Ma Han knew that the Lotus Cult Leader's sudden intrusion must mean an urgent matter, and he quickly clasped his fists and asked, "Have you encountered an emergency?"
The Lotus Cult Leader nodded. "The Zhu Yan King Long I killed a few days ago, and Wang Lei last night. I've been hiding in the Hundred Flowers Tower, but I was discovered by the imperial army and they are searching for me. I need to stay here until dark before leaving the city."
Upon hearing this, Ma Han said, "Then please follow me."
Ma Han led the Lotus Cult Leader directly into his bedroom.
Then, he took out a set of blue clothes from the wardrobe. "Change into this."
"If the imperial army comes to search, you go to the backyard. There's a stable there, and you can pretend to be a stable boy."
The Lotus Cult Leader nodded and clasped his fists at Ma Han. "Thank you, Brother Ma. I will surely put in a good word for you with the Princess later."
Ma Han waved his hand. "Cult Leader Tang, those are matters for the future. Hurry and get ready. I'll go out now."
Ma Han went into the courtyard and clapped his hands, gathering everyone. Su Dan Novel Network.
"The person who just arrived is the Princess's master. From now on, she will be our stable boy, Little Tang. If the imperial army comes to search, everyone remain calm, understand?"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, on the teahouse outside the alley, Tian Han was enjoying his tea when he saw a squad of imperial soldiers approaching in the distance. About a few hundred men arrived below the teahouse and then spread out, searching house by house.
Upon entering the teahouse, an imperial soldier loudly asked the shopkeeper, "Do you recognize Tian Wen from the Drunken Immortal Tower?"
The shopkeeper was momentarily stunned, then cautiously smiled. "I've met him a few times, but we don't interact much."
"Did he come here today?"
"No, no. Not many customers today. If he had come, I would have definitely recognized him."
Following these few words, there was the sound of footsteps rapidly ascending the stairs, and two imperial soldiers rushed up.
One of them held a portrait, spread it out, and compared it to Tian Han. Then he turned and went downstairs.
Seeing this, Tian Han secretly sighed at the imperial army's speed. It had only been an hour, and they already had his portrait.
Ma Family Courtyard was not spared from the search for Tian Han. Someone barged in, holding Tian Han's portrait and comparing it to everyone.
Seeing the portrait bore Tian Han's likeness, the Lotus Cult Leader let out a long sigh of relief.
It seemed she was safe for the moment.
However, the Lotus Cult Leader's joy was short-lived. After this group of imperial soldiers left, they waited for another half an hour, and it was already noon.
Ma Han had intentionally prepared two extra dishes to calm the Lotus Cult Leader's nerves.
Ma Han poured a cup of wine and raised it with a smile.
"The Cult Leader is blessed by heaven and will surely be fine."
The Lotus Cult Leader naturally responded enthusiastically, also raising her cup with a smile. "As long as I can wait until dark, I will leave Qingniu County and won't cause you any more trouble!"
Before she could finish speaking, with a resounding crash, the door burst open, and another squad of imperial soldiers rushed in, shouting loudly into the room, "Everyone come out for inspection."
Ma Han's expression changed upon hearing this.
He immediately put down his wine cup and said to everyone, "Everyone, follow my lead. If we absolutely cannot hide it, we will take action immediately."
After giving his instructions, Ma Han, with a fawning smile, was the first to walk out of the room.
"Officer, what's happening in the middle of the afternoon..."
Before he could finish, the leader impatiently waved his hand. "Alright, stop talking. Stand there and be inspected."
Ma Han gestured for the people behind him to stand in a line, his gaze warily fixed on the speaker.
The man held a drawing in his hand, which was exactly the likeness of the Lotus Cult Leader.
The Lotus Cult Leader had stayed in the Hundred Flowers Tower for so long, and many people had seen her. Moreover, she had shown her true face, so the drawing was about eighty to ninety percent accurate.
Ma Han immediately became nervous.
He thought the matter was over, but the real trouble was yet to come.
The Lotus Cult Leader also knew that it was too late to alter her appearance now.
She secretly clutched some cow hair needles in her palm, ready to strike if they recognized her.
The petty officer held the portrait and first compared it with Ma Han.
Then he shook his head and moved to the next person. Taking this opportunity, Ma Han and the Lotus Cult Leader exchanged a look. The Lotus Cult Leader nodded slightly, indicating that she was ready.
With the Lotus Cult Leader prepared, everything became simpler.
The petty officer inspected everyone one by one, finally arriving in front of the Lotus Cult Leader.
The Lotus Cult Leader wore a rough blue cloth robe, and her hair was tied up, making her look like a young lad.
The petty officer held the portrait and looked at the Lotus Cult Leader for a long time. Suddenly, he said, "Take off your hat."
The Lotus Cult Leader knew that the man had noticed something amiss. She raised her left hand slowly towards her hat and then gave Ma Han a look.
Ma Han nodded slightly in response.
With everything ready, the Lotus Cult Leader suddenly took a large step to the right, out of the petty officer's way, and waved her hand at several soldiers behind him.
A handful of cow hair needles flew out silently. The soldiers were caught off guard. They were all watching the petty officer inspect everyone, who would have expected the Lotus Cult Leader to suddenly attack?
At this moment, Ma Han also let out a sudden roar and charged forward.
The person closest to the Lotus Cult Leader lunged at the petty officer like a hungry tiger.
The petty officer hadn't even figured out what was happening before he was pushed to the ground. The next instant, he felt a chill at his neck.
Seeing this, Ma Han shouted, "Don't use knives."
But it was too late. The petty officer's neck had already been sliced by a sharp blade.
A trace of blood had already seeped out.
The Lotus Cult Leader darted forward and cupped her hand over his neck, saying to the person who had struck the blow.
"Take off your clothes and wrap it."
Soon, all the soldiers on the scene were dealt with. Except for the petty officer whose throat was slit with a short knife, the others had no obvious external injuries.
Ma Han pointed to the east wing. "Drag them into the woodshed and throw them into the cellar."
Over a dozen soldiers disappeared in the blink of an eye, and the scene was cleaned thoroughly, leaving no trace.
Everyone returned to the room and sat down to eat. They had lost the appetite for drinking and finished their meal in a hurry.
While eating, the Lotus Cult Leader began to caution, "With more than a dozen imperial soldiers missing, they will eventually come back to search."
"I can't stay here any longer. If I stay, none of us will be able to escape."
Ma Han looked at her in surprise. "Where else can you go?"
The Lotus Cult Leader smiled slightly.
"To the Hundred Flowers Tower."
"Everyone from the Hundred Flowers Tower has been taken away. Returning there now is the safest for me."
"By the way, do you have any messages for the Princess? I'll take them out for you tonight."
Ma Han looked around and clasped his fists. "Please convey to Her Highness the Princess that we await her arrival in Qingniu County."
The Lotus Cult Leader nodded and turned to leave.