The journey to the City of Torn Gust was a trip that was thousands of miles long. The carriage did not stop on the way.
Yah, yah, yah, yah, yah…
There were no robberies or damsels in need of saving along the way. The journey was so smooth that it was boring and dull.
In the carriage, Yun Zhonghe had only one thought on his mind: mind-reading skills.
It was probably the first superpower he had obtained since he time-traveled to this strange world.
Yun Zhonghe had been studying his mind-reading skills for a few days.
He discovered that his mind-reading abilities had nothing to do with reading the brain waves of others. Rather, the abilities he had mastered allowed him to analyze and make inferences from the micro-expressions, eye movements, and behaviors of others.
Regardless, it was an extremely awesome ability. He could magnify and slow down a person's faintest eye movements and micro-expressions. Then, based on the person's personality, background, and similar information, he would perform a very complicated set of calculations and eventually obtain a very accurate conclusion.
On the other hand, he was able to pry into the thoughts of weak-willed people directly through their inner monologues. Even if they didn't make any sound, he would still be able to know what they were whispering to themselves, like when he had been on the execution ground.
When he started to apply his mind-reading skills, it was as if he had entered the mind and the spiritual world of Patient Sixteen.
However, his mind-reading proficiency right now was a far cry from what Patient Sixteen had possessed. Patient Sixteen was a real nutjob who had devoted his soul and spirit to the development of his mind-reading skills. That man might even have been able to read the brain waves of others directly. If that was true, he was out of this world.
Anyhow, the mind-reading skills were already an extremely useful ability for Yun Zhonghe.
Once he mastered the whole set of Patient Sixteen's mind-reading skills, he would enter a whole new world.
Furthermore, there had been twenty-nine patients in X Psychiatric Hospital. Did that mean that the superpowers of the other twenty-eight patients had also entered and integrated into his body as a result of the explosion?
Thus far, Yun Zhonghe was only aware of Patient Sixteen's ability. The superpowers of the other patients had not yet activated.
***
Five days later, Yun Zhonghe left the realm of the Great Ying Empire and entered the territory of the Land of No King.
The Land of No King occupied a vast swath of land, covering an area of 500,000 square kilometers, equivalent to two provinces, with a population of ten million. It was the same size as a small country.
In this area, there were more than ten barons. The most powerful baron possessed a territory of more than 100,000 square kilometers, while the smallest territory covered an area of less than 1,000 square kilometers.
The Valley of Torn Gust covered an area of 13,000 square kilometers, with a population of 400,000 people. It was only the sixth-largest territory in the Land of No King. However, its location was very strategic. It was located in a huge valley which was easy to hold but hard to attack. It wasn't only a vital military base but also a trade center of the Land of No King.
The City of Torn Gust was its capital city. It was built in the valley and formed a huge natural military stronghold.
The land in the City of Torn Gust was barren, and a very small percentage of the land was suitable for agriculture. That was why the crop yield was very poor and insufficient to provide for the people in the city. However, the City of Torn Gust was blessed with a treasure: salt mines. Innumerable salt mines.
Salt mines were a dime a dozen, but the majority of salt mines produced inedible or even poisonous salt. The salt from the City of Torn Gust was of top quality, and it could be eaten with little to no processing. The fine, mildly processed salt was as white as snow, and it was the best product for teeth brushing.
The amount of salt produced in the City of Torn Gust wasn't only enough to fulfill the demands of half of the Land of No King, but it was also sufficient to be traded to the surrounding kingdoms.
Therefore, although the City of Torn Gust was, size-wise and population-wise, only the sixth-largest territory in the Land of No King, it was one of the two wealthiest territories.
***
The carriage had been traveling for three days.
Yun Zhonghe stopped right outside the City of Torn Gust.
It was different than he had imagined. According to his original judgment, the Land of No King was uncivilized. He thought that the city would be in poor shape, like a fortified mountain village or a cave.
That wasn't the case at all. The City of Torn Gust was a city in its literal meaning, and it actually looked rather prosperous.
The city was located in a valley, so there were only two city walls; one in the front and one in the back. The two gigantic mountains on either side of the city formed a natural barrier.
