Of course, Han Yan was merely briefly tempted. After all, according to Jiang Yuzhe’s words, Yan Yuchu’s strength far surpassed her own. Her main goal was to rescue Mu Ziqing, and as for the Cultivation Technique, she’d see if there was an opportunity to obtain it. If not, she wasn’t going to insist on it.
Xiushui City was merely three hundred miles away from Xiaoyang City. With Han Yan’s power as a Ninth Rank Swordsman in the Middle Stage, it took her just over an hour to arrive. With a light leap, she glided over the city wall and headed straight for the City Lord’s Mansion with practiced ease.
Han Yan did not know that the very moment she sneaked into the City Lord’s Mansion, two pairs of eyes watched her from the darkness far away.
One of them was tall and graceful, with a handsome and refined appearance. His deep gaze intently followed Han Yan’s figure without shifting—an observer who could only be Ye Lanfeng. Behind Ye Lanfeng was one of his subordinates, Zhou Binghai. Zhou followed in silence, not uttering a word. Even though his Lord had said nothing, Zhou knew very well that his Lord had followed out of concern for Han Yan. Get full chapters from NoveI(F)ire.net
What exactly his Lord thought of Han Yan, Zhou did not know and he wouldn’t ask. All he needed to do was to follow his Lord’s lead. Right or wrong, he’d just follow him.
At midnight, the City Lord’s Mansion was enveloped in silence. Although there were some hidden sentries in the dark, their abilities were not strong, at most only at the third-tier Swordsman level. Avoiding their detection was easy for Han Yan. To subdue one of them barely took any effort at all.
"Don’t make a sound, or don’t blame my sword for being blind," Han Yan warned, her sword pressed against the back of a guard who was hidden in the shadows.
The guard tensed up. Under the faint starlight, the beads of sweat rolling down his tight cheeks were clearly visible.
"Where are the people from the Mu Family?" Han Yan asked in a deep voice.
"You’re here for someone from the Mu Family?" Upon hearing Han Yan’s next question, the guard seemed relieved, as if a heavy burden had been lifted, and quickly asked.
Han Yan noticed the change in the guard’s demeanor and felt a bit puzzled.
"You mean Mu Ziqing, right? He’s in the inner mansion. He should still be drinking with the Lord City Master at this hour. You can go in directly, no one will stop you," the guard said hastily, without waiting for Han Yan’s reply.
"Drinking?" Han Yan was completely baffled.
"Indeed, the Lord City Master has been treating Young Master Mu as an honored guest. Apart from not being allowed to leave the Mansion, he is served good food and wine daily and even personally accompanies him to drink and pass the time," the guard explained, and then added, "You’re from the Mu Family too, right? The Lord City Master has ordered that if anyone from the Mu Family comes looking, they should not be hindered but led straight in."
Han Yan turned her head and scrutinized the guard thoroughly. No matter how she looked at him, he did not seem to be lying and her confusion only deepened.
"If you don’t trust me, I can lead you there, just please don’t kill me," the guard, afraid that Han Yan would kill him with one strike out of mistrust, volunteered eagerly.
Han Yan had seen Family Assassins raised by families before. For the safety of their families, these assassins could lay down their lives without hesitation. However, this guard was clearly different from those Death Soldiers.
"Alright, lead me inside," Han Yan said after a moment’s thought.
If he wanted to save his life, all he had to do was tell her the whereabouts of Mu Ziqing. His chances of living were much greater, and there was absolutely no need for him to take such a risk. Now certain that the man was not a Family Assassin, Han Yan chose to believe his words.
She just didn’t understand what exactly was Yan Yuchu playing at?