"Who's in there?"
Seeing a light shining from the unoccupied thatched cottage, Lan Xi, who had come out for a walk to relieve his boredom, called out loudly.
The pupils of the three people who were talking shrank, and the hairs all over their bodies stood on end.
As the footsteps grew closer, Qu Ya reached out to signal Huo Chong not to move.
"I'll go out and deal with it. Old Guan, hurry up and hide the young master."
Guan Nianshan stood up and looked around the bare thatched cottage.
In such a small place, where could they hide someone!
His eyes happened to fall on a pile of straw in the corner, and he immediately walked over and picked up the straw.
"Young Master, lie down quickly. I'll cover you with the straw."
Through the bamboo door, Huo Chong saw Qu Ya and Lan Xi interacting. Gripping his sword tightly, he lay down in the pile of straw.
After walking up and finding it was Qu Ya, Lan Xi raised his eyebrows in confusion.
"What are you doing here? Why didn't you go home after work?"
This thatched cottage was not in the same direction as the Qu family's home.
Qu Ya smiled and lied to explain, "The weather is getting colder. Guan Nianshan and I came here to get some straw to put on our beds so it'll be warmer sleeping at night."
Listening intently, Guan Nianshan hid Huo Chong well, then picked up a bundle of straw stalks himself and walked out.
He took the initiative, speaking as if making casual conversation.
"Steward Lan, why are you here at this hour? Have you eaten? How about coming to my house for a bite?"
Lan Xi waved his hand. "I just finished eating and came out for a walk to digest. If you're done, why didn't you put out the candle? It's full of straw stalks inside, be careful of starting a fire."
Saying that, he was about to enter the house.
Qu Ya decisively reached out to stop him.
"There's no need for Steward Lan to bother with such a small matter. I'll go put it out. It just so happens I haven't brought my straw stalks out yet."
Hearing the feigned flattery in the other party's tone, and as the candle was brought out, the slightly stiff smile on Guan Nianshan's face also caught Lan Xi's attention.
Something was wrong with these two people. They didn't usually have this attitude towards him.
"It's dark and hard to see the road. Steward Lan, we'll walk you back."
The sky had completely darkened. If it weren't for the white light reflected from the snow, it would truly be pitch black.
Lan Xi put his hands behind his back, his feet planted firmly on the spot.
"No need. I still want to walk around outside. You guys go back first."
Qu Ya and Guan Nianshan felt a little panicked.
If Steward Lan didn't leave, how could Huo Chong come out?
Guan Nianshan spoke with feigned concern, "It's cold at night, and it might snow later. Steward Lan, you should go back early to avoid catching a chill."
Lan Xi replied, "I'm wearing a lot, so I'm not afraid of the cold. On the contrary, you two are dressed very thinly. The weather will be even colder tomorrow, so remember to put on more clothes."
It would be strange to keep talking, so Guan Nianshan smiled and said, "Then Qu Ya and I will leave first. Steward Lan, you should also head back early."
Lan Xi nodded and watched the two leave, the corner of his eye constantly paying attention to the bamboo fence door of the thatched cottage.
Qu Ya and Guan Nianshan walked side by side, looking back every few steps.
Seeing that Lan Xi was taking his time to leave, the two were extremely anxious, terrified that Lan Xi would discover Huo Chong's presence.
After walking far away, Qu Ya blew out the candle and pulled Guan Nianshan to hide behind a tree.
"Don't move, let's keep watching."
Once their shadows disappeared from sight, Lan Xi took out a fire stick from his pocket and walked toward the thatched cottage.
Hiding in the pile of straw, Huo Chong gripped his sword even tighter upon hearing someone approaching.
Seeing a gleam of light enter the thatched cottage, the hearts of Qu Ya and Guan Nianshan, who were hiding behind the large tree, almost stopped from fright.
"Oh no, the young master is going to be discovered." Guan Nianshan was about to rush over immediately.
Qu Ya quickly stopped him. "Don't move. The light from the fire stick is too dim, he might not notice."
Walking into the thatched cottage, there was nothing but the pile of straw in the corner.
