arts sects and local gentry.

After all, the Northern Liang royal family is of noble birth and of high status, so no one would object to anything.

Many disciples from various sects, along with their elders who were invited to the event, felt a sense of pride and excitement at witnessing such a grand spectacle.

The King of Beiliang guarded the Western Regions and defeated the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions, who dared not invade. He was a great warrior and a hero. At home, he was kind to the virtuous and learned, and spent a lot of money to buy horses. Many stories circulated in the martial arts world and he was praised for his virtue. Many people from the martial arts world came to join him, which led to the famous story of the King of Beiliang having three thousand retainers.

In Beiliang, many wanderers of the martial world strive to make a name for themselves, hoping to become a retainer of the Beiliang Royal Palace!
However, some people were indeed unhappy.

"Master!"

"They've gone too far."

Outside the west courtyard of the Northern Liang Prince's Palace, in an official's residence, a man with a broad face, wide nose, strong body, and rugged appearance spoke in a muffled voice, his heart filled with resentment.

Beside him stood a handsome young man dressed in a moon-white outfit, with a Qingfeng sword slung across his back. His brows held a hint of arrogance, and he remained silent.

Opposite the two stood a middle-aged man dressed in a black robe with gold brocade. His figure was as strong as a pine tree, and his face was not particularly kind. His thick eyebrows were cold and stern, and he exuded an air of authority.

It was Han Zhong, the elder of the Law Hall of Dongxuan Mountain.

The speaker was Qiao Lang, the second disciple, while the young man in the white robe was Shen Jian, the fourth disciple who had rushed back from Qingfeng Pavilion.

Han Zhong remained calm. "No need to complain. As long as there is food and lodging, that's enough. Elder Qi and I are just going through the motions."

The burly man was displeased. "Who do you think you are? Dongxuan Mountain has never invited him to the royal residence. We won't even let him into the gate. If we put him here outside the courtyard, who knows what rumors people outside will spread."

"It was clearly someone from his palace who sent the invitation, so what does this mean now?"

The burly man said, letting out a cold snort.

Dongxuan Mountain, though not the number one grotto in Beiliang and holding a transcendent position in the martial arts world, was not even qualified to enter the outer courtyard. Staying in this official residence, he still remembered the surprised looks and whispers of the other people.

This is clearly a form of suppression.

The fourth disciple clasped his hands in greeting and frowned, saying, "Master, I was out at the time and didn't know what was going on. The King of Beiliang is known as a wise king, so why would he deliberately target Dongxuan Mountain? Is there some misunderstanding here?"

The fourth disciple had a good impression of the King of Beiliang. Although they had never met, the king's reputation as a wise ruler was well-known in the martial arts world.

Upon hearing this, Han Zhong raised a solemn brow and looked at his fourth disciple.

"As your teacher has always taught you, listening to words is not as good as observing things, and observing things is not as good as observing actions."

Upon hearing this, the four disciples realized they had misspoke, their expressions changed slightly, and they lowered their heads.
"This disciple has learned much!"

Han Zhong looked away, a thoughtful expression on his face, and said in a deep voice, "The mountain lord's identity is sensitive, and he cannot get too close to the royal palace. Send your master and Elder Qi to go through the motions."

As he spoke, he shook his head, unable to figure out whether their group being arranged to stay outside was due to his subordinates' insistence on keeping them in the dark after he had embarrassed the Prince's men at the mountain gate last time, or whether it was the Prince's idea.
"Whether this was intentional or unintentional, you guys should keep a low profile. I have a feeling something is not quite right."

"Stay in your room if you can, and try to avoid going out and interacting with people. We'll leave after the ceremony tomorrow."

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

The two disciples clasped their hands in greeting and then left, each going to their own room.

After the two disciples left, Han Zhong's face showed a thoughtful expression.

As he said, the last time the people from the Prince's Mansion came to deliver a visiting card and invited the Mountain Lord to attend the ceremony, their arrival was ill-intentioned, and a mysterious and powerful figure also came with ominous intentions, which made the Mountain Lord wary.

He had originally planned to come in person to meet the King of Beiliang, but during the meeting, he and several elders persuaded him to stay.

With the new crown prince in power, the arrival of the Dongxuan Mountain Master, a top-tier dragon and tiger sect, could easily lead to him being labeled as belonging to the Northern Liang Royal Family. As a major sect within the grotto heavens, Dongxuan Mountain is most wary of getting too close to a vassal king.

So, after some discussion, he and another elder led the group to attend the ceremony.

While their current predicament is not enough to disturb their peace of mind, it is difficult to guess what their underlying thoughts are.

All he wants now is to finish this as soon as possible and take his disciples back to the mountain.

Just as Han Zhong was pondering this, he suddenly heard the sound of drums.

"Boom, boom, boom"

He looked up and saw checkered patches of reddish-gold light shining through the doors and windows.

As the sun sets, the evening drums of Liangzhou City sound.

