Reborn and returned, sisters swapped

Will Chapter 148 bring more vitality to Hersha City?

The leader repeatedly instructed us to escort supplies to the secret passage in the western mountains, a place that had always been forbidden and never allowed anyone to approach.

What's even stranger is that we weren't allowed to open those boxes either. He clicked his tongue, seemingly dissatisfied with the situation.

But the alcohol made his words sound lazy: "I heard that these boxes don't contain military supplies... they seem to be some kind of gifts."

Gu Jinyan's hand paused slightly on Suobudan's arm, a strong sense of unease and doubt welling up in his heart.

The West Mountain Secret Passage was a place she had heard of in the military but had never actually set foot in—it was said to be a strategic location of the camp, used only for emergency evacuations or secret operations.

More importantly, if the supplies were not intended for military use but were "gifts," then the whereabouts and purpose of these gifts would be highly suspicious.

She quickly realized that there must be an important clue related to the Tianchen Dynasty hidden behind this.

Sobudan let out a burp, leaned against the table, and waved his hand wearily: "We people can only follow orders..."

But honestly, I really don't understand what the leader is up to.

"The war isn't over yet, so who should we send gifts to now?" He finished speaking and fell into a deep sleep, leaving Gu Jinyan to digest this sudden information alone.

Gu Jinyan helped Suobudan lie down, covered him with a blanket, and quietly got up. As he left the tent, his mood grew heavier.

The word "gift" that Sobudan had mentioned kept replaying in her mind.

If these boxes are indeed related to the Tianchen Dynasty, then they are very likely evidence of a private transaction.

This means that the contact between Dawar and the Tianchen Dynasty was far more than just a secret meeting; it could be an exchange of some kind of practical benefit.

This clue prompted her to change her strategy—she had to find out where the supplies went and what was in the boxes.

If it can be proven that they are related to the Tianchen Dynasty, that would be her most crucial evidence.

The clues I have obtained are far from enough. I must find conclusive evidence to confirm the relationship between Davar and Tianchen and report back to Hesha City.

In the days that followed, Gu Jinyan feigned approaching Sobudan's entourage in order to gather more information.

She managed to add trace amounts of herbs to Sobudan's food to make it difficult for him to sleep at night, thus increasing his dependence on the medicine and giving herself more reasons to access it.

As she was preparing herbs for Sobudan, she casually remarked, "My lord, you seem to have to accompany the chieftain every day; it must be quite tiring."

Sobudan gave a wry smile, unintentionally revealing his weariness towards Davar, and said in a low voice, "We guards can only follow the leader's orders..."

This task is not easy.

He didn't say much, but Gu Jinyan sensed his unease and speculated that Dawar's secret meeting with the Tianchen Dynasty might not have received everyone's full support.

Sobudan's few words were far from enough; she needed more direct evidence—such as letters or tokens.

She noticed that the letters in Dawar's tent were usually delivered by the guards themselves.

To access these letters, she had to create a plausible opportunity without making the slightest mistake.

She carefully recalled the guards' habits and noticed that one of them, named Ergul, had recently suffered some minor injuries in battle.

Every evening I would pass by the medical tent to get my medicine.

So she came up with a plan.

As night fell, Gu Jinyan secretly mixed a small amount of herb into the medicine. This herb would cause abdominal pain, but it would not be life-threatening.

But it was enough to keep Ergul up all night.

Late at night, she waited silently in her tent, a vague unease creeping into her heart—if the plan failed, it might arouse Sobudan's suspicion.

However, this may be her closest chance to the core area.

Her thoughts were in turmoil for a moment, but she quickly calmed down, reminding herself to stay composed and not let any emotions show.

The next morning, as expected, Ergul arrived at the medical tent looking unwell, pale and exhausted.

Upon seeing him, Gu Jinyan immediately put on a concerned expression and asked gently, "Lord Ergul, you don't look well. Did you not sleep well last night?"

Ergul frowned slightly, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead, and clutched his stomach, saying, "I had a terrible stomachache last night, I don't know why."

I was supposed to deliver an urgent message to the chief, but given the current situation... I'm afraid I can't go in person.

Gu Jinyan was overjoyed, but a hint of worry appeared on his face: "Lord Egul, why don't I take care of the medical tent for you, so you can rest for a while?"

If you trust me, I can also prepare some herbal medicine to relieve your stomach pain.

Ergul glanced at Gu Jinyan, clearly unable to consider the matter further, and nodded slightly, instructing her not to leave the medical tent.

Gu Jinyan readily agreed, maintaining a humble expression on his face.

Meanwhile, he secretly pondered how to use this opportunity to get closer to the core area.

She sat down with Egul, pretending to carefully prepare herbs for him, while secretly observing his movements.

A moment later, Ergul gave a few instructions, then, exhausted from the abdominal pain, he got up and left the medical tent to return to the camp to rest.

As he watched his figure gradually disappear into the morning light, Gu Jinyan knew the time had come. His heart couldn't help but race, and his hands trembled slightly with nervousness.

But she forced herself to remain calm, slowly tidied her herb bag, and walked unhurriedly toward the core area of ​​Davar.

As she approached the military tent, the guards around her clearly recognized her as a healer. They didn't question her further, but only cast a slightly puzzled look at her.

