Li Ban certainly wasn't going to let Cat Girl cut off her ears and tail.
They were fleeing for their lives, not practicing self-mutilation.
Still, her ears posed a major problem for their disguise.
He designed a new hairstyle for her, much like a China doll, with two round buns resting on either side of her head and a thin braid trailing down the middle.
He then used the bangs on both sides to cover where her ears actually were.
That way, as long as no one came over specifically to inspect her, the ruse would hold.
But a design was just a design. Both he and Cat Girl had overestimated their skills; neither of them could actually manage the hairstyle.
To everyone's surprise, it was Ninety-One—their freshly taken captive—who proved to have nimble fingers. The assassin easily styled Cat Girl's hair into the new look, achieving the exact effect Li Ban wanted.
As for why Ninety-One was so willing to help, it naturally came down to Cat Girl's threats, bribes, and a dose of slow-acting poison she had fed him.
He didn't bet on Cat Girl keeping her promises, but he figured he could take a gamble on Li Ban's character.
Many people had no desire to be good themselves, yet they always hoped the people they met would be.
Having witnessed Ninety-One's handiwork, Li Ban looked at the man's face and made the final decision to have him dress up as a woman too.
Li Ban and Shi Ming would pose as traveling scholars on a study tour, while Cat Girl and Ninety-One would act as their beautiful maids.
This way, the two targets listed on the kill order turned into a group of four, making it much easier to slip past their pursuers' notice.
Finally, the group abandoned their conspicuous mule cart, set the mule free, grabbed their luggage, and set off on foot into the mountain forests flanking the road.
Naturally, they stuck close to the official road even while in the woods, avoiding the desolate, uninhabited depths of the mountains.
After trekking through the forest for a day, they finally arrived at the first town in Langzhou.
Hundred Flowers City.
Li Ban had the other three wait outside the city while he changed into ordinary coarse clothes. Disguised as a servant from a wealthy family, he visited various shops around town to buy ready-made garments and jewelry.
Afterward, he returned to the outskirts to reunite with Cat Girl and the others, distributing the clothes and jewelry for their disguises.
It had to be said—Ninety-One looked even more alluring dressed as a maid than Cat Girl did.
Ninety-One had been thoroughly tamed over the past two days and had obediently offered up his real name.
"My name is Deng Jun," he said softly, twirling a lock of long hair resting against his chest. He sounded exactly like a girl with a slightly deep voice. "It's usually easier to get close to an assassination target when disguised as a woman, so I've been practicing on purpose."
Deng Jun's strength wasn't anything spectacular. As a mere 2nd Tier Spirit Practitioner, he couldn't just face an enemy head-on and kill them in a single strike like Cat Girl could.
If he wanted to increase his success rate and earn more money, he had to resort to tricks.
Just like how he had trailed the two Gold Badge assassins this time.
Drawing on his wealth of experience, Deng Jun not only dressed himself up beautifully but also applied disguises to Cat Girl and Shi Ming.
None of them had human-skin masks, but Deng Jun's deft hands practically turned them into completely different people.
Shi Ming had his hair neatly tied up and secured with a jade hairpin. Dressed in a moon-white brocade robe with his features softened, his refined and elegant appearance made him look exactly like a wealthy young nobleman, provided he kept his mouth shut.
Cat Girl was styled to look younger, around fifteen or sixteen. Her round eyes were elongated with charcoal to resemble apricot eyes, and her lips were painted smaller, adding a hint of charm to her inherent cuteness.
As long as she controlled her expressions, she was the picture of a well-behaved maidservant.
Li Ban, on the other hand, wore a human-skin mask that gave him a more mature look, making him appear around thirty years old. Dressed in maroon clothes with a steady and composed demeanor, he naturally stepped into the role of the group's leader.
With their disguises as scholars and maids complete, the four of them didn't actually enter Hundred Flowers City. Instead, they headed for the Hundred Flowers Pavilion in the eastern suburbs.
According to the "Records of the Nine Provinces' Landscapes," the Pavilion Master of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion had once held a 6th Tier identity. In the past, Hundred Flowers City was originally just a small county town built on the pavilion's influence.