Above Liangzhou City outside the window, the setting sun painted the sky with golden and red hues, the evening glow spreading from west to east, a tapestry of twilight. In the distance, the Qilian Mountains, their ridges bathed in the golden light of the sunset, appeared even more majestic, silently cradling the sky ablaze with light.

Outside the northern city, where the desert meets the sky, the sunset blends with the yellow sand. The twilight sand grains reflect the sunset's hue, shimmering with a hazy golden light, appearing from afar like a vast sea of ​​brocade, merging with the silhouettes of the Qilian Mountains and the clouds on the horizon. As the sun sets and the sunset's hue fades, only faint outlines of the distant mountains and desert remain, embedded in the deepening twilight.

As dusk fell, the palace was brightly lit and bustling with activity.

Outside the official residence, voices rose one after another.

"Ha ha"

"Sect Leader Wang, how have you been?"

"This is Sect Master Qiu of the Mountain Moving Sect."

"I've heard so much about you."

"I heard that a banquet has been set up in the outer courtyard. People can come and go as they please, and there will be countless delicacies and fine wines. Why don't you all go and have a gathering, and also get to know the heroes of Beiliang?"

"."

Such sounds could be heard from time to time outside the official residence.

Shortly after, there was a knock on the door of the room next to Han Zhong's.

A handsome young man, holding a folding fan behind his back and dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, knocked on the door.

This man had a face like jade, eyes like bright stars, and his hair was tied with a white jade crown. A few strands of black hair fell down his cheeks, and his eyes were gentle. He exuded the elegance of a handsome young man. What a graceful gentleman!

"squeak"

The door opened, and Han Zhong's fourth disciple, Shen Jian, appeared with a frown. Upon seeing the newcomer, the arrogance between his brows disappeared, replaced by a slight smile, and he clasped his hands in a salute.

"Who is it? It's Brother Lu! I never expected to meet you here again after just a few days apart!"

The visitor withdrew the folding fan from behind his back, gracefully returned the greeting, his features gentle and refined.

"Brother Shen!"

As he spoke, the man frowned slightly and looked around the room.
“I heard that Brother Shen came to the Prince’s Mansion with your master to attend the ceremony. I searched the mansion but couldn’t find any trace of you, Dongxuan Mountain. After asking around, I found out that you were arranged to stay here. This is simply outrageous.”

"Something must have gone wrong!"

"I have already asked someone to inform the officials of the Prince's residence, and I believe they will handle it." "If they are negligent, I will definitely demand an explanation from Senior Han and Brother Shen."

Upon hearing that this person had specifically sought him out and spoke up for him, Shen Jian was moved and did not doubt what Brother Lu had said.

This Brother Lu is Lu Yuanjun, the young master of Qingfeng Pavilion, and his close friend. Qingfeng Pavilion is the largest merchant house in Beiliang, with abundant wealth and formidable strength. This close friend acts with gentlemanly conduct, is righteous, and possesses considerable strength, earning him a high reputation among the younger generation in Beiliang.

Moreover, the Lu family is large and prosperous, with many people serving as officials in various prefectures of Beiliang. One of their uncles is the deputy commander of the Beiliang Pacification Office, in charge of a local army and is a powerful figure, a number one figure in the entire Beiliang!
Shen Jian clasped his hands in thanks to his close friend.
"Brother Lao Lu, you've gone to great lengths for my teacher and me, Shen."

Lu Yuanjun smiled and patted Shen Jian's shoulder with the paper fan in her hand.
"There's no need for thanks between us. Let's not talk about that now."

"Today, many young people from Beiliang have gathered at the royal palace. Brother Shen, are you going to waste this fine time and beautiful scenery? Why don't you come with me to meet some friends?"

At this point, Young Master Lu smiled at Shen Jian, "I heard that Fairy Biyou from Danxia Mountain has also come!"

Upon hearing this name, Shen Jian's eyes flashed with a hint of embarrassment, as well as a strange light.

"Brother Lu, please don't tease me!"

After saying that, he couldn't help but ask again,
"really?"

"Hehe, of course, when has I ever lied to you? Let's go!"

Lu Yuanjun laughed heartily.

"Wait, I need to tell my master!" Shen Jian was somewhat tempted and prepared to inform his master.

As soon as I stepped out the door, I heard a commotion around the corner, with some noise coming from somewhere, as if they were calling out to some adult.

A short while later, a group of people turned around from the corner of the corridor, followed by a group of stewards and servants from the Prince's mansion. The leader was of medium height and exuded a capable air. He wore a light scarlet jacket with a three-inch-wide black cloth strip at the hem, a black leather belt around his waist, and a pair of black leather boots. His eyebrows and eyes were not particularly sharp, with two shallow lines etched at the corners of his eyes.

Upon seeing this person, Lu Yuanjun slightly turned her head and whispered to Shen Jian.

"This is Lord Yan, the Right Chief Secretary of the Prince's Mansion, who is in charge of everything inside and outside the mansion. He must have heard about what happened to you."

Having said that, he faced that direction, closed his folding fan, bowed and clasped his hands in greeting to the newcomer.

"Lord Yan!"

