Chapter 2, Zhenhou Mansion

In front of the gate of the Han Duyi Le Ma Hou residence, four swordsmen immediately gripped the handles of their swords, and one of them spoke in a deep voice: "What audacity, daring to intrude upon the marquis's residence!"

Two steps away from Zhen Yujiang stood a middle-aged man dressed in a blue long gown. He was tall and slender, with a hint of stubble on his chin. One hand was resting behind his back, while his eyes were scrutinizing Han Yunong, a faint smile playing on his lips

Han Yunong and Qin Xiao both turned their gazes in the direction of the sound, only to see a spacious courtyard where seven or eight men in green clothing were present. Among them, several were holding drawn swords, and in the center, a robust man was bound tightly with ropes. Qin Xiao immediately recognized that it was the head constable, Meng Zimo, known as Ma Kuai.

On the chair by the case, there squatted a young man dressed in purple, around twenty-four or twenty-five years old. He tilted his head back, raised his arm, and pinched a grape between two fingers, placing it into his mouth. He then turned his face aside and spat the grape skin into the plate beside him

Do not worry, as long as you inquire about this person in the Northern Boundary Prefecture, it will be easy to find him. Han Duwai said solemnly: "After meeting him, hand over this jade pendant to him and tell him that the overall situation is of utmost importance, and he should not act impulsively, nor seek revenge for me." After a pause, he continued: "By the way, let him know that Old Han asks him to arrange a job for you."

Han Duyi gazed at Qin Xiao and finally said: "Child's talk." He took out an object from his bosom and handed it to Qin Xiao. In the dim light, Qin Xiao could not immediately see what it was, and Han Duyi had already said: "Take good care of this item, and do not let anyone see it."

Young Master!" Han Yurun stepped forward and cupped his hands in salute

But who exactly is Su Changyu, Qin Xiao wondered in great perplexity

Han Yunong whispered to Qin Xiao: "Do not speak." As they ascended the stone steps, Qin Xiao closely followed behind, and together they entered the mansion with the ghostly figure.

On a table in the hall, there was a table full of fruits. Qin Xiao first did not look at anything else, but only at the fruits, and he could tell that these fruits were already quite valuable, at least they could not be bought in any shop in Gui City.

Mr. Lang, a middle-aged man in a blue shirt, nodded and said: "Indeed. The Buddha statue was bestowed by the sage and was placed in this Linghe Pavilion. When Meng Zimo entered, the statue was still there, but when he was about to leave, the statue mysteriously vanished." He raised his hand and pointed to an antique nanmu shelf in the corner: "You can go and take a look yourself; the statue was originally placed in that shell box."

The knife-wielders, upon seeing Han Yurun appear, seemed to fear that he would come forward to snatch someone away. Immediately, two of them stepped forward to seize Meng Zimo's restrained arms, intending to force him down to his knees. Meng Zimo let out a low roar, broke free, and turned around to glare angrily, which caused those two to take a step back in fright

"I am afraid too," Qin Xiao nodded.

Qin Xiao found it somewhat strange, yet he still accepted it with both hands, only to discover that this object was actually a jade pendant

"Tonight we will go to the Zhenhou Mansion. No matter what happens, you must not speak, and even more so, do not act rashly." Han Duwai fixed his gaze on Qin Xiao, speaking with unusual seriousness: "If I encounter any unforeseen circumstances at the mansion tonight, you must take this jade pendant and go to the Jiebei Mansion to find someone named Su Changyu, and deliver this jade pendant to him."

Zhen Yujing has a flamboyant personality. In the eyes of the Zhen family, Guicheng is their territory, and the people living in Guicheng are the subjects of the Zhen family. Therefore, Zhen Yujing frequently rides his tall horse, protected by a group of guards, traversing the long street and enjoying the awe-filled gazes from the people on both sides.

Han Duyi mounted his horse and then turned his head to glance at Qin Xiao, saying lightly: "Keep up!" With a flick of the reins, the steed galloped away.

Qin Xiao recognized that this person was indeed the second son of the Marquis of Changxin, Zhen Yujing. Compared to the reclusive Marquis, this young master was well-known throughout Gui City.

