Eternal Dawn City, being under Ba Yingshan’s rule, certainly couldn’t let any obvious commotion slip by.
As soon as he received the news, he went straight to the guest room and informed Qi Yueru in person, "It's settled. You will leave today. Once the Bowang Pavilion's goods are ready, you'll depart with them."
Qi Yueru was ready to leave the moment she heard the first part, but hesitated at the latter, asking, "What does this mean? How is Bowang Pavilion involved?"
Ba Yingshan didn't see any issue, "They went to Bowang Pavilion, probably to talk about leaving. The delivery team from Bowang Pavilion will take them along."
Qi Yueru was instantly angry, "With people from Bowang Pavilion protecting them, how can I act once they’re outside? No, you must find a way to keep them back!"
Ba Yingshan was also a bit annoyed at this, “Who do those two kids think they are that they deserve me taking action here? If I act and hold them, wouldn’t that arouse suspicion? You’re just making trouble for nothing! Once they’re out, you’ll have plenty of time and ways to deal with them however you like. Right now, even the warden suspects something about the Dragon Bone; how can I get away with anything?”
Qi Yueru shot back, “If they have nothing to hide, why seek refuge with Bowang Pavilion? The world is vast with many obstacles, and if they slip away, where would I find them?”
This was her genuine concern.
She increasingly suspected the local bully of Eastern Nine Plains.
If there was indeed a problem, seeking refuge with Bowang Pavilion indicated premeditation, planning an escape she could not allow to happen.
Ba Yingshan retorted without politeness, “Finding them once they’re out is your problem. I’ve helped as much as I could or should. There must be no more accidents here. Go deal with any grudges outside as you like.”
Seeing he was truly angry and serious, Qi Yueru paused, then suddenly asked, “What if they are the ones who killed my son?”
Ba Yingshan scoffed, “That’s your business whether they are or not. Like I said, deal with it once you’re outside.”
It was clear he wanted to stay out of it.
Qi Yueru moved closer, meeting his gaze, “If they were the murderers, why didn’t they take the treasure left at the scene? Was it to throw off suspicion? They offended my son long before, so what’s one more offense to them? Yet they left such a treasure behind. What are they afraid of? I can’t guarantee my brother didn't reveal something before dying.”
Ba Yingshan's brow twitched. “What is there to reveal? Stop trying to connect unrelated things!”
Qi Yueru pressed, “Is this trivial matter worth betting your status on, Ba City Lord? The safest bet is to end this with me quickly. You’re aware the warden already suspects something; any rumor could be your downfall. Every potential loophole needs to be closed in time!”
Ba Yingshan frowned, showing signs of interest but also concern.
Sensing his hesitation, Qi Yueru pushed further, “It's reasonable not to act here, but we can sidestep it temporarily. Find a pretext to hold them here until Bowang Pavilion’s team leaves, and then release them as if under a misunderstanding. In Eternal Dawn City, this small matter should be manageable for Ba City Lord, right?”
Her being sent here wasn’t just to visit her incarcerated son and brother; she also possessed adaptable skills.
Ba Yingshan’s gaze flickered.
Without a word, he suddenly turned and left.
Watching him leave, a satisfied yet sorrowful smile played on Qi Yueru's lips as she was reminded of her deceased son.
In the blacksmith shop, sparks flew while a burly, bare-chested man with a beard supervised his apprentices.
Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang entered to say goodbye to their old friends, ready to leave.
They had their weapons made here.
The blacksmith shop, at the end of the Bowang Pavilion's storefronts, was meant to supply the Exile Lands’ residents.
Shi Chun only stopped to greet before heading to Bowang Pavilion’s main gate to see if Miss Miao really hadn't come, suspecting the proprietress didn’t want them involved.
Wu Jinliang, unwilling to face the proprietress, stayed behind, chatting with the blacksmith.
Along the storefronts, each shop bustled with customers selling exotic stones and minerals.
After trade, they’d get slips of paper with amounts, used to shop at Bowang Pavilion, but leaving the city would cause the notes to vanish.
Inside the main hall of the Pavilion, there were fewer customers buying than selling.
At a long table in the corner stacked with account books sat a youth, chewing on a pen while recording accounts.
He noticed, “Where did the pen rack go?”
Shi Chun, observing this, found it amusing, as he was quite familiar with the youth.
The youth, an apprentice at Bowang Pavilion, seemed competent yet slow-witted at times.
The absent pen rack was under a pile of account books, likely placed by the youth himself.
The moment of revelation struck Shi Chun: on that chaotic night ensnared by the Immobilization Talisman, something had clicked regarding the mystical substance.
It was ethereal to normal perception until the glowing roots of the Immortal Talisman made it visible.
This realization spurred a deeper understanding: was it possible the bizarre scenes glimpsed with his right eye were indeed a chaotic world? Could feeling various substances within chaos merely require an appropriate medium?
When the youth noticed Shi Chun frozen, he waved a hand in front of his face, “Hey, Brother Chun, Miss Miao isn’t here.”
Shi Chun snapped back, “Miss Miao didn’t come to Eternal Dawn City?”
The youth was about to respond when loud protests came from outside, “What are you doing, why are you arresting me?”
The commotion outside seemed related to Wu Jinliang.
Peering through the bustling crowd craning their necks outside, Shi Chun heard Wu Jinliang cry for help, “Shi Chun, help!”
Rushing outside, Shi Chun saw guards pin Wu Jinliang to the ground despite his protests.
“What’s going on?” Shi Chun demanded.
Wu Jinliang shouted, “No idea! I was about to go in and they grabbed me.”
Suddenly, a filthy man draped in rags emerged, pointing accusingly, “It was him! After he bumped into me, my stuff vanished. He stole it!”
The crowd murmured in shock.
The strict no-theft rule meant dire consequences from the guards failing to see worth in any condemned life.
Shi Chun's heart sank, knowing Wu Jinliang’s kleptomaniac tendencies.
Yet on their eve of departure, there seemed no reason.
Wu Jinliang responded angrily, “Who do you think you are, accusing me?”
Shi Chun was about to defend Wu Jinliang when the ragged man also pointed at him, “And him too! They acted together!”
Shi Chun's eyes narrowed.
This false accusation meant things were amiss; never had he seen Wu Jinliang, or himself, collide with anyone in their travels inside.
(Chapter End)