The dim, dazzling brilliance of the horizon gradually faded, and the stars slowly filled the night sky. Another day had passed.
Some things can only be seen on the surface by those who have not experienced them, and they will never know the true taste of it.
On the bed, the square-faced man pushed away Lou Yushu, whose bare limbs were tangled with his. He hurriedly got off the bed, scrambled to put his clothes back on, quietly opened the door to look outside, and left quickly, leaving Lou Yushu on the bed with a charming smile.
On the way, he wore a look of deep regret.
He had been reckless when the illicit affair happened, but afterwards, he regretted it.
He had previously been frustrated with his companion, thinking how could one touch a woman from the Three Flowers? Anyone with a bit of reason would not fall for their tricks, and a normal person would not lack even this much willpower. Now, he had personally experienced what it meant to be confused and act on a momentary impulse.
Combining this with his companion’s experience, he now roughly understood something. The most formidable aspect of the Three Flowers was actually not their personal beauty, but their rhetoric. A few words could shake your guard and willpower, and with their bodies right in front of you, it was easy to make you give yourself up.
He roughly realised why men kept falling for them despite knowing the Three Flowers had a bad reputation. Perhaps this was the so-called art of enchantment.
Going downstairs, he went straight to a wine cellar and met with his companion, who had been waiting for a long time.
The long-faced man could not help but laugh upon seeing his appearance, knowing immediately that the other had also been dragged into the water.
Dragging this companion into the water as well was his own decision, and he was the one who had instructed the Three Flowers to do so.
There was no other way. His companion’s mistake only went as far as hiding the fact that he had fallen asleep, which meant he might still turn back and admit his mistake to the manor. Since the companion also knew about his affairs, what if the companion wanted to redeem himself through meritorious service? Therefore, he did not want his companion to be able to turn back.
He had also considered silencing his companion, but the matter was not easy to handle. Whether the companion died or disappeared, as someone who was with him, the manor would start its investigation with him first.
After thinking it over, dragging his companion into the water was the only most suitable path. So he found the Three Flowers, and later had his companion deliver the map and other things Lu Xingyun wanted, effectively working from the inside and outside with the Three Flowers to completely drag his companion under.
Now he was finally relieved. He did not have to fear that his companion would report him to the manor. The two of them were now grasshoppers on the same string, and neither could turn back completely.
Lou Yushu, dressed up anew once again, went out and knocked on her daughter’s door next door. She entered her daughter’s room, while Lu Xingyun went out to knock on Ning Chaoyi’s door, calling Shen Qingcheng back.
After the three generations closed the door and stayed in the room for quite a while, Lou Yushu came out again. She did not return to her own room, but walked to the door of Yu Qing’s room and knocked.
Yu Qing opened the door and looked, somewhat stunned. He did not know what this woman was running over for. Could it be that she also wanted to seduce him? He asked warily, “Is there something you need?”
Lou Yushu smiled and said, “Brother Lin, your attitude seems to hold a prejudice against me.”
As soon as she spoke, Qiao Qie’er’s figure appeared like a spring, quickly moving to Yu Qing’s side and keeping a wary eye on the other woman.
Yu Qing was silent for a moment, then also gave a smiling face. “There is no prejudice. It is just that Sister Lou has a famous reputation for beauty. My willpower is not firm, and I am afraid I might not be able to control myself and make a fool of myself.”
He could not bring himself to use the term “young lady” like Nan Zhu did. Of course, Nan Zhu did indeed look older than her on the surface.
Lou Yushu immediately covered her mouth and chuckled. After laughing, she sighed. “Whether it is a famous reputation, a bad reputation, or a good reputation, none of us are superior people. We are all just trying to survive. The dirty thoughts and things done behind the scenes are not necessarily glorious. If you insist on thinking you can look at people purely, then there is nothing to be done about it.” Her gaze faintly swept over the hostile face of Qiao Qie’er.
Yu Qing raised his hand to stop her. “Sister Lou, did you knock on my door late at night just to say these things?”
Seeing the attitude of the couple, Lou Yushu realised they did not intend to let her in to talk. She could understand this. She was used to it, so it did not matter. She then got to the point. “Have you noticed that the people guarding everywhere inside this mountain seem to have disappeared?”
Yu Qing hummed and thought for a moment before saying, “We noticed it during the day.”
Lou Yushu asked, “When you met people from inside the manor, did they stop you when they saw you walking around?”
Yu Qing shook his head. “No, they were quite polite. They would all greet us courteously.”
Lou Yushu said “Oh” and looked thoughtful.
Yu Qing actually found it strange too, but he did not dare to act rashly during the day because the behaviour of Rift Valley Manor was a bit abnormal. They had been secretly muttering about this matter earlier. He now asked in return, “Does Sister Lou think there is a problem?”
