"It's still a month away," Liao Zihui inquired again, probing, "I heard Director Du's side also encountered the Green Flower; how are things proceeding over there?"
"They are still undergoing treatment. Are all the Singing Empresses in Puluo State scheduled to attend the Autumn Song Festival?"
"It's uncertain for previous years, but this year their attendance is mandatory. Xiaoyao Lodge is the domain of Li Qi and Ma Wu; which Singing Empress would dare to refuse? I'm simply curious, did Director Du truly encounter the Green Flower? Even with Kang Zhenchang present, the issue with the Green Flower presents a considerable challenge."
"With Doctor Kang's expertise, it should be managed," Shen Jingye inquired with a touch of mystery, "Old Liao, be truthful with me, do you harbor feelings for Jiang Mengting?"
Liao Zihui scoffed, his expression unreadable: "Do I?"
A silence fell between the two.
Shen Jingye had not offered any substantial information; his words, in essence, were quite meaningless.
...
Two days elapsed, and at ten o'clock in the evening, the train pulled into Greenwater City. Deputy Envoy General Tang Huanjie was there to greet them. Liao Zihui turned to Shen Jingye, suggesting, "Old Shen, care to join me for a drink later?"
Shen Jingye waved his hand in refusal, stating, "Not today. I must return promptly; there's a mountain of work awaiting me at the office."
Liao Zihui's brow furrowed, a hint of concern in his voice, "What troubles you, Old Shen? We haven't seen each other in such a long time. Are you intentionally distancing yourself from me? Didn't you express a desire to witness the Autumn Song Festival?"
"When the festival commences, be sure to inform me; I will certainly attend. For the present moment, I genuinely cannot depart. Let us conclude the necessary paperwork, and I shall head back tonight."
Shen Jingye did not even disembark from the train.
His sole responsibility was to escort Li Qi to Greenwater City. All matters subsequent to their arrival in Greenwater City were entrusted to Liao Zihui and fell outside his purview. He was acutely aware of this distinction.
Outside the station, Liao Zihui had orchestrated the deployment of twenty-five steam trucks. Each truck pulled four carriages, with each carriage accommodating fifty individuals, thus transporting these five thousand people into Greenwater Bay.
As they journeyed through Greenwater City, the Three-Headed People observed their surroundings through the narrow gaps in the carriage partitions.
The openings were exceedingly small, obscuring a clear view of the outside world. They could only discern fleeting glimpses of light and color against the night sky, creating a rather beautiful spectacle.
In the City of Sinners, they harbored a deep-seated fear of nighttime illumination, for any appearance of light after dark invariably signaled the advent of the Heavenly Light.
However, the light witnessed on this particular night evoked no fear. They could only speculate about its mysterious origin.
Crack!
A section of wooden plank from the carriage was pried loose, revealing a hole.
Through this opening, the Three-Headed People could now perceive their surroundings with clarity.
Buildings stood outside, their structures illuminated by various kinds of lights.
People populated the streets, adorned in exquisite attire, moving to and fro beneath the luminous glow.
The vehicle passed by the Peace Mansion, and a particularly young Three-Headed individual, Shuanzhu by name, gazed upwards at the towering edifice with his three heads, posing a question, "What is that place?"
No one present could provide an answer; none knew the purpose of those grand and aesthetically pleasing structures.
Shuanzhu's gaze lingered on the Peace Mansion for an extended period, until it eventually vanished from sight: "It is truly beautiful; that place is exceptionally beautiful. The people there are beautiful too. Are they similar to us?"
A middle-aged man positioned nearby scoffed, retort echoing, "How could they possibly be? They do not possess three heads."
"We are all the same!" Li Qi declared, wrenching off another piece of wooden board from the carriage. "We are all people; there is no fundamental difference."
...
At precisely four-thirty in the morning, the trucks halted in Sheqiao Village.
This location was exceedingly remote, having been deserted for numerous years due to incursions by mountain bandits, leaving the dwellings in a state of disrepair.
Liao Zihui issued the command for unloading, and the five thousand Three-Headed people disembarked from the trucks, thereby fulfilling Liao Zihui's mission.
"Brother Li, the Greenwater Beggar is arriving to collect these individuals?"
Li Banfeng nodded affirmation, stating, "Yes, please wait here for a short while; he will arrive imminently."
"Why must I wait for him? I have no association with him."
Under different circumstances, Liao Zihui would have indeed acceded to a wait. However, in the case of Green Flower, any encounter was to be avoided, lest one contract some unknown affliction.
The trucks departed. Before long, two distinct groups converged upon the desolate village: one contingent from the He Family, and the other from Ma Wu's faction.
In the ensuing days, these groups would assume responsibility for the welfare of this assembled group of Three-Headed people.
Back in Qi Qiu City, Ma Wu had witnessed numerous Three-Headed individuals. Nevertheless, confronting five thousand of them assembled before him concurrently instilled a palpable sense of unease.
He Yuxiu also felt a degree of nervousness, though its source was not the Three-Headed people themselves. She had observed much during her travels across Puluo State. Her current anxiety stemmed from the impending promotion.
With the arrival of the Three-Headed people, the day for Strong Cloud's selection was drawing ever closer.
He Yuxiu exhaled into her palms; her hands had felt persistently cold for the past couple of days.