Chapter 67: Pure White

Gu Mingyue, who knew nothing about the Jia family's situation, wisely refrained from asking questions and continued to fulfill her duty as a bodyguard, following closely behind Jia Ping'an. Wherever he went, she would follow.

Yu Luoli, who had been questioned by Jia Ping'an, was currently in the backyard of an inn called the Ruxin Inn.

"Is the master well?" Following secret marks to the backyard, Yu Luoli met with Zhenbai. Meeting as old acquaintances, the conversation naturally followed.

"The master is doing very well, and his plan is proceeding smoothly. There were just some ripples a short while ago, but nothing serious. How is it on your end? You were just supposed to keep watch, so how did you end up here all the way from Changdu?" Zhenbai asked. Since both of them served the same master and were considered insiders, some things could be discussed quite openly.

"Alas." Yu Luoli's expression darkened. "Don't remind me. It was all a sudden turn of events. Before I even had a chance to send word outside, government soldiers arrived, and we were sent straight to Ningguta."

Precisely because of that hurried departure, they had failed to send news outward in time, which had caused panic among Zhenbai and the others. After a great deal of inquiries, they finally obtained definite news and hurried over to follow up.

Listening to this explanation, Zhenbai adopted a serious tone and said, "Yu Luoli, what I am about to say represents the master's will."

"Please speak." Hearing this, Yu Luoli quickly stood up. Although she had not seen the master in person, her attitude was one of utmost respect.

"The master said that regardless of the reason, such a mistake can only happen once. If there is a next time, you should take your own life to atone for it."

"This maid will remember it by heart." Even upon hearing the command to commit suicide, she showed not the slightest trace of rebellion. It gave the impression that if the master wanted her life, she would gladly offer it up with a smile.

"Alright, no need to be so serious. From now on, you will still be leading me. By the way, I have bought out this Ruxin Inn. To avoid attracting others' attention, the name of the shop will not be changed." After conveying the master's message, Zhenbai's tone immediately softened.

"Very well. From now on, if there is anything else, I will come in person to deliver the message. However, this place cannot merely operate as an inn; you must continue the women's clothing business just as you did in Changdu. Only then will my coming here be justified and fail to arouse suspicion from others." Yu Luoli resumed her authoritative demeanor, speaking in a commanding tone.

"This subordinate will remember." Zhenbai folded her hands across her chest, making a gesture of obedience.

By the time Yu Luoli returned to the Jia residence, it was already time for dinner. It was only then that she learned Jia Ping'an had visited during the day and, furthermore, mentioned that he would be going up into the mountains the next day.

Learning that Jia Ping'an was heading to the mountains, Yu Luoli was unconcerned. This was not the first time such a thing had happened, and deep in the mountains, it was extremely difficult to trail someone without being noticed. Moreover, Brother An was no longer what he used to be; he now had a personal bodyguard by his side.

If it were just Brother An alone, Yu Luoli would have confidence that Zhenbai could follow him undetected, but with a skilled martial artist acting as a bodyguard, everything became uncertain.

Thinking that it was still not the time to expose Zhenbai's identity, Yu Luoli temporarily put the matter aside and prepared dinner for Jia Fanghao first.

...

The Zheng Residence.

Zheng Yugong possessed great self-control. He waited until evening, after finishing his duties at the official office, before coming to the main courtyard of the clan head, Zheng Tianhai.

"He is going up the mountains tomorrow?" Hearing the news, Zheng Tianhai's face immediately lit up with joy.

He had long since run out of patience regarding Jia Ping'an. Zheng Liyuan had come to report that the business of Yuelai Teahouse had plummeted drastically, to the point where even some members of the Zheng clan went to the Third Floor for their meals. Continuing to open the doors every day meant losing a substantial amount of money.

Jia Ping'an was blocking the Zheng clan's path to wealth, and for that reason alone, he could not be allowed to live comfortably. Had it not been for Zheng Yugong holding him back, considering that making a move within the city carried a high probability of accidents, he likely would have already sent men to kidnap Jia Ping'an.

He was merely an imperial physician, or rather, the son of a banished imperial physician. While others respected him for achieving so much at a young age, Zheng Tianhai cared nothing for such things. Not only did he want to kill Jia Ping'an, but before doing so, he also intended to acquire the formulas for the white fox fur, Hua tea, and Dukang wine.

In short, he wanted all the benefits, yet he still wanted the man dead.

"Let Zheng Tianjiang handle this matter. He has a few capable subordinates under his command. Killing a young man who knows no martial arts should not be a problem at all." Zheng Tianhai gave little thought before telling Zheng Yugong who he would dispatch to waylay and kill Jia Ping'an.

Not having to do it himself, but instead having the second clan elder carry it out, had another advantage: if anyone ever sought to hold someone accountable, Zheng Tianjiang could easily be pushed out as a scapegoat. At that time, not only would Zheng Tianhai suffer no losses, but he would also eliminate a rival who threatened his authority as clan head. Why not do it?

What of being of the same clan? In the eyes of such selfish individuals, even parents and wives and children could be betrayed if necessary, let alone a paternal cousin.

