Chapter 320 - 165: Post Station
Time slipped quietly by, and soon it was late September.
The blazing sun hanging high in the sky had gradually lost some of its ferocity, its heat becoming more subdued.
Today, however, even that subdued light was gone.
Dark clouds blotted out the sky, and the mountain wind was heavy with moisture. A storm was clearly on its way.
"Brother Jiang, I didn’t see any dilapidated temples or inns in the area."
"I did, however, find a posthouse. It just looks rather old and worn."
A figure in black flashed past, and Li Tianyu appeared before Jiang Ran.
Along their journey, Li Tianyu had gradually adapted to his new way of life.
And Jiang Ran, in turn, had come to appreciate his usefulness.
His eyesight was extraordinary and his Lightweight Technique was superb. Back in Death Town, if it hadn’t been for their encounter with Tang Huayi, the little demoness from the Demon Sect, capturing him would not have been easy.
Even if one managed to get close, he could have easily taken the opportunity to escape.
Jiang Ran nodded slightly and said in a low voice,
"Based on the directions we got earlier, this should be Qiuci Posthouse."
"But I heard this place was abandoned long ago. The new posthouse is still twenty li away."
"Looks like we’ll have a roof over our heads tonight after all, so we won’t have to travel in the rain."
Posthouses, by their very nature, were not open to commoners.
Though Jiang Ran and his companions were all skilled martial artists, they were still considered commoners.
Even though Jiang Ran carried an Assassin’s Order, he wasn’t considered a government official.
Thus, a posthouse would not open its doors to him.
But while an official posthouse wouldn’t welcome them, an abandoned and unmanaged one like this was a different story.
What surprised Jiang Ran was that the posthouse, though abandoned, hadn’t been demolished. That it could offer a resting place for travelers passing through was a great kindness.
About ten days had passed since they left Death Town.
The journey had been utterly peaceful, without a single incident.
There had been no sign of the Blood Saber Hall.
No further word from the Thunderbolt Hall.
Even the Death Building seemed to have vanished without a sound.
’I wonder where that Slow Toxin is now. Has he come, or not?’
Aside from them, there was another power that truly concerned Jiang Ran.
The Celestial Palace.
The Celestial Palace was the one responsible for Shi Pingzhang finding out Jiaowei’s location.
And when news about Jiaowei was later leaked, that organization was undoubtedly behind it.
And yet, on this journey, while all sorts of petty clowns had shown themselves...
...there had been no word from the Celestial Palace.
This left Jiang Ran wondering what their true objective was.
These thoughts ran through his mind, but they didn’t slow his pace.
The group followed the direction Li Tianyu had pointed out and soon arrived at the posthouse.
Just as Jiang Ran had said, the place was indeed Qiuci Posthouse.
The plaque, however, had fallen to the side of the main gate and was covered in dust, a clear sign that it had long been abandoned.
But as Jiang Ran reached out to push the gate, he paused.
He glanced down at his palm, then at the knocker and latch on the gate. After a moment’s thought, he said softly,
"Someone else might be staying here. Everyone, be careful."
The others nodded immediately.
Jiang Ran pushed open the main gate. With a loud CREAK, the silent, desolate courtyard of Qiuci Posthouse appeared before them.
The courtyard was overgrown with weeds, clearly untended for a long time.
However, they could still see the tracks of a carriage that had passed through and stopped in the yard.
Judging by the tracks, they were only a day or two old.
Besides a few horses, Jiang Ran’s group also had a carriage with them.
Man Shengming was suffering from a potent poison, so it was unsuitable for him to travel on horseback.
They had him rest in the carriage instead.
Having opened the main gate, they led the horses and carriage inside.
As Luo Qingyi was helping Man Shengming down from the carriage, he saw Jiang Ran suddenly turn his gaze to the entrance of the main building.
At that moment, a CREAKING sound reached their ears.
The main door then made a grating sound as it slowly opened, just a crack.
An eye appeared in the crack, silently observing their every move.
It was a gloomy, overcast time of day. In a garden of wild grass where no one tread, the door to a decrepit building had cracked open to reveal a single, spying eye.
The combination of these elements was enough to send a chill down anyone’s spine.
Tang Huayi reacted the fastest. Without a second thought, she shot behind Jiang Ran like a startled rabbit.
From behind him, she peeked her head out, looking around nervously.
A glance back revealed that Ruan Yuqing had also taken up her usual spot.
The two of them, one on his left and one on his right, clutched at his sleeves. Jiang Ran couldn’t help but sigh.
"People who know you would realize you’re just scared. Anyone else might think you’re about to sell me out."
"...C-cut the crap. Is it a person or a ghost?"
Tang Huayi’s voice trembled with fear.
Luo Qingyi, however, was a man of direct action. Seeing the situation, he bellowed,
"Who’s back there playing tricks? Show yourself!"
As the words left his mouth, he tapped his foot, his figure flickering several times as he crossed the distance to the building’s entrance in the blink of an eye.
He spread his five fingers and reached out to grab the door.
The owner of the eye inside seemed startled as well and hurriedly tried to slam the door shut.
But it was too late.
With a loud BOOM, Luo Qingyi wrenched the double doors apart.
He then reached inside, grabbed a person by the collar, and with a flick of his wrist, yanked him out, hoisting him overhead with a single arm.
"Who are you? Why are you here? And why were you spying on us?"
Everyone looked over and was taken aback.
The person Luo Qingyi held was at least in his sixties, with a stooped figure and a large hump on his back.