I had no intention of entering the martial world.

Chapter 19 Completely Unaware

The two men in black moved in perfect unison, their breathing steady and deep, indicating they were quite skilled. Yet, in front of the woman, they were as respectful as servants.

Who is it?

He recalled Shen Xingyao's words: "The waters of Jiangling run deep."

It seems that this is indeed the case.

When he returned to the escort agency, it was already past 3:45 AM.

The gatekeeper had left the light on and yawned when he returned: "Young Master Lu, the young lady instructed that hot water has been prepared for you in your room."

"Thank you." Lu Chenzhou nodded and walked towards the backyard.

His room was in the east wing of the backyard, and it was very quiet. Pushing open the door, I saw a basin of hot water on the table, still steaming. Next to it was a bowl of porridge, covered with a lid, and it was still warm to the touch.

Lu Chenzhou washed his face, sat down at the table, and slowly drank his porridge.

It still had no taste, but he drank it very carefully, as if he were performing some kind of ritual.

After finishing his porridge, he lay down on the bed, but did not fall asleep.

In my mind, those fragments are spinning.

Listening to the Waves Courtyard. Dockside warehouse. Woman in purple. Xiao Bieli's mark. The feeling of the Azure Sword.

And... tomorrow, Shen Xingyao is going to take him to Tingtao Villa.

Will she notice anything unusual there? If she does, what will she do?

More importantly—how much does she know now?

Lu Chenzhou suddenly recalled the look in Shen Xingyao's eyes when she mentioned the "Immortal Seeking Gathering" and the "Three Swords" on the way today. It wasn't that she was completely unaware; it was more like a...deliberate avoidance.

What is she hiding?

Lu Chenzhou closed his eyes.

In the darkness, the phantom of the Azure Nether Sword reappeared. The sword hung deep within his consciousness, and the dark red bloodline slowly writhed, like a venomous snake awakening.

The tip of the sword still points southeast.

But this time, Lu Chenzhou sensed something different.

There was an added sense of... urgency in that guidance.

It was as if something was urging him on.

Hurry up.

Faster.

Otherwise, it will be too late.

---

Lu Chenzhou woke up just as dawn was breaking.

He wasn't awakened by sleep, but by the burning sensation of the jade pendant on his chest. The heat was even greater than the night before, like a red-hot charcoal pressed against his skin, so hot that he instantly sat up in bed, pulled open his shirt, and saw that the center of his chest was already red, the skin slightly raised, and he could vaguely feel something pulsating underneath.

It wasn't a heartbeat. It was another rhythm, cold, slow, and hard, like a sword trembling in its sheath.

The Azure Sword Qi is becoming increasingly restless.

Lu Chenzhou took a deep breath, sat cross-legged, and began circulating the internal energy cultivation method taught by Lu Jinghong. His internal energy flowed slowly through his meridians, attempting to soothe the restless sword energy. But this time, the icy resistance was exceptionally strong; his internal energy felt like it had hit an ice wall, making every inch of progress extremely difficult.

He gritted his teeth, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

"Young Master Lu? Are you awake?"

Shen Xingyao's voice came from outside the door, clear and bright like that of early morning.

Lu Chenzhou forcibly suppressed the surging blood and qi within his body and slowly finished his practice. The heat in his chest subsided somewhat, but the pulse remained, like a second heart, stubbornly beating in his chest cavity.

"I'm awake," he replied, his voice a little hoarse.

"Breakfast is ready. Let's go after we eat." Shen Xingyao said, and her footsteps faded into the distance.

Lu Chenzhou dressed and walked to the bronze mirror. The person in the mirror was pale, and the red mark at the corner of his eye was deeper than yesterday, as if it had been drawn with rouge. He reached out and touched it, feeling a slight stinging sensation on his fingertips—not that his skin was broken, but that the sword energy was leaking out and corroding his body.

He took a deep breath and pushed open the door to go out.

Breakfast was served in the small hall in the backyard. Shen Xingyao was already there, dressed in a dark blue outfit, her hair tied in a neat ponytail, sipping her porridge. She waved to Lu Chenzhou when she saw him.

"Sit down. Uncle Chen's fish porridge is a specialty of Jiangling, have a taste."

Lu Chenzhou sat down and scooped a spoonful into his mouth.

It had no flavor. Only the soft, sticky texture of the rice and the smoothness of the fish slices. But he still nodded: "Not bad."

Shen Xingyao glanced at him, her eyes filled with complex emotions, but she said nothing.

The two finished their breakfast in silence. Shen Xingyao put down her bowl and wiped her mouth. "Let's go. Tingtao Villa is on the west side of the inner city, about a quarter of an hour's walk away. But..." she paused, "I found out some things last night."