It was only later, when the Hundred Flowers Pavilion declined and its Pavilion Master dropped to the 5th Tier, that things changed. Still, the pavilion could be considered half the master of Hundred Flowers City.
Conversely, Hundred Flowers City had thrived through road construction and trade, eventually replacing another town as the major transport hub between Yu Province and Langzhou, growing increasingly prosperous.
The Imperial Court gradually dispatched more capable officials to govern the city, and the Hundred Flowers Pavilion eventually lost its control over it.
Even on a downward slope, the Hundred Flowers Pavilion remained an absolute behemoth in the eyes of ordinary people.
While not as overbearing as the Myriad Ancient Pagoda, it commanded respect by controlling the breeding and cultivation techniques of numerous element plants. No one dared to underestimate them.
At the same time, the Hundred Flowers Pavilion was a famous local scenic spot, offering lodging, food, and entertainment for scholars, wealthy merchants, and travelers. The sheer volume of people passing through made it the perfect place for Li Ban's group to hide their tracks.
But Li Ban's primary reason for bringing the other three to stay at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion was that a renowned physician resided there.
He wanted to have him look at Cat Girl's injuries.
Ever since their battle with the two Gold Badge assassins a couple of days ago, Cat Girl had started coughing up blood again.
Though she constantly insisted she was fine, Li Ban felt that taking some medicine to replenish her qi and blood was better than doing nothing.
Upon arriving at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, Li Ban was struck by the scenery.
The main gates were surrounded by lush greenery and towering rocks, with flowing water and swimming fish weaving through the crevices.
Were it not for the white marble pillars and pavilions peeking through the foliage, it would be hard to imagine this was a high-end entertainment venue.
The front entrance consisted of two massive upright stone pillars topped with a horizontal slab of layered marble.
The pillars didn't bear the name "Hundred Flowers Pavilion." Instead, they were engraved with four characters: "Lingering Fragrance of Flowers."
Quite a few people lingered at the entrance, mostly wealthy young masters or groups of men exuding a scholarly air.
Li Ban and the others had barely reached the gate when a neatly dressed servant boy hurried over.
"Welcome, Young Masters. I wonder if our esteemed guests are here to dine and tour the gardens, or looking for a place to rest and lodge?"
"We'd like to rent a quiet little courtyard and enjoy the sights."
The servant beamed. "Right away! Esteemed guests, please follow me."
As he led the four of them deeper into the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, he explained the costs of lodging and food to Li Ban.
Surprisingly, the prices weren't all that high.
Typically, famous and beautifully decorated inns charged a hefty premium for their reputation.
Li Ban had only decided to bleed his wallet dry this time to shake off their pursuers and get Cat Girl treated.
He realized that renting a courtyard here for a few days probably wouldn't even cost fifty taels of silver. Thinking of the balance in his little stash of savings, he instantly breathed a sigh of relief.
The courtyard the servant took them to was rather secluded, nor was it the most expensive type, but the scenery was elegant. Branches poked over the courtyard walls, dotted with little red flowers.
"Young Masters, are you satisfied with this courtyard?"
The servant had already learned on the way over that they were scholars on a study tour, so he naturally addressed them as young masters.
"Not bad at all," Li Ban said, making sure to reinforce his persona. "The spring scenery fills the garden, but it cannot be managed; a single branch of red apricot reaches beyond the wall."
Shi Ming, who had been mostly silent until now, suddenly turned his head and spoke up. "Brother Wen, the word 'managed' doesn't quite fit the mood of the poem. Furthermore, those are red plums, not red apricots. Still, the use of the word 'reaches' is quite exquisite."
Li Ban had taken the fake surname Wen, while Shi Ming was temporarily using the surname Jin.
Hearing Shi Ming's critique and seeing the servant trying to suppress a smile, Li Ban waved his hand, feigning embarrassment. "No matter, no matter. You can step down for now. Send up some good wine and fine food. The higher the purity of the wine, the better."
"Right away." The servant bowed and withdrew.
They entered the courtyard.
Inside, aside from the sparsely blooming red plum tree, a stream of flowing water trickled straight through the grounds.
The layout consisted of one main house and two side rooms, with no eastern or western wings.
