Under the soft rustle of wind-kissed leaves, just before the tree line Jin Yu and the others stood on their horses, gazing intently at the Carriage

  Up ahead, the towering gates of Jadeleaf City stood grand and vigilant, flanked by armored city wardens. The carriage they had tailed all this while finally came to a stop before the gate.

  This time, the men inside weren’t so lucky.

  Two guards approached, stern-faced and sharp-eyed. One of them gestured toward the carriage.

  “Step down. Identification and inspection.”

  The driver hesitated, but a firm glare from the lead warden forced his hand. He climbed down slowly and retrieved a small scroll from his sleeve, handing it over. The second man, that looked like an honest farmer stepped down as well.

  Jin Yu narrowed his eyes, watching every movement.

  The guard unfurled the scroll and read, nodding slowly. “Merchant permit, signed... Westwind Hall?”

  The other warden tapped the side of the carriage. “Open it.”

  “No need for that, sirs,” the second man spoke smoothly, his voice a little too polished. “All wares inside are sealed and tagged. Per the Jadeleaf Merchant Accord, such goods require no manual check.”

  “And yet,” the warden said coolly, “We’ve had complaints of smuggled items lately. Noble orders. You’ll understand if we’re thorough.”

  The man’s eye twitched—but he nodded.

  Two more guards came forward and pried open the carriage doors. Inside, crates lined the space in neat stacks, some marked with merchant seals, others unmarked. The man fidgeted, his smile strained.

  Jin Yu’s eyes sharpened. “Something’s wrong,” he muttered.

  Min Lei squinted. “You see it too?”

  “Mm. He didn’t expect to be checked.” Jin Yu's voice dropped. “Which means whoever let him pass before was in on it.”

  They watched as the wardens pulled one unsealed crate down and cracked it open. Hay and straw spilled out. Then—clink.

  Metal.

  Not just any metal—shackles.

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  The warden’s expression shifted.

  “What’s the meaning of this?” he demanded, raising a broken manacle.

  The second man’s mask cracked. “Those are... old wares—scrap. Nothing illegal.”

  “Scrap with fresh blood?” the other guard said coldly, lifting a piece.

  The second man’s hand moved.

  Jin Yu’s eyes flared. “He’s going to—”

  But the guards were faster.

  Blades rang free and the man was slammed to the ground, a boot on his back. “You think we’re fools?” the lead warden barked.

  The driver raised his hands in surrender.

  “Take them in for questioning,” the warden ordered. “Seal the wagon.”

  From the shadows, Jin Yu watched quietly, eyes unreadable.

  “Well?” Min Lei asked. “Should we move in?”

  “Not yet,” Jin Yu said. “We’ve seen enough.”

  Haozi, who had remained silent, suddenly whispered, “That crest on the warden’s chest... I’ve seen it before.”

  Jin Yu turned to him. “Where?”

  “In the den, that day... A man wore it.”

  Jin Yu’s expression turned cold.

  “Then we’re not just chasing slavers,” he said softly. “We’re walking into their nest.”

  Jin Yu waited until the carriage and its men were hauled away, then urged his horse forward. Haozi and Min Lei followed silently behind him. The gate was still busy, the guards speaking in hushed tones about what they’d just uncovered. Several city patrols had already escorted the cloaked men through the gate, deeper into the city.

  “Stop!” A city warden stepped forward as Jin Yu’s group approached, hand resting on his sword. “State your names and reason for entering Jadeleaf City.”

  Min Lei looked ready to snap again, but Jin Yu raised a hand to silence him.

  He signaled Haozi who reached into his sleeve and drew out a folded token wrapped in a clean white cloth. The warden’s brows drew together at first—then shot up as the golden edge of the Jin family emblem caught the sunlight.

  The man stepped back instinctively.

  “T-the Jin family...”

  The other wardens who had started to surround them immediately stood straighter, tension vanishing like mist.

  “Please forgive our questioning, young master!” the first guard said hurriedly, bowing his head. “Protocol demands we ask all travelers, but had we known...”

  “It’s fine,” Jin Yu said calmly. “We’re here on personal business. We won’t cause trouble—unless we’re given reason to.”

  “No, of course not, noble one. Please—welcome to Jadeleaf City.”

  The gates of Jadeleaf City opened with a low groan, revealing a place that lived up to its name. The inner walls were lined with lush climbing vines, speckled with soft jade-green leaves. Elegant buildings of pale wood and white stone lined the wide roads, lanterns swaying gently from iron hooks overhead. The scent of herbs, roasted meats, and city life drifted on the breeze, and vendors' voices echoed faintly from distant alleys.

  Jin Yu nodded once and spurred his horse forward, the others following without a word.

  Only after they passed through did Haozi whisper, “They didn’t even ask what kind of business.”

  “Because they don’t dare,” Min Lei muttered, still looking smug. “That’s the power of the Jin name.”

  Jin Yu didn’t respond. His eyes were already scanning the streets ahead, searching for signs of where the prisoners had been taken—and where the shadows of Jadeleaf truly began.

  Then he locked on the two wardens ahead—dragging the cloaked prisoners deeper into the city. The horse neighed softly as they followed.

  At first, it looked routine. But soon, something felt... off.

  Instead of heading toward the city center where the main law courts likely stood, the wardens veered into a narrower road. Then another. The farther they went, the more desolate the surroundings became. The clamor of the city faded, replaced by the occasional bark of a stray dog or the creak of shuttered homes. The roads they took were winding, quiet, and rarely trodden—places that barely saw sunlight.

  “They’re avoiding people,” Min Lei whispered.

  Jin Yu didn’t respond. His gaze sharpened further.

  This wasn’t the route for prisoners under questioning. It was too long, too quiet. And the wardens were too cautious—glancing behind their shoulders far too often.

  They're not being taken in. They’re being hidden.

  Without a word, Jin Yu raised his hand and made a subtle gesture. Mist began to curl around their feet, like fog rising from nowhere. The Misty Technique cloaked the three of them instantly—erasing their presence as they moved like shadows behind walls.

  They followed silently until the wardens stopped in a narrow, lifeless alley. It was boxed in by half-crumbled walls and crooked wooden fences. The men looked around carefully, their hands twitching near their hilts. But they never saw the three pairs of eyes watching from just a few paces away.

  One of the wardens moved to the back of the carriage. With a quick twist of a hidden latch, a concealed compartment clicked open. A moment later, the two men they had caught earlier stepped out calmly.

  They dusted themselves with slow, casual movements.

  Not a hint of fear. Not even a trace of confusion or resistance. They looked like men who had expected this.

  Min Lei's mouth parted slightly. Haozi stiffened beside him.

  Jin Yu’s eyes narrowed.

  “So it’s like that,” he murmured coldly, his voice nearly lost in the mist.

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