Lu Chenzhou looked up.

"Yang Shirong did indeed move back to Sichuan a year ago," Shen Xingyao said in a low voice. "But Tingtao Villa isn't completely abandoned. Some people have seen lights occasionally at night, and people going in and out."

This matches what Lu Chenzhou saw last night.

"Do you know who it is?"

Shen Xingyao shook her head: "I don't know. That area is full of wealthy and powerful families, and there are many soldiers patrolling at night, so no one dares to approach and ask questions." She paused, "But there is a rumor—that before Yang Shirong left, he 'lent' his house to a nobleman from the capital."

"A benefactor?"

"Hmm. I don't know exactly who it is, but anyone who owns a house in the inner city is either very rich or very powerful." Shen Xingyao stood up. "So even if we go today, we might not be able to get in. It depends on luck."

Lu Chenzhou nodded and followed her out the door.

---

Jiangling City was much quieter in the early morning than at night. Many shops were not yet open, and there were vegetable farmers carrying their loads to the early market and a few street sweepers. The air was filled with the dampness of the river and the faint smell of cooking smoke, mixed with the unique fishy smell of the bluestone slabs after being wet with night dew.

Shen Xingyao led Lu Chenzhou through the streets and alleys, walking very quickly. She was very familiar with Jiangling City and took the shortcuts, covering a distance that should have taken two quarters of an hour in just one quarter of an hour, reaching the foot of the inner city wall.

The inner city walls were higher than the outer city walls, and the city gates were more imposing. The gate towers had double-eaved hip roofs, with stone beasts perched on the eaves, casting long shadows in the morning light. There were three times as many soldiers guarding the gates as there were in the outer city, each carrying a long spear and a sword at their waist, their sharp eyes scanning everyone entering and leaving.

"You can enter the inner city during the day, but they'll check your ID," Shen Xingyao said in a low voice. "Don't say anything for a while, I'll handle it."

She walked to the city gate and handed over two waist tokens—one from the Sihai Escort Agency and the other her own. The officer guarding the gate took them, looked them over, and then glanced at Lu Chenzhou a few times.

"who is he?"

"He's my cousin, he's come from the north to visit relatives." Shen Xingyao said without changing her expression, "Take him in to broaden his horizons."

The officer looked at Lu Chenzhou again. The young man was dressed in ordinary coarse cloth clothes, carrying a bundle on his back and holding a sword wrapped in cloth in his hand. He did indeed look like a country boy who had just come to visit relatives.

"Weapons must be registered." The officer pointed to the booklet next to him. "Don't cause trouble inside, and you must come out before dark."

"Understood," Shen Xingyao replied, pulling Lu Chenzhou to register in the register and paying two qian of silver as "entry fee" before being allowed to pass.

Passing through the city gate, the inner city unfolds before your eyes.

Unlike the bustling and chaotic outer city, the inner city was clean, tidy, and quiet. The streets were wider, paved with smooth bluestone slabs, and lined with neat rows of plane trees. The residences were all grand mansions with high lintels, stone lions in front of the gates, and screen walls behind them. Occasionally, a carriage would pass by, but it was always a small sedan chair or a lavishly decorated carriage, pulled by gleaming horses and neatly dressed drivers.

The true elites of Jiangling reside here.

Shen Xingyao led Lu Chenzhou westward along the main street. The further west they went, the fewer houses there were, and the larger the courtyards became. After walking for about fifteen minutes, she stopped at a fork in the road and pointed to the road on the left.

"Go in from here, and at the end is Tingtao Villa. It's the only one in that area, so it's easy to find."

The two turned onto a side road. The road was quiet, with high walls on either side, topped with withered vines. The path was covered with fallen leaves, rustling underfoot. After walking about a hundred steps, a house indeed appeared ahead.

The gate was tightly shut, its brass rings rusted and worn. Weeds grew in the cracks of the stone steps leading to the gate, and the stone lions on either side were covered with a thick layer of dust. The courtyard wall was very high, and something on top of it gleamed coldly in the morning light.

But Lu Chenzhou noticed that the fallen leaves in the open space in front of the door had been cleared away—although some newly fallen leaves had been deliberately scattered to cover it up, the traces on the ground were still there.

Moreover, there are many footprints in front of the east corner gate.

"This is it." Shen Xingyao stepped forward and knocked on the door knocker.

"Thump, thump, thump."

The sound carried far through the quiet street.

After waiting for a while, there was no response.

Shen Xingyao tapped it again, this time harder.

"Is anyone there? This is Shen Xingyao from the Sihai Escort Agency. I need to see Master Yang!"

There has still been no response.