"With the Yu Clan's involvement, we can easily investigate how many people are left at Misty Villa." Chu Dingjiang leaned slightly forward, smiling as he moved closer to her. "We've just inspected the docks, which will inevitably alert them. Meanwhile, Misty Villa is hunting Zhu Pianxian. What do you think the dock workers will assume when the Yu Clan, who always uses official docks, suddenly reroutes a shipment there?"
Chu Dingjiang was wearing a Human Skin Mask—his simple, honest face paired with his towering frame made him look like an unassuming country bumpkin, starkly at odds with his current scheming expression.
An Jiu was long accustomed to his cunning. "Does Yu Pianfei know about your machinations? He’s not a fool."
"He isn’t. Even if he doesn’t know the specifics, he should understand that nothing comes without a price." Chu Dingjiang seemed lost in thought for a moment before sighing. "That boy reminds me of my younger self. If he’s sensible, I won’t make things difficult for him."
A wry smile flickered across his face, as if recalling something.
Night fell in Chu Zhou.
A ship docked, and its passengers disembarked one after another.
The group consisted of people of varying ages, accompanied by numerous servants, including a veiled woman—clearly a family of some standing.
After leaving the docks, they stopped at a nearby inn to rest.
The drowsy attendant perked up at the sight of such a large group and hurried forward with a welcoming smile.
"Do you have any superior rooms left?" asked the middle-aged man at the front, who appeared to be in his thirties.
"Yes, yes! How many would you like, honored guests? We only have two superior rooms left, but the regular ones are still plentiful."
"Two superior rooms, and five regular ones," An Jiu said.
"Right away! This way, please." The attendant picked up a lantern and kicked the wall near the stairs as he passed. "Wake up and attend to our esteemed guests!"
With that, he led the group upstairs.
He first showed the veiled woman to her room. In the dim light outside, he hadn’t noticed much, but now, up close, he was struck by her beauty. Though only her eyes were visible, their allure was enough to suggest an exquisite face.
When the woman noticed his gaze, she lowered her lashes. The maidservant beside her glared at him. "What are you staring at?"
The attendant bowed apologetically. "My apologies for the offense, young mistress."
"Leave," the veiled woman said.
Offending a sheltered noblewoman was no small matter. Relieved she didn’t press the issue, the attendant quickly retreated.
The maidservant shut the door and sighed, plopping down into a seat. She reached for the teapot to pour herself water, only to find it empty. Annoyed, she set it down with a thud. "Exhausting, and not even a drop to drink!"
Noticing the veiled woman still standing, she remarked coolly, "Lou Mingyue, do you expect me to help you sit down too?"
This woman was Sun Dixian, originally part of Chu Dingjiang’s team. After Chu was assigned another mission, Gu Jinghong took over the entire group. Under Chu’s command, Sun Dixian had been the only woman in the team and, being sociable, had received considerable care from the others. This time, however, Gu Jinghong had assigned her to play Lou Mingyue’s maidservant—forcing her to serve tea and water in front of outsiders the entire journey. What infuriated her even more was that Lou Mingyue actually acted as if it were her due!
Lou Mingyue ignored her and walked to the rear window. She pushed it open, letting in the cool breeze tinged with the scent of watergrass. The fresh air eased her seasickness slightly.Sun Dixian was not one to easily offend others, but whenever she saw Lou Mingyue's aloof and haughty demeanor, she always felt a surge of irritation. Sun Dixian knew that the Lou clan had been practically wiped out, and Lou Mingyue was consumed by an aura of hostility, her heart filled with nothing but hatred, indifferent to everything else. Sun Dixian understood that befriending her would be difficult—no amount of flattery would earn her any favors—so she never bothered to hide her disdain in private.
However, Sun Dixian only dared to vent her anger with a few sarcastic remarks here and there, never truly daring to provoke Lou Mingyue.
Footsteps came and went outside, and after a while, everything fell silent.
A waiter stood with his arms crossed, staring upstairs and muttering, "Such wealthy folks—even their servants get guest rooms."
Thud! Thud!
Someone knocked twice on the table.
The waiter jumped in fright and turned to see a man standing in the middle of the hall. The man was tall and imposing, like a small mountain looming in the dim light. Just as the waiter was about to speak, he noticed a woman standing slightly behind the man's right shoulder. She wore her hair in a married woman's hairstyle, her figure entirely shrouded in the man's shadow, giving off an inexplicably eerie aura.
The newcomers were Chu Dingjiang and An Jiu, who had come to rendezvous with Gu Jinghong and the others.
"Do you have any rooms available?" Chu Dingjiang asked.
The waiter snapped out of his daze. "Yes!"
"One room," Chu Dingjiang said.
Though both were dressed plainly, the waiter sensed they were no ordinary guests and respectfully replied, "Right this way, honored guests."
Once inside the room, Chu Dingjiang instructed the waiter to bring some food.
After the waiter left, he closed the door and turned to ask, "Are they here?"
An Jiu extended her mental strength. "I sense over twenty experts—it must be them."
"Rest first," Chu Dingjiang said. "We'll meet them tomorrow morning."
Before long, the waiter returned with their meal.
After eating, the two retired for the night.
At the break of dawn, An Jiu sensed the twenty-plus martial arts masters gathering in the main hall. She opened her eyes and sat up.
Chu Dingjiang, who had been sleeping on a bench, rose as well.
After a quick wash, they headed downstairs together.
In the hall, a few of those eating breakfast glanced up at the sound of footsteps.
Chu Dingjiang locked eyes for a moment with a middle-aged man in luxurious robes, whose gaze was sharp and clear, before finding a table to sit at.
The group finished their meal and left the inn. After a short while, Chu Dingjiang and An Jiu also departed after breakfast.
On the main road, once they confirmed there were no other martial arts masters nearby aside from this group, they approached the lead carriage.
Just as they reached it, the carriage stopped.
"Please, come in," a voice from inside said.
Inside sat two people. Though their appearances had changed, Gu Jinghong's unforgettable eyes remained the same, and An Jiu recognized him instantly. The fox-eyed old man beside him, however, took her a few moments to place.
"Sheng Zhangku," An Jiu said, staring at her.
Sheng Zhangku lazily lifted her gaze, looking perpetually sleep-deprived—truly resembling an elderly person on the verge of exhaustion. "Greetings to you both."
"Brother Chu," Gu Jinghong clasped his hands in greeting.
Chu Dingjiang returned the gesture without further pleasantries. "Let's take the land route straight to Yangzhou."
An Jiu frowned, still staring at Sheng Zhangku. Aside from those she already knew, Sheng Zhangku was the only person in the Crane Control Institute she had interacted with a few times. Could it be... this person was working for Gu Jinghong?
Sheng Zhangku yawned. "Don't look at me like that. I didn't want to come either, but Master Gu obtained an oral decree from the Emperor. I had no choice."
Her tone carried a hint of discontent."Master Sheng, you must be exhausted from the journey," Chu Dingjiang said with a smile. "I wonder if you're familiar with the Feng Shipping Company of Yangzhou?"
It was Chu Dingjiang who had strongly recommended this "unambitious" Sheng Zhangku to Gu Jinghong. The man possessed an astonishing memory, storing countless matters of the world in his mind.
Few knew that Sheng Zhangku shared some friendship with Chu Dingjiang, and now he naturally guessed who was responsible for his arduous trip. He glared at Chu Dingjiang with a deeply resentful expression. "The Feng family, you say..." (To be continued...)
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