The Gate of No Return

The two black-armored soldiers didn't hide their presence, going door-to-door through the marketplace.

They were doing the same thing as in the medical hall, questioning everyone they saw, from infants in swaddling clothes to teenagers of fifteen or sixteen, leaving no one unasked.

The stone slab emitted different lights when touched by different people's palms.

Shi Lan followed, seeing four kinds of light in total: white, cyan, black, and red, with varying depths of color. Only when encountering black and red light did the two soldiers ask detailed questions and record specific information.

For cyan light, they merely noted a name and residence, while white light elicited no questions at all.

After following the two soldiers for half the morning, traversing a good portion of Shuangyue City, Shi Lan finally returned to the medical hall after watching them enter the City Lord's mansion.

The line of people in front of the medical hall was even longer than the day before.

Shi Feng remained unconscious. Du Baisheng appeared preoccupied, his mind wandering as he treated the injured, and he would have made mistakes if not for Du Yue'er constantly reminding him.

After checking on Shi Feng's condition, Shi Lan left the medical hall again, feeling extremely hungry.

She found a restaurant and ordered a large table full of meat, finally satisfying her immediate hunger.

When it was time to pay, Shi Lan's heart suddenly ached. Her money was running low.

Leaving the restaurant, Shi Lan once again went near the City Lord's mansion. After circling around, she found a tea house with a view of the mansion's main gate and sat down with a pot of cold tea.

Just after noon, the two black-armored soldiers emerged from the City Lord's mansion again, carrying wooden boxes and resuming the same actions as in the morning.

Shi Lan followed them until sunset, then returned to the medical hall and helped Du Baisheng for a while.

After seeing off the last patient, Du Baisheng hurriedly told Du Yue'er to close the door and prepare to pack their belongings.

"Grandpa, why? Are we going on a house call?" Du Yue'er asked, confused, after closing the door.

Du Baisheng shook his head. "Not a house call, we're leaving."

The arrival of the two black-armored soldiers today had amplified Du Baisheng's already uneasy heart, making him unwilling to linger in this troublesome place.

"There are demonic beasts in this area. It's too dangerous for you two to travel without knowing martial arts," Shi Lan advised.

Du Baisheng froze, his already aged back appearing even more frail.

After a long silence, Du Baisheng slowly spoke, "But Shuangyue City is ultimately not a place to stay long-term..."

"Please don't worry. In my opinion, what the Demon Suppression Army did today might not be aimed at Miss Yue'er. Let's wait a few more days. Once I figure out the Demon Suppression Army's intentions, we can make plans, alright?"

Hearing this, Du Baisheng could only nod helplessly. "Thank you for your trouble."

"Doctor Du, does the medical hall have any medicinal herbs to replenish blood qi, something like Blood Ginseng?" Shi Lan asked.

"Of course. What year are you looking for, and how much?" Du Baisheng nodded and walked towards the medicine cabinet.

"A hundred years old would be enough. The older, the better."

Du Baisheng paused and turned around with a wry smile. "I truly don't have a hundred-year-old Blood Ginseng in this medical hall."

"What about Golden Sun Grass? Or Red Star Vine, Blood Net Fruit, or something similar?"

"Young man, please don't joke. The herbs you mentioned are already considered spiritual materials for martial artists. How could I possibly have them in my humble medical hall?"

Shi Lan sensed something was amiss. "Are these medicinal herbs very precious?"

"A hundred-year-old Blood Ginseng would cost at least several thousand taels of silver on the market, and it's rarely available. As for what you mentioned, like Golden Sun Grass and Red Star Vine, I'm not very familiar, but I imagine their value would only be higher. These are not things ordinary families can afford."

As he spoke, Du Baisheng couldn't help but look at Shi Lan. Someone asking for herbs like Hundred-Year Blood Ginseng wouldn't be from an ordinary family.

Shi Lan listened, stunned. Recalling the scene of her cultivating with medicinal herbs in the Shi Manor, her chest felt tight.

Several thousand taels of silver might not even be enough to buy it. How much silver had she consumed in one go back then? It wasn't like eating herbs; it was like burning money!

She remembered Shi Feng saying back then that these herbs were no more expensive than radishes. He must have been trying to placate her.

Seeing Shi Lan's troubled expression, Du Baisheng said, "The oldest Blood Ginseng in the medical hall is only thirty years old. Besides Blood Ginseng, we also have Angelica and Astragalus for replenishing blood. If you need them, I can get them for you."

"No need, thank you." Shi Lan shook her head, glancing at Shi Feng lying on the bed with a complex expression. How many favors did she owe...

Since she had eaten at noon, Shi Lan skipped dinner. She only asked Du Yue'er to use the thin tube with the funnel to feed Shi Feng a bowl of thin porridge.

Afterward, they all washed up and went to bed.

Before dawn the next day, Shi Lan got up and left the medical hall, heading to the City Lord's mansion. She had to continue her surveillance.

She didn't wait long before the same two black-armored soldiers emerged again. Besides the wooden box, they were carrying a scroll of Xuan paper.

Shi Lan quickly followed. As they walked, the two soldiers began posting the paper around the city. They were clearly notices.

"Talent Recruitment Order..."

Seeing the three prominent characters at the top of the notice, Shi Lan's spirits lifted. She continued reading.

"The City Lord is preparing to expand his private army and will set up a recruitment platform in front of the City Lord's mansion tomorrow. Those who pass the selection will be rewarded with a hundred gold and can join the City Lord's mansion..."

A crowd soon gathered around the notice. Most people couldn't read and asked a few scholars nearby about the contents. A commotion erupted.

"A hundred gold? Isn't that a thousand taels of silver?! How long would it take to earn that?"

"If you can get into the City Lord's mansion, you won't have to worry about anything in the future."

"The City Lord's mansion is indeed wealthy and powerful."

"Where would a hundred gold be so easy to get? The City Lord's Mansion is recruiting martial artists, what does that have to do with us?"

Shi Lan pondered for a moment. This so-called City Lord's Mansion private army was just a guise for the Demon Suppression Army.

The Demon Suppression Army was definitely recruiting to deal with demonic beasts. It seemed the situation around Shuangyue City was already quite dire...

After a little consideration, Shi Lan didn't follow the two soldiers around the city anymore. Instead, she turned back to the medical clinic. Since the Demon Suppression Army was recruiting, she'd go take a look tomorrow. If she could sneak in, gathering information wouldn't be difficult.

Noon arrived in the blink of an eye. Shi Lan was hungry again, but the prices at the restaurants made her wallet ache.

After considering for a while, Shi Lan walked towards the city gate, thinking of hunting some wild game nearby to fill her stomach.

When she reached the city gate, Shi Lan was stopped.

"Shuangyue City is under lockdown. No entry, only exit," a soldier in a black mask and armor said coldly.

Thanks to Gu Lu for the reward, please vote for recommendations and add to favorites...