At the same time, in the Lu Family.
Lu Tianhe sat in the main hall, his face livid. The news that Xu Zhong was dead and Chen Si had gone missing had arrived one after another, and the more he thought about it, the more uneasy he became.
"Xu Zhong is dead, Chen Si is missing. Such consecutive incidents are definitely not normal."
Lu Hao stood below him, his head lowered and his body tense. He could feel the anger rolling off Lu Tianhe, and he had no desire to become the target of it.
"What does the City Lord’s Mansion say?"
"The City Lord’s Mansion told us to investigate it ourselves and not to cause a big commotion."
Lu Tianhe let out a cold laugh.
"How considerate of them."
The City Lord’s Mansion was clearly unwilling to get involved, leaving the Lu Family to deal with the mess on its own.
"Investigate it ourselves? Fine."
He rose from his seat and paced slowly across the hall, his hands clasped behind his back.
"Tell me, who has had a grudge against us recently?"
Lu Hao thought carefully before answering.
"The Zhao Family in the western part of the city. We had a dispute over a piece of land last month, and neither side was willing to compromise."
Lu Tianhe waved his hand impatiently.
"The Zhao Family argues over every scrap of land they can get their hands on. If they wanted to cause trouble, they wouldn’t need to kill one of our people and make another disappear. They’d simply find an excuse to start a fight."
"There is also the Shen Family in the south of the city. They’ve never been particularly friendly toward us, especially since the marriage arrangement involving Shen Yuyan and Lu Xuan. Also..."
He hesitated, as though he was reluctant to mention the next name.
"There is also Flying Cloud Fortress outside the city..."
Lu Tianhe’s footsteps stopped. His brows drew together slightly at the mention of Flying Cloud Fortress.
"Flying Cloud Fortress?"
"I heard that they’ve been unusually active lately. Their people have been moving around the surrounding settlements more frequently, and several merchants have complained about unfamiliar armed men appearing along the roads."
His eyes narrowed, and a dangerous glint flashed through them.
"Flying Cloud Fortress, Is It You?!!!" Find the original chapter at g.com.
The Iron Mountain Escort Agency.
The morning sun shone over the agency’s courtyard, where several escort warriors were finishing their daily practice. The sharp sounds of blades cutting through the air mingled with the occasional shout of instruction.
Fang Tieshan stood near the entrance, holding a newly arrived assignment notice. His thick eyebrows were drawn together as he read through the details for the second time.
The shipment was bound for Maple Leaf Town, a settlement north of Azure Sun City. The journey would take three days there and back, assuming the roads remained clear and the goods arrived without incident.
"We received an order to escort a batch of goods to Maple Leaf Town. It will be a three-day round trip. Who is going?"
Old Guo immediately raised his hand.
"I’ll go, Boss."
Xiao Lin followed closely behind. "I’ll go too."
Ye Qingyi said nothing. She simply stepped forward, her calm expression making it clear that she had already made her decision.
Fang Tieshan’s gaze then fell on Lu Xuan.
"You go too."
Lu Xuan blinked.
"Me?"
"You heard me. Help watch the carts and handle the odd jobs along the way."
Lu Xuan was stunned. He had not expected to be included.
"Uncle Fang, I..."
"I’ll pay you wages. One silver piece a day."
The rest of Lu Xuan’s words vanished before he could say them.
One silver piece a day. Three days would be three silver pieces, enough to buy several pounds of meat. More importantly, this was a three-day round trip with Old Guo, an experienced head escort warrior, and Ye Qingyi, a Martial Artist Realm expert.
Fang Tieshan was clearly giving him a chance to earn some extra money while quietly looking after him.
Since someone was willing to give him an opportunity, there was no reason for him to refuse it.
"All right," he said. "Thank you, Uncle Fang."
Fang Tieshan waved a hand as though it were nothing.
"Don’t thank me yet. The road isn’t a place for sightseeing. Follow instructions, keep your eyes open, and don’t wander off.
"Good. Make sure you’re ready."
That evening, Lu Xuan returned home and told Shen Yuyan about the trip to Maple Leaf Town.
She had been sitting beside the window, carefully stitching an embroidery pattern. When she heard that he would be leaving the city, the needle paused between her fingers.
"You’re going outside the city?"
Her voice was quiet, but Lu Xuan caught the worry behind it.
"Just for three days," he assured her. "It’s an escort assignment. We’ll be traveling with several experienced warriors, and there’s an expert in the Martial Artist Realm accompanying us."
He tried to make it sound as ordinary as possible.
"When do you leave?" she asked.
"Tomorrow morning."
"Then I’ll prepare some food for you to take along."
Lu Xuan felt a warmth spread through his chest.
"You don’t need to trouble yourself. The agency will provide provisions."
"Then I’ll wait for you."
Lu Xuan squeezed her hand gently.
"Good. When I get back, I’ll bring you something from Maple Leaf Town."
"You don’t have to buy me anything."
"I have too, because I am your husband, surely I am allowed to spend a little money on my wife?"
She looked away, but the corners of her mouth lifted.
The tension in the room eased.
Later that evening, they prepared for bed earlier than usual. Lu Xuan had no intention of exhausting himself before a three-day journey, especially when he had a system that rewarded rest so generously.
Shen Yuyan, for her part, was reluctant to waste the few hours they had left together before his departure.
In truth, she was usually the one who insisted on continuing ’it’ every day, unwilling to disappoint her husband.