Mandarin Duck Tower.

  After passing through the lively front hall, a delicate garden stood before them. Some of the snow on the treetops hadn't been cleared, adding a unique touch to the scenery.

  Deeper in the garden, there were some exquisite small courtyards and wooden buildings. This was the quietest part of the Mandarin Duck Tower, reserved for special guests. On the small building along the eastern wall, Lu Chuan had set up a rge table of fine dishes, waiting for Chun Qiong's arrival.

  The man in bck with a sword on his back still stood in the corner of the room. He was more like a stone than a person.

  Lu Chuan didn't have to wait long before Chun Qiong knocked on the door. As soon as he entered, Lu Chuan, who was sitting by the table, greeted him:

  "County Lord, your presence is an honor. Lu Chuan pays his respects."

  Watching Lu Chuan's exaggerated performance, Chun Qiong's face remained indifferent as he said calmly:

  "It's just the two of us here, why bother with these formalities?"

  Lu Chuan chuckled and replied:

  "Formalities?"

  "The Qi Kingdom governs with literature and writes history with Confucianism... County Lord, you shouldn't say such things next time. If it reaches the Langan Pavilion, all the hard-earned opportunities might go down the drain."

  Chun Qiong squinted his eyes, coldly staring at Lu Chuan without saying more. He sat opposite Lu Chuan, poured himself a cup of wine, and drank it in one gulp.

  "What exactly happened the other night?"

  Lu Chuan said:

  "I've already informed the guards sent by the County Lord about the specifics. However, some things are better said in person."

  "That night, I gave Liu Jinshi a bottle of poison, thinking he'd handle it himself. It should have been nothing, but unexpectedly, he caused such a commotion..."

  Before Lu Chuan could finish, Chun Qiong interrupted him, his voice cold and accusatory:

  "There are many ways to kill Liu Jinshi without leaving a trace. You could have waited until he finished his business with me, then acted when he left the county city. The early snow this year could have covered all traces. But you rushed it, and now I have to clean up your mess... Lu Chuan, do you know who we're working for?"

  "Do you know how big a mess your mistake could cause?"

  "Do you know what will happen to us if we anger that person?"

  Facing Chun Qiong's reproach, Lu Chuan's previously smiling expression gradually cooled as he responded in a dangerous tone:

  "Do you know that the White Dragon Guards have appeared outside the county, each one a top-notch expert?"

  "Kuhai County is barren compared to other prosperous pces. It's no exaggeration to call it desote. Guess why the White Dragon Guards are here?"

  Chun Qiong's expression changed slightly.

  Lu Chuan continued:

  "Letting Liu Jinshi leave the city, do you want me to snatch him from the White Dragon Guards?"

  Mentioning the White Dragon Guards, Chun Qiong's fingers trembled slightly as he held the wine cup. He gently rubbed the smooth bottom of the cup and said:

  "So, has the one from Panlong Pace already discovered something?"

  Lu Chuan squinted his eyes, remaining calmer than Chun Qiong:

  "Whether he's discovered anything is irrelevant. What's important is that he has no evidence."

  "Otherwise, why would I go to such lengths to get a bottle of poison and shift the bme onto Wangchuan?"

  "Do you think I don't know that killing Liu Jinshi with a single stroke would be more satisfying?"

  "It's just that I didn't expect Liu Jinshi to be so ruthless, sacrificing his own wife and children just to bite back at us!"

  Listening to Lu Chuan's grim account, Chun Qiong suddenly looked up in shock:

  "Wait, are you saying... that night Liu Jinshi had his wife and children escape under the cover of darkness was..."

  Lu Chuan said coldly:

  "Do you really think Liu Jinshi is a fool?"

  "Wouldn't he know that Wangchuan's people were watching and guarding him?"

  "He just used his wife and children as bait. I tell you, even a tiger doesn't eat its cubs, but a person who can do this is truly ruthless."

  "I actually had a hunch and instructed Wangchuan's people that night to be wary of Liu Jinshi's tricks and his potential escape. But still, an unexpected turn of events occurred..."

  Chun Qiong knew what had happened earlier, aware that a skilled individual from outside the county had sughtered the Wangchuan assassins near the Liu Manor.

  "Could it be the White Dragon Guards?"

  Lu Chuan shook his head.

  "The White Dragon Guards are well-hidden. They haven't exposed themselves. The reason I know they're here is because I have special informants."

  "Those guys are outside the county. They haven't come in. If I don't leak the information, Wangchuan's people would never discover them."

  Chun Qiong fell silent for a moment.

  The assassins from Wangchuan this time mostly belonged to the Lin, Huo, and Shan Banners. Those who could infiltrate the Lin Banner were highly skilled in martial arts, each with a renowned name in the martial world of the four kingdoms. Among the assassins guarding Liu Jinshi, there was one from the Lin Banner.

  His surname was Li, given name Shan, ranked forty-seventh in the Lin Banner, with seven years in the trade and 443 kills.

  The other night, he made a move in front of Liu Jinshi's manor, only to have his weapon broken in one strike, the broken bde piercing his throat, killing him instantly.

  Chun Qiong didn't know as much about Wangchuan as Lu Chuan, but he was aware that some Wangchuan experts would come to Kuhai County.

  "In such a godforsaken pce, even if there are experts, they must be reclusive. It's unlikely they have personal grudges with Wangchuan, let alone engage in a big fight."

  Lu Chuan shared his thoughts, then shifted the topic:

  "However, I heard that the top spot on Wangchuan's Heaven-Rank Bounty list recently changed. Someone offered a hundred thousand taels of gold for a person's life."

  "And that person... happens to be in Kuhai County."

  Chun Qiong picked up his chopsticks, selected a piece of green phoenix tail, and slowly put it in his mouth.

  "A hundred thousand gold for a life?"

  Lu Chuan lightly rubbed the jade ring on his finger, smiling:

  "Hard to understand, right?"

  "I don't know which esteemed person is behind this. All I know is that the person has come to Kuhai County."

  "She has many injuries, stands eight feet tall, and is a woman. As for other clues... I'm not sure, and I don't know if Wangchuan's people are deliberately hiding it or if they genuinely don't know."

  Chun Qiong stared at the smile on Lu Chuan's face, his eyes flickering:

  "Are you suspecting that the person who entered the county city that night is the one with the top Heaven-Rank Bounty from Wangchuan?"

  Lu Chuan:

  "Exactly."

  "I'm not interested in the hundred thousand gold, but I'm very curious about the secret behind it."

  "What do you say, County Lord?"

  "Care to lend a hand?"

  PS: I'm home now. Updates will resume as normal tomorrow.

  kant202323