Plotting with You: The Forensic Scientist in Ancient Times!-Chapter 446 - 445: The Doomed

"The people who originally lived here... aside from the crops being destroyed, was there anything wrong with the people?"

"At the beginning, it seemed there were rumors of strange illnesses and some were possessed by evil spirits, but no one could be sure. Eventually, those people fled as far as possible to save their lives and didn’t dare stay here any longer." The old man sighed heavily, "Now this wall is practically coming right under our noses, only a few hundred yards from our village’s fields.

There’s no telling when they might decide to push the wall forward again, and when that happens, it’ll be our village’s turn!

I’ve come to understand, it’s only a matter of time, and there’s not a thing we can do about it.

I’m already half-buried in the dirt, so it’s no big deal for me, but I pity the kids; they could’ve lived peacefully, but now they have to be ready to move at any moment and vacate their home for someone else."

The old man wiped his eyes with some sadness and waved his hand, unwilling to talk about this any longer.

The middle-aged man wanted to say something more, but as he turned his head, he saw soldiers from the Fan Country casting their gaze towards the gathering of Lan Country villagers, so he signaled to those he knew and said to Yan Daoxin, "Young man, we’ve warned you. Whether you go or not, it’s up to you.

The place is unlike any other, so be extremely careful."

Yan Daoxin expressed his gratitude with a cupped hand gesture, and the middle-aged man silently left with the others, as if worried that lingering would provoke the soldiers from Fan Country.

Once the people from Lan Country dispersed, Yan Daoxin swaggered to the notices, tore one down, and glanced over at the soldiers guarding the pass, only to find they didn’t pay any attention to his action.

"So... I’ve taken down their prince’s medical notice, and they don’t plan on questioning us?" Yan Daoxin looked doubtfully at Lu Qing, who had been silent.

Lu Qing continued to gaze at the tall stone wall beside them, but upon hearing Yan Daoxin’s words, he slowly withdrew his gaze, glanced at the notice in Yan Daoxin’s hand, and smiled faintly. "I guess too many doctors have already tried to gain treasures and beauties from King Fan, but alas, it’s obvious no one has cured his illness.

And those ambitious doctors, thinking only of curing him to obtain endless wealth and prosperity, forget that if they fail, it’s not going to be easily overlooked."

"Well, King Fan is fortunate! I want to see if he’s got a horn on his head or a tail behind him, or if he’s angered the gods or spirits by taking someone else’s land. If he meets me, I’ll definitely find a way." Yan Daoxin flicked his sleeve and said to Lu Qing, "From now on, speak less and don’t draw too much attention. Otherwise, you won’t look like a traveling doctor!"

Zhu Yu, standing by, covered her mouth, stifling a laugh.

Yan Daoxin’s words were undeniably true; Lu Qing, with his demeanor, didn’t resemble a traveling doctor at all.

Even if one insisted he was in the medical profession, his extraordinary aura suggested that, at the very least, he was a young Shangyao Bureau Imperial.

Lu Qing shrugged helplessly, "I haven’t said a word since earlier."

"No wonder everything seemed particularly quiet since then, even making one feel inexplicably happier," Yan Daoxin teased, raising a brow.

Lu Qing shot him a glare, refraining from replying.

Yan Daoxin pulled Zhu Yu to lead the way, having her follow behind him, placing the conspicuous trio of master and servants in the back.

As they walked towards the city gate, he whispered to Zhu Yu, "Once we reach the territory of Fan Country, you must keep an eye on him."

"Are you worried that his character will change drastically once we’re there? Is there something or someone there influencing him?" Zhu Yu asked, puzzled. Despite Yan Daoxin’s low voice, his seriousness was apparent.

"The Jade Snowbird," Yan Daoxin reminded her, "and everything along this journey is drawing him here.

I’m afraid if something really happens, it might provoke him, making him disregard reason and the bigger picture.

Having you watch over him would be the safer course."

"Alright, don’t worry." Zhu Yu nodded to Yan Daoxin, "If the time comes, I’ll be even less rational than he is, forcing him to calm down."

Yan Daoxin turned to her in surprise and, seeing the playfulness in her expression, realized Zhu Yu was only jesting. He breathed a sigh of relief, chuckling as he cleared his throat, waved his sleeve for Zhu Yu to adopt the posture of a little disciple, adjusted the cloth bag on his shoulder, and walked towards the gate guard clutching the notice in hand.

"Brother!" Yan Daoxin smiled as he approached, courteously gesturing to the gate guard. "I am a traveling doctor, roaming the Four Seas, healing wherever I go. My junior apprentice and I passed through this place and saw the notice posted outside the wall—"

Before he could finish, he noticed the guard sigh with a mix of ridicule on his face, disinterested as he waved his hand, then shouted to his companions on the other side, "Here come more doctors tearing down notices. Let them through."

Yan Daoxin paused, yet since he’d been given permission to pass, he didn’t want to dwell on any trivial matters in case the other party changed their mind.

So, he signaled for Zhu Yu and Lu Qing to follow him directly through the archway to the other side. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

On either side of the archway, three soldiers each stood, seemingly prepared for routine checks on those entering Fan Country.

But those six soldiers looked at them as if they were fools willingly leaping into a tiger’s den, their expressions filled with amusement.

Yan Daoxin carried the notice authoritatively, like a token, moving unobstructed.

No one expected the notice to be so effective; all five passed through without a hitch, and Yan Daoxin was reluctant to put it away, flaunting it in hand.

However, after wandering around the city for a bit, he changed his mind, folding the notice several times and tucking it inside his lapel.

He quickly realized that when they flaunted the notice, the townsfolk on the streets would cast their eyes in their direction.

Unlike the gate soldiers, these people observed them with sympathetic gazes.

As if watching the condemned...