On the other side, Chen Dahe stood bending at the lower end of the reception hall, his forehead covered in cold sweat. He glanced stealthily at the person seated in the main seat, his heart unable to help but grumble.
Why did this old man come at this time? How was he supposed to celebrate his happy occasion tonight! He was truly spoiling good deeds.
The man on the upper seat put down his teacup, wiped his mouth with a handkerchief, and said in a nonchalant tone, "I hear that Lord Chen will be celebrating his new marriage again tonight? Marrying one bride after another, Lord truly has a bountiful life. Congratulations, congratulations~!"
Listen to the meaning behind the words! The man's drawn-out "ah" sound... why did it feel like it carried a lot of dissatisfaction?
Chen Dahe had known this person for a long time and naturally understood what he meant. This man loved beauty, loved money, and even more, loved power.
Although he himself was lustful, he at least pitied the women. But this man's greatest pleasure was to torment girls in their teens, like budding flowers. What a waste!
Now that the man had hinted, even though Chen Dahe was reluctant, he knew what he had to do. "My lord, you flatter me. In front of you, I am but an ant. You are the capable general of our master, the true lord! Heh heh... If my lord is interested, shall I offer this woman to you? Oh my~ she looks only thirteen or fourteen, like a flower bud waiting to bloom! Just the right age, tender and delicious."
"Hahahahaha! You! You! Since Lord Chen is willing to make this sacrifice, I shall not refuse!" After laughing heartily, the man contentedly stroked his beard.
What a pity! He was also an understanding person. Because he was so accommodating, forget it! Let him live a little longer.
After he had his fill of pleasure, he would then attend to the matters the master had assigned. Since this person was here, there was no rush.
"May I ask why my lord has come this time...?" Seeing that the man was in a good mood, Chen Dahe, with a fawning smile, cautiously stepped forward to inquire about his purpose.
The man glanced sideways at Chen Dahe, lightly fiddled with the potent poison hidden under his fingernail, and then said to him with a meaningful smile, "I've come mainly to take the Valley Master Gongsun and those things. And while I'm here, to reward you. You've worked hard these past few years. When our master's grand undertaking succeeds one day, he will certainly not forget your contributions."
Upon hearing this, Chen Dahe's smile was so wide his mouth couldn't close. "It is all my duty. All of this is thanks to the master's brilliant planning. I dare not claim credit. Please, my lord, when you return, speak highly of me to the master."
"This is what I offer to my lord. It can help my lord indulge himself!" After saying this with a lecherous grin, Chen Dahe held out a box with both hands. What was inside was understood by both of them.
"Let's go! Take me to see what kind of beauty she is!" The man did not wish to discuss the purpose of this visit further, so he gave instructions and slipped the box into his sleeve.
Chen Dahe, bending over, smiled obsequiously. "Yes! I'll take my lord to inspect the goods right away. My lord, please this way. I'll have someone prepare her for bathing and dressing, lest she not meet your eyes."
Chen Dahe quickly called a maid and told her to inform others to first prepare Su Muqing for bathing and dressing. As they spoke, they walked towards the backyard.
At the same time, in the backyard, after Old Third and the others had left, Su Muqing had intended to go out and scout again. However, not long after, several young maids ran over, saying they needed to take her to bathe and change.
After leaving her waiting for so long, why did they want her to wash and tidy up now? Just then, the detector emitted a high-level alarm. Su Muqing looked at the detector and saw a group of small red dots moving in her direction.
And among them were the high-level experts with significant energy fluctuations that the system had previously indicated. Had she been exposed? Or had they discovered what happened in the study?
Although she now had supernatural abilities, dealing with those local ruffians might be a piece of cake. But when encountering true experts... she feared they could capture her with ease using a somersault or some movement technique.
It was better not to stand out too much. A strong dragon does not suppress a local snake. She had never truly practiced martial arts, nor had she ever seen what ancient experts were like.
If she could evade them, that would be fine. But what if she couldn't and was captured? She didn't want to make too many formidable enemies at the very beginning. Wouldn't that increase the difficulty!
As the group of red dots grew closer, Su Muqing slowly gathered her lightning power.
As more lightning accumulated, her pupils became increasingly gray and white. Once she had accumulated enough, Su Muqing controlled it with her consciousness and fiercely struck the direction of the study with that powerful force.
Chen Dahe and the man were still chatting and laughing. They were just one turn away from meeting the beauty!
Suddenly, there was a deafening boom. "CRACK... BOOM~!"
"What happened?" the man asked Chen Dahe beside him. Chen Dahe spread his hands, looking bewildered.
Everyone rushed out of the corridor and looked in the direction of the sound. They then discovered that the study had inexplicably caught fire. Flames soared to the sky, and thick black smoke billowed from the roof.
"Quick, quick, go to the study." The man called his men and pulled Chen Dahe towards the study.
The crowd hurried to the study. However, the fire was too intense, and the study was mostly made of wood and paper silk.
Now, the study was engulfed in flames inside and out, and there was insufficient water. They didn't know where to begin, so they could only watch from the outside as the fire consumed the entire study.
The man grabbed Chen Dahe by the collar and furiously questioned him, "What is going on? How did it catch fire? What have you been doing all day!"
Chen Dahe's fat forehead was covered in beads of sweat. "I, I don't know. I truly don't know! I was with my lord just now, I... you... are all dead men? Why aren't you putting out the fire quickly!"
Seeing the man's fierce gaze, Chen Dahe's unfinished words took a turn. He kicked the steward beside him, ordering him to quickly call for people to extinguish the fire. Otherwise, he feared that if this lord lost his temper soon, it wouldn't just be about putting out the fire, but about eliminating him as well!
The steward, startled by the sudden kick, snapped back to reality. Who would have thought that heaven would suddenly strike with lightning at a time like this?
And to make matters worse, it precisely ignited the study! And right in front of that lord. What kind of clever hand could write such a coincidental event!
The fire raged for more than two hours, and it wasn't until the middle of Xu Shi (around 8 PM) that the flames gradually subsided. However, by then, the study had been largely reduced to ashes.
The man, with his subordinates, charged into the ruins, while Chen Dahe and others guarded from above. At this moment, he was still consoling himself with a sliver of hope.
As long as the things they wanted were safe, his own life should be safe. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly... Fortunately, the darkroom was built underground, otherwise everything would have been destroyed in this great fire.