Chapter 58 Did You Tell the Truth?

A-Ye was momentarily stunned.

"My lord?"

Zhou Zheng waved his hand.

"This Lu Chuan appeared far too conveniently. Moreover, every piece of information he gave me was precisely what I needed!"

"Even though he took one hundred liang of silver!"

"Even though his words sounded perfectly logical and self-consistent!"

"However, sometimes, when something aligns too perfectly with your own thoughts and desires, it only means one thing: there is a high probability of a trap!"

A smile curled the corners of Zhou Zheng's mouth.

After a brief pause, he continued, "This fellow certainly has some capability."

"Unfortunately, he has underestimated me, Zhou Zheng!"

...

On the way back, Lu Chuan constantly felt that something was amiss.

It seemed as though he had overlooked something.

Sun the Pockmarked remained silent the entire journey, asking no questions.

As they neared home, Lu Chuan suddenly slapped his thigh and muttered with vexation, "Damn it!"

"Cleverness is often the undoing of the clever!"

Cold sweat instantly beaded on Lu Chuan's forehead.

His eyes revealed a grave expression. Zhou Zheng was not someone easy to deal with; he was intelligent and deeply suspicious.

Although the information he provided had been carefully masked, every single detail was precisely what the man wanted to know.

A person like that would undoubtedly harbor deep doubts.

In other words, the other party was very likely to shift some—or even all—of their attention toward Double Water Village, and perhaps even directly onto him.

"Chen Qingqing, Chen Miaomiao..."

At this moment, Lu Chuan forced himself to calm down.

"Master, what's wrong?"

Seeing Lu Chuan fall silent, Sun the Pockmarked asked instinctively.

"It's nothing..."

Lu Chuan shook his head. This was no longer a matter in which Sun the Pockmarked could be involved.

Fortunately, Zhou Zheng was not like Zhou Tong; even if he suspected something was amiss, he would plan thoroughly before taking action.

This was the common flaw of all old foxes—they never made a move without absolute certainty.

He still had time!

After thinking it through carefully, although things were developing in an unfavorable direction, it could not strictly be considered a bad thing.

Peaceful coexistence between him and Zhou Zheng was never going to last indefinitely.

Now, the latent dangers had simply erupted a little ahead of schedule.

"Sun Mian!"

Lu Chuan suddenly spoke up. "Tomorrow, take a few of the brothers and wander around the village more often. You don't need to say anything or do anything special. Just keep an eye out if you spot any strangers!"

"If possible, find out everything clearly—what they are saying and what business they are inquiring about!"

Lu Chuan narrowed his eyes.

"Understood!"

"You mean just do what we always do, right?"

Sun the Pockmarked caught on immediately.

Lu Chuan gave him a thumbs-up. "Correct. Just maintain your usual idle appearance. Act tomorrow exactly as you do on any other day, and don't let anyone notice anything unusual!"

"Don't worry, Master!" Sun the Pockmarked agreed with a nod.

"As for what I taught you, practice it at home every day, or come to my courtyard and practice with me. Once you can execute those few movements smoothly, easily, without turning red or losing your breath, I will teach you the next step."

Lu Chuan said earnestly.

"Master, I will follow your lead and practice hard!" Sun the Pockmarked replied hastily.

Lu Chuan nodded.

Back at home, Lu Chuan looked up and down at Chen Miaomiao.

His scrutiny left her baffled, her cheeks flushing. "Why are you looking at me with such a lecherous gaze?"

"..."

Lu Chuan was rendered speechless for a moment.

Damn it, you call this look lecherous?

Clearly, you have never seen what I look like when I am genuinely being lecherous.

"Sit down," Lu Chuan uttered two words.

Chen Miaomiao froze, feeling a flutter of nervousness in her heart. "D-Do what?"

"Stop talking nonsense!" Lu Chuan said coldly.

Feeling as though her heart was about to leap out of her throat, Chen Miaomiao sat down facing him.

Meanwhile, Bai Siyu and Su Ruan watched the scene unfold with keen interest.

"You!"

Chen Miaomiao let out a soft cry, then lowered her head with a wronged expression.

"Go to the kitchen and fetch me a piece of charcoal!"

After saying that, he turned to Bai Siyu and Su Ruan. "Do you have any spare hair ties, hairpins, or anything of the sort? Bring them out!"

At these words, Bai Siyu and Su Ruan realized something unusual was afoot.

Without hesitation, they hurried off to find the items Lu Chuan requested.

Holding the piece of charcoal, Lu Chuan sharpened it and began meticulously sketching on Chen Miaomiao's eyebrows.

Lu Chuan did not know the art of disguise.

However, he was capable of basic makeup. While it was impossible to transform her into an entirely different person, he could alter someone's appearance enough in a short span of time that casual observers would never suspect a thing.

First, he reshaped her brows with the charcoal. Then, using a hair tie, he gathered Chen Miaomiao's hair into a high ponytail, twisting and coiling it at the back.

Chen Miaomiao's entire appearance seemed to undergo a miraculous transformation.

She looked not the slightest bit like her former self.

"Hmm, passable!"

Lu Chuan looked at the woman before him. "From now on, you will show yourself to others with this appearance!"

"This..."

Staring at her reflection in the bronze mirror, Chen Miaomiao found it hard to believe her eyes.

Without paying her further mind, Lu Chuan turned his attention to Su Ruan. "I need to make a trip into the mountains tomorrow."

"Are you coming with me, or staying behind?"

"I'm coming with you!"

Su Ruan immediately lit up with excitement.

Lu Chuan nodded and said nothing more.

Only then did Chen Miaomiao snap out of her daze. "Is there danger?"

"Yes," Lu Chuan nodded.

At that moment, an unspoken tacit understanding passed between the two. Neither spoke another word.

With a complex mix of thoughts, Chen Miaomiao finished preparing dinner, then squatted alone in the kitchen, gazing blankly at the twinkling stars outside the window.

Since childhood, she had rarely had the luxury of spacing out so quietly.

Yet, this present tranquility was likely nothing more than the calm before the storm.

A solitary figure braved the moonlight, carrying a jar as they walked toward Lu Chuan's courtyard.

"Brother Lu!"

Li Yanjun called out, "Are you asleep?"

"Yanjun?"

Pushing open the door, Lu Chuan saw Li Yanjun standing outside the courtyard wall, his cheeks flushed as if he were overcome with excitement.

"Why are you here?" Lu Chuan opened the courtyard gate and asked in surprise.

"I, I..."

Li Yanjun opened his mouth, eager to say something in an agitated tone, but ended up letting out an awkward laugh. "My teacher sent me here!"

"?"

A visible trace of doubt crossed Lu Chuan's eyes. "Did you tell the truth to your teacher?"

"I did!" Li Yanjun nodded.

"Furthermore, after you left, I felt ashamed of myself and inscribed your name beneath that poem!"

Li Yanjun said with profound earnestness, "Brother Lu, since you possess such world-shaking talent, why do you choose to seclude yourself in this remote mountain village and live as an ordinary hunter?"