Lei Feng just smiled at Uncle Zhang's accusation. He picked up a piece of roasted meat with his chopsticks and held it up. "Bad luck?" he said, sounding relaxed. "Or maybe I'm just the only one who noticed our generous host had suspicious motives when he left?"
Uncle Zhang's face turned purple with rage. "You insolent brat! How dare you slander Manager Wei after he has shown us such kindness!" He slammed his hand on the table, ready to leap up and teach the young man a lesson.
"Uncle Zhang, stop!" Yan Rou's voice cut in sharply, firmer than usual. She reached out and caught his arm before he could speak another word. Her grip was steady, though her own pulse had quickened.
She was a cultivator herself, so naturally, she had noticed the flicker of greed in the eyes of Manager Wei when Uncle Zhang mentioned that they were from the Yan family. Even though it was momentary, how could it escape her eyes?
Something about Manager Wei's reaction felt off, and she refused to ignore it. But how had this ordinary troublemaker noticed it too?
"There is no point in fighting amongst ourselves," she said through gritted teeth, her cold gaze fixed on Lei Feng. "We will wait for Manager Wei to return with the horses. Then, we will be on our way, and we will never have to see this man again."
Zhang reluctantly sat back down, fuming silently. An uneasy silence fell over the table as they began their wait.
Minutes passed, then fifteen, then thirty. The server who brought their food never came back to clear the table. The tavern stayed strangely quiet, with no other customers or staff in sight.
An hour went by. The sun sank lower, and long shadows stretched through the window. Manager Wei was still missing. Any relief Uncle Zhang felt was gone, replaced by growing dread.
"Something is wrong," Uncle Zhang finally said, his voice a low growl. "This is not right."
Frustrated and worried, Yan Rou stood up. "We are going to find him."
They stepped out of the tavern and back into the clearing. The sight that met their eyes made Yan Rou's blood run cold. Their carriage, which they had left on the path, was now in the middle of the clearing.
But when they returned, there were no fresh horses waiting. Instead, what greeted them made Yan Rou stop in her tracks. Their carriage was gone—or rather, it was being pulled apart piece by piece.
The wheels were already off and stacked neatly to the side. Metal fittings were being pulled off, and the harness was gone. This wasn't a messy robbery, but the careful work of people who had done it many times.
A half-dozen figures in black uniforms moved around the wreck, each one focused and quick, their hands steady as they dismantled everything.
At their head stood Manager Wei. The man who had greeted them with a polite smile earlier was nowhere to be seen. His back was bent, his voice low, every movement showing deference as he addressed another figure beside him.
Everyone noticed the other figure right away. He was tall and imposing, with a silk mask covering his face above the nose. Only his mouth showed, and the slight curl of his lips made everyone uneasy. His smirk was cold, as if he enjoyed others' misfortune.
"Manager Wei! What is the meaning of this?" Uncle Zhang roared, his voice booming across the clearing as he and Yan Rou strode forward.
Wei flinched and turned, a flash of panic in his eyes before his expression became a contemptuous sneer. The masked man turned to face them slowly as well, his smirk widening.
"Hoo? Who do we have here?"
He looked Yan Rou up and down as if eyeing a prize. His gaze lingered in a way that made her skin crawl.
"Miss Yan," the masked man said, his voice smooth and mocking. "I was beginning to wonder when you would come out. I must say, the rumors about your beauty do not do you justice."
"Who are you? What do you want?" Yan Rou demanded with her hand, instinctively moving to the hilt of the small sword hidden in her sleeve.
The masked man let out a short laugh, but there was no real humor in it. "I'm just an admirer," he said. "And I happen to have an interest in making sure you don't reach Azure Dragon City in time for your father's meeting."
He took a step closer. "My master would be quite pleased if the Yan family were to lose that contract. I have quite the incentive to delay you."
"And perhaps... to play with you a little myself. Hahaha."
The implication was clear and vile. Uncle Zhang's face contorted with fury. "You dare!" he bellowed, his Qi flaring to life. He drew his saber in a flash of steel and charged at the masked man.
"You overestimate yourselves. Men - get him!"
Uncle Zhang never reached him. Before he could take three steps, a dozen men in black seemed to appear from nowhere, surrounding him in an instant.
Zhang froze, his eyes wide with shock. Facing so many people, he finally calmed down a bit and started to evaluate the scenario.
He could sense the strong auras coming from the men. Each one was at the late stage of Qi Refining, just like him. The masked man's aura was much stronger, almost like a heavy weight pressing down on them. He was at the middle stage of the Foundation Realm.
They stood no chance. Both he and his Young Miss were hopelessly outmatched.
"Do you have any idea who our family is? Can you really bear the consequences of offending us?" Helpless, Uncle Zhang could only bring up their background, hoping that it would be enough to scare them away.
"You think the Yan family name will protect you out here?" the masked man sneered, seeing the terror in Uncle Zhang's eyes. "How naive."
He made a sharp gesture. One of the lackeys moved with blinding speed, striking the back of Uncle Zhang's neck with the hilt of his sword.
In an instant, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.