Shen Jian quickly followed suit and bowed.

Yan Sun stepped forward, a faint smile spreading across her face. "It's Young Friend Lu from Qingfeng Pavilion."

"And who is this?" she asked, glancing at Shen Jian with a gentle tone.

Lu Yuanjun introduced, "My lord, this is my good friend Shen Jian, who is also a disciple of Elder Han of Dongxuan Mountain."

Upon hearing this, Yan Sun said "Oh," then looked at Shen Jian with a gentle expression, "Where are your master and the other elder, young friend?"

“My master is in the next room, and Elder Qi is in the room in front.”

Shen Jian pointed.

"I wish to see your master. Please knock on the door, young friend Shen," Yan Sun said with a slight smile.

Shen Jian felt somewhat flattered and prepared to do as instructed.

But before he could knock, the door opened.

Han Zhong appeared, his expression solemn, and his gaze immediately fell on Yan Sun.

"Who is your Excellency?"

Seeing this, Yan Sun clasped his hands in greeting and said with a smile, "Elder Han, you have been negligent. As the Chief Secretary of the Prince's Palace, I have come here specifically to apologize to Elder Han. My subordinates are not very observant and have even mixed up the list of guests for your mountain. If someone hadn't mentioned it, I would still be in the dark and have thought that your mountain would not arrive until tomorrow's ceremony."

As he spoke, he turned his head and glanced sideways.

A steward in a brocade robe behind him trembled at the sight and bowed as he came forward to apologize.

"I was blind to your greatness. I am so sorry for the trouble. I was so busy that I made a mistake on the list."

Han Zhong waved his hand calmly, "It's alright. There are too many guests at the Prince's Mansion, so some mistakes are inevitable."

As he spoke, he patted Yan Sun on the shoulder and said, "I'm so sorry to have troubled you to make this trip, Lord Yan!"

"Not at all, Elders are honored guests. It would be my dereliction of duty to neglect them. If His Highness were to blame me, I would not be able to bear the consequences. Right now, please move to the west wing of the Prince's residence. Moreover, there is a banquet rehearsal in the inner courtyard today. Not only will there be special envoys from the court, but also many senior ministers. Elder Han and the other elder are honored guests, please take your seats."

The west courtyard is actually the inner courtyard.

This treatment was usually reserved for high-ranking officials in the imperial court.

Upon hearing this, Han Zhong shook his head and said, "Lord Yan, you flatter me. We are just uncouth warriors, so we won't make a fool of ourselves. Besides, this place is quite nice. We have been traveling a long way and would like to rest as soon as possible so that we can save our energy for the Crown Prince's investiture ceremony tomorrow."

"I appreciate your kindness, Your Highness. I am grateful for your presence despite your busy schedule. On behalf of Dongxuan Mountain, I thank Your Highness for your generosity."

This was a polite way of refusing. He just wanted to avoid getting too involved and could attend the ceremony and leave peacefully tomorrow. Whether the room arrangement was intentional or unintentional didn't matter anymore; the other party had already made their stance clear, and he didn't want to dwell on these matters any further.

Yan Sun's eyes flickered, and finally he smiled, "Since that's the case, then I won't insist. Tomorrow, I will send someone to invite the two elders to attend the ceremony."

Han Zhong nodded.

"Farewell!" Yan Sun helped Han Zhong to the side, and Han Zhong returned the gesture. The man then left with his men without saying anything more.

At this moment, Lu Yuanjun, the young master of Qingfeng Pavilion, stepped forward, bowed to Han Zhong with the courtesy due to a junior, and said humbly:
"Junior Lu Yuanjun of Qingfeng Pavilion greets Senior Han. Senior's demeanor remains as elegant as ever."

I've met him before; this young master has visited Dongxuan Mountain.

"I have come to see Brother Shen, hoping to take advantage of this fine weather and go out to catch up with old friends."

The fourth disciple, Shen Jian, stepped forward with an expectant look on his face. "I am going out with Brother Lu to catch up. I hope Master will allow us to."

Han Zhong hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded.
"Go!"

"Thank you, Master!" Shen Jian's face lit up with joy.

Then, the two bowed, laughed heartily, and left. Dressed in white, carrying swords and folding fans, they looked like young men riding high on springtime.

After they left, the doors of several nearby rooms were opened one by one.

Several disciples and another elder appeared.

Han Zhong nodded to the strange elder without saying anything.

However, one of Elder Qi's disciples, seeing the bustling scene outside and the gathering of heroes, couldn't help but speak up when he saw Senior Brother Shen (or his brother) going out with his friends, "Master, this disciple also wants to go out and take a look."

Elder Qi hesitated for a moment, then agreed.

And so, the disciples left, the two elders returned to their rooms, and Han Zhong, the second disciple, remained inside.

Night fell.

The noise outside never stopped.

After an unknown amount of time, hurried footsteps approached the room where the two elders were staying, followed by panicked cries.

"Something terrible has happened, Elder Han! Junior Brother Shen is in trouble!" (End of Chapter)