A Shocking Dream

Chapter 166

The two stood there, enjoying the quiet moment in the courtyard. Time seemed to condense into a clear spring, flowing slowly and without ripples. Only the occasional falling locust leaves, swirling in the air like light butterflies, added a touch of spirit to the quiet scene.

Like a nimble little deer, Wanwan bounded into the inn's room. Her usually cheerful face was now filled with panic and anxiety, and she didn't even notice the fruits and vegetables she was holding falling. She strode over to Lin Wunian, her chest still heaving from the rush. She gasped for breath and said anxiously, "Sister, I just saw a wanted poster with a portrait that looks just like you on the street!"

Lin Wunian was sitting by the window, carefully wiping her sharp dagger in the sunlight. Hearing this, her hand trembled violently, and the cold dagger almost cut her fingertips. She stood up suddenly, her expression solemn, her eyes like a deep pool in the cold night, instantly surging with turbulent waves, but she tried her best to suppress her emotions, and asked in a low voice: "Can you see clearly? Are you sure it looks like me?" Although her voice was steady, it had some imperceptible vibrato, like a string that was stretched to the extreme, which would break if it was plucked slightly.

Kanan nodded repeatedly, her face flushed, her eyes filled with worry. "It's absolutely true, sister! Although the person in the portrait has a slightly messy hair and a stern expression, the eyebrows, eyes, and features are exactly like you. I can't be mistaken. The people on the street are gathered there, talking about it, saying that it's some serious criminal of the imperial court, and there's a huge reward for their capture."

Kanan looked at Lin Wunian, her eyes reddened, and she stamped her feet anxiously: "Sister, we can't just sit there and wait for death. Why don't we pack our bags immediately and leave here, and go to a farther and more secluded place where they can't find us." As she spoke, she hurriedly ran to tidy up the clutter on the table and stuffed it into her bag in a hurry. She looked like a frightened little rabbit who just wanted to find a safe cave to hide in.

Lin Wunian raised her hand to stop him, her eyes calm, revealing the composure of someone who has experienced many hardships: "Wait, Kankan. If you flee rashly now, you will only appear guilty, and you will attract attention on the road, and fall into their trap. Let's first find out the scope of this wanted order and who issued it. Find out the details and then make plans." As she spoke, she walked to the window, gently pulled aside a corner of the curtain, and looked at the bustling crowd on the street. In the seemingly ordinary city life, there were countless pairs of surveillance eyes lurking.

"Sister, you have a point, but I'm afraid this inn is not safe anymore. What if someone recognizes you..." Kanan was worried. She stopped what she was doing and looked around the house, as if looking for support to resist danger.

Lin Wunian curled up the corner of her mouth into a sneer: "It doesn't matter. There are so many people in the inn, which is beneficial for us to hide our whereabouts. Tonight, I will disguise myself and go out to find my old subordinates to inquire about the news. You stay in the room, close the doors and windows, and don't open the door no matter who knocks, unless you hear my signal." She turned around, took out a box of disguise from the secret compartment at the head of the bed, and skillfully mixed it. In a moment, the originally cold and beautiful face was transformed into an ordinary, slightly vicissitudes of life face of a city woman under her skillful manipulation. With the coarse cloth clothes, no one could recognize that she was the wanted mysterious woman.

Although Kanan was still full of worries, she nodded obediently: "Sister, please be careful. I'll be waiting for you in the room. You must come back safely." She walked to Lin Wunian and helped to tidy up his clothes. Her eyes were full of attachment and reluctance, as if she was afraid that this would be a farewell forever.

Lin Wunian gently stroked Kankan's hair and smiled softly. That smile was comforting, but also full of determination to face death: "Don't worry, sister is blessed with a long life. She has seen all kinds of storms. She will definitely return safely, and will bring back a solution to this predicament." After she finished speaking, she took a deep breath, turned around and quietly went out, blending into the streets where dusk was gradually deepening, her figure gradually moving away under the dim light.

At dusk, the setting sun shone like blood, tinting the streets of the small border town with a dim yellow. The clamor of the market had gradually subsided, but at the city gate, an unusual crowd had gathered, bustling and whispering like a swarm of buzzing bees, shattering the usual tranquility at this time of year.

Lin Wunian was dressed in coarse cloth, moving around the edge of the crowd and squeezing through several layers of human walls. Her eyes were suddenly fixed on the wanted notice posted on the city wall with fresh ink. Her heart suddenly shrank, as if it was being gripped by an invisible big hand.

"It turns out that she was wanted by the government after she rescued the woman in white that night." She murmured to herself, her thoughts drifting back to that dark and windy night.

Now, looking at the wanted poster, she knew she was in deep trouble. With the official notice already posted, they'd surely be deploying spies everywhere, scrutinizing passersby. While this conical hat might temporarily conceal her identity, now that it was there, someone with ulterior motives might remember its style and color, and using it again would be a trap. "It looks like this conical hat is no longer usable. I need to buy a new one." She gritted her teeth, squeezed out of the crowd, and hurried toward the market, her eyes scanning the surroundings from beneath the hat, not missing a single movement.

In the market, vendors were packing up their stalls, their calls sparse. Lin Wunian found a small stall selling rain gear and sundries. The stall owner was a thin old man, humming a little tune while sorting out the goods. "Boss, get me a new bamboo hat. It needs to be thick and ordinary." She deliberately lowered her voice, pretending to be hoarse and rough. The old man looked up at her, slowly stood up, and searched the shelves. "Girl, our bamboo hats are all good products. They can protect you from wind and rain. It's just late today, so I'll sell them to you at a low price." As he said this, he handed over a dark gray bamboo hat. The material was rough, but the advantage was its low-key and ordinary style.

Lin Wunian took the money and was about to turn when she caught a glimpse of a figure flashing past the second floor of the teahouse across the street. It looked remarkably like a constable from the yamen. Startled, she quickly put on her new bamboo hat, lowered her body, and feigned a calm demeanor as she blended into the crowd, scurrying towards the inn. Along the way, she deliberately took several detours down alleys and through the back doors of several shops. Once she was sure no one was following her, she quietly returned to the inn.

The dusk, like inky black, slowly seeped through the inn's old carved windows. Inside, the candlelight flickered, its shadows swaying on the walls like restless ghosts. Lin Wunian hurried through the door, carrying the chill from outside with her. After fastening the latch, she slowly removed her bamboo hat, letting her dark hair fall freely over her shoulders. A few strands, damp with sweat, clung to her slightly pale cheeks, accentuating her expression with even greater solemnity.

Wanwan jumped up from the bed like a frightened rabbit. Only when she saw that it was her did she breathe a sigh of relief: "Sister, you're finally back. I was worried about you. What's the situation outside?"