Reborn and returned, sisters swapped

Chapter 180 Liu Family Caravan

When Ye Qing received Bai Nishang's secret order, night had already fallen. A cool breeze blew through the bamboo shadows in the courtyard, casting a sliver of cold moonlight onto her face.

She stood in front of Bai Nishang, her hands clasped together, her eyes resolute.

This mission is of utmost importance; the slightest mistake could alert the enemy and the forces behind the Liu family's caravan.

Therefore, she needs to carefully infiltrate this foggy web and discreetly figure out every detail.

The next morning, Ye Qing selected several seemingly ordinary people from the city in the market. They were all experienced day laborers and craftsmen who were good at reading people and were clever but inconspicuous.

Ye Qing whispered the instructions, and the others understood without saying a word. They casually dispersed into the crowd, wandering around the various outposts of the Liu family caravan, waiting for an opportunity to be hired.

Their goal was simple and clear—to infiltrate the Liu family's caravan and observe the movement of their goods.

A few days later, Ye Qing's plan gradually unfolded.

These people infiltrated the Liu family's caravan's warehouse area as porters and cleaners, keeping their heads down while working, occasionally glancing up to observe silently.

In a corner of the Liu family caravan's warehouse, Ye Qing's men noticed some details: there was a special batch of goods in the warehouse—large bags of salt and herbs, stacked differently from the other supplies.

The piles of salt bags, resembling small mountains, looked particularly out of place; logically, the Liu family caravan wouldn't need such a large quantity of salt.

Whenever these goods are delivered to the warehouse, the foreman in charge always looks nervous, glancing around frequently as if afraid of being stared at.

One night, Ye Qing quietly slipped into this warehouse district.

She was dressed in simple linen clothes, with a headscarf covering most of her face, pretending to be a warehouse night guard.

The dim light illuminated her slightly furrowed brows.

The night breeze carried a slight chill as it swept over the heavy cargo. She gently approached the salt bags and carefully examined the markings on them.

Each sack was stamped with the Liu family caravan's emblem on the corner, but on the bottom of several sacks, she noticed a very inconspicuous mark—a small triangle.

Her heart sank. This mark only appeared on certain goods and was usually used to mark special materials related to forces outside the city.

Her fingers gently traced the rough surface of the burlap sack, and doubt and coldness slowly crept into her heart.

The sheer quantity of these goods suggests they were not simply for city storage.

She recalled Bai Nishang's analysis and gradually pieced together a possible picture: the Liu family caravan was likely secretly hoarding these supplies, not for Hesha City.

Rather, it was certain people outside the city—and these people were very likely Cui Yubin's men.

Ye Qing heard a faint noise coming from the warehouse. She quickly turned around and disappeared into the shadows, holding her breath and silently observing her surroundings.

Several workers carried in new sacks and carefully placed the goods in the designated location.

They moved swiftly, clearly very familiar with the operating procedures in this area, and Ye Qing vaguely overheard their conversation.

"There's quite a lot of stuff. I heard we're shipping another batch?" a worker asked in a low voice.

Another older worker lowered his voice: "Don't ask too many questions. We're just responsible for loading and unloading goods. These are matters for the caravans and those big shots outside; we can't afford to offend them."

Ye Qing narrowed her eyes, understanding dawning on her.

She showed no unusual expression, but silently memorized the contents of the conversation. After the workers left, she quietly withdrew from the warehouse and disappeared into the night.

After several days of observation, Ye Qing had gathered enough clues.

Every night, when no one was around, she would write down the day's events on a small piece of cloth and sew it into the lining of her clothes.

She was not in a hurry to repay Bai Nishang.

What Bai Nishang needs is solid evidence, not just a few words of speculation.

So she continued to lie low calmly and patiently, like a hunter on a hunt, waiting for her opportunity.

Gradually, Ye Qing discovered that these supplies were not simply stockpiled in the warehouse, but were secretly loaded onto carriages every few days and transported to a certain direction outside the city.

The carriages usually set off late at night, traveling in secrecy and following highly irregular routes.

Ye Qing personally followed them several times, patiently maintaining her distance and quietly observing.

She discovered that after leaving the city, the carriages did not travel along the main road, but instead turned onto a secluded path, eventually disappearing into a wasteland outside the city.

She stood on a high ground in the distance, gazing at the carriages that were gradually disappearing into the distance. The doubts in her heart gradually turned into a hidden anger and determination.

The destination of these supplies is not simple, and the collusion between the Liu family caravan and Cui Yubin is already obvious.

Throughout the entire process, Ye Qing remained calm and composed, like a shadow wandering in the darkness.

However, deep inside her, complex emotions were churning.

She never imagined that she would witness these merchants, who had long-standing ties with Hersha City, secretly colluding with bandits outside the city to smuggle resources to the enemy and plot treason.

She was angry, but not impulsive; disappointed, but remained clear-headed.

All of this must be kept hidden; one's identity must not be revealed until the crucial moment.

After gathering all the evidence, Ye Qing returned to the city late at night and reported the situation to Bai Nishang.

When she stood in front of Bai Nishang and handed over strips of cloth filled with observation records, she felt a mix of emotions.

Bai Nishang listened quietly to Ye Qing's report, her face still showing her usual calm expression, but Ye Qing could see a hint of coldness in her eyes.

