The Young Swordsman of Dalu

Wenfei lowered his head and continued eating. The officers and soldiers entered Yongfu Inn and watched the people eating in the lobby warily.

"Shopkeeper, do you have any merchants from the Great Lu Kingdom here?" the leading officer asked.

"Sir, the notebook is here. Please take a look." The shopkeeper quickly presented the notebook with both hands.

The sergeant took the notebook, carefully flipped through it, and said, "Is the upstairs all occupied?"

"Reporting to you, sir, it is currently the annual hunting season in our Northern Dynasty. Many fur merchants have gathered in Yancheng. Not only are our small shops full, but other inns are also fully booked," the innkeeper said.

"Go upstairs and check carefully!" the sergeant ordered.

A group of soldiers went upstairs to check, while the sergeant and several soldiers looked around the lobby, taking in everyone in the lobby.

At that moment, Wenfei felt a pair of eyes staring at him, but he continued eating without looking up.

The sergeant walked up to Wen Fei and asked, "Sir, you look quite young. Are you also here to buy furs?"

"Sir, my family has been in the leather business for generations. My father sent me here this year to get a feel for the market so that I can take over the family business in the future," Wenfei said, putting down his chopsticks.

"There are several renowned leather goods manufacturers in the Northern Dynasty, such as Feng Yehe Yuan. May I ask which one you are from, sir?" the officer asked.

"I am from the Jin family," Wen Fei said calmly.

“The Jin family, the Jin family of Bocheng,” the officer said.

“Exactly,” Wenfei said.

"I apologize for my rudeness and for disturbing you," the sergeant said respectfully.

"Sir, there are no suspicious persons," the soldiers said as they came down.

"Fall back!" With that, the soldiers left Yongfu Inn.

Wen Fei's heart finally settled down. He was also glad that he had seen books about the Northern Dynasties at Wenxian Pavilion and had some understanding of the Northern Dynasties, which allowed him to get away with it this time.

After dinner, Wenfei left Yongfu Inn and walked down the main street of Yancheng. Because it was so cold, there were very few pedestrians on the street.

"Master, where are you, Second Brother?" Wenfei murmured to himself.

"Young Master Jin, the city will be under curfew in half an hour. Please return to the inn to rest."

Wenfei was walking along the road thinking about his master and second brother when he heard the sound, so he immediately stopped.

"Oh, it's you, sir. I'm sorry, I haven't been to Yancheng for many years. I was thinking of coming out to see the night view of Yancheng after dinner. I'll head back to the inn now. Thank you for reminding me." Wen Fei then realized that the person speaking was the officer who had asked him questions at Yongfu Inn.

"These are extraordinary times, please take care, Young Master Jin," the officer said respectfully.

"Thank you!" Wenfei said, turning and walking towards the inn.

"Sir, do you think this kid is suspicious?" a soldier asked.

“I find everyone suspicious,” the sergeant said.

The soldiers, terrified, slunk back into their ranks.

As Wenfei walked back, he felt a sense of desolation on the deserted street. He thought about his time travel and how his family would look for him after discovering he was missing. Apart from his deceased grandmother, no one seemed to care about his existence. Life is full of vicissitudes, and he had come to this unknown dynasty. He had to live his life well and have no regrets.

As Wenfei walked along, lost in thought, at a corner, someone suddenly walked up to him and pulled him into a dark corner.

"You still came along, kid. I knew Sang Ziqi couldn't keep an eye on you," Wenjie complained.

"Second brother, I was just thinking about you, and here you are," Wenfei said happily.

"Keep your voice down, where do you live?" Wenjie asked.

"It's the Yongfu Inn just ahead," Wenfei said.

“What a coincidence, I live there too. Let’s go back and talk about it,” Wenjie said.

The two brothers arrived at Yongfu Inn one after the other. The innkeeper was anxiously waiting at the door. Seeing them return, he felt as if a weight had been lifted from his heart.

"Sirs, you're finally back! I forgot to tell you, there's a curfew in Yancheng these days. If anything happens, our little shop can't afford it," the shopkeeper said.

"Don't worry, shopkeeper, we know what we're doing," Wenjie said.

"Shopkeeper, you've been frightened," Wenfei said politely.

"Please come upstairs and rest, sir," the innkeeper said.

Wenjie waited until the inn quieted down before entering Wenfei's room.

"Second Brother, tell me quickly what you know in Yancheng," Wenfei said impatiently, pulling Wenjie down to sit.

"Don't rush, has your journey been smooth?" Wenjie asked worriedly.

"I'm fine, Second Brother. Tell me about what you saw and heard in Yancheng," Wenfei said.

"I've met Uncle-Master Ji," Wenjie said.

"Where is my master? Second brother!" Wenfei asked excitedly.

“I don’t know either. He’s elusive and can appear in front of us at any time. He told me to tell you not to look for him. He’s currently handling something big,” Wenjie said.

"We've already come all this way, how can Master not let us see him? How can he bear it?" Wenfei complained.

“Listen to me, okay? We’re in the Northern Dynasty. If anything happens, we won’t have any help,” Wenjie said.

"Second brother, what has Master been up to lately? Has he told you anything?" Wenfei asked curiously.

“How could I possibly ask Uncle Ji what he’s doing? That would be so disrespectful to him,” Wenjie said.

“I need to see my master. Otherwise, why would I have traveled all this way to this desolate Northern Dynasty?” Wenfei said.

"You're being stubborn again. Be careful, or I'll take you back to Wenxian Pavilion," Wenjie threatened.

"Second brother, I'm not bragging, but I've also mastered martial arts. I haven't neglected my training along the way. How about we have a proper spar?" Wen Fei said, getting into a fighting stance.

"I haven't seen you for a few days, and look how capable you've become! I know you've grown some skills, but that's still not acceptable. Stay put and don't go anywhere," Wenjie said sternly.

"Second brother, I'll listen to you." Wenfei was determined to act on his own.

"Don't try anything funny, just stay put and go to sleep," Wenjie said.

"Go to sleep." Wenfei went to bed and pulled the covers over his head to sleep.

Wenjie left only after hearing Wenfei snoring.

Wenjie went into his room, lit a lamp with a tinderbox, and saw Ji Wuchang sitting in his room.

"Uncle-Master Ji, you've arrived!" Wenjie exclaimed in surprise.

"Don't make a fuss, that kid's asleep?" Ji Wuchang asked.

"He's asleep," Wenjie said.

"Wenjie, I'm going to the palace tomorrow to see Jin Yuanying. Follow me quietly, but don't get too close. If something happens to me, send a message to Li Chaoyang of Wenxian Pavilion by carrier pigeon," Ji Wuchang said.

“Uncle-Master Ji, I’ll go in with you so we can look out for each other,” Wenjie said.

"Too many people will only cause trouble. Just remember what I said." Ji Wuchang then told Wenjie where they would meet before flying out the window.

Wenjie gazed in the direction Ji Wuchang had flown off in, and couldn't help but worry about his actions tomorrow.