Ultimate Path to Heaven

Chapter 45 Drunken Immortal Pavilion

In the heart of this street stands a three-story restaurant with a vermilion-lacquered entrance and a golden plaque hanging high – Zuixianlou!

The Tongzhou Grain Store happened to be diagonally opposite this restaurant, but since this restaurant was the one Lin Yan had mentioned, and it was noon, Xiao Jin and his group decided to go to Zuixianlou first.

Stepping into the restaurant, one finds it bustling with noise, a mix of casual diners and wandering swordsmen. Waiters, carrying gleaming wooden trays, nimbly weave between the square tables, a stark contrast to the small-town taverns.

After exchanging a few words with the waiter, Qin Huang took Lin Miao to see the manager, seemingly quite familiar with the restaurant.

The remaining three, including Xiao Jin, went to the third floor under the guidance of the waiter.

Ascending the carved wooden staircase, the second-floor private rooms were much quieter, but the secluded screens gave Xiao Jin a slightly oppressive feeling. Reaching the third floor, the view suddenly opened up, with windows on all sides... pedestrians on the main street and even the distant city walls were all within sight.

"Hmm?" With such a wide view in this location, Xiao Jin instinctively thought of the Eighth Prince Chu Xiong: "Is this the only way out of the city lord's mansion?" After sitting down by the window facing the street, Xiao Jin immediately asked Ye Bufan.

Upon hearing this question out of the blue, Ye Bufan naturally sensed the Eighth Prince's suspicion, but it was inconvenient to ask further at the moment, so he replied casually, "It depends on who from the City Lord's Mansion left the city and where they went."

Each prefecture city has four gates: east, south, west, and north. Xiao Jin and his group entered the Drunken Immortal Pavilion through the south gate. However, if they were to travel to the Northern Region, they would have to exit through the north gate.

Seeing Ye Bufan's response, Xiao Jin simply asked directly, "If the Eighth Prince is going to the Northern Region, will he pass by this Drunken Immortal Pavilion?"

Immediately after entering the city, a secret guard sent word that the Eighth Prince, Chu Xiong, had not yet left the city, which reassured Xiao Jin somewhat. However, he couldn't very well go directly to the city lord's mansion...

"This..." Ye Bufan didn't know what Xiao Jin meant, but after a moment's hesitation, he replied, "If nothing unexpected happens, we will most likely pass by this Drunken Immortal Pavilion."

Before Xiao Jin could react, Li Mian, who had been sitting quietly listening, suddenly interrupted and asked Xiao Jin, "Young Master, do you perhaps intend to..." As he spoke, Li Mian made a throat-slitting gesture.

"Nonsense!" After glaring at Li Mian, Ye Bufan subconsciously glanced around...

The third floor here is neither a private room nor a screen partition. Although all the tables are in front of the window and there is a certain distance between them, it is basically full. There are many people who are unaware of the "depth" of the situation.

Xiao Jin knew the meaning behind Li Mian's action and wanted to do the same, but he had no clue or confidence at the moment, so it would be inappropriate to act rashly.

Feeling somewhat relieved, Ye Bufan withdrew his gaze: "If the Eighth Prince could turn the tide, then even without Miss and Young Master, we would never have waited until today!"

"..."

Li Mian, who had just gotten into the swing of things, immediately deflated and had nothing to say.

If the Eighth Prince is not "Chu Xiong", Xiao Jin would agree with what Ye Bufan said, but... what if it really is just a coincidence!

"Damn it!" There were some things he couldn't say to Ye Bufan, and he couldn't think of a way to do it. Xiao Jin became increasingly agitated and lost his appetite for the delicious food and wine on the table.

In the awkward silence that followed, a young man who had somehow arrived on the third floor walked straight to Ye Bufan's side, whispered something in his ear, and then left.

As the man left, Ye Bufan glanced at his table again, finally returning his gaze to Xiao Jin: "I hope that Young Master will prioritize the overall situation during this trip to Huizhou."

