The visitor’s aura was unfamiliar.
Chen Yi offered a word of warning before silently slipping out of the room.
Lou Yuxue watched him leave with suspicion. She tilted her head and listened for a moment but heard nothing.
Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly heard a voice laced with amusement right by her ear:
"Lady Tiger, this wonton shop of yours is doing pretty well."
Lou Yuxue froze and turned to look out the window.
She saw a plain-looking, middle-aged man in a raincoat ducking through the window.
"Sir?"
Lou Yuxue recognized the man and immediately dropped to one knee.
"This is Lady Tiger. I was unaware of your arrival, Lord General. Please forgive me."
The middle-aged man known as "General" waved a dismissive hand. He took off his raincoat, revealing the roughspun clothes beneath, and spoke in a relaxed, deliberate tone:
"There’s no blame for the unknowing. Rise."
"Yes."
As Lou Yuxue got to her feet, she glanced toward the door, anxiously wondering if Chen Yi had actually left.
She knew just how formidable Lord General was.
If Chen Yi hadn’t left and was discovered eavesdropping nearby, she would be implicated as well.
As it turned out, Lou Yuxue knew Chen Yi all too well.
Chen Yi hadn’t left at all. He was hiding on the rafters in the adjacent private room, just one wall away.
’General? Lord?’
’So, this person is the superior to Lou Yuxue and the others.’
’A Golden Banner Officer?’
A smile touched Chen Yi’s lips. ’What a coincidence.’
Maybe he’d learn why these Hidden Guards were hiding in Shu State, stirring up trouble.
Before long, he heard their voices again.
General sat at the table and glanced at the leftovers before turning to Lou Yuxue to ask,
"Has the secret letter from the Capital Prefecture arrived?"
Lou Yuxue was visibly taken aback. "Sir, a secret letter did just arrive, but I haven’t had a chance to look at it."
"But... the Capital Prefecture? Forgive me, Sir, but I have never overstepped my authority to contact the Capital Prefecture privately."
"Don’t be so tense. When I reported to the Pavilion Master, I asked them to send the letter here."
General finished speaking and held out his hand. "Give it to me."
Lou Yuxue quickly placed the letter in his hand. "Sir, should I withdraw for now?"
’If she stayed, even if she didn’t learn the letter’s contents, she would still have to converse with General.’
’And if Chen Yi hadn’t left, the Hidden Guards’ affairs would be exposed.’
But General said casually, "Stay. I have a few things to ask you."
Lou Yuxue didn’t dare hesitate, lowering her head and murmuring, "Yes." A complicated look flickered in her eyes.
’That bastard... of all the times he could have shown up, it had to be just as Lord General arrived.’
’And what’s the deal with his cultivation?’
’How could he have sensed the General’s arrival before the General detected him?’
General, of course, was unaware of Lou Yuxue’s thoughts. He looked at the letter in his hand and asked,
"The Pavilion Master is aware that Fledgling went to the Quchi Painting Boat that night, but he wants you to continue the investigation."
"First, verify whether Fledgling actually met with the owner of Hundred Herbs Hall that night."
"Second, he wants you to test Fledgling’s Martial Arts Cultivation."
Lou Yuxue was taken aback. "The Pavilion Master still suspects Fledgling was involved in what happened that night?"
General paused. Without looking up, he said, "Perhaps."
"Even I don’t believe Fledgling could have been involved, but since the Pavilion Master has given the order, you are to follow it."
"Best not to have any slip-ups later and displease him."
Just as Lou Yuxue was about to assent, she suddenly remembered something. "There is one small thing."
"On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Fledgling was seen on the Quchi. It’s suspected he was being held hostage as he left the Prefecture City on a painted boat."
"What does that have to do with the burning of the summer grain in the Three Towns?"
"I learned afterward that there were signs of a battle outside Shu State City. It’s suspected that ’Liu Wu’ from Iron Wall Town and Liu Lang were involved."