The Valley of Torn Gust was then subdivided into nineteen smaller territories, each under the governance of a chieftain. The City of Torn Gust was the federal administrative center.
One hundred thousand out of the 400,000 people in the Valley of Torn Gust were living in the City of Torn Gust. The city formed a bar shape since it was built along the valley. The distance between the city's northern and southern ends was more than five kilometers, while the distance between the eastern and western ends was only 1.5 kilometers.
Traveling ten thousand miles was better than reading ten thousand books. Yun Zhonghe realized at first sight why the Great Ying Empire would focus its strategies for conquering the Land of No King on the City of Torn Gust.
Conquering the City of Torn Gust was like driving a stake through the heart of the Land of
No King. One could easily attack from within the city and retreat to it.
This city in front of his eyes had a very high strategic value to the Great Ying Empire.
The most eye-catching feature of the city was the residence of the castellan, which was on top of a mountain, overlooking the whole City of Torn Gust. It was an extremely sturdy castle, and one man could hold out against ten thousand from within. It covered an area of almost a thousand acres.
Jing Zhongyue, the She-Devil, lived in that magnificent castle. Wicked intentions in Yun Zhonghe's mind were itching for action.
He had ruined many women, but he had never picked up such a bad*ss woman of high standing.
Looking at the luxurious castle, Yun Zhonghe started to worry.
"God, such a huge castle... Which room should Jing Zhongyue and I sleep in?"
"The rooms on the left side have a nice view, but those on the right have good Feng Shui."
"Alas, this is so hard!"
The mute who drove Yun Zhonghe to his destination had never said a word nor showed any expression, but he was very good at kung fu.
When he saw the City of Torn Gust, emotion finally crossed his face. His expression twitched slightly, and pain filled his eyes.
The city must have brought back tragic memories, since countless elite agents from the Great Ying Empire's Order of the Black Dragon had perished here.
The missions of the Order of the Black Dragon usually succeeded, but the City of Torn Gust was definitely the order's Waterloo, the land of failure.
Yun Zhonghe stared at the beautiful castle and said, "I have heard that Jing Zhongyue hasn't had any boyfriends or husbands. It's a shame that I can't do what I do best; there is no man to humiliate by sleeping with his wife. What a pity!"
"Alas, things don't always turn out the way we want them to!" he sighed.
The mute beside him shuddered again.
Yun Zhonghe quickly shut his mouth because he could read the mute's mind. The mute wanted to smack him to death.
"Come on, let's enter the city!"
***
Yun Zhonghe and the driver entered the bustling City of Torn Gust successfully. The security of the city seemed rather relaxed because it was a trading center.
However, Yun Zhonghe knew that the lax security was only an illusion. He could feel that there were dozens of pairs of eyes on him the moment he entered the city.
The Great Ying Empire realized the strategic value of the City of Torn Gust, and so did the Southern Zhou Empire and the other powerful kingdoms. Therefore, there were countless spies from the other kingdoms in this city. There might also be spies dispatched by the other barons of the Land of No King.
It wasn't only a haven for traders, but also an ocean for spies, or perhaps a hell for spies, considering that hundreds of secret agents from the Order of the Black Dragon had died here.
Yun Zhonghe didn't garner too much attention when he entered the city because he was inconspicuous. His cover was an old man.
The mute drove the carriage, sending Yun Zhonghe into the city. It was backbreaking to move on the crowded street.
The city was too busy, filled with people, horses, and carriages. It was surprising to experience traffic congestion in this world.
However, only the two sides of the street were congested; the bluestone main road in the middle was completely empty, and only one or two luxurious carriages passed by occasionally. Although the two sides of the street were congested, no one dared to walk on the road in the middle because it was reserved for the privileged. Only the carriages and horses that had the castellan's banner with the heraldry of a dragon and a snake could use the main road.
It was an honor, of course. Less than a hundred banners with the heraldry of a dragon and a snake were issued by the castellan.
At first, Yun Zhonghe thought that the Land of No King must be an uncivilized place. He did not expect the city to be so similar to the cities in other empires, equipped with social classes and a hierarchy of political power.
Yun Zhonghe was sitting in the carriage, observing the city quietly.
Because it was the center of the storm, the Land of No King might be more sensitive than any other place to the coming war between the two great empires.
