Without hesitation, the young swordsman rose to his feet.“Where are you going?” Xiao Ji asked curiously, his tone mixed with mild concern.“Wait here,” Xiao Chen replied calmly. “I heard a woman calling for help.”Xiao Ji and the tavern owner exchanged puzzled looks. Neither of them had heard anything—only the faint crackle of the hearth and the whisper of the evening wind filled the air.“Who’s calling for help?” the woman asked, her brow furrowing in disbelief.“I’m not sure,” Xiao Ji replied, shrugging lightly. “But my friend has sharper hearing than most.”Before stepping outside, Xiao Ji picked up a roasted chicken leg from the stone mortar, bit into it, and followed behind. The middle-aged tavern keeper—whom they respectfully called Auntie—hesitated only briefly before deciding to accompany them. Curiosity, and perhaps concern, drove her steps.Outside, night had descended fully. The faint silver glow of the moon fought its way through drifting clouds, painting the village in p

The dozen or so burly men who had come with the village head turned their heads at once. Confusion spread across their faces — whom should they fight? The young man the village head had pointed to, or the newcomer who had appeared even closer to them?Seeing the bewilderment in his men’s eyes, the village head shouted again, voice cracking with forced authority, “Kill them both!”The sixteen men under his command split into two groups. Eight men in each half lunged forward together — one group targeting Xiao Chen, the other charging at Xiao Ji.Two of Bai Shan’s bodyguards, who already knew something of Xiao Chen’s strength, dared not face the young man directly; instead they joined the others and attacked Xiao Ji.A clash was inevitable. The thunder of overturned tables and chairs sounded in quick succession as bodies were thrown against the rough wood. The shrieks of the girls who worked there rose into the air and made the whole place feel like

One of the guards suddenly raised his arm, blocking Xiao Chen and Xiao Ji as they were about to climb the stairs.“Stop! What business do you have upstairs?”“We came here to eat,” Xiao Chen replied calmly. “Since the upper floor is open to certain guests, we believe we have the same right to dine there.”Realizing that the two young men were warriors, the guard immediately changed his tone. “Very well, you may go up—but please, do not cause any disturbance. Lord Liu Zen is holding a private meeting.” He lowered his arm respectfully.Xiao Chen gave a faint smile and started up the stairs, Xiao Ji following closely behind.When they reached the upper floor, Xiao Chen’s eyes quickly found the nobleman he had seen earlier. Now that he could see more clearly, he was certain this man was Lord Liu Zen—the one mentioned by the guard. Beside him sat the white-haired elder from before, as well as two other men, one of whom was dressed in fine garments not typical of officials or nobles, yet ca

“It’s without question that those two are the ones, my lord,” said Zong Rui, shifting slightly in his seat. “But what puzzles me is their motive. Why would they do such a thing? Could they have been sent from the palace to inspect the villages? Or perhaps they bear some grudge against Duke Tian Long and seek to turn the people against him by forbidding the tribute payments?”Liu Zen leaned back into his cushioned chair, his brows furrowing deeply as his mind turned over the possibilities. A heavy sigh escaped from his nostrils—a sign of deep contemplation.“Whatever the reason,” he said slowly, “we must be cautious, Elder. If they truly are agents of the imperial court, then Lord Yao Li surely knows of them, for his position in the palace is one of great power. Still, whether he knows them or not, one thing is certain—those two young men have come to believe that Duke Tian Long is not a good ruler. That belief alone could work to our advantage.”“Every advantage has its danger,” Zong

“As far as we know, no one followed us, Elder,” one of Zong Rui’s men replied respectfully.“Of course you wouldn’t know,” Zong Rui said calmly, his tone neither harsh nor forgiving. “Your attention was fixed on the ground, never thinking that the one tailing you might have been above.”He wasn’t scolding them, merely stating a fact. His subordinates’ spiritual perception was far too weak to sense the presence of a cultivator whose inner energy exceeded theirs by many levels.“You mean the person was leaping across rooftops?” Liu Zen asked in disbelief. As a man without any martial cultivation, the idea sounded nearly impossible to him.“That’s exactly what happened, my lord,” Zong Rui answered with a faint trace of pride. “You saw yourself how I could leap onto the roof with ease. Others with far greater skills could move from house to house without leaving a sound.”Liu Zen nodded slowly, still struggling to accept such an incredible re