Two individuals entered the residence, following the third figure known as Ghost Hand, traversing through courtyards and gardens. Everywhere they looked, they saw intricately carved beams and painted rafters, exuding an ancient charm. This vast mansion resembled a labyrinth, with courtyards within courtyards and halls behind halls. Having grown accustomed to the adobe houses prevalent in the city, Qin Xiao was astounded upon entering the fortress, feeling as though he had stepped into two entirely different worlds, one inside the high walls and the other outside.

"The granted Buddha statue?" Han Yunong frowned and said, "Mr. Lang, are you saying that Meng Zimo stole the granted Buddha statue?"

Qin Xiao tucked the jade pendant into his bosom, thinking that although the Zhen Marquisate was domineering, Han Duwei was after all an official of the Duwei Mansion, a person of the court, and the Zhen Marquisate might not dare to act against Han Duwei

The swordsman in the blue robe exchanged glances with his companions, and one of them stepped forward to knock on the door. With a creak, a small door opened, and a head peeked out from inside. The swordsman in the blue robe whispered a couple of words, and the head quickly withdrew, the small door closing behind it. Only then did the swordsman turn back and say, "Wait here!" His tone was very cold

In the eyes of the guards at the marquis's residence, merely stepping onto the main avenue leading to the marquis's gate is tantamount to provoking the marquis's household

"Who told you it was because of a dog?" Zhen Yujing jumped down from the chair and stared into Han Yunong's eyes, saying, "He stole a bestowed treasure, audacious and reckless; he must die for this."

"Bestowed treasure?" Han Yunong's expression changed slightly

"Sir, there will definitely be no issues tonight," Qin Xiao hurriedly said. "Moreover, I have never met that Su... Su Changyu. If I approach him with the jade pendant, will he suspect that I am a fraud?"

Passing through an archway, along a bluestone path, Qin Xiao arrived at the entrance of a courtyard. The courtyard gate was wide open, and he noticed a plaque hanging above it inscribed with the three characters "Ling He Xuan." On either side of the courtyard gate, there was a guard with a knife. As Gui Shou entered the courtyard with him, a voice suddenly exclaimed: "My... my lord!"

Qin Xiao slightly closed his eyes, raised his nose to take a sniff, but soon followed Han Yurun a few steps forward

The depths of the Hou family are as profound as the sea. Qin Xiao does not know many people from the Zhen Hou residence, but he recognizes the person before him, who is privately referred to as the Soul Snatcher by the citizens of Gui City, and is also nicknamed Ghost Hand Three

Qin Xiao felt somewhat bewildered, not knowing who exactly Su Changyu was.

The Han Duwei rode directly to the front of the Zhen Hou residence. Qin Xiao had already seen the two large stone pillars at the main entrance of the residence, on which lanterns were hanging, illuminating the thick gray-brown door. On either side of the door, there were two fierce stone lions, each flanked by two knife-wielding guards dressed in green tunics.

"Follow me," said Gui Shou San coldly, without further ado, as he turned and returned to the residence

Han Duyi and Qin Xiao dismounted from their horses, took a couple of steps forward, and as if recalling something, tossed the riding whip to Qin Xiao, who caught it. Only then did they step forward and clasp their hands in salute, saying: "I am Han Yunong from the Duyi Mansion, seeking an audience with the old marquis. I kindly ask you to convey my request!"

The Zhen Marquisate is located in the very center of Gui City, where a tributary branching from the Changling Mountain Range flows through Gui City and precisely passes through the Zhen Marquisate. Thus, a portion of this river has become the river within the residence. The Zhen family chose this site for the construction of their mansion precisely for this reason

You need not say more. Zhen Yujing said with a cold smile: Even if you come to my door, you still cannot protect him. Today, I will make sure to kill him.

"Your physical strength is not lacking," Han Duyi said, sitting high on his horse and casting a glance down at Qin Xiao. He continued indifferently, "However, your mind seems quite muddled. Do you know why so many people in the yamen dare not accompany me to the Zhen Marquis's residence?"

