Infinite Mask Game.

Although everything in the capital city is desolate in late autumn, the streets are still bustling at this time of year.

Vendors gathered, their cries rising and falling. Noblewomen dressed in fine silks and satins shopped together, while the storyteller's gavel silenced the clamor in the teahouse.

But when Wei Miao walked on the street, she saw mostly closed doors and windows, and the streets were sparsely populated, with almost everyone there being skilled in martial arts.

Occasionally a few shops were open, and the owners were clearly martial artists.

The sky was overcast, the dew was heavy, a storm was brewing, and there was a muddy smell in the air.

As far as Wei Miao could see, there were only three types of people who could still walk openly on the street.

Officials,江湖人 (jianghu people, people from the martial arts world), and nobles.

They can all be considered martial artists.

In this world, ordinary people are like withered flowers and fallen willows, crushed into dust by the overwhelming tide of events.

The bandages on Wei Miao's hands have been removed, revealing faint scars covering her once jade-like hands. It's estimated that the scars will completely disappear by tomorrow.

His left shoulder is now fully functional, and his combat power has returned to its peak.

She wore a conical hat, a black robe that covered her dark blue python robe underneath, and a black cloth covering her face.

Only her emerald green eyes could not conceal her identity as a martial artist.

Her outfit wasn't unusual; in the midst of a pandemic, most normal people would cover themselves up completely before going out.

Chu Wang's fiefdom was in the northeast of Darong. Wei Miao disguised herself and took the official road. With the help of fast horses, she traveled day and night and arrived at Mu Yi in just three days.

The disguise was to avoid attracting attention and thus avoid stirring up all sorts of outrageous rumors.

The distance from Beijing to Muyi is a full 2000 kilometers.

King Chu did not expect her to arrive so quickly.

But they were clearly well prepared, treating her to good food and drink for four days.

For four days, Wei Miao investigated both openly and secretly, but found no trace of rebellion.

The illegal manufacture of weapons for war, the stockpiling of grain and wealth... cannot be traced.

If the traces are handled too perfectly, it becomes suspicious.

However, King Chu will not take any action until Lu Shaoqing's foundation is shaken.

The current emperor is not the Kaihong Emperor. The former Shuo King built his reputation through one battle after another.

With reinforcements from all over the country, if Lu Shaoqing doesn't make any self-destructive mistakes, Lu Maoshen will be stuck in the "preparation" stage for the rest of his life.

After enjoying the VIP treatment, Wei Miao returned empty-handed.

Lu Ci was picked up along the way.

She discovered that Lu Maoshen was plotting something, and dutifully sent a letter to remind him, which was technically not a problem.

But Lu Maoshen did it on purpose.

The purpose was to transfer Pei Wenwei out of the capital for a few days, giving his collaborators room to maneuver.

Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence that it got stuck at this time?
With Wei Miao in charge of the capital, the simultaneous imposition of martial law by the Imperial Secretariat and the Imperial Observatory put immense pressure on him.

As for who his collaborators are?
It's not actually that important.

He saw a sliver of an opportunity to sway Lu Shaoqing, and willingly took a risk to arrange the matter, handling it flawlessly.

Unfortunately, there can only be one imperial throne.

Wei Miao had anticipated the outcome and left without any regrets.

As a top-tier expert, Lu Ci is considered a formidable fighter in the current meta. Since Lu Maoshen's matter has just been resolved, it's a good idea to bring her to the capital to help alleviate the burdens of poor Pan Junyang and Chen Huaiyue.

It took her another three days to arrive in the capital with Lu Ci this morning.

Lu Ci left first to report to the Secretariat.

Wei Miao strolled alone through the streets, observing the lives of ordinary people.

As expected, the plague has spread from the southwest corner to the entire capital.

What remains unchanged is that it is still aimed at ordinary people.

Upon reaching the southwest corner, the rotting garbage and debris beside the dilapidated huts reeked of decay, a sight too painful to behold. Faint, painful groans could be heard emanating from within the huts.

