Chapter 124 — A Child
Blade of Dawn · Page 1 of 3
From the Whitewater River wharf in the New Cecil Territory, a hard ride brought them within a day's journey of Tansang Town.
On the final stretch, Gao Cen and his three companions left the main road, using the cover of the woods to approach the stone bridge before Tansang Town, then concealed themselves on the bridge's southern side and watched the town gate across the water.
"Notice anything? The town seems to be under martial law," Pi Yun murmured, his voice low as he gazed at the distant gate. "No travelers on the bridge, an abnormal number of soldiers at the gate, and plenty of boats moored by the wharf at the town's edge—looks like they're all being held there."
The shadows beneath a nearby bush stirred, and Amber's figure emerged from the darkness. "I've been watching the main road for a while now. Didn't see a single caravan or traveler pass. The town's been sealed off for at least two days, I'd say..."
"Seems the town restricted movement right after Gold-Eye格尔's ship left," Gao Yang reasoned. "According to the plan, Byron was to stay in Tansang Town and keep recruiting serfs. He cuts a conspicuous figure—once the lockdown came, he'd have had a hard time slipping away. No wonder no word has come back."
Amber had to jinx it: "He hasn't gotten himself in trouble already, has he?"
Gao Yang shook his head. "From the look of the gate, the town's only restricting movement—order inside is still normal. Byron's a mercenary by trade, slippery as they come. He wouldn't trip up in a situation like this."
"Ahem, the question is how we get in," Pi Yun cleared his throat. "Tansang Town has rivers on two sides and mountains at its back. The only entrances are the stone bridge and the gate on the town's front—are we supposed to swagger in right under the soldiers' noses?"
Even someone as upright as Sir Philip couldn't help shaking his head. "We don't know the situation inside. If the cultists have already taken control of Viscount Andrew, showing ourselves will only put those criminals on their guard."
As it turned out, this young knight was merely stiff and upright—not stupid.
Gao Yi narrowed his eyes slightly, and a high-resolution satellite image instantly took shape in his mind.
"There's a road from the Tansang mines that loops around the town's eastern side to the rear, and it leads straight up to the castle district," Gao Yang said, opening his eyes. "But crossing the river is still a problem. This bridge is... who's there?!"
Gao Yang suddenly sensed a weak, furtive presence stirring nearby. He whipped his head toward it and shouted, and only after he spoke did Amber belatedly notice the "discordant shadow" in the rippling darkness around them. She drew two daggers and spun them in a flourish before her. "Come out! We've spotted you!"
A deathly silence fell over the dense woods. But a moment later, the bushes beneath one of the trees rustled twice, and a small, dirty, tangled head popped out from behind them. It was a little boy, his head crowned with dry, matted yellow hair that looked like it hadn't been cut in years, dressed in a short-sleeved, short-legged suit of coarse hemp stitched all over with patches and riddled with holes. A typical pauper—years of malnutrition had left him sallow and scrawny, his growth stunted. But there was one thing on his face: a pair of bright eyes, carrying a liveliness and light that no adult of his class possessed.
Yet those big eyes were now veiled in a faint mist, brimming with terror. He stood frozen, half-risen from the bushes, his body trembling slightly, as though he had even forgotten to run.