Bai Nishang nodded slightly, her voice cold and steady: "Very good, thank you for your hard work, Ye Qing."

Ye Qing lowered her head slightly, concealing the emotions in her eyes.

After observing for several days, these "day laborers" discovered that there were strange circumstances surrounding the turnover of goods in the Liu family's caravan.

Bai Nishang listened to the report and learned that the Liu family caravan's purchases of salt and heat-relieving herbs had increased significantly, even far exceeding the demand in Hesha City.

At first, she did not immediately show her emotions, but simply pondered quietly, tapping her fingers lightly on the table, as if weighing whether there was a reasonable explanation.

Salt and heat-relieving herbs are essential supplies in the sweltering summer, but the Liu family caravan's massive purchase was unusual given the normal demand.

As Bai Nishang pondered the matter, she couldn't help but recall Cui Yubin's background.

He was once a member of Hersha City and was extremely familiar with the city's resource usage and turnover.

If he is currently operating covertly outside the city, his demand for such resources is likely related to his expansion of power or subsequent actions.

As the investigation deepened, she began to piece together a possible picture: Cui Yubin might be using the Liu family's caravan channels to stockpile supplies for himself and make long-term preparations for his subordinates outside the city.

After receiving the order, Ye Qing's spies quickly dispersed to various hidden corners in the suburbs.

They were scattered across hills, woodlands, and even some abandoned ruins, concealing themselves behind withered grass and rocks, their eyes fixed on the Liu family caravan's every move, just like Agur's.

The scorching sun baked the earth, and the air was hot and dry. Sweat dripped from the spies' foreheads, but they remained unmoved, their eyes fixed on the convoy in the distance.

Whenever the Liu family's caravan drove out of the city gate, the sentries would quietly follow from different angles and directions.

Their figures sometimes disappeared into the shadows of the trees, and sometimes they used the hills for cover, constantly adjusting their observation angles to ensure they would not be discovered.

The goods on the carriage were tightly wrapped in thick canvas, preventing the spies from seeing their contents.

But every time the carriage stopped or turned, and even the occasional whispers among the guards, they remembered it all.

The sweltering heat seemed to make time move exceptionally slowly.

The spies' eyes never left their posts. The scorching sun made their skin red, and sweat dripped down their backs, yet none of them dared to relax.

Ye Qing's spies were well aware of the significance of this mission, and their heightened vigilance kept them from being distracted in the slightest.

Finally, one afternoon, they noticed that the Liu family's caravan of carriages made a brief stop at the city gate.

Instead of taking the usual main road, they turned onto a secluded side road.

The spies exchanged glances, then simultaneously crouched down and followed silently.

They moved one by one through the shadows of the trees and low bushes, carefully concealing themselves, only catching glimpses of the direction the carriages were heading.

During the surveillance, a secret agent lay on the ground, his fingers gently tracing the cracked soil.

A question crossed my mind: "This side road is rarely traveled, and it's even more deserted in the sweltering summer heat. Where are they going?"

With the dull thud of wheels rolling over stones, the carriage gradually moved further and further away, heading towards the wasteland in the southern suburbs.

In the following days, the spies repeatedly confirmed this movement; each time, the caravan would choose this secret path to go to the same desolate place.

The spies recorded every detail, even not missing the expressions on the faces of the caravan guards—their deliberate indifference and vigilance seemed particularly unusual.

It seems to be hiding a secret.

When the message was delivered to Bai Nishang, she took the note and narrowed her eyes slightly.

The detailed tracking records on the paper unfolded before her eyes like a painting.

The hidden paths outside the city gates, the secret journey through the wasteland in the southern suburbs, and the cautious movements of the group gradually outlined a hidden network.

At that moment, a cold glint flashed in Ni Chang's eyes.

It seems they had already seen through the undercurrents behind the caravan.

However, Bai Nishang did not act immediately, but continued to wait in order to further understand Cui Yubin's full picture.

This game is not simply about capturing an enemy; it is a contest where every move has far-reaching consequences.

If we are not careful enough at this point, Cui Yubin may realize the crisis and quickly evacuate.

To this end, she had her spies continuously track these carriages to see if they would meet up with others or load/unload goods outside the city.

Sure enough, after several days of observation, the spies discovered that the Liu family's caravan's wagons had met up with a group of cavalry in the wasteland.

The cavalrymen wore large cloth turbans, clearly to conceal their identities and prevent the city of Hesha from recognizing them.

As Bai Nishang read the spy's report, the flames of anger within her burned even more fiercely.

However, she remained calm, secretly making a decision in her heart.

This covert surveillance and control gradually led her from initial doubt to certainty.

The relationship between the Liu family's caravan and Cui Yubin was far deeper than she had imagined.

Their relationship was not merely one of trade; rather, it was a tacit exchange of benefits achieved through the transportation of goods.

She had seen through the true nature of the Liu family's caravan and no longer hesitated.

She decided to personally sever the deal and eliminate the threats lurking around Hersha City.

This is not only to safeguard the peace of Hersha City, but also to make those traitors who attempt to disrupt the peace pay the price they deserve.

Bai Nishang stood by the window, gazing calmly into the distance of Hesha City.

A deep, unfathomable smile flickered in his eyes.

A gentle night breeze stirred her loose hair, but her thoughts had already drifted far away.