There were more than fifty men standing in neat formation, each of them tall and upright, their posture sharp and disciplined.
The one in front spoke out. His presence was commanding, powerful enough to match his loud and clear voice.
When the man saw her, his eyes lit up with surprise, then quickly lowered again. With a respectful tone, he said to Pearl Su, "Miss Su, I was sent by Young Master Alaric Yun."
"Hm. Did you bring the money?" Pearl Su asked calmly after figuring out where they came from.
"No, I'm here to escort you to the capital," the man answered, lifting his eyes briefly before lowering them again.
"The capital?" Pearl Su looked confused.
Not the money? Were they trying to go back on the payment? That two-faced bastard really couldn't be trusted. She had been too naive.
Pearl Su's expression turned a little colder. What was he trying to do now, sending this many people?
"Miss Su, may I have a word in private?" The man seemed to understand her suspicion and respectfully bowed, motioning to the side.
With her anger still simmering, Pearl Su followed him. She stopped firmly and stared at him, waiting for him to speak.
The man bowed again, then lowered his voice and said sincerely, "The young master has been poisoned again. He specifically asked me to invite you to the capital."
"Poisoned again?!" Pearl Su's face softened slightly at that. She frowned. What kind of cursed fate did that bastard have?
"The young master said if you are willing to come to the capital and detoxify him, he will pay you another five thousand taels of gold."
Five thousand taels! Pearl Su's heart skipped a beat.
"What else did he say?" she asked, keeping her expression calm.
"He said that once the poison is cured, he will pay you the full amount, including the original one thousand taels. Of course, even if the poison can't be cured, you will still get the original one thousand."
"And?" Pearl Su asked again in the same flat tone.
The man looked puzzled. That was all, wasn't it? Alaric Yun only instructed him to make sure she was brought to the capital. Otherwise, he shouldn't bother coming back at all.
Helpless, he braced himself and said, "Nothing more. The young master just hopes Miss Su will come as soon as possible to treat the poison."
"What if I don't go?" Pearl Su asked, looking sideways at him.
…Don't go? Then he really wouldn't know how to answer to the young master. But he couldn't say that.
So he forced himself to answer, "We truly hope you can help the young master."
"All the physicians in the capital have already tried. No one can cure him. Even the imperial doctors failed. We ask that you consider the fact that you saved him once before, and please help him again."
"It's that serious?" Pearl Su continued calmly, not showing the slightest sign of agreeing.
"Yes, Miss Su. Every major doctor in the capital has already looked at him, even the imperial physicians, and no one could do anything. Please, help my young master."
As he spoke, his voice turned hoarse, as if trying hard to hold back grief. Compared to the tough soldier he seemed before, this made him look pitiful.
It's true that men rarely shed tears unless truly heartbroken. This was one of those moments.
But only he knew—he had no other choice. Pearl Su didn't seem the least bit willing to come with him. So he had to act pitiful.
Pearl Su held back the sympathy rising in her heart and asked calmly, "What is your young master's status?"
The imperial physician has arrived. As expected, he must be either rich or powerful. Pearl Su had made the right bet.
"This young master is the Marquis Jingming of Eastern Ling Kingdom. He was poisoned while on an important mission," the man choked back a sob and wiped away nonexistent tears as he spoke with sorrow.
A mission? Could it be that his last poisoning was also because of official work? Injured for duty?
Well, fine. He looked so pitiful. She might as well save him.
It definitely wasn't just because of the five thousand taels of gold!
And this would be a good opportunity for her to see the splendor of the capital city in Eastern Ling. As for anything else, she just needed to stay cautious.
"Alright, I understand. But you'll have to wait for me. I need to pack up before I can go with you," Pearl Su said calmly as she looked at him.
Huh? The man looked up. Did this mean she agreed? His face immediately lit up with excitement.
"Yes, yes, yes! We can wait. Thank you, Miss Su, for saving my young master's life. I have nothing to repay you with. If you ever need anything in the future, I, Bonu Yan, will help without hesitation." Wow, that trick really worked!
"Okay." Pearl Su responded lightly, then went back inside.
Back in her room, she packed her belongings. Pearl Su realized that the grains and livestock at home couldn't be stored. Those things wouldn't last.
She had already decided that after visiting the capital, she would travel around a bit. Who knew when she'd return here?
So the food couldn't be saved, and the animals had to be dealt with too.
How should she handle it? An idea suddenly came to her.
It was just about noon, and the fifty or so people who had arrived would need lunch. Why not let them cook and eat all the food? Perfect! That was an excellent plan.
Thinking that, she went outside and called over the leader, Bonu Yan, and explained the situation to him.
But Bonu Yan immediately refused. He said they couldn't touch her things, or his young master would punish him.
Pearl Su promised him again and again that she wouldn't tell anyone and even said that if someone did find out, she would take responsibility.
If he still wouldn't agree, then she simply wouldn't go.
After all that back and forth, Bonu Yan finally agreed to use her supplies to make lunch for his people.
Pearl Su quickly told him which foods could be used and where they were stored. Her only request was that they use everything up and finish it all.
Sigh. Who told her to stock up on so much rice, grain, and meat? Naturally, even that fat rabbit had to be slaughtered and eaten.
With that settled, Pearl Su felt relieved. And she didn't even have to cook lunch herself. Free food for her too. She felt pretty good about that.
The group of over fifty men ate heartily at Pearl Su's place and felt deeply grateful to her.
Once everything was ready, Pearl Su changed into the men's clothing she had bought earlier. She also altered her face to the one she used when she went out before and adjusted it slightly to look more masculine.
If you didn't already know she was a woman, you wouldn't be able to tell at all. She looked just like a well-featured, slightly dusty young boy from the countryside.
When Bonu Yan and the others saw her like this, their jaws dropped. Just a moment ago she was a delicate beauty, and now she looked like a rugged boy?
Pearl Su ignored their shocked looks and got into the carriage they had brought. She felt proud and happy. Her makeup skills were excellent. It looked like this journey would be safe.
According to Bonu Yan, the trip to the capital would take seven or eight days. Along the way, Pearl Su ate with the guards. When there were no inns to stay at, she slept in the carriage at night, while the guards made makeshift shelters and slept on the ground outside.