Still, it was more than enough space for the four of them, and the close proximity made it convenient for Li Ban to keep an eye on Shi Ming and Deng Jun.
Once inside, Cat Girl and Deng Jun stepped forward to conduct a thorough sweep of the place. Only after finding nothing unusual did they let Li Ban and the others set down their luggage.
"You know how to compose poetry?" Cat Girl asked. With her freshly drawn eyeliner, her usually round eyes carried an extra hint of charm.
"I copied it, and even tweaked it a bit," Li Ban whispered.
Shi Ming hadn't expected a prison guard like Li Ban to be reciting poetry either, but he was more interested in the original line. "Brother Li is truly impressive. What was the original line, though?"
"'Contained,'" Li Ban replied simply.
Shi Ming instantly grasped the meaning. "That's an excellent word. Why change it to 'managed'?"
"Cough, cough. I was afraid the original poem was too good. If someone asked me to recite the rest and I couldn't, wouldn't my cover be blown?" Li Ban had just recited it on a whim anyway. "But should there really be red plums blooming in this season?"
"There is something you don't know, Young Master. The Hundred Flowers Pavilion commands flora and possesses unique insights. Many of the elements they control are related to flowers and plants, allowing them to make a hundred flowers bloom at once, mingling all four seasons together."
It was Deng Jun who spoke.
Even though there was no one else around, he still acted the part of a proper little maidservant.
People were constantly coming and going at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion, and someone could easily be observing them—these new travelers—from the shadows. Before coming in, the four of them had thoroughly rehearsed their roles to avoid letting something slip in a moment of panic.
Before long, the same servant boy from earlier arrived with their food and wine.
It seemed the first person to receive them here would be responsible for all their needs.
The servant had noticed Li Ban's attempts at posing as a cultured scholar. He provided reasonably priced wine and elegant celadon tableware, proving himself highly skilled at reading people.
After setting out the food and drinks, the servant didn't leave immediately, choosing instead to stand to the side and wait on them.
Sometimes, when they encountered generous guests, the tips they received were much higher than their regular wages.
"You don't need to pour the wine. You can go. Miaomiao, come here." Li Ban ordered the servant away, waving for Cat Girl to come over.
Cat Girl smiled, snatched the wine jug from the servant's hands, and nestled into Li Ban's left side. She poured a cup, took a small sip herself, and then placed it in front of Li Ban.
Shi Ming watched this from the side, slightly dumbfounded. Just as he was about to speak, Deng Jun hurriedly plucked a grape and fed it into his mouth by hand.
"Young Master Jin, let Jun feed you," he cooed.
The servant swept his gaze over the four of them but didn't leave right away, asking another question instead. "Young Master Wen, Young Master Jin, would you require some music to liven the mood?"
Deng Jun's little face hardened. He straightened up, placed his hands on his slender hips, and glared at the servant. "Why are you talking so much? When he tells you to go, you go!"
Not daring to utter a single word of complaint, the servant nodded repeatedly and backed away.
Just as he was closing the door behind him, he heard the maid named Jun'er say in a delicate voice, "Whatever the young master wants to hear, Jun'er can sing it for you."
He suddenly understood and lightly slapped his own mouth. "Ah, I'm such an idiot. They already have women in there and I'm still trying to offer them more. Next time, I'll have to bring it up when they aren't around."
The servant left the courtyard, though he didn't go far.
For guests like Li Ban who rented an entire courtyard, someone would always be waiting outside to answer their summons, ensuring they were never without service.
If this were a more expensive place, there would be even more servants attending to them.
After finishing their meal, Li Ban and Cat Girl entered the eastern bedroom.
"I'll go out and ask around about that famous physician first, then take you to see him. If someone takes your pulse and examines you, will they discover your identity?"
"Spirit Practitioners below the 3rd Tier definitely won't notice a thing. As for anyone higher, if they have an element with sensory abilities, I might not be able to hide it," Cat Girl answered honestly.
"If their Tier is too high, I'll just describe your injuries directly and have them prescribe the medicine."
"Alright, alright." Cat Girl giggled, acting as if she weren't the least bit worried about her own injuries.