Wandering Swordsman |

The three men concealed themselves in the night, following the waiter through narrow streets. Moonlight spilled onto the ancient cobblestones, illuminating their lithe figures. Few pedestrians were on the streets; the occasional bark of a dog broke the silence, adding to the mysterious atmosphere.

Finally, they quietly followed the waiter to a dense forest outside the city.

The moonlight was hazy in the woods, and the shadows of the trees swayed gently, creating an exceptionally tranquil atmosphere. The innkeeper moved skillfully through the woods, seemingly very familiar with the terrain. Before long, he stopped in front of a dilapidated old house.

In the darkness of night, the old house appeared exceptionally mysterious. Moonlight filtered through the sparse shadows of the trees, casting dappled patterns on the ancient walls. Although the house was dilapidated, the remaining carved beams and painted rafters and the high walls hinted at its former glory. This was clearly the villa of a high-ranking official, where its former owners had spent countless luxurious nights. Now, it stood alone in the wilderness like a forgotten ruin.

Two men dressed in peasant clothes stood guard in front of the old house, cautiously looking around as if protecting some important secret. The waiter approached the door, exchanged a few words with the two men in hushed tones, and then hurriedly entered the old house. Shen Mo, He Yun, and Zhao Xue hid in the nearby bushes, keeping a distance from the waiter to avoid being discovered, and therefore did not hear their conversation.

Seeing this, Shen Mo whispered to He Yun and Zhao Xue, "Brother He, it seems I guessed right. That waiter really did have something to hide." His tone was firm.

Zhao Xue frowned slightly and said softly, "Young Master Shen, even if we know there's more to the story, we can't go in and find out the truth right now." Her eyes revealed a hint of helplessness, clearly anxious about not being able to find out the truth immediately.

Shen Mo and Zhao Xue followed closely behind, feeling both nervous and curious. In the darkness, the high walls of the old house appeared particularly eerie, with moonlight filtering through the treetops and casting dappled shadows on the walls.

The three of them carefully circled around to the other side of the mansion, where the environment was much quieter, with only the occasional chirping of insects breaking the silence of the night.

Shen Mo looked up at the wall, which was as tall as three adults, and shook his head helplessly. He said softly, "Brother He, I guess only you could come up with this idea." His words were tinged with admiration, but also with a hint of helplessness.

Zhao Xue nodded in agreement and whispered, "Yes, this wall is too high; we can't climb it at all."

He Yun chuckled憨厚ly and said, "Hey~ I almost forgot that neither of you knows any light-body skills. Well then, for now, I'll sneak into the old house first. Brother Shen and Miss Zhao can wait and see what happens outside." His tone was full of confidence, but also showed concern for his companion.

Shen Mo nodded and said solemnly, "Alright then, Brother He, please be careful once you go in. These people don't seem like good people." His gaze was fixed on the high wall, and his words carried a hint of worry.

He Yun nodded, then took a deep breath and quickly approached the high wall. He crouched down, carefully observed his surroundings, and after confirming that no one was paying attention, he leaped over the wall with ease. His movements were clean and swift, like a nimble leopard, without making a sound.

Zhao Xue's palms were slightly sweaty as she gripped the hilt of her sword tightly, ready to respond to any unexpected situation. Shen Mo, on the other hand, held his breath, his sharp gaze scanning their surroundings to ensure no one had discovered their presence.

After landing, He Yun looked around and found no one nearby, so he immediately found a place to hide himself.

He leaned against a thick, old tree, listening intently to the sounds around him. In the darkness, the old house was exceptionally quiet, broken only by the occasional chirping of insects in the distance. Making sure he wasn't discovered, He Yun took a deep breath, silently planning his next move.

After observing for a while, He Yun, who was hiding in the shadows, discovered that there weren't many people in the abandoned old house. He carefully avoided the guards dressed in peasant clothes throughout the house and began to approach the inner courtyard. The old house was much larger than he had imagined, and its intricate layout forced him to slow down and be extremely cautious with every step.

He Yun moved through the darkness, sometimes hugging the wall, sometimes hiding in the flower bushes, trying to minimize his shadow.

Although the buildings inside the old house are dilapidated, their former glory is still evident. The tall walls and the ornately decorated gatehouse exude an ancient and solemn atmosphere. However, this former splendor is now covered with a layer of dust, making it appear particularly desolate.

It took He Yun quite a while to finally get close to the inner courtyard.

The inner courtyard was noticeably more heavily guarded than the outer courtyard, with several guards dressed in peasant clothing patrolling every corner, appearing extremely vigilant. He Yun held his breath and, using his light-footed skills, gracefully leaped across the rooftops, skillfully avoiding the guards' line of sight.

At this moment, an old but still magnificent room on the west side of the inner courtyard caught He Yun's attention. Although the passage of time had made the room appear somewhat dilapidated, the exquisite carved doors and windows and the faded murals still revealed its former glory.

A faint candlelight shone through the window of the room, and shadows could be vaguely seen through the curtains. He Yun gazed at the candlelight, a mixture of curiosity and nervousness rising within him, as if an important secret was hidden behind that dim light.

He Yun observed for a while and found that the room was heavily guarded, with several guards dressed in peasant clothes patrolling back and forth at the door, appearing extremely vigilant.

He secretly calculated that he had to find another way to approach the room undetected. So, He Yun quietly approached the wall, trying not to make a sound, each step as if walking on thin ice.

Taking advantage of the guards' inattention, He Yun leaped up and landed lightly on the roof of the house. His movements were swift and silent, like a cat stalking the night, without disturbing anyone. He Yun steadied himself and carefully stepped on the tiles, reaching the center of the roof. He crouched down, pressed his ear to the gaps between the tiles, and listened intently to any sounds coming from inside.

At this moment, a low voice came from inside the room. Although the voice was not loud, He Yun focused all his attention on his hearing, so he could hear every word clearly.

A voice came from inside the room: "Hmm, well done. Here's what you'll do: take this receipt back and ask your manager to reward you with ten taels of silver."

He Yun's heart raced. The voice sounded quite authoritative, clearly belonging to the owner of the house. He held his breath and continued to listen.

Then, another voice rang out: "Thank you for your generous gift, Master Ma. I am willing to go through fire and water for you in the future."

Upon hearing those words, He Yun's heart skipped a beat. That voice—there was no mistake, it was the waiter's voice! However, hearing that the conversation seemed to be ending, He Yun felt a pang of regret; he felt he had missed the most important part.

He Yun pondered to himself, who exactly was this Master Ma? What was he talking about with the waiter? He Yun decided that he had to find out the truth behind all of this no matter what.