"Splendid." Upon hearing this decision, Zheng Yugong understood the implications immediately and replied with a broad smile, clearly approving of the plan.

In contrast to the schemes of the Zheng clan, after returning to the Third Floor from the Jia residence, Jia Ping'an reviewed Bailuolan's comprehension of Kunqu opera once more before retiring to sleep peacefully. Compared to whatever schemes others might be plotting behind his back, he, who possessed the spatial dimension as his backing, cared nothing for them at all.

You have skills?

If you're so capable, come into my space and kill me then!

How amusing; you can't even find the person, let alone figure out how to deal with me.

On the contrary, if he were to vanish completely and could not be found, who knew what kind of chaos would erupt in Ningguta?

Unlike Jia Ping'an, who slept soundly in his private space that day, the General's Mansion was rather restless.

The old madam, who had not suffered an attack for several days, started coughing again tonight.

The steward, Hu Shoufu, learned of this and hurried over to check. He discovered that the old madam had eaten sweets again that evening and had even scolded the two serving maidservants.

Fortunately, by the latter half of the night, the old madam became extremely exhausted and fell asleep. Hearing no more coughing from the backyard, Hu Shoufu did not report the matter to the general, figuring it was likely due to her failing to observe dietary restrictions once again.

Unexpectedly, on the following morning, after finishing breakfast, the old madam began coughing incessantly once more. At first, it wasn't very severe, but as the coughing spells grew increasingly frequent, Hu Shoufu finally panicked. He personally led a group of people to the Third Floor, hoping to invite Jia Ping'an over.

When they arrived at the Third Floor, they learned that Master Jia had departed at daybreak, having gone deep into the mountains.

"What? He went into the mountains?" Hu Shoufu only learned of this now, and the news gave him a start. Remembering that the general was a man of utmost filial piety, if failing to find Jia Ping'an delayed the treatment, how could that ever be handled?

"Quickly, immediately send people into the mountains to search and see if they can catch up." In his anxiety, Hu Shoufu dispatched the two pageboys accompanying him. Fearing manpower might be insufficient, he also brought four household servants from the General's Mansion. Thus, a group of six arrived at the edge of the mountains and began shouting loudly.

It was precisely this shouting that startled Zheng Tianjiang and his men, who had just entered the mountains.

He had been summoned to the clan head's main courtyard the previous night and given the mission to ambush and kidnap Jia Ping'an in the mountains.

Originally, Zheng Tianjiang had no desire to come. Kidnapping someone—especially someone as famous in Ningguta as Jia Ping'an—did not strike him as a good thing.

However, Zheng Tianhai offered too much. He promised that upon successful completion of the mission, he would reward him with a thousand taels of silver. Although, as the second elder of the Zheng clan, Zheng Tianjiang was not lacking in silver, he could not resist the other perk offered by Zheng Tianhai: as long as Jia Ping'an was captured, the task of guarding the Third Floor would be handed over to his branch of the family.

The Third Floor was a place that raked in money daily. Had they not seen how the son of the third clan elder, Zheng Tianhu, had grown wealthy and solved the livelihood problems of many family members after being employed there?

Such a huge, fat piece of meat was dangled right before him, and Zheng Tianjiang could not help but be tempted. Therefore, after leaving the clan head's courtyard, he went back to gather seven trusted young men and waited at the edge of the mountains early in the morning.

Jia Ping'an had not come alone; besides his follower Chang Chao, there was also a saber-wielding guard accompanying him. This somewhat exceeded Zheng Tianjiang's expectations, forcing him to alter his original plan. Instead of making a move right at the entrance of the mountains, he decided to wait until they had ventured deeper and reached a deserted area before making his move.

To his surprise, they had only just entered the mountains when the General's Mansion's men arrived.

What was the meaning of this?

Could it be that they knew of his actions, knowing that he intended to kidnap Jia Ping'an, and thus sent people to protect him?

Recalling the rumors that Jia Ping'an had cured the General's mother and that their relationship had supposedly always been good, Zheng Tianjiang felt a slight throbbing in his head. "Into the mountains! Stay away from them, and we'll make our move further in."

With no other choice, Zheng Tianjiang once again delayed his attack and led his men further into the mountains.

Just as Zheng Tianjiang and his party departed, yet another group of people appeared at the very spot they had just vacated.

This time, there were only five men, but every single one of them carried a saber. They looked robust and agile, clearly born of martial backgrounds.

Strictly speaking, these five men also belonged to the Zheng clan's faction, but they did not take orders from the clan head or the elders; they were trusted subordinates under Zheng Yugong.

The leader was named Zhao Shen, a former master bandit who had once committed crimes, been arrested by the yamen, and then singled out by Zheng Yugong. After being rescued by the latter, he had become a loyal subordinate to the counselor.

The reason Zhao Shen brought men to follow them was clearly because Zheng Yugong did not entirely trust Zheng Tianjiang's competence and had prepared a backup plan.

To avoid alerting the target, they did not trail closely behind Jia Ping'an, but instead followed behind Zheng Tianjiang's group. Naturally, following these people meant following Jia Ping'an, did it not?