Lou Yushu said, “Nothing much. I just wanted to ask you to see if our treatment is the same. Since it is equal treatment, I will not disturb your rest.” She nodded slightly and took her leave.
She had indeed come to verify this. She had also asked the square-faced man when they were fooling around earlier, but unfortunately, he did not know what Rift Valley Manor was up to either. So she wanted to come over and confirm if her side was being targeted.
Closing the door, Yu Qing said to Qiao Qie’er, “It seems their side has also been made so nervous that they dare not act rashly.”
Qiao Qie’er nodded slightly. “The behaviour of Rift Valley Manor is indeed too abnormal. It is hard not to be vigilant.”
In the corridor outside, Lou Yushu returned to her daughter Lu Xingyun’s room.
Inside the room, Lu Xingyun and Shen Qingcheng were gathered around the simple map delivered by the square-faced man, examining it. Lou Yushu, having closed the door, joined them.
The map was incomplete, only depicting the situation inside the mountain known to that long-faced man.
“Where could the thing be hidden?”
Shen Qingcheng asked, having stared at the map and pondered for quite a while.
Lou Yushu pointed to a relatively central location inside the mountain. “That square-faced man said earlier that, apart from the ancestral temple which cannot be trespassed without permission, the remaining special place is this entrance. It is the most unique place in the entire manor. For some unknown reason, no one is allowed to enter, and no one knows what the situation is inside. If that is truly the case, it means there is indeed a secret here, and it is possible that what we are looking for is stored here.”
Shen Qingcheng said, “I will go and scout it.”
Lou Yushu raised her hand. “I will go instead. My strength is a bit greater. The reaction of Rift Valley Manor is not normal. If there is any change, I can handle it more calmly. You stay here and communicate with the others. If something really happens, be prepared to provide support.” Having said this, she was about to turn and leave.
Lu Xingyun grabbed her arm. “Mother, there is no rush. Let us wait and see tonight, and we might as well discuss it with the others again. For the first two scouts, it was understandable when they said we had many people and that one less person would not be easily noticed. But the situation now is already a bit wrong. There is no reason for us to continue charging to the front. I think it would be better for everyone to act together during the day tomorrow.”
Shen Qingcheng nodded repeatedly after hearing this. “Grandmother, I think my mother makes a valid point.”
Lou Yushu was silent for a moment, then agreed. “Alright, you go and call the people from the other two families over to discuss it.”
So Shen Qingcheng went out, first knocking on the door of the Thief Mandarin Ducks couple, and then went to invite Ning Chaoyi. Before long, a group of people gathered in the same room, without inviting Yu Qing and the others.
The next morning, Yu Qing’s door was knocked on again.
Yu Qing, who opened the door, was stunned again. It was actually the Nie Pinlan couple knocking. He could not help but ask, “Does Sister Nie need something?”
Nie Pinlan asked, “From yesterday morning to this morning, has anyone attended to your meals?”
Come to think of it, without this reminder, Yu Qing really had not thought about it. People with cultivation breaking through the Mystic realm would not necessarily eat every ordinary meal, but Rift Valley Manor would not forget its hospitality. Thinking back, it was true that no one had attended to them for a whole day.
Thinking about it, he shook his head and said, “No.”
Nie Pinlan immediately turned around and said, “We should go and ask that Third Manor Master.” Having said this, the couple left.
Yu Qing was just about to see who she was talking to, when Ning Chaoyi and the Three Flowers had already walked past the door. Lou Yushu even turned her head and gave him a charming smile.
As soon as the group passed, the alerted Nan Zhu and Mu Aotie gathered at the door again.
The four people inside and outside the door looked at each other, and then followed them.
A group of people gathered together for some food and drink. The four of them also wanted to go and see what these people were up to.
Under the morning sun, a row of carriages was parked outside the mountain. Barrels of wine were being loaded, and the Third Manor Master, Wu Heyun, was giving instructions to the transport personnel.
A person came out from the gate cave and ran to his side to report something.
Hearing this, Wu Heyun looked up and saw a row of faces appearing on the living room terrace, staring at him.
He smiled, turned around, gave a few instructions to the people beside him, and went back inside.
Going inside and heading straight for the living room, he saw the group of people waiting. He cupped his hands and smiled. “I apologise for keeping you all waiting. I wonder what instructions our honoured guests have?”
Nie Pinlan said, “No instructions. Instead, we have come to ask the Third Manor Master for advice. Previously, whenever we moved around, there were people from the manor watching us, telling us where we could not go. Who would have thought that the guards would suddenly disappear? It is one thing to feel unaccustomed to it, but the real worry is making a mistake and causing a misunderstanding. So we came specifically to ask what is going on.”
