Chapter 717: Chapter 425: Returning_2

All the servants together with the disciples of Qingsong Sect amounted to over a hundred people in Li Ming’s entourage, and just preparing a meal was a major undertaking.

The twenty-five rooms they had freed up were quickly allotted, with all the female family members and maidservants resting in these rooms. The two rooms left empty by the helpers were taken by the older servants, with three people squeezing into one room for sleep. After the women were accommodated, ten rooms remained, which Li Ming shared with his fellow Qingsong Sect disciples and Wang Guangyun, four to a room.

The remaining male servants, those who were weaker, slept together with Li Ming and the others, while the robust ones squeezed onto makeshift board beds on the first floor.

Fortunately, before resting, the innkeeper made sure everyone ate their fill of hot dishes and rice, and finally, each person drank a bowl of ginger soup, soaked their feet in hot water, and then covered themselves with thick blankets. Huddled together with a stove for warmth, they were not cold and managed to make do for the night.

After tending to all this, the innkeeper went back to calculate the expenses carefully and sighed in relief. The silver provided by the military envoy was more than enough to cover all the expenses, including breakfast the next morning, with surplus to count as his profit.

Reckoning thus, the innkeeper contentedly squeezed in with his nephew beneath the blankets, blew out the light, and slept.

And so, the night deepened.

"Huff~"

A faint, undetectable movement floated into the inn, and the next moment, the lamps in the room were lit instantaneously. The newcomer saw that Li Ming, along with Wang Guangyun and the four others, as well as Wang Hengliang, was already dressed and armed, waiting at the second-floor corridor.

"Huff~"

The two figures moved swiftly and lightly landed on the second floor, followed by Li Yang and Wang Hengliang into a large room, while Wang Guangyun, Liu Wu, Liu Zhuang, and Zhao Xiu retreated into the room on their left. On their right, Big Senior Brother Chen Yue peeked through the gap in the door, then returned to his room.

Inside the inn, everything returned to peace.

"Master Uncle, Master, you’ve worked hard. This is ginger tea we saved for you. The food is being kept warm with boiling water, ready to eat. There’s also hot water for soaking your feet before resting."

After the two guests arrived at the inn, Wang Hengliang lit a candle, while Li Ming served the food they had prepared earlier on the table, smilingly handing it to the two and inviting them to eat.

"We released the pigeons all the way outside the Capital within a hundred miles before turning back, ensuring that there would be no mistakes."

Once the food was set out, Xu Jin and Liu Qingshi couldn’t help but finish their ginger soup first. Then, expelling a long breath, they shook off the frost from their eyebrows, and Liu Qingshi spoke while exhaling.

"With these top-grade messenger pigeons, by the time we return, the Capital should have already received the message. The rest is up to how the Emperor decides to handle it."

Xu Jin also exhaled and nodded in agreement. After speaking, they couldn’t help but grab bread and began to devour the food voraciously.

The speed of a Xiantian expert was already extremely terrifying. Moreover, with the innate true energy in their bodies transformed into Mana, their speed became even more extraordinary, enabling them to make such a swift round trip outside the Capital and return at this time.

However, maintaining such speed continuously had taken its toll even on them. Fortunately, they had something to replenish their energy upon returning. Now with their bellies empty, they naturally didn’t fuss much and proceeded to consume the meal like a whirlwind after discussing the matter at hand.

During the meal, Wang Hengliang had also prepared a medicinal concoction, which he poured into bowls and gave to the two, one each. Soon after finishing the meal, Xu Jin and Liu Qingshi each drank a large bowl of the medicinal liquid, then sighed lightly, took off their socks and shoes, and directly plunged their feet into the scalding hot footbath.

"Glub glub~"

The boiling water, still bubbling just before they put their feet in, quickly calmed down after being stirred by their entry. Within just a few breaths, the water turned into two basins of slightly cool water, while the complexions of Xu Jin and Liu Qingshi swiftly became rosy. Next, they lifted their feet and Li Yang and Wang Hengliang together replaced the water with fresh hot water, and they immersed their feet in it once more.