Lan Xi hunched over and took a couple of steps inside the room.
He blew on the fire stick to make the light brighter and noticed a dark piece of fabric sticking out of the straw.
The surroundings were so quiet that he could only hear his own breathing.
"I've already found you. Come out."
The voice reached Huo Chong's ears, and the vigilance accumulated in his eyes instantly turned into murderous intent.
He suddenly drew his sword and attacked Lan Xi.
The sound of the longsword being unsheathed was particularly distinct in the dark night. Lan Xi quickly threw the fire stick in his hand at the opponent, then swiftly drew the dagger tucked in his waist to block.
Sparks fell on the pile of straw, and it quickly caught fire.
The sound of clashing weapons coupled with the growing firelight made Qu Ya and Guan Nianshan immediately realize that Huo Chong had been discovered and was already fighting with Lan Xi.
"Let's go, quick."
The two threw the straw stalks in their hands onto the ground and rushed toward the thatched cottage at top speed.
The rising flames illuminated the surroundings brighter and brighter. Seeing that the opponent was wearing a mask, Lan Xi's doubts deepened.
What was the relationship between this man and Qu Ya and Guan Nianshan?
"Who are you, and what are you doing here?"
Set against the mask, the murderous intent in Huo Chong's eyes grew even stronger.
"It's useless for a dead man to know this. Just consider yourself unlucky today."
His identity could not be exposed, and the identity of the Wu Army on the estate absolutely could not be revealed. This person had to die.
The force in the opponent's hands noticeably increased. Lan Xi gripped his dagger with both hands and struggled to parry forward.
Huo Chong bent his legs and swiftly leaned back to avoid it.
The blade scraped across the mask, and the two swapped positions before clashing together once again.
Just at this moment, Qu Ya and Guan Nianshan pushed open the bamboo door and rushed in.
Seeing the flames rising from the straw pile growing larger, Guan Nianshan quickly rushed over and pulled the unburnt straw stalks to the side.
This was to prevent the fire from getting too big, burning down the house, and attracting others.
Meanwhile, Qu Ya rushed between the two, using a bamboo stick to disrupt their attacking rhythm.
"Stop fighting, it's all a misunderstanding. We are all on the same side."
Hearing him say this, Huo Chong took a step back and asked, "Uncle Qu, you say he's on our side?"
So young, could he be the son of someone in the Wu Army?
Lan Xi, whose arm had been slashed by the sword, sternly questioned, "Qu Ya, what do you mean? Who exactly is he?"
This man was at least twenty-five years old, and his martial arts and footwork didn't resemble those of the Qingshuang Cult. He was definitely not among the guards trained by the Princess.
Qu Ya shielded Huo Chong behind him and whispered a sentence to him.
"This person cannot be touched. I'll explain it to you later."
After saying that, he turned to Lan Xi and said, "Steward Lan, he is a distant relative of mine and Old Guan. He's just staying here for the night and will leave tomorrow. He means no harm."
Lan Xi's brows locked tightly. "Do you take me for a fool? Would a distant relative need to hide, and then try to kill someone when discovered? Who exactly is he?"
This person was so dangerous, and Qu Ya and Guan Nianshan were very close to him. There was definitely a problem.
The expression on Qu Ya's face became very serious.
"Steward Lan, when the Princess first took over Daohua Estate and Shiquan Estate, she had a private talk with the two stewards, and she certainly didn't tell you the contents of that conversation."
"Feel free to tell the Princess what happened today. If she asks, Old Guan and I can explain."
Recalling the suspicions Song Jinzhao had towards the tenant farmers when she first took over the estate, which ultimately resulted in nothing, Lan Xi's heart began to waver.
Judging from their brief exchange just now, this person's martial arts skills were very high, and it was highly likely he couldn't beat him.
Now with Qu Ya and Guan Nianshan helping him, continuing to fight would only put himself at a disadvantage. He might even lose his life.
The most pressing matter right now is to uncover this person's identity. Whether the Young Miss knows or not, she must be informed immediately.
