The mansion no longer resembled a noble residence. It had transformed into something colder. Not panic. Not collapse. Preparation. A retreat camp preparing for war if war arrived first.
Servants moved rapidly beneath the courtyard lanterns, carrying sealed crates, bundles of preserved food, folded blankets, water skins, medicinal herbs, weapon racks, and travel supplies.
They were heading towards the outer gates where the mounted formation had already begun assembling. But unlike ordinary fleeing households many among Luo He's people still fully intended to fight.
Especially the strongest among them.
Fei stood beside his stallion, tightening saddle straps with complete calm while several armed retainers gathered near him awaiting orders.
Jin Mulan herself had already prepared her spear and mounted armor for battlefield engagement rather than escape.
Even some of the new guards had quietly begun discussing defensive formations and fallback routes through the outer capital roads.
The original plan had clearly been obvious to everyone. Delay pursuit.
Fight while retreating gradually. Bleed the enemy while escaping. Even Jin Mulan expected exactly that.
The stable grounds had been emptied almost entirely. Thirty-three mounts stood prepared beneath the freezing night sky while armed men moved between them tightening armor straps and distributing reserve weapons.
Most were heavy northern warhorses bred for endurance and battlefield travel, while several smaller southern horses had been reserved for servants and attendants unable to handle larger beasts.
Yet among them all, one creature dominated the entire courtyard. It was massive. Black as burnt iron. Its breath steamed violently into the cold night air while thick black riding armor protected most of its enormous neck and chest.
Leather travel bags and supply packs hung securely from reinforced saddle straps at its sides. Even the other horses kept their distance instinctively.
The servants had quietly begun calling it Black Fang. And as its sworn master,
only Fei had ever managed to ride the monstrous stallion without being thrown off or bitten apart.
Fei himself stood beside the beast adjusting the saddle straps one final time. He wore heavy dark traveling robes reinforced beneath with layered leather armor stitched carefully using steel thread.
Heavy metal gauntlets covered both hands while a broad saber rested diagonally across his back beneath his cloak.
The man looked less like a student now and more like a battlefield executioner, preparing to cut his way through an army.
Behind him, Bing sat atop the massive beast carrying Little Lin carefully wrapped in thick winter cloth and dark fur.
Little Lin herself looked far more annoyed than frightened by the entire situation.
"Mulan angry," she muttered sleepily while half buried beneath the furs. Jin Mulan, already armored for battle nearby, immediately looked deeply offended.
She wore her crimson and gold armor openly now. Beneath the decorative plates rested fitted leather reinforcement suited for mounted combat while flowing outer battle robes split along the sides for easier movement on horseback.
Her long dark hair streaked deeply with crimson had been tied high to avoid obstructing movement while her trusted spear remained secured beside her mount using reinforced holding straps.
Even standing still she radiated danger.
And more importantly she clearly had no intention of running quietly. Ning Jia meanwhile looked entirely different from everyone else present.
Unlike the others, the Third Princess had not changed fully into travel gear. Not because of arrogance but because she had joined them out of necessity rather than preparation.
Her luxurious pale blue royal robes still remained beneath a heavy dark cloak lined with white fur at the collar. Silv embroidery shimmered faintly beneath the torchlight while silver ornaments still decorated parts of her sleeves and waist.
Yet despite the elegance her sword remained openly visible at her side now without the slightest attempt at concealment. Several servants still looked nervous merely standing near her.
Not simply because of her strength. But because of her terrifying status as the Emperor's daughter. One of the strongest martial experts within the imperial court.
And perhaps most unsettling of all the frightening calmness with which she now carried herself around violence.
Meanwhile the two female guards originally gifted to Luo He for transporting the Black Cloud Shuttle had already taken position at the front flanks of the formation.
Both women wore dark blue light cavalry armor the standard uniform of the Third Princess's personal force of two hundred elite warriors.
Curved cavalry sabers rested at their waists while short recurved bows gifted to them earlier by Luo He's own people remained secured across their backs.
