If this thing wasn’t Wei Dan’s, it probably belonged to Old Mi!

No wonder Old Mi always had a strange smell on him as well, although it was a little more faint. He hadn’t thought about it too much before, since older people always had a bit of a scent about them.

Now that he thought about it, the smell was extremely similar to the smell in Wei Dan’s room!

Old Mi had probably asked Zu An to approach the Wei clan because he wanted him to gather information on Wei Dan’s movements.

Wei Dan was probably a recent arrival in Brightmoon City, and Old Mi was probably his target.

Zu An presumed that Old Mi had fled the Imperial Palace because of something that happened in the past. He’d been living incognito as a gardener in the Chu clan to throw off his pursuers.

However, despite hiding out for so many years, the Imperial Palace had still managed to pick up some clues as to his whereabouts. That was why Wei Dan had come to Brightmoon City.

However, Wei Dan didn’t know exactly where Old Mi was, or he would have come after him already.

Zu An suddenly realized why Wei Dan’s expression had been slightly strange when they’d met previously. He had used the Sunflower Phantasm in front of everyone during the Clans Tournament. Someone had probably recognized it and informed Wei Dan.

The black eyes sported by the academy teachers recently were probably a result of Wei Dan’s investigation.

Now that his investigation into the academy was more or less wrapped up, the Chu clan was likely to be his next target.

He felt regret that he was the one responsible for exposing Old Mi, after he had hidden out here for so much of his life.

His first reaction was to find Old Mi and warn him to be more careful. However, he had lingering doubts as to whether that old man was friend or foe, which gave him pause.

Forget it, I’ll wait for the situation to play out, then act accordingly.

“What’s up with you?” Pei Mianman was a bit worried by the series of changes in Zu An’s expression.

“It’s nothing.” Zu An forced a smile. “It’s unfortunate that we didn’t find your tile.”

Pei Mianman sighed. “That was to be expected. He probably carries it on him.”

Zu An felt a shock run through him. “Don’t be reckless. There’s no way for you to get it if he keeps it with him.”

Pei Mianman smiled. “Don’t worry. Do I look that stupid? Of course I won’t do something that dangerous.”

Her tone of voice clearly indicated that she wouldn’t be giving up on her search for the tile. Zu An wanted to say something else, but hesitated. Forget it, I won’t be able to convince her otherwise. She knows what she is doing, and she won’t throw her life away.

Pei Mianman was just about to say something when she suddenly noticed that Zu An picked up the dried, shriveled-up thing. She was alarmed. “What do you need that for?”

“Who knows, it might come in useful one day.” Zu An smiled. He stowed it back in the case, and then put the case away.

“Gross!” Pei Mianman said in disgust. She couldn’t take any more of this. With a light tap of her toes, her figure disappeared into the night.

Zu An smiled. There were many things he couldn’t explain to her. This thing might just come in handy at a crucial moment. How could he just throw it away?

…

It was already late into the night by the time he returned to the Chu clan estate. Zu An went to the Unvoiced Residence, but unfortunately, the beauty who called this place home was already gone. A cold emptiness seemed to fill the large space.

Zu An released a long sigh. He missed the feeling of sleeping next to his lovely wife.

Chu Chuyan wouldn’t be back for a long time. It seemed like he was going to have to live like a monk for a while.

…

Two peaceful days passed. On the third day, Zu An didn’t go to the academy, but sought out Qin Wanru privately instead. “Madam, there is something I need your help with.”

“What is it?” Qin Wanru was surprised. Why was this guy being so mysterious?

Zu An said “I’ve discovered the whereabouts of the stolen salt permits.”

“What?!” Qin Wanru stood suddenly. The reason the Chu clan was in such dire straits was because of those salt permits. How could she remain calm? “Where are those salt permits? I will send men over and seize them back at once!”

Zu An was floored by her sudden outburst.

