Chapter 1180: Chapter 1016: The Old Beggar

"What are you doing? Get out of the way!" A government officer saw a beggar, dressed in rags and reeking, approaching them as if to beg. He quickly stepped forward to scold the beggar, thinking he mustn’t let this unseeing person offend Mr. Gu.

Gu Chengyu heard the commotion and looked over, seeing a government officer berating an elderly beggar repeatedly, even shoving him twice.

The beggar seemed to have no strength left. After being shoved, he stumbled and almost fell to the ground.

"Stop!" Gu Chengyu quickly stopped him. This beggar was old; a command to leave would suffice, but shoving was not appropriate.

The old beggar staggered and fell to the ground, terrified of the government officer. Trembling all over, he looked towards Gu Chengyu who had stopped the officer.

Gu Chengyu also looked over at him, seeing his head full of silver hair. His face was obscured by messy strands, making it hard to see clearly.

But those bright eyes made Gu Chengyu suddenly suspicious.

He pondered for a moment, then stepped toward the old beggar.

"Old sir, are you alright?" Gu Chengyu spoke as he stepped forward to help the old beggar up.

"Master, how dare we trouble you? Let me do it!" The nearby government officer felt embarrassed seeing Gu Chengyu personally helping the beggar.

Earlier, he saw the old beggar almost bump into Gu Chengyu and had stepped forward to shove the beggar to prevent it. He meant well, as officials typically pride themselves on their dignity.

If he were blamed, the beggar would surely be punished. So he used force to shove him aside to avoid displeasing Mr. Gu.

Who knew the old beggar was so weak that he fell to the ground with one shove? Now, Gu had shown such kindness that the officer was made out to be the villain.

Gu Chengyu grabbed the old beggar’s arm, and as soon as he exerted force, he felt the arm beneath his palm was as hard as iron, with a strong and vigorous pulse. His eyes narrowed instantly.

The old beggar intended to avoid Gu Chengyu’s outstretched hand but unfortunately, Gu Chengyu moved too quickly. Before he could pull away, he was grabbed by Gu Chengyu. He knew Gu Chengyu had seen through his plan; if he didn’t act now, when would he?

The old beggar’s eyes flashed fiercely, his right hand flipped, and a dagger appeared in his palm.

Gu Chengyu only saw a silver flash before his eyes. He quickly kicked away the officer beside him. With one hand, he twisted the old beggar’s arm forward, and a snap echoed beside him.

The old beggar grunted, his right wrist collided with his left arm, and the dagger in his hand fell to the ground.

His left arm was not broken by Gu Chengyu’s twist, yet the skin was cut by the dagger, instantly dripping with blood.

The old beggar, seeing his plan exposed, ignored his left hand’s injury. His wrist flipped, and he pulled a silver needle from his sleeve, thrusting it toward Gu Chengyu’s face.

Gu Chengyu snorted coldly, dodged, and kicked the old beggar in the chest.

The needle was extremely thin, resembling acupuncture needles used by doctors. But its tip glinted with black under the sunlight, which Gu Chengyu knew was due to poison.

The old beggar immediately spat blood, revealing how powerful that kick from Gu Chengyu was.

Though it sounds lengthy, this series of actions all happened in a flash. Ming Yan noticed the disturbance and quickly drew his sword, sprinting forward.

The government officer beside him was shocked by the scene and frozen in place. By the time he came to his senses, the old beggar had already been kicked to the ground by Gu Chengyu.

"Quick! Quickly, someone has attacked the master!"

Gu Chengyu stepped forward and dislocated the old beggar’s jaw, kicking the dagger and silver needle aside before ordering someone to tie him up.

Just now, Gu Chengyu’s kick had knocked him unconscious, so there was no fear of him escaping.

Once bound, he stepped forward, grabbed the man’s hair, and examined him closely. "Zhou Yuancong?"

...

Heavy snowflakes swirled like fluttering reeds, drifting and falling, claiming everywhere as their domain.

The scene was a vast world cloaked in white, yet a convoy hurried through the blizzard.

"Master! Up ahead is Yuhe Pass!" A man in a straw raincoat rubbed his frozen hands, too numb to feel, but dared not release the reins.

Inside the carriage was a basin of charcoal burning, but the wind occasionally sneaked in through the hanging curtain.

Yin Kun coughed once, "Although we’re near, don’t be careless. Proceed slower and steady."

The carriage driver quickly agreed, carefully urging the horses as they approached the imposing city tower ahead.

Yin Kun arrived at Fengqing Prefecture five days ago, meeting the local magistrate and other officials who insisted he stay for two days. Due to their hospitality and his intent to gather information on the border, he stayed three days.

Unexpectedly, the climate was harsh, far more bitter than the Capital. When he set off two days ago, snow began to fall heavily.

Traveling by carriage, he had caught a cold.

He remembered the carriage Gu Chengyu had sent, built with wooden doors, spacious and comfortably arranged inside.

Regrettably, he found it too conspicuous and left it in the Capital. Now recalling it, his junior brother certainly had foresight!

"Cough, cough!" As he set out, unaware of events in the Capital, not knowing how long before he could return.

With the border so far from the Capital, Yin Kun remained unaware of the Emperor’s demise. Even the funeral notice would take considerable time to reach the border.

He intended to visit Prince Jing while passing through Fengqing Prefecture, but was told by the staff Prince Jing’s old illness had relapsed, making it inconvenient to meet. Whether this was true or merely a refusal remained unclear.

Recalling the news he’d gathered in Fengqing Prefecture, Yin Kun’s expression darkened. If what the officials said was true, his trip to the border would be fraught with danger.

"Master! We’ve reached the tower!" The man turned and said in a muffled voice.

Sitting next to him, a thin young boy breathed a sigh of relief seeing the tower ahead. He and several from the Ding Generation were sent by their master to escort Lord Yin to the border.

Once Lord Yin reached the border safely, their mission was halfway complete.

However, correspondence from the Capital had been lacking these past two days; Lord Yin was unaware of court affairs, making actions inevitably constrained.

"Halt, who are you?" Soldiers guarding the tower approached, asking as they saw the horse team arriving.

"My master is the imperial envoy sent by the court, with a token here. How dare you act rashly?" The man raised the gold medal in his hand, showing it to the soldiers.

One junior officer, realizing someone held a token wanting entry, quickly pushed the soldier beside him and shouted, "Go report to the General, tell him Lord Imperial Envoy has arrived!"

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