And because it was gold almost nobody would willingly abandon it even after suspicion began. Luo He smiled faintly afterward. "I suspect," he said thoughtfully. "Not few."
The courtyard fell completely silent afterward. Even Ning Jia looked toward him differently for a brief moment. Not frightened exactly. But reminded once again why the Crown Prince considered Luo He terrifying beyond reason.
Because Luo He never simply fled from danger. He poisoned the road behind him. Set traps beneath wealth. And turned greed itself into a weapon.
Then finally the Black Cloud Shuttle descended silently into the center of the courtyard once more. Its dark metallic surface reflected the surrounding torchlight.
While it's gold engravings pulsed faintly beneath the night sky like sleeping veins awakening slowly. Luo He stepped aboard first. The others mounted immediately afterward.
The formation finally began moving.
Thirty-three horses. Nearly fifty to sixty people. Servants. Soldiers. Family. Retainers. And a few others.
Above them all, the Black Cloud Shuttle floated silently forward beneath the night sky as the convoy departed the estate not like defeated refugees but like nobles temporarily inconvenienced by politics.
Soon after the main formation departed under Fei's command, the estate grounds slowly emptied into silence.
Black Fang led the forward group through the outer roads while servants, guards, and mounted retainers followed in stretched formation beneath the moonlight.
Bing kept Little Lin wrapped carefully against the cold while the Third Princess's two remaining guards maintained watch around the convoy with disciplined precision.
Luo He intentionally allowed them to gain distance first. Only after the main group disappeared beyond the outer lantern roads did he remain behind with Jin Mulan alone inside the courtyard.
The mansion had become strangely quiet now. Gold still glittered across the stone floors like scattered sunlight while distant flames from overturned lanterns reflected softly across polished walls.
The poisoned coins remained everywhere. Waiting patiently for greedy hands to collect them. Luo He stood calmly beside Jin Mulan while watching the empty estate one final time.
Then suddenly he started talking. "So honey," he said casually. "Sorry for betting you on a chessboard earlier."
His tone carried absolutely no guilt whatsoever.
Jin Mulan slowly turned toward him. "You sounded very confident while offering me away so I trusted you as you asked me to." She said calmly.
"Please remind me on bed you said that, something so sweet truly deserves a reward." Luo He said with a husky voice.
"You looked entertained." She said seductively. "I am entertained." Luo He confessed.
She narrowed her eyes dangerously.
Luo He smiled immediately afterward before stepping slightly closer. "But the Crown Prince crossed a line today," he said calmly.
The humor disappeared from his voice almost entirely afterward. "He thought about torturing you." His eyes shifted toward the dark imperial palace far beyond the city roads. "He tried to use our daughters life as a bargaining chip."
The air around him seemed to quiet slightly. "And for that," Luo He said softly. "I will kill him soon enough." Jin Mulan looked at him carefully afterward.
Because Luo He rarely spoke like this.
Even Xu Mun once considered a ruthless monster by the entire family had eventually been recruited by Luo He rather than destroyed. And even became part of the family.
Luo He preferred turning enemies into pieces on the board instead of removing them entirely. He manipulated. Controlled. Converted. Very rarely did he decide someone simply needed to disappear.
Yet this time there was no amusement in his voice. No game. The Crown Prince had somehow managed to make a man who treated politics like entertainment genuinely angry.
And that was far more dangerous than hatred shouted openly. Luo He exhaled slowly afterward before glancing sideways toward Jin Mulan again.
"So honey," he said lightly. "Can you do me a favor?" Luo He asked politely.
"What is it honey?" She asked affectionately. "Burn this place down for me." He said coldly.
He looked back toward the mansion casually. "I doubt His Majesty will care about one small estate." Luo He smirked.
Jin Mulan's eyes immediately ignited.
Not metaphorically.
Actual burning crimson flames reflected deep within her red eyes as spiritual heat spread visibly around her body. The nearby air distorted slightly from temperature alone. While sparks began dancing across the armored edges near her hands.
Luo He watched with clear approval. Then Jin Mulan raised one hand calmly toward the mansion. The next moment fire erupted. A massive wave of crimson flames exploded outward across the estate like a living storm.
Pillars ignited instantly. Silk curtains vanished in seconds. Wooden halls burst apart beneath roaring heat while entire sections of the mansion disappeared behind violent spiraling fire.