Within a two and a half kilometer distance, Yun Zhonghe had seen seven conscription stations.
The owner of the Valley of Torn Gust, the Jing Clan, must have noticed the precursors of a coming war, and they were racing against time to expand their military force to strengthen their
power.
Yun Zhonghe laid back in his seat slightly and sighed in his heart. "This city is flourishing, but it won't be for too long."
Once the war began, the prosperity would turn into ashes and be gone with the wind.
The Southern Zhou Empire and the Great Ying Empire had already been preparing for the great war for decades.
The Great Ying Empire focused on defensive strategies and recuperation from the previous battles, waiting for this day to come.
The Southern Zhou Empire had marched south and conquered the southern barbarians to strengthen its power for this war.
The vast terrain of the Southern Zone could only have one overlord.
Once the war began, millions of soldiers would march into the Land of No King and battle each other mercilessly.
Yun Zhonghe was now one of the pawns that were secretly cast in preparation for the fate-deciding war. The cold war that would precede it had already begun.
***
The Order of the Black Dragon had set up a few rendezvous points in the City of Torn Gust, and Anting Tavern was one of them. It was not only a tavern but also a restaurant, and their deep-fried chicken was very delicious and well-known in the City of Torn Gust.
A few days ago, it was officially activated.
In other words, the whole Anting Tavern was at Yun Zhonghe's service.
The first thing Yun Zhonghe did after entering the City of Torn Gust was to visit Anting Tavern to get in touch with Xu Anting of the Order of the Black Dragon.
From now on, Xu Anting would be Yun Zhonghe's only handler and his first comrade-in-arms.
***
After passing by half of the City of Torn Gust, Yun Zhonghe finally arrived at Anting Tavern.
It was in a flourishing part of the city, and there was a brothel opposite to the tavern called the Sleepy Spring Brothel.
"Sir, come on in!" A pretty girl cast sheep's eyes and waved at Yun Zhonghe from the second floor.
For a moment, Yun Zhonghe's legs couldn't move. He felt an irresistible impulse to walk toward the brothel. What was absurd was that he had a feeling of homecoming when he saw the brothel.
Sh*t, that must have been the body's muscle memory!
Well, if the cover of the rendezvous point, Anting Tavern, was blown, he would not starve at least. The brothel would be a good place to go. "The most important factor for surviving in this world is to be skilled in one field." That ancient saying actually made sense.
Yun Zhonghe continued moving forward, then walked into Anting Tavern.
The tavern was quite big, and there were quite a few courtyards in the compound. The restaurant was in the front part of the building, and there were rooms for rent in the back. It was probably a very profitable business.
"Sir, are you here to dine or to stay?" asked a waiter.
"To dine. Do you have deep-fried chicken?" Yun Zhonghe replied to him.
"Yes, yes, yes, our deep-fried chicken is our most famous dish. How much would you like?" asked the waiter.
"Five catty, seven taels, three and two-fifths mace, cooked to medium-well," said Yun Zhonghe. That was the code.
"Alright, follow me please," said the waiter as he led the way.
Yun Zhonghe followed him to the backyard. No one was there.
The waiter lifted the cover on a dried well, then knocked on the well, three long knocks and two short.
A door instantly appeared in the corner of the yard.
"Please! Boss An has been waiting for a long time," said the waiter.
Yun Zhonghe walked through the door and down the stairs. There was a basement at the bottom of the stairs which was quite dark.
When he was halfway down the stairs, Yun Zhonghe's face changed abruptly, and he quickly doubled back, trying to get away.
But a sharp knife was pressed against his throat in the next second.
Then he heard a cold voice saying, "Welcome, agent from the Order of the Black Dragon. You've walked right into the trap, seeking your doom."
"You… you've got it all wrong," Yun Zhonghe stammered. "I'm here for the chicken, the deep-fried chicken here is really traditional!"
"Hush… I'm traditional too!" He could smell a mesmerizing fragrance as a woman talked right next to his ear. She blew air into his ear and said, "I am the Lady of the Well, and I have been waiting for you for a long time. Wanna taste me?"
Yun Zhonghe said, "Oh… okay, sure!"