The existence of the Zhen Marquisate in Gui City is akin to that of the imperial city in the capital; in fact, the old marquis within the marquisate is indeed the local emperor of Zhen County

The room is very spacious and elegant. The moment Qin Xiao stepped inside, a unique fragrance wafted towards him. This scent was something he had never encountered before, and for someone like him, who possesses an unusually keen sense of smell, this fragrance was immediately etched into his olfactory memory.

He said little and walked directly towards the courtyard exit. As he passed by Qin Xiao, he did not even glance at him. However, Qin Xiao understood that since Han Duwei did not object, it meant he had agreed to let him accompany him. He immediately followed suit, and the other constables exchanged glances but soon followed behind, crowding around as they arrived at the main entrance of the Duwei's residence

At this moment, the middle-aged man in the blue shirt walked over with his hands behind his back, smiling with his lips but not with his eyes, and said: "Meng Zimo came to apologize, and the young master thought he was genuinely remorseful, so he asked him to wait here at the Linghe Pavilion. The young master was busy at the time and did not meet him immediately, allowing him to drink tea alone here. Later, when he found time to offer a few words of comfort, he intended to send him back, but suddenly discovered that the imperial gift of the Buddha statue placed in the Linghe Pavilion had vanished without a trace"

"Since you are afraid, why do you still dare to come to me?" Han Duyi fixed his gaze directly on Qin Xiao's eyes

Surrounding the Zhen Marquis's residence is a vast expanse of street, which is exclusively owned by the Zhen Marquis. The townspeople dare not pass through the streets around the Zhen Marquis's residence. The sky has long since darkened, and the wide road in front of the marquis's residence is desolate, with not a single figure in sight

The jade pendant has a unique design, with a tiger's head intricately carved on the front, its fangs sharp as knives, exuding a fierce aura. When he turned it over, the back was engraved with the character "生".

Qin Xiao also looked into Han Duwei's eyes and said earnestly: "My world is in Turtle City. In this world, both you and Captain Meng are the most important people to me. A scholar is willing to die for a true friend. If you encounter trouble, I can risk my life for you."

Few have seen the rare works of Changxin Hou and the sparse collection of books, yet there are not many in Guicheng who are unfamiliar with Zhen Yijiang

Han Yunong said: "I heard that Captain Meng kicked a dog belonging to the Hou family to death last night, so he came to apologize at noon today. However, he has not returned yet. I, as his superior, have come to inquire about the situation."

Qin Xiao immediately took off running behind, but ultimately could not outrun the horse. After chasing for a street, he finally saw Han Duwi waiting ahead on horseback and quickened his pace to catch up.

Seeing Meng Zimo bound tightly, Qin Xiao was somewhat surprised, while Han Yunong furrowed her brows but remained exceptionally calm, saying nothing as she walked straight ahead into the room

The young man raised his head and coldly said: "What are you here for?"

The Han Duyi cast a glance over the crowd, yet no one dared to make eye contact with him.

Not long after waiting, the small door opened once again, and a man dressed in a black tight-fitting outfit stepped out. Upon seeing this person, Qin Xiao furrowed his brows slightly, his gaze fixed on the man's right hand. The black-clad man's right hand was adorned with a black glove, which shimmered with a faint dark luster under the light, indicating that the glove was anything but ordinary

Su Changyu

Han Yunong frowned and said, "Although Captain Meng is reckless, is it really a death penalty for kicking a dog to death?"

Suddenly, the quiet courtyard was filled with the voice of Qin Xiao, instantly drawing the attention of everyone present. Upon realizing that it was Qin Xiao who was speaking, many of the constables displayed expressions of surprise.

Qin Xiaodao: "Because the power of the Zhen Marquisate is too great, they are afraid of offending the Zhen Marquisate and will not be able to survive in Turtle City in the future"

Han Duyi shook his head and said, "No, upon seeing the jade pendant, he will know you are my person." Without saying more, he reached out and pulled Qin Xiao onto the horse's back, giving the reins a shake, and headed straight for the Zhen Marquis's residence

Han Duyi let out a cold snort and said, "Aren't you afraid?"

However, he understands that Han Duwi's visit to the Zhen Marquis's residence tonight has already made the worst possible preparations