"Whew~"

Finally, the two were able to breathe a sigh of relief. They didn’t use their mana to dispel all the chill in their bodies but simply let the boiling water soak their feet, feeling only warmth due to their powerful innate physiques.

"Within a hundred miles of the Capital, there are innate-level imperial messengers. Even if someone’s guts are big, they wouldn’t dare lay hands on our royal pigeons at this distance, for if discovered, it would be a major incident."

After recovering swiftly, Xu Jin took another sip of ginger tea, then let out a warm breath with a chuckle.

"I’m afraid, even within a hundred miles, someone might dare to intercept."

Shaking his head, Liu Qingshi said, "But, if it really comes to that, we’d have to terminate our previous plans on the spot and head straight back to the Capital with our men. As long as we can survive the journey, we can report directly to the Emperor, and an explanation should ensure our safety."

What "safety" meant was clear to everyone. If the other party wasn’t the royal family, wasn’t the Third Prince’s doing, then such safety likely meant the destruction of one’s family.

Even if it was the royal family or the Third Prince, the Emperor would surely intervene, and the matter would definitely be resolved.

Therefore, no matter what, just in case, as long as they could make it to the Capital, then all would be well.

"This is just the worst-case scenario. Maybe by the time I arrive at Linshan Town, the Emperor will have dispatched experts to meet us, making everything even safer."

Li Ming had a slight smile on his face: "Moreover, no one would dare to intercept and kill the royal pigeon within a hundred miles of the Capital. According to Da Qian’s iron laws, such a crime is on par with conspiracy and requires the extermination of the criminal’s entire clan. Who would dare to bear such infamy?"

In fact, such imperial messenger officers were scattered throughout Da Qian. However, in ordinary places, they were often guarded by the stationed secret guards on horseback, with only specific experts guarding near major cities, and only innate-level experts guarding within a hundred miles of the Capital.

Given the gravity of the incidents they encountered, Xu Jin and Liu Qingshi naturally didn’t dare trust a bunch of people whose strength was inferior to theirs, and that’s why they personally escorted the pigeons within a hundred miles.

If someone still dared to intercept pigeons within those hundred miles, it would truly anger the heavens, and the Imperial Court and royal family would definitely investigate!

Outside the hundred-mile radius, within Da Qian’s territory, intercepting pigeons is a capital crime.

Outside the territory of Da Qian, intercepting Da Qian’s pigeons is a criminal offense that warrants a bounty order from the entire empire.

The closer to the Capital, the stronger Da Qian’s power, and naturally the punishment would be harsher, increasing the audacity of challenging this decree. No one wishes to see such an event occur, for once it does, it must result in a life-or-death outcome.

After all, while the pigeons matter, it’s the letters they carry and the challenge to the empire’s authority that are the real issues.

"You all have rushed here so quickly, your mana must be significantly depleted. Master, Uncle-Master, you should rest and recuperate through cultivation. I and Uncle-Instructor will keep watch."

After having a brief discussion and ensuring everything was in order, Li Ming blew out the candle and addressed Xu Jin and Liu Qingshi for recovery.

Having traveled such a great distance so quickly, the two were naturally very tired and, as the key fighting forces, they couldn’t just drag their weary bodies along. So, hearing this, they didn’t hesitate at all; they nodded, stretched out their feet, poured the foot-washing water into the dirty water bucket in the room, used their mana to dry the droplets on their feet, changed into fresh clothes, and then lay down on the bed to rest together.

Li Yang washed the clothes they had changed out of with mana as quickly as he had with his own and Wang Hengliang’s earlier, then dried them thoroughly and set them by the bed. He sat quietly in the room, keeping a vigilant night watch alongside Wang Hengliang.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com