Transmigrated Into A Novel As A Scumbag Princess’ Consort - Chapter 29

29:

It turned out that what they held in their hands were magnets, capable of finding iron filings scattered in the crevices of stones at every fork in the road.

Meanwhile, in the exile convoy, traveling along the mountain path meant everyone stayed close together, leaving Yun Chi and Ye Xuejin no chance to eat.

As for the others, they simply had nothing to eat at all.

Without timely energy replenishment, walking all day further depleted their stamina.

As dusk approached, the group gazed at the endless stretch of forest ahead, their hearts sinking.

They wouldn’t make it out!

Tonight, they’d have to endure again!

Just as the sky began to darken, Yu Lu shouted at a fork in the road, “Xiao Gao, distribute the dry wood you’ve prepared. Once it’s dark, light the torches.”

The group halted in unison. Were they planning to travel through the night? Was there no end to this suffering?

“A few more hours, and there’s a village ahead where we can rest. Don’t just stand there, move!” Yu Lu called out again, spurring some energy back into the group.

Shiniang glanced at the sky. Taking advantage of the fading light, she leapt onto a tree and looked back toward the mountain’s base, sniffing the air.

Human eyesight was limited, especially in the dim evening light of the forest, where visibility was even shorter.

The mountains were colder than winter, with birds and beasts hiding away, making it eerily quiet. Beyond a few dozen meters, it was hard to discern anything.

Her confidence stemmed from the mountain’s daytime valley winds, which hadn’t yet shifted direction even as evening approached, still blowing upward.

Her sense of smell, far sharper than most, was her strength.

Shiniang sniffed again, her brows furrowing slightly. Something felt off.

Her gaze darkened. As the group distributed the dry wood and moved forward, she stayed perched in the tree, silently watching the left fork in the road.

About a quarter of an hour later, a group of masked figures appeared, pausing at the fork. They pulled out objects from their pockets and began crouching to examine the ground.

Shiniang’s expression shifted abruptly. While the masked figures were still determining their direction, she carefully leapt to a neighboring tree, repeating the maneuver several times before descending and sprinting off.

By now, the sky had nearly darkened. When she caught up with the exile convoy, she heard Yu Lu instructing, “Pass the flint around and light the torches.”

Shiniang rushed forward, lowering her voice just enough. “Don’t light them.”

Yu Lu froze, his expression changing.

Back at the fork, he’d noticed Shiniang climbing the tree. Now, seeing her breathless and alarmed, it was clear something had happened behind them.

Catching her breath, Shiniang quickly recounted her discovery of the masked figures.

“…They’re all masked and carrying knives. They’re no friends.” As she spoke, she didn’t hide her words from the group, deliberately scanning everyone’s expressions.

Though she didn’t know how the masked figures had tracked them so precisely, there was undoubtedly a traitor in the convoy leaving markers.

The group was stunned, turning to look behind them, faces filled with panic.

No one showed anything unusual.

Yu Lu remained calm. “How many did you see, and how long until they catch up?”

“Over twenty men. If they pick the right path, about half an hour,” Shiniang replied.

Compared to the convoy, which included the old and weak, most of whom were exhausted, the masked figures were all able-bodied men with far better stamina, moving at nearly twice their speed.

Even if the convoy didn’t stop, the masked figures would catch up in half an hour at most.

Yu Lu scanned their surroundings and made a swift decision. “Everyone, silence. Follow me.”

Abandoning the mountain path, he slid partway down the slope, drew his knife, and began hacking through branches while carefully descending.

The group didn’t dare make a sound, following closely behind.

Shiniang’s heart was heavy. This might temporarily evade the masked figures, but it was only a matter of time. Come dawn—or even before—if the masked figures couldn’t find the traitor’s markers at the next fork, they might double back.

With so many people, the traces they left, including the broken branches, could be spotted by a careful observer, even at night.

Worse, the masked figures would likely use torches, making their trail easier to find.

Ahead, Yu Lu kept swinging his knife, his face and arms scratched by branches, nearly poking his eyes several times. Yet he didn’t dare light a torch or stop.

The prisoners, too, bore scratches but stifled their pain, knowing what was at stake.

By the latter half of the night, they finally reached another mountain path. Exhausted, Yu Lu let everyone rest briefly.

Seeing no movement behind them, Shiniang knew they’d escaped for now. She approached Yu Lu, glanced at the group sprawled on the ground, and whispered, “There’s a traitor in the convoy…”

She then detailed how the masked figures were searching for markers at the fork.

Yu Lu’s eyes widened, and he scanned the group.

Forcing himself to stay calm, he carefully recalled everything that had happened since arriving in Zhenshan County.

After a moment, he turned to Shiniang. “Bring your people.” Then, he looked at the six officers. “You too.”

After entering the city, they’d spent less than a day at the relay station. The prisoners were either under his watch or in their rooms.

The only ones who could’ve had private contact with County Magistrate Cai’s men were those who went out to buy supplies.

Shiniang instantly understood Yu Lu’s intent but didn’t think the issue lay with the women, as they’d always stayed together, never acting alone.

“Follow me,” she said, pausing to look at Yun Chi. “You too.”

Yun Chi walked over, confused. Noticing that those called out were the ones who’d left the relay station to buy supplies, she began to suspect something. Was there a problem among them?

Ye Xuejin frowned slightly, quickly piecing it together.

