Chapter 817, A Scholar's Code
"He's giving a speech at a time like this?"
Bennie's intel caught Wu Heng off guard.
The prince's mansion had been attacked, and several officials had recently disappeared because of him. This really wasn't the right time for a public speech.
Countless people were still trying to pinpoint his location.
Bennie said, "That's what the notice says. The city's residents are excited, thinking the prince has the fearless spirit of a king who won't give up and dares to fight."
Damn, clearly someone was guiding public opinion.
"He's been hiding all this time, and they're calling it brave now?" Wu Heng was speechless.
"Ordinary folks don't know any better. They don't even know the prince's mansion is a fake," Bennie said casually, floating beside him.
"Good point," Wu Heng nodded.
While they chatted, Glenda flew in from outside.
Glancing at them, she said, "I went to the intelligence minister's place. A new minister has already taken office."
"That was fast," Wu Heng commented.
They arrested him yesterday, and today the replacement was already in place.
That's some efficiency!
Glenda nodded, continuing, "The new minister is level 15, and during the handover, they used coded messages."
"What kind of code?" Wu Heng asked.
Glenda recalled and said, "There are two. The first is for intel transfers: 'The bells of Chelu Cathedral rang late.' The response is, 'But the doves returned to the nest on time.'"
"The second is for the guard shifts: 'A new exhibit opens at the West District gallery.' The response is, 'I attend with eyes full of admiration.'"
Holy shit!
That's some cultured shit.
Did they really need to make the codes this poetic?
Chelu referred to the capital of the Ekow Kingdom.
Clearly, these folks still held deep attachment to the capital.
Even their secret codes referenced Chelu.
"Truly cultured," Wu Heng said in awe.
Bennie thought for a moment and said, "Maybe the second prince wrote them. Rumor has it he's into literary stuff."
"Could be!" Wu Heng agreed.
Anyone else might not have such sentimental ties to the capital.
Glenda grinned and said, "Want to sneak in again? We know the codes now."
"Without a clear objective, there's not much point," Wu Heng replied.
"So what's the plan today?" Glenda asked.
Wu Heng thought for a moment. "I just spoke with Wen Mansa and gave her the list of spies in Rentam City. She mentioned that the Snake Emblem Consortium's Hero, the Dragon, went to Serted Fortress."
Both specters frowned.
Glenda asked, "What's going on?"
Wu Heng repeated what Wen Mansa told him.
The two specters listened intently.
The further north one went, the more remote the areas. Most local stewards in the cities were level 12, and the previous Rentam City Lord was only level 15.
But recently, an 18th-level assassin went after Wen Mansa, and now even a Hero had shown up.
High-level Professionals were suddenly swarming that region.
Even though Wu Heng spoke casually, they could feel how intense things must have been for Wen Mansa.
After finishing the story, Wu Heng said, "I plan to head back and give her a ghost train ticket, in case she needs to escape."
He had one from the thief and two from the intelligence minister's spatial ring.
Perfect for Wen Mansa, Hartle, and the kid—three tickets.
"What about the prince's speech? Are we still going to watch it?" Glenda asked.
Something clearly felt off about the speech.
But they had no real leads on the second prince. Even if it was fake, they still had to take a look.
"I'll come back for it," Wu Heng replied.
The specters nodded.
With that done, the trio chatted about other things.
Changes in the city, plainclothes guards hiding among the residents.
They might look normal, but to a specter, things like level, alertness, and reporting behavior were obvious.
Clear as day.
The city was progressing.
They weren't just letting the guard patrol aimlessly anymore. Now they were using undercover agents to gather intel.
Then launching coordinated raids and arrests.
As they chatted casually…
Xiaoxiao flew in from outside. "Auntie and Sister Bennie are back!"
Then pointed at the door. "Uncle, the staff is coming up to clean."
"Let's go, we shouldn't get in their way," Wu Heng said, putting on a mask to change his appearance.
At the same time, he packed up the radio and soundproof jar.
He cast [Teleportation] and vanished.
Creak~!
The door opened, and two bartenders stepped in.
The one in front paused.
The one behind asked, "What's wrong?"
"Something just… disappeared in a flash."
"You need some supplements, man. Hallucinating already," the other said, brushing past him into the room.
They started cleaning.
......
A magic circle formed.
Wu Heng appeared in a small alley outside.
He walked out onto the street and stood with the crowd at the bulletin board, reading the notice.
It was short: His Highness the Second Prince will deliver a profound speech in the central square at noon in three days.
No other details.
At the front of the crowd, a bard in a green cloak stood on a wooden box with a lute.
He strummed the strings lightly, the sound quieting the murmurs and drawing everyone's gaze.
"With the capital in the hands of cults and the undead corrupting the north, it is thanks to the courage and cunning of the Second Prince that we have been saved from annihilation!"
"Now, His Highness will stand up once again to lead us and reclaim all that was lost!"
The bard shouted passionately, green cloak fluttering like a banner.
Some sparse applause rose from the crowd, but it didn't feel particularly enthusiastic.
"Prince Ditalio colluded with the cult, murdered the old king, and seized the throne. We cannot let him keep harming our people!"
"...The wicked Lady Wen Mansa, lord of Rentam City, is a vile witch who eats children and spreads plague!"
"..."
The bard kept going, recounting the brutality of the two villains.
When Wu Heng heard the bit about Wen Mansa eating children and spreading plague…
His eyelids twitched.
Wen Mansa was deep in her motherly phase. If she heard this slander, she'd probably faint from rage.
After a bit, the crowd mostly lost interest.
They started murmuring among themselves.
"Did they catch the assassin? I heard two more ministers went missing yesterday."
"Must've caught someone. Otherwise, would the prince really show his face now?"
"I bet it's another recruitment drive."
"We'll see how it goes. If it looks bad, I'm skipping town for a few days."