Liu Bei POV

“That is…” I really had nothing to say in response as what Zi Long said was true after all.

“And I don’t think that I’m the only one who feels this way here.” Zi Long shook her head as she pointed at everyone, “None of us know Lord Xu Shu’s aims and reasons for joining us after all nor has she ever discussed such things with us.”

Indeed, even I do not know why Yuan Zhi chose to join me. All I know is that, she is Xu Shu, I am Liu Bei, and that is why she has chosen to join me. A very simple reason that does not help to explain anything whatsoever.

I looked at everyone in the room and saw that everyone had troubled and brooding expressions on which means that it was indeed as Zi Long said. Clearly, the reason that she gave me will not convince anyone. h.e.l.l, even I am not convinced.

“Though my saying this may not be convincing, but I feel that benefactor has a reason for doing what she has done.” Just then, Huang Zu spoke up as she sat upright with a frown, “The relations.h.i.+p I have with benefactor is not particularly deep but I do know that she is no ordinary individual or a spy from another faction so I hope that everyone can give her some time to explain and prove herself.”

“30,000.”

Un? A voice came out all of a sudden and when I recognised what it said, my heart skipped a beat.

“Un? Chen Gong, what did you say? What’s that about 30,000?” Zhou Cang asked.

I looked at Chen Gong and saw her shoot a glance at me before turning away quickly. Chen Gong must have heard what Yuan Zhi said back then. No matter what, those words would definitely arouse suspicion. And if Chen Gong were to talk about it now, the entire main hall would explode.

“It’s nothing, I was just talking to myself.” However, Chen Gong did not do so and merely lowered her head and continued eating, “In any case, let’s have Xuan De decide for now.”

I heaved a sigh of relief when Chen Gong finished. But Chen Gong’s words served as good reminder, I absolutely must clarify this with Yuan Zhi when I meet her. But where is she now?

Right now, the atmosphere in the main hall has not shown any signs of improvement and everyone, including me, more or less suspects Yuan Zhi after what Zi Long said. But rather than suspect, I would say that I have some doubts about her that I would very much like to clarify with her. This pertains to not just the oddities in her speech, but also her reason for joining me.

There were still several people who remained in the hall after the meeting ended as they had not yet finished breakfast but I got up and left anyway. When I turned to look, I saw that everyone else who left the main hall, apart from those who were headed to the encampment or the magistrate’s office, all peered into Yuan Zhi’s room like I did this morning. They all had different expressions on as they did so but none of them were good.

I too felt uncomfortable and troubled when I saw their expressions and decided to leave the mansion instead of returning to my room to try and find Yuan Zhi. This time, I must clarify everything, including the doubts I had before and the questions that arose from today’s meeting. I know my EQ is rather low so it’s best that I ask thoroughly until I get a complete picture from her. As I thought so, I stepped out onto the streets with wide strides and put on my gra.s.s circlet.

Today must be one of the monthly market day since there are so many stalls about. Even though we are now at war, life still has to go on. A small city like this cannot produce everything it needs and just like

in Hulao Pa.s.s, there is a certain time every month where travelling merchants will pa.s.s through the city and sell their wares. Though it’s said that there are no altruistic merchants, the people of this era seem to be more honest in their dealings. I guess it’s because everyone here is just trying to get enough to eat after all.

Though there’s a war going on, there seems to be a lot more people on the streets. that said, the stalls that are open seem to be mostly selling essentials like food and other ingredients. Merchants selling toys, curios and the like were few. Huang Zu probably kept most of them out.

I casually looked about as I searched for Yuan Zhi. Though there were many people about, most of them were wearing brown or grey so a white-robed woman would be easy to spot. Or so I thought but it was more difficult than I thought. No matter how small the sea is, it’s still a sea; no matter how big the needle is, it’s still a needle; is what I keenly felt as I continued to search for her. After going through several streets and alleys, to the point where I was losing track of where I had been through, I still did not catch a glimpse of Yuan Zhi.

At the same time, I do not even know if Yuan Zhi has thought through things, if she is ready to see us and if she is able to answer the questions I have for her. If she wants to, she can easily avoid me after all, especially given how easy it is to spot me by my gra.s.s circlet.

Haa~ What the heck am I doing~

Naturally, I attracted attention wherever I went and after a while, I really could not take it any longer and sat down by the kerb, feeling extremely tired both physically and mentally. Come on people, this is just a barbarian helmet, what is there to be so surprised about?

I felt angry but at the same time felt that this anger was misplaced and sighed as I felt in my pocket for Yuan Zhi’s bandana. Now that I think about it, Yuan Zhi is really weird to be bringing this with her all the time. She’s always wearing white robes yet she wears a red bandana like this which obscures her beautiful face.

… Un? As I rolled the bandana in my hands, I began to find something odd about it. Firstly, it could not be opened as it was sewn together. Secondly, it seems like red was not its original colour. I never noticed this but now that I am looking at it from up close, I can tell that it was dyed red later on.

*Sniff* *Sniff*

I brough my nose to it and sniffed it. It smelled like familiar but at the same time, it also seemed unfamiliar. The smell was rather weak actually but it definitely was not the scent of flowers and the like. It feels like there is a faint smell of iron…

Eh?! I-is this– Blood?

When I realised what it was, I instinctively put distance between it and my face. When I finally recovered from my shock, I realised that I was quite shaken by what I had learnt and had been staring at the bandana for a while.

Soon, various questions sprang forth. Why? Why is Yuan Zhi carrying this sort of bandana around? And whose blood is it?

Before I could deal with the existing questions, new ones were added. Though they are not related, I realised that I do not actually understand Yuan Zhi even though I thought I did. Yuan Zhi has not told us far too much and discomfort began to fill my heart once more as I realised this.

And just like that, I continued to sit there and ponder about this for a while until I realised that the glances that pa.s.sers-by sent me had gotten worse. I cannot blame them, a man with a weird hat looking at a weird red bandana the whole time without doing anything is indeed very weird.

Hai… I sighed and hesitated for a moment before returning the bandana to my pocket and got up, “No matter what, let’s find Yuan Zhi before doing anything else.”

Where could she have gone? I scoured the streets for quite a while just now but did not see any sign of her. Now that I think about it, she is not the sort who will walk around randomly. She is the sort who will stay at some place and do something…

If I continue down this train of thought… Apart from swordsmans.h.i.+p, and strategies, what else does she do in her free time…

Ah! Could it be!

A very likely possibility sprang to mind all of a sudden and I began moving even before the train of though had completed a smooth journey to its answer.

If my guess is right… Yuan Zhi should be selling sugar water in the market!

I began hurrying toward the south of the city which was the designated area for the market day. Chen Gong said that area would eventually be used to house troops so today is probably the last day for the market to be open. If Yuan Zhi wants to do something she likes, then it is very possible that she is there.

At the very least, it’s a likely possibility.