It took him a while to find his voice again. “I didn’t tell Madam this before because I was worried that Madam would get too worked up. If we send in our troops, we will scare off our quarry before we even get there. How could we possibly get back our salt permits then?”

Qin Wanru frowned. “What do you mean?”

Zu An said, “I have reliable information on where the salt permits will be tonight, but we might scare them away if we send our guards in.”

Qin Wanru furrowed her brow. Zu An’s words made a lot of sense. “What do you have in mind, then?”

Zu An said, “The two of us should go undercover and find a chance to seize those salt permits back. We’ll keep this matter top secret.”

“The two of us?” Qin Wanru was shocked.

Zu An nodded. “I could do this alone, but my level of cultivation is still quite low. It would be much safer to have an expert at my side. Considering my options, the most trustworthy person in all of the Chu Estate is still your respected self.”

Qin Wanru snorted. “You probably wouldn’t have told me about the salt permits if you didn’t need me along as backup.”

Zu An laughed awkwardly. “I just don’t want to alert the enemy by accident.”

“Are you sure that the two of us can take on this matter by ourselves?” Qin Wanru asked.

She knew that whoever had gotten their hands on these salt permits was definitely no ordinary organization. Even though her cultivation was quite high, she was hardly the strongest one in Brightmoon City.

Zu An smiled ambiguously. “Is Madam afraid?”

Qin Wanru’s temper flared. “What kind of joke is this? Why would I be scared?”

You have successfully trolled Qin Wanru for 111 Rage points.

Zu An couldn’t help but laugh. This woman really was easily irritated. She had taken his bait so easily. “There is no need for Madam to worry. We’ll scare them away if our party is too large. Two people is perfect. I have other arrangements as well.”

“Other arrangements?” Qin Wanru was stunned.

“I’ll explain along the way. Let’s make a move first.” Zu An said.

“Fine!” Qin Wanru got up to leave.

However, Zu An stopped her. “Madam, I fear that your current outfit isn’t suitable.”

Qin Wanru was currently dressed in the splendid clothes of a duchess, an outfit that dripped with extravagance and grandeur. She would be the focal point of everyone’s attention no matter where she went. How could she be part of this operation in such a getup?

“Give me a moment.” Qin Wanru left the room quickly.

Just as Zu An was beginning to feel bored, Qin Wanru’s voice came from behind him. “I’m ready.”

Zu An turned around, and was stunned by what he saw. Qin Wanru’s figure-hugging outfit was simple, without any embroidery. Even the phoenix headdress she usually wore was gone.

Her meticulously-coiled hair was casually bound up.

Compared to her usual grace and elegance, there was the air of youthful beauty about her.

Her wonderful figure was vividly on display, accentuated by the cut of her clothing.

Qin Wanru frowned. “What are you looking at?!”

Zu An smiled. “This is the first time I’ve seen this side of Madam. If I didn’t know better, I would’ve thought that you were Chuyan and Huanzhao’s big sister.”

“What a slick tongue! No wonder Chuyan was deceived by you.” Qin Wanru scoffed. However, a slight smile lingered in her eyes. Which woman didn’t enjoy being praised by others for looking young and pretty? His tone had even sounded quite sincere just now.

The two of them didn’t leave through the main entrance to avoid drawing attention, but jumped over a remote courtyard wall instead.

Qin Wanru checked her surroundings. Satisfied that no one was about, she turned to Zu An and asked, “Where are we going now?”

“The River Patrol barracks!” Zu An said quietly.

“The River Patrol barracks?” Qin Wanru’s face darkened. “That’s where the salt permits are?”

“That’s not it.” Zu An shook his head. “Wasn’t the Madam worried that the two of us might not be enough? We’ll need their strength as backup.”

Qin Wanru frowned. “You didn’t want me to bring the Red Cloak Army, but you’re seeking out the River Patrol Army. Won’t they be scared away all the same? Those River Patrol Army soldiers are all good-for-nothing. How can they compare to our Chu clan’s Red Cloak Army?”