Wu Heyun gave a forced smile. “It is nothing much. Since you all arrived, people have died for three consecutive nights. The killer comes and goes without a trace, making it impossible for us to guard against them. So we have figured it out. Rather than letting the guards be killed in vain, it is better to withdraw them. Perhaps we can save a few more lives that way. If we cannot afford to provoke them, we can afford to hide. Anyway, we have nothing to hide. You see, the effect last night was quite good, and things have finally quieted down.”
These words had a taste of slapping them in the face.
Ning Chaoyi snorted. “Is the Third Manor Master suspecting that we are the ones who killed them?”
Wu Heyun waved his hand. “I would not dare to say that. None of you were present when the incident occurred, so you are all innocent.”
The scene fell silent for a while.
Lou Yushu suddenly laughed. “Third Manor Master, I have said that I do not like to owe favours. All expenses for our stay here will be settled. I wonder why our food and drink were suddenly cut off. Are you afraid we cannot afford to pay?”
“Sister Lou, you exaggerate. I said early on that if you need anything, just tell someone.” Wu Heyun raised his hand to stop her, turned around, and sat down in front of everyone. He looked back and shouted, “Are your ears deaf? Why have you not served breakfast to our honoured guests yet?”
It seemed as if everything had been prepared. As soon as his voice fell, a burst of footsteps quickly sounded outside. A line of people came in, each holding a tray with food on it, and quickly placed them on the large table.
There was wine and soup, meat and pastries, porridge and everything else. It was complete, overflowing with aroma, and very sumptuous.
Wu Heyun reached out his hand and said loudly, “Please, everyone, help yourselves!”
However, the expression on his face was no longer polite. It was a blatant look, as if saying, “If you dare to eat it!”
Everyone looked at each other. Indeed, no one dared to eat.
Lou Yushu chuckled again. “Why is the Third Manor Master acting so childishly? I was just saying that. I did not say I wanted to eat anything right now. I just felt it was abnormal.”
Wu Heyun nodded. “These past two days, things in the manor have indeed been a bit abnormal. I will still say the same thing. If you need anything, just tell someone. Of course, if anyone feels our manor’s hospitality is inadequate and wishes to leave, we have no objection. That is all I have to say. I have some urgent matters to attend to below, so I will not keep you company.” He stood up, cupped his hands, and left directly.
Judging by his attitude, he was just short of directly saying he was kicking them out.
He left along with some of his accompanying personnel, leaving only ten guests in the large living room.
After a period of silence, Nie Pinlan spoke up. “Since they have already lifted the guards and said they have nothing to hide, we might as well walk around.”
“That is fine. We can treat it as broadening our horizons,” Lou Yushu chuckled.
Shen Qingcheng took the initiative to link arms with Ning Chaoyi and led the way out first.
Facing the group of people leaving one after another, the four of Yu Qing’s group looked at each other.
Nan Zhu asked in a low voice, “Are they really letting us walk around everywhere? What should we do?”
Yu Qing could not help but scratch the small moustache at the corner of his mouth. He felt a bit that happiness had come too suddenly. He had previously wanted to figure out the situation inside the mountain, and was just wondering how to start, when suddenly they had let their guard down like this.
Although it felt a bit unreal and made people feel a bit at a loss, he could not help but say, “Never mind. Let us follow them first and see the situation. We do not know what these guys are up to anyway.”
The four of them then followed them out.
Although it was called a manor, the travel routes inside the mountain were completely different from proper open-air routes. The vision inside the mountain was restricted. They could only see the situation in the passages ahead and behind, and had no idea about the surrounding conditions.
After following them for a while, the four gradually noticed something abnormal. They found that the group ahead seemed quite familiar with the way, as if they knew the routes inside the mountain. As they followed for quite a while, the four gradually realised that some places along the way seemed familiar, as if they had passed by them before.
So Yu Qing quietly left a mark on the wall. When they saw that mark again, the four understood. The group seemed to be wandering around, but in reality, they had been going in circles.
The three martial brothers realised something and immediately moved closer to check the people ahead. They found that one person was indeed missing from the group. Lou Yushu from the Three Flowers was gone again.
At this time, Lou Yushu had already appeared alone in a very deep underground passage. There were no lit oil lamps here. It was pitch black, illuminated only by the fluorescent stone in her hand.
She moved forward cautiously all the way, occasionally using the soft light in her hand to observe up, down, and all around.
The situation in this underground passage exceeded her expectations. It was different from the places she had explored in the manor before. First of all, it was very deep.
An abnormal intuition warned her in her heart that this place should not be trespassed by a single person. Just as she hesitated, she suddenly smelled a fragrance, a very rich aroma, like the scent of osmanthus.