Gu Jinyan feigned composure, nodded to those around him, and walked steadily into the military tent.

The interior of the military tent was dimly lit. She paused slightly and looked around. In the center, she saw a heavy wooden desk with scrolls and letters piled on it.

Holding my breath, I walked to the desk, my heart pounding like a drum.

He slowly reached for the letters, flipping through one of the scrolls, when he caught sight of a special letter with a familiar seal on the envelope—the royal seal of the Tianchen Dynasty.

This is the direct evidence I'm looking for.

However, he was caught in a dilemma because he didn't have the tools to dissect and read it without leaving a trace.

They could only retreat silently and seek another opportunity.

After calming herself down, Gu Jinyan didn't linger. She quickly put the letter back in its original place, tightened the herbs she had prepared, and walked out of the military tent as if nothing had happened.

As dawn broke outside the tent, her face remained expressionless, and her steps remained composed.

My heart, however, was in turmoil.

On her way back to the medical tent, she breathed a long sigh of relief, feeling a wave of lingering fear.

The next opportunity to approach Dawar's tent may be the key moment for him to obtain the final evidence.

In the dead of night, she recalled the patrol habits of each guard and secretly decided to create an "accident".

She deliberately used herbs to lure the patrolling horses during the quiet of the night, creating a restless commotion.

The guards were alarmed, and Sobudan was forced to leave the tent.

As night fell over the camp, Gu Jinyan silently approached the back of Davar's tent, his palms slightly sweaty.

She slowly lifted a corner of the tent and, using the faint flickering firelight, quickly scanned the letters on the table.

She knew that Dawar's letters were usually sealed with the unique seal of the Tianchen Dynasty—a highly recognizable jade seal symbol.

Reading the content without damaging the seal is undoubtedly a huge challenge.

She silently recited the plan, trying to calm her heartbeat.

She quickly pulled a tiny silver needle, as thin as a hair, from her sleeve.

This needle was a tool she had prepared beforehand, used to pry open the edge of the envelope's wax seal to avoid damaging its stamp.

She held the envelope by the corner with her other hand, pulling it slightly outwards to make a small sound.

As the firelight flickered, her eyes were fixed on the seal, her fingers dancing along the edge of the envelope like a dancer.

Gu Jinyan held his breath and carefully inserted the silver needle into the gap between the envelope and the seal, slowly lifting the wax seal from the edge.

This is a painstaking process; any carelessness can cause the sealant to crack, leaving irreparable marks.

At that moment, it was as if I could hear my own heartbeat, synchronized with the slight friction of the needle tip.

"Slow down, slow down..."

The moment I felt the sealing wax begin to loosen at my fingertips, I almost couldn't help but gasp softly.

But she remained calm and did not rush to unfold the letter. Instead, she first completely peeled off one corner of the wax seal and carefully used her fingernail to fix the wax seal in place.

In this way, the letter still appears as if it has never been opened.

Gently unfold the top edge of the letter, lifting it slightly enough for her to see the first few lines of text inside.

Using the dim candlelight inside the tent, she quickly scanned the contents.

The letter was covered with dense handwriting, and the first few sentences seemed to be unimportant greetings.

But her gaze quickly settled on a particular phrase: "West Mountain Secret Passage" and "material transfer".

These words made her instantly realize that this letter was very likely an agreement reached between the Tianchen Dynasty and Dawar—supplies would be transported through a secret passage.

These supplies may have been intended to facilitate a secret deal.

This discovery made Gu Jinyan's heart leap.

Her fingertips trembled slightly, but she tried to remain calm.

At this moment, her emotions were like two currents clashing fiercely within her.

As Tianchen's secret agent, she should have felt fortunate to have obtained such important evidence;

But at the same time, she couldn't suppress her disappointment and anger—she had thought that Tianchen's intervention was to end this conflict.

Little did they expect it was all for this kind of clandestine deal.

Behind the war lies nothing more than an exchange of interests, and the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for it became the most insignificant pawns.

Gu Jinyan took a deep breath, forced himself to concentrate, and continued to decipher the contents of the letter.

She could only browse the key information in a few seconds—the approximate time, the type of supplies, and the identity of the messenger sent by Tianchen to meet her.

She memorized these details, then quietly closed the letter and gently pressed the wax seal back into place.

After checking and confirming that there were no abnormalities in the seal, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Gu Jinyan put the letters back in their original places, restoring the original messy arrangement on the desk.

She gently wiped the silver needle in her hand and hid it back in her sleeve.

One last check of the traces you left behind to make sure there was nothing suspicious.

He couldn't linger any longer; any hesitation might arouse the guards' suspicion.

Turning towards the tent exit, I heard the wind whistling through the tent flap, like a low urging.

He lowered his breath, slowed every movement, and slipped out of the tent silently like a shadow.

Back in her medical tent, she finally breathed a sigh of relief, cold sweat trickling down her temples.

Although she successfully deciphered the key information in the letter, she was still haunted by complex emotions deep inside.

War, conspiracy, betrayal—these complex realities weighed heavily on her.

She had thought that uncovering the truth would bring her relief, but at this moment she only felt an increasing heaviness in her chest.