Two masked figures vanished before Prince Yu as if they were ghosts, their movement techniques incredibly swift.
"Master, what do you think of the also-life gate?" A Qiu asked.
Prince Yu tugged at A Qiu's clothes, wiping the blood from his own face. "An organization of unknown origin, their allegiances unclear, good and evil indistinguishable. Let's observe further. This place is not suitable for lingering. We'll discuss it back home."
The two helped the coachman onto the carriage, and the four guards were also assisted, and they proceeded towards the county town together.
Today was a close call. Without the two masked individuals from the also-life gate, they might have perished here.
Concurrently, the two masked men, hiding in the secluded Sha Yan Ridge, changed their clothes at the fastest possible speed.
"Sect Leader, isn't charging five thousand taels a month too much?" Qing Yu asked, adjusting his collar.
Lu Ye smiled faintly, "Prince Yu's life is worth this much." Moreover, his beloved would want to do business with Prince Yu in the future, so charging five thousand taels was practically a bargain for him.
Qing Yu thought about it and agreed, "Indeed."
Lu Ye looked at the blood-stained black attire on the ground and sighed to Qing Yu, "Qing Yu, we've bumped into two groups of assassins today."
"Bumped into?" Qing Yu had never heard this term before, though he could guess its meaning from the literal words.
Lu Ye raised an eyebrow, "Although we both look more handsome in black than they do, this sect leader dislikes being like everyone else. I think our also-life gate's attire should be redesigned."
"But assassins all wear black, it's more discreet for night operations," Qing Yu felt that black was still the best choice.
"Indeed, black is best. But we can add some design elements to the black attire, making it distinctly different from other black-clad individuals, and even more heroic and handsome. We want our also-life gate members to enjoy wearing it, fostering a sense of belonging and identity." In recent days, Lu Ye had learned a great deal about enhancing team cohesion from his beloved.
"Sect Leader, what you're saying... is so profound," Qing Yu, though he understood, found the topic too novel and hadn't quite adapted yet.
Lu Ye continued to himself, "For example, adding some armor plates on the shoulders, wrists, and waist. Ah, never mind, I'll have my beloved draw a design sketch, and I'll find a mouse to deliver it to you in three days."
Lu Ye's body was implanted with the Black Snake Gu King, allowing him to casually catch any mouse and make it obediently do his bidding.
"Yes, Sect Leader," Qing Yu said respectfully.
"Hey, Qing Yu," Lu Ye patted Qing Yu's shoulder, "You met Prince Yu just now. Who do you think is more handsome, him or this sect leader?"
Qing Yu was stunned, almost disbelievingly. His sect leader had changed, becoming too focused on external beauty and appearance. He wasn't like this before; he didn't care even if he wore a torn burlap sack.
"Of... of course, the Sect Leader is more handsome," Qing Yu stared at his sect leader with a scrutinizing gaze.
"Then... who is more charming?" Lu Ye tossed a lock of hair from his chest to the back of his shoulder.
Qing Yu almost lost his footing. He really wanted to find a tree to lean on. "The Sect Leader is more... more charming."
Lu Ye smiled proudly.
After a moment of hesitation, Qing Yu added, "Sect Leader, your subordinate believes that the most important thing for a man is strength. Appearances are superficial; strength is what truly matters."
Lu Ye glanced at him and nodded, "What you say has a lot of merit. However, my beloved likes me to be both handsome and clean."
Qing Yu held his forehead. His sect leader was clearly a love-struck fool, he concluded.
Lu Ye then instructed Qing Yu to manage everything at the base and let him leave.
After Qing Yu had gone a distance, Lu Ye looked around, confirming the surroundings were safe, and began to recite a Gu incantation.
Soon, five or six emaciated little mice emerged from the nearby sandy ground and timidly crawled before him.
Lu Ye took out a small packet of corn from his robes and placed it on the ground.
"Eat up. This corn is irrigated with spiritual spring water. After you finish, you can drink spiritual spring water too."
The little mice were so skinny they were mere skin and bones. Upon seeing the corn, their eyes lit up, and they immediately scrambled to devour it.
After finishing the corn, Lu Ye took out a water pouch and poured water into a concave stone.
The little mice drank their fill again.
Lu Ye took out a dagger, pricked his finger, and said to the mice, "Open your mouths."
The little mice lined up obediently, opening their mouths. Lu Ye dripped his finger blood into each of them.
"From now on, you are Number 1, you are Number 2, you are Number 3, you are Number 4, you are Number 5, and you are Number 6. You will lead your brothers to gather intelligence from various places like the Kyoto Imperial Palace, ministers, wealthy merchants, and assassin organizations. If you encounter any valuable news, transmit it to me immediately."
The little mice squeaked a few times.
"Good, go now. Travel after dark and be careful on the road."
The little mice squeaked again, then scattered in all directions.
Lu Ye couldn't understand the mice's squeaks, but the Black Snake Gu King within him could, and the Gu King communicated with him telepathically.
With these mice gathering intelligence, his also-life gate would have a complete understanding of the Great Xia Kingdom.
Red Tree Slope.
Bai Sheng looked at the dead red willow seedling and marked a cross next to the first tree in her ledger.
There were three more. The two watered with spiritual spring water were significantly better. The other one, watered with well water, had leaves that were already starting to yellow; it would likely die soon.
It seemed that planting trees in the future would be inseparable from spiritual spring water.
However, even if these trees could survive, the types of trees were monotonous, and they offered little economic benefit.
Bai Sheng wanted plants that could not only green the desert but also generate some economic return.
It seemed she still needed to make a trip to the Original Qinghuang Kingdom as soon as possible.
A warm hand rested on her shoulder. "My dearest, what are you thinking about?"
Bai Sheng turned around and smiled, "Husband, you're back? I was thinking we should go to Qinghuang Kingdom."
Lu Ye pulled her into his embrace. "Of course. Wherever my dearest wishes to go, your husband will accompany you."
"Husband, you're so good," Bai Sheng hugged his waist, her heart filled with sweetness.
Upon hearing that their master and mistress were going to Qinghuang Kingdom, Granny Wu and Du Min's expressions were a little complex.
"That was once a beautiful country, but now there should be nothing left," Granny Wu said with a hint of loneliness in her smile.
"Did Granny Wu go to Qinghuang Kingdom?" Bai Sheng noticed the unusual expression on Granny Wu's face.
"I went over ten years ago," she replied, then taking Lu Yu's hand, she turned and left.
"Mistress, can... can I go with you? I'm strong and can help carry things," Du Min's eyes were full of hope.
Bai Sheng considered. "Sister Du, it's said that the area is unstable and not very safe. This is our first time going there, and we don't understand the situation. You don't need to accompany us this time. Husband and I will scout ahead first. If there are no major dangers, we won't go out next time; you all will go instead."
Du Min felt a little disappointed, but her cousin was stating the facts. It might be very dangerous for them to go out rashly like this.