The flames climbed unnaturally fast.
Windows shattered outward. Roof beams cracked loudly. Lantern towers collapsed inward beneath spreading infernos.
The estate transformed into a burning sea of gold and crimson beneath the night sky. Even the scattered coins reflected the firelight beautifully now.
Jin Mulan lowered her hand slowly afterward while the mansion continued burning behind them like a funeral pyre for everything they had just left behind.
Then finally the two turned away together.
Luo He stepped onto the Black Cloud Shuttle once more while Jin Mulan mounted beside him. The craft lifted slowly into the night air before drifting forward after the convoy ahead.
For several moments neither spoke.
Cold wind moved softly through the night while distant flames behind them illuminated the horizon red.
Then Luo He suddenly laughed quietly.
"You know," he said thoughtfully. "Normal riding feels somewhat boring now after learning how to fly." Jin Mulan stared at him briefly before laughing too.
"Most people do not compare horses to ancient flying war machines." She said coldly. "Most people lack vision honey." He said. "Most people also lack your problems." She said.
"That is because I am talented." Luo He said proudly. "That is unfortunately true." She said. The two laughed softly together while the burning estate slowly vanished behind them in the distance.
And beneath the freezing night sky the Black Cloud Shuttle continued forward at an unhurried pace.
Slowly catching up to the convoy ahead like nothing more than travelers leaving behind another temporary inconvenience in their absurd lives.
Not long after Luo He's group disappeared into the night, the Crown Prince's pursuing envoy finally arrived at the burning estate.
Nearly three thousand soldiers flooded through the outer gates while smoke still rose heavily into the sky. Entire sections of the mansion had already collapsed inward beneath Jin Mulan's flames.
Burning roof beams cracked loudly while sparks drifted through the night air like swarms of fireflies. The commanders immediately ordered a full search.
At first they expected hidden assassins.
Traps. Documents. Supplies. Instead they found gold. Everywhere. Scattered across the court yard, half buried beneath ash.
Thousands upon thousands of gold coins glittered beneath the firelight. For several moments even veteran officers stood stunned by the sight. One commander immediately frowned afterward.
"It is suspicious," he warned carefully. "He would not abandon this much wealth without reason." He said calmly.
Several others agreed. The Crown Prince's inner circle knew very well that Luo He was not careless.
If he left something behind then it was usually because he wanted someone to find it. The commanders advised caution immediately. But unfortunately Luo He had never intended the gold to avoid attention.
He wanted attention. As much attention as possible. Because gold possessed a terrifying quality. Even suspicious men still wanted to touch it. And once one person touched it, others inevitably followed.
That was exactly what happened. At first the soldiers merely collected coins cautiously into cloth sacks and wooden crates. But soon arguments began over missing amounts.
Then accusations followed. Then officers started claiming shares for "military recovery purposes." Before long, discipline collapsed entirely. Men searched across the court yard aggressively.
Soldiers hid coins inside boots and armor. Some fought openly over larger piles. Even several commanders eventually joined the collection themselves despite earlier warnings.
Because six thousand gold coins was not simply wealth. It was enough to change bloodlines. Buy land. Purchase titles. Secure future generations. And Luo He understood human greed perfectly.
Nearly a third of an hour later, most of the gold had finally been gathered and packed into transport sacks. Entire wagon loads were prepared for return toward the palace.
That was when the first symptoms appeared. One soldier collapsed beside a supply cart holding his stomach.
Another began vomiting near the outer gate. Several more complained of sudden cramps spreading through their bodies.
At first the commanders ignored it.
Smoke inhalation. Exhaustion. Stress.
But then more men started falling.
And more. Soon entire groups doubled over in pain across the burning estate grounds.
Some screamed. Some collapsed silently. Others staggered through the courtyards coughing blood onto the very coins they had fought over minutes earlier.
Panic spread instantly afterward. "He poisoned the gold!" someone finally screamed. By then it was already too late. The contamination had spread everywhere.
Hands touched coins. Men handled shared water supplies. Others carried the gold directly against exposed skin beneath armor and clothing.
And because greed had overridden caution almost the entire pursuing force had already been exposed before realizing the danger. The estate rapidly transformed into chaos.
Men abandoned formation entirely.
Some tried throwing away their gold sacks. Others desperately searched for physicians. Several commanders attempted forcing the army forward regardless.