Some thin, frail people pushed open the doors and walked listlessly into the depths of the street.

Wei Miao walked slowly. Her perception was far beyond that of ordinary people, so she could naturally notice the changes in the southwest corner.

With the outbreak of the plague and a surge in patients, many people were unable to obtain treatment and were sent back home.

Especially the poor in the southwest corner.

Compared to some wealthy businessmen, even ordinary people with considerable wealth are not qualified to compete for those limited medical resources.

Just then, she saw someone carrying a bowl of thin porridge walking from a distance down the street.

The earthenware bowl, a rough, yellowish-brown color, was chipped and dented. He held it carefully, afraid that the porridge would spill out.

It was probably served to a sick person in the family.

Wei Miao's eyes flickered: "Someone is distributing porridge?"

She continued walking forward, and at the fork in the road, there was a simple soup kitchen under a crooked, withered tree.

A few bamboo poles propped up a tarpaulin to shelter from the rain, and under the tarpaulin sat a large iron pot, with firewood burning fiercely underneath, sending wisps of smoke rising diagonally.

The person in charge of cooking was a burly man with an unfamiliar face, bare-armed, wearing a dark blue cloth robe embroidered with a rat wearing a red robe.

Standing beside her was a pretty young girl, dressed in a ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with orange-yellow eyes like the setting sun.

It doesn't fit in with the southwest corner.

There were many people queuing up in front of the porridge stall to get porridge, each holding their own worn-out bowl.

At the head of the line, a woman with a faded headscarf wrapped around her head happily took her bowl, thanked them hurriedly, and turned to leave.

Wei Miao walked closer and took a look, discovering that although the porridge in the pot was thin, it contained a lot of medicinal herbs.

She said, "Medicinal porridge? People from Futang and Shi'antang?"

“You have some knowledge.” The burly man was busy serving porridge, so it was the girl who answered him. “This is a medicinal porridge developed by my master. After being tested by those old guys at the Medical Academy, it has a certain inhibitory effect on the plague.”

“Futang is familiar with the environment, so our two companies are cooperating.”

Wei Miao commented casually, "It's pretty good."

The girl pouted and ignored her.

Shi An Tang is a well-known name in the culinary world that has only emerged in recent years. Its approach is niche, and there is a saying that "all the world's famous chefs come from Shi An Tang."

Their deity is the Kitchen God, who is fond of fire and has a voracious appetite. He mainly cultivates the art of joy and harmony, and can use his unique mental strength and techniques to cook delicacies, which he calls "food therapy".

Different specialty dishes can have certain auxiliary effects on martial artists, such as promoting mental energy circulation and temporarily increasing strength.

The sect's patriarch, Wang Pingjiao, is still alive and possesses top-tier cultivation. He was once invited to become a royal chef, but he refused and instead opened a restaurant in the capital called Qinghuan Pavilion.

He's famous for cooking based on who he's cooking for.

Headquartered in Jinyun City, the culinary capital of Da Rong.

The recipe for the medicinal porridge was probably developed by Old Master Wang himself.

Some people in the martial arts world are not lacking in compassion and a desire to heal the sick and save lives.

Fu Tang is not a famous sect in the martial arts world; it was established even earlier than Shi An Tang.

Shi An Tang was established in the early days of the People's Republic of China, while Fu Tang was established after Lu Shaoqing took office.

It is active among the people, advocates "seeking happiness for the people", and often provides relief to people in poor areas or disaster areas, and enjoys a high reputation among the people.

The enshrined deity is a five-rat, peaceful yet timid.

Some people in the martial arts world speculate that it is backed by the imperial court in order to strengthen its control over the lower classes.

Indeed, this is true. The hall master, Cui Siyao, is Lu Shaoqing's man and possesses top-tier strength.

Pei Wenwei had little contact with him. The other party was under the emperor's command and sometimes assisted the two agencies in intelligence work. They were of equal status.

The fact that Fu Tang organized the disaster relief proves that the plague had never left Lu Shaoqing's sights, and she might even have more detailed intelligence than she did. (End of Chapter)