Chapter 730: Star Keeper
Zhang Yuelu understood clearly that the jade bracelet, now revealed in its true form, was the key that placed her squarely within someone’s line of sight.
Since the Ziguang Society had already taken the initiative to appear, it saved Zhang Yuelu the effort to seek them out. She got up, paid the bill, and walked into the snowstorm under many surprised gazes.
For a Heavenly Being, 15 kilometers was truly nothing, so Zhang Yuelu arrived in the blink of an eye.
This was a small town, not enclosed by walls or forts, because there was no need. Ordinary bandits would not dare stir up trouble near the Imperial Capital. If someone could actually march an army to the capital’s gates, this little town would not make any difference. So there were no city walls or checkpoints. It blended naturally with the surroundings. Since it was close to the main road, it was usually lively, with not only the door-half-open establishments Xuanji had mentioned but also with taverns, teahouses, inns, and various shops.
Zhang Yuelu entered the town and looked around. Due to the heavy snow, there was not a soul in sight. She had no choice but to step into a teahouse.
Perhaps due to its proximity to the Imperial Capital, the locals were well-informed and immediately recognized the origin of her cloak, so they looked at Zhang Yuelu with a hint of reverence.
Zhang Yuelu beckoned the shopkeeper and handed him one Taiping coin before asking, “Where’s the local door-half-open establishment?”
The shopkeeper was slightly startled at hearing a woman’s voice. But then again, a male Daoist would not seek out these kinds of low-end brothels for pleasure either, so gender made no difference. This female Daoist was likely here to enforce the law. He had heard that there had been a crackdown on brothels in the Imperial Capital. Had the cleanup now extended even to small places like this?
If he pointed the way, that would just harm the neighbor’s business. This was a small town with familiar faces everywhere, so he could not afford to be the bad guy. But this Daoist was not someone he could afford to offend either.
Just as the shopkeeper was having an internal dilemma, Zhang Yuelu saw through his difficulty and explained, “I’m here to find someone. It’s unrelated to official business.”
The shopkeeper finally relaxed slightly and said, “Head north when you leave. After you see a big poplar tree, turn right down an alley. The establishment is the one at the very end.”