She wasn’t the only one. Old Censor Zhou and those called out also understood.

After all, they weren’t fools. Though heading south was a single direction, the mountain paths were complex with many forks. For the masked figures to catch up so quickly, someone was clearly guiding them.

Under everyone’s scrutiny, Yu Lu directly ordered the six officers, “Take out everything you’re carrying.”

Shiniang followed suit with her group.

The young women set down their bundles, while Yun Chi removed the water pouch from her waist.

The officers also set down their water pouches and empty bundles, keeping only their knives.

Yu Lu and Shiniang exchanged a glance, inspecting the items. They found nothing.

“Search their belongings,” Yu Lu said coldly, starting with the officers. He even checked their knives, inspecting each one before returning it.

Shiniang conscientiously searched the young women, finding nothing as well.

At this, Zeng Laosan grumbled, “Sir, what are you trying to do? At least give us a clear explanation. Don’t waste time, what if we get caught?”

Yu Lu shot him a look but didn’t respond, asking sternly, “In Zhenshan County, when you went out to buy supplies, did anyone act alone?”

“We were always together,” Shiniang answered first.

The officers exchanged glances but remained silent.

Yu Lu’s heart sank. “Xiao Gao, you speak.”

Xiao Gao looked at him nervously. “Sir, we… we split up.”

“Why? Who was involved?”

Xiao Gao lowered his eyes, looking embarrassed.

“Speak!” Yu Lu barked, pointing at him.

“I’ll talk, I’ll talk!” Xiao Gao flinched, spilling everything like beans from a bamboo tube. “It’s rare for us to get a break, so we went to Chunyi House to… unwind. That’s when we split up.”

Yu Lu blinked, not immediately processing. “Chunyi House?”

“It’s… a brothel.”

Yu Lu’s face darkened instantly. No wonder Shiniang’s group, which left later, returned to the relay station before the officers who left earlier.

Clearly, County Magistrate Cai’s men had made contact with the officers during that time.

Glaring at the six officers, he said sharply, “You should understand by now. The people from Zhenshan County’s yamen have ill intentions and are coming for us. For them to catch up so quickly, someone must be working with them from the inside. Since you split up, they must’ve approached each of you privately.”

County Magistrate Cai’s men wouldn’t have relied on just one person to track them accurately, they likely tested all the officers to sway some.

Hearing this, Xiao Gao didn’t dare hide anything further and confessed, “Sir, the yamen runners did approach me. They even paid for my drinks, but we only chatted casually. I swear I didn’t collude with them!”

“Same here.”

“I sensed something off and didn’t talk much with them.”

“I’m innocent…”

The six officers spoke over each other, each trying to clear their name.

Yu Lu’s bl00d boiled. If none of them colluded, how did the masked figures catch up? Someone had been turned.

But he couldn’t punish them all, and without solid evidence, the traitor wouldn’t confess.

Taking a deep breath, he picked up an empty bundle from the ground, cut it into strips with his knife, and silently approached.

“Sir…”

“If you don’t want to die, stay quiet.” Yu Lu swiftly bound the six officers’ hands behind their backs and gagged their mouths.

Then, he drove them to walk at the front as the convoy set off again.

Returning to the group, Yun Chi felt Ye Xuejin naturally take her hand.

“Consort, who do you think it is?”

Yun Chi shook her head. She couldn’t tell who was guilty, but her gut told her Zeng Laosan was the traitor.

Ye Xuejin shared her suspicion, hinting, “That one has been awfully quiet these past two days.”

Being quiet could mean two things: either giving up or biding their time with a new plan.

Yun Chi nodded. “I think so too, but I’m worried I might be jumping to conclusions and suspecting the wrong person.”

Ye Xuejin pondered for a moment, analyzing, “If it’s about leaving markers, there are only a few possibilities.”

“Go on.”

“Either they used something already in the forest, like arranging stones or carving trees, but those would be noticeable in daylight and hard to hide from everyone, though possible at night.”

“And?”

“Or they prepared something in advance, like long-lasting scented powder or colored dye… but that’s unlikely.”

Yun Chi was puzzled. “Why?”

“Rain.”

With that single word, Yun Chi understood. It had rained both nights, especially heavily the first night, washing away anything like that.

Unless it was something rain couldn’t erase, wait!

A thought struck her. Something resistant to rain, able to leave a trace…

Shiniang had said the masked figures used dark, square objects to search the ground for markers.

“I’ve got it!” Yun Chi’s eyes lit up. Letting go of Ye Xuejin’s hand, she ran to the young women in the group. “Did any of you take the officers’ belongings just now?”

“Yes, I took Officer Gao’s,” Shi Song, the boldest, replied.

Shiniang, noticing this, asked, “What did you find?”

The group halted as the front stopped moving.

Yu Lu frowned and walked over.

Yun Chi spoke quickly, “Check if anyone’s belongings have black powder on them, iron filings.”

She’d figured out how the masked figures were tracking them. The dark, square objects Shiniang mentioned were likely magnets.

She should’ve realized earlier. Iron filings don’t dissolve in water and are denser than water. Without external interference, they’d sink into the ground, especially in stone crevices, making them nearly foolproof.

Paired with magnets, they’d be perfect for leaving subtle markers.

To her surprise, the young women checked their bundles and shook their heads.

Just then, Yu Lu turned sharply. He knew where he’d seen black, iron-like powder.