The remaining riders organized themselves quickly afterward.
Experienced riders carried double loads.
Servants unable to ride properly were paired behind soldiers or mounted attendants.
Several older household servants had been secured carefully atop slower pack horses alongside food supplies, medical crates, and emergency travel equipment.
Only the absolute essentials were taken.
Everything else remained behind. Entire halls of furniture. Silk curtains. Rare paintings. Wine collections. Ceremonial armor. Decorative artifacts. Expensive jade carvings.
Abandoned because their weight would slow movement if battle truly began.
And still many among the group believed they would fight before dawn. Then Luo He destroyed that assumption
completely.
"No delaying action," he said calmly while walking through the courtyard.
Several guards looked toward him immediately. "No defensive retreat." He said firmly.
That drew even Fei's attention now. Luo He's expression remained completely relaxed. "We are not staying to trade blood with the Crown Prince tonight." He said calmly.
Jin Mulan frowned immediately. "If they pursue us in force." She asked with anger. "Then we'll see." He said calmly.
Fei finally spoke. "We can cut through the first pursuing wave." He said confidently.
"I know." Luo He said. "And if we cripple pursuit early..." Luo He interrupted him casually. "Then we remain trapped inside the capital longer than necessary." He said.
Silence followed briefly afterward. Because the strongest among them all had already prepared mentally for battle.
Luo He alone had decided otherwise.
Then finally he smiled faintly. "This is not a final war," he said calmly. "It is an inconvenience." His voice had a weird ring to it that drew people in to believing what ever crap he speaks.
That single sentence completely shifted the atmosphere. To everyone else this looked like a desperate escape. To Luo He it apparently looked like temporary relocation between properties.
"A tactical retreat?" one older guard asked carefully. "No," Luo He corrected. "A full retreat." He said outright. Even Jin Mulan stared at him afterward. "You are abandoning an entire mansion." She asked.
"I own several. And we can always buy more." He said confidently. "That is not the point." She said cursing his husbands stupidity hinder her breath.
"It is exactly the point." Luo He reassured.
Then finally attention shifted toward the gold. Several enormous storage chests had already been brought into the courtyard earlier beneath heavy guard.
Originally Luo He contained nearly ten thousand gold coins baught with them, and what little of the accumulated wealth. Roughly two thousand had already been separated carefully into sealed travel bags for the road ahead.
Another two thousand or so had been spent as costs for preparation in war.
But the remaining fortune nearly six thousand gold coins still sat inside three open wooden chests beneath the torchlight.
Enough wealth to tempt armies. Enough to corrupt most loyalties instantly. Most assumed Luo He intended to hide it for now and then recover it later.
Instead he walked calmly toward one of the luggage crates and removed several sealed glass vials containing strange colorless liquid. Several people immediately recognized danger from how carefully he handled them.
Without explanation, Luo He uncorked the first vial. Then poured the entire contents directly across one chest of gold.
The liquid spread unnaturally fast across the coins with thin oily smoothness while a faint bitter scent drifted slowly through the courtyard afterward.
Even Fei frowned slightly now. Luo He repeated the process for the second chest. Then the third. And then to everyone's horror he kicked the first chest over.
Gold exploded violently across the courtyard stones. Coins scattered in every direction beneath the torchlight like rivers of molten sunlight.
He overturned the second chest next.
Then the third. Thousands, upon thousands of gold coins rolled through the courtyard and even entered the outer entrance roads of the mansion.
Several servants nearly panicked watching it happen. Nearly six thousand gold coins. Destroyed. Abandoned. Wasted. Luo He merely continued scattering them farther using his boots while everyone else stared in disbelief.
Then finally he looked calmly back toward the courtyard. "How many men do you think these cursed coins will kill?" he asked mockingly. Nobody answered immediately.
Because everyone understood now. The poison was slow. That made it worse. Any soldiers looting the mansion afterward would touch the coins.
Carry them. Trade them. Spread them unknowingly through entire military groups. Only after about an half and hour or so will people start dying.