"Oh?" Xiao Jin understood the deeper meaning in Ye Bufan's words, and recalling what his mother had said... he forced himself to calm down. "It will be so!"

"Very well, regardless of whether that Eighth Prince is truly 'Chu Xiong,' it seems we cannot rush things now; we must proceed with a long-term plan."

Having received a response and seeing that Xiao Jin's emotions had calmed down as he started eating, Ye Bufan glanced at the next table and cautiously said, "The Eighth Prince, who came out of the City Lord's Mansion, is currently heading in the direction of Zuixianlou..."

Xiao Jin paused, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, which vanished instantly before he continued eating—it was a pain in the ass!

"Damn it!" Just as he was about to start planning, they were about to pass by the Drunken Immortal Pavilion. Xiao Jin felt increasingly annoyed, hoping that the Eighth Prince was traveling on horseback.

Li Mian, on the other hand, ate heartily, completely ignoring Ye Bufan's words, and had probably given up the idea of ​​taking action.

Ye Bufan, who was about to speak again, looked up at the next table but chose to remain silent. As he picked up his chopsticks, a hint of worry appeared between his brows.

At the next table, about five meters away, three women and two men kept glancing out the window, their expressions showing signs of tension.

The two men were burly and had a similar imposing presence to Gou Erchui, while even the woman had a large frame, a stark contrast to Lin Miao, making them seem out of place among ordinary people.

The woman sitting in the seat was about the same age as Xiao Jin, but her extraordinary temperament set her apart from the other four. Ye Bufan glanced at her frequently, and his expression seemed to indicate that he recognized her.

Xiao Jinshun and Ye Bufan also glanced at the five people, but they were preoccupied and didn't pay much attention. At the moment, they were frequently looking out the window and mechanically feeding each other with chopsticks. Ye Bufan's eyes showed increasing worry.

Sometime later, about a mile to the southwest of where Xiao Jin was, the heavy sound of hooves rolled across the sky like muffled thunder, and passersby stopped and craned their necks to look.

A moment later, a group of black-armored cavalrymen turned out from the street corner and came into Xiao Jin's view... Horseshoes struck the bluestone pavement, sparks flew, and the knights' faces were hidden in the shadow of their beast-faced helmets, but their eyes were like lightning, scanning the terrified crowd.

The crowd dispersed like a receding tide, and the peddler hurriedly packed up his load. The woman pulled the children who had been watching the commotion back to her side...

The once bustling city suddenly fell silent, leaving only the clanging of armor and the clatter of horses' hooves!

After the cavalry passed, a black lacquered carriage with gold patterns slowly came into Xiao Jin's view... Bright yellow crepe gauze hung from the carriage windows, and only the figure of a person sitting inside could be vaguely seen.

The carriage was flanked by cavalry guards. These knights wore even finer armor, their breastplates gleaming like the full moon, and their crimson cloaks fluttered in the wind. They watched every corner warily, as if they might draw their swords at any moment.

"Damn it!" Just what I feared most has come to pass. Now, not only is it impossible to determine whether Chu Xiong is "real" or not, but even whether he is the Eighth Prince is unknown. Xiao Jin really needs to think things through carefully. It's just a pain to travel through the night.

After shaking his head helplessly, Xiao Jin simply stopped looking at the food and began to savor the seemingly delicious dishes, which put Ye Bufan at ease.

But the atmosphere at the next table grew increasingly tense, the two men's lips trembling as if awaiting the woman's command...

At this moment, Qin Huan led Lin Miao to the third floor, presumably having met with the manager and everything was settled.

Lin Miao strode to the table, put her hands on her hips, looked at the dishes on the table, and pouted unhappily, as if questioning why Xiao Jin and the other two did not wait for her to eat together.

Just as Qin Shen was about to say something, a sudden shout came from outside the window—"Die, you traitor Chu!"