While Sun Miao'er and her group were helping Wang Xueru carry her luggage outside the prefect's mansion, they ran into Luo Yu.

Sun Miao'er was wearing a veiled hat, and their group made quite a commotion, which naturally alerted Luo Yu.

Jia Huan was seeing someone off at the door when he bumped into Wang Xueru. "Xueru, the servant just came by and said you came to see your godfather?"

Wang Xueru was quick-witted. Remembering that Miao'er had gone out wearing her veil, she knew something was wrong and replied, "Godfather, Xueru wanted to say goodbye to you, but the servant told me that you had official business to attend to, so I came back."

Luo Yu's gaze swept over and stopped on Sun Miao'er, but did not linger for long.

"Was it sent by the Wang family to pick you up?" Jia Huan noticed the woman next to Wang Xueru and casually asked.

Fearing that Wang Xueru wouldn't be able to answer, Sun Miao'er spoke up first, "Replying to your question, sir, I am the manager of the escort agency. The Wang family specifically hired our agency to escort Miss back this time."

He was originally a traveling merchant.

"You come from Pingnan City, do you know the shortest route to Ping'an City from here?"

Feiyu was seriously injured and is still recuperating. Luoyu was ordered to come from Shangjing. If it weren't for the shortage of manpower in Huizhou camp, he wouldn't have had the chance to come to Yingzhou on official business.

He wanted to ask for a shortcut, but Jia Huan knew nothing about it. He had been the prefect of Yingzhou for so many years, but it was all just a hollow title.

Right now, we've encountered a security escort agency; aren't they experts?

“With refugees roaming freely outside, taking the official road is the safest option,” Sun Miao’er replied.

Through the veil, she could see the bird on the feathered waist tag. It was different from the bird on the tag of the man who had kidnapped her that night. That man also had a bird on his waist tag, but it was not the same kind as the one in front of her. It seemed that this was the method used by the Feather Camp to distinguish them.

My master once said that not everyone in the Feather Camp is skilled, but the man in front of me has a sword at his waist and a knife hanging on his horse, so he must be quite skilled.

As long as it's not Fei Yu, at least I won't worry about being recognized.

"If you're in a hurry, you can take a detour through the small road on the official road outside the city. That small road can also get you to Pingnan City."

Before Sun Miao'er could finish speaking, Luo Yu had already mounted his horse, and galloped away, kicking up dust.

Ever since she saw Luo Yu at the prefect's mansion that day, Sun Miao'er had a feeling that something was about to happen.

Although she had narrowly escaped from Luo Yu's sight, the thought that he was still in Pingnan City made Sun Miao'er feel uneasy.

It took them three days to travel back to Pingnan City, while Luoyu could reach it in a day by taking the official road.

Who exactly is he looking for? Is he here to capture young women, just like Fei Yu?

Sun Miao'er returned to the escort agency, tidied up the shop, and was then asked to leave by the people from Duhuanlou.

Could it be that the fact that Dongli Xiaoxiao was taken out has been exposed?

The person who came to invite her was Dongli Xiaoxiao's personal maid, whom she had met at Duhuanlou.

The building was still bustling, but the maid did not lead her to Tingyue Pavilion. Instead, she headed towards the secret room. Why would Dongli Xiaoxiao arrange to meet her in the secret room unless Hu Tingzhi invited her?

Could it be that something happened at Duhuanlou?

Hu Tingzhi is dead.

When she entered the dark room, Dongli Xiaoxiao, dressed in white mourning clothes, was squatting beside Hu Tingzhi's corpse. Her beautiful eyes were red, but not a single tear could be shed.

"Xiaoxiao, what's going on?"

Sun Miao'er stared at the cold corpse before her. It was indeed Hu Tingzhi, now a lifeless body, no longer able to laugh or joke with her.

She remembered that she still owed Hu Tingzhi one hundred taels of silver.

How could this be? The last time I saw him with my master, he vowed to protect Dongli Xiaoxiao. Now that he's gone, who will protect this little sister he loves and misses the most?

Dongli smiled, her eyes unfocused. She held Hu Tingzhi's hand tightly, trying to feel any warmth. "It's Yu Ying. They've found out about my brother."

Sun Miao'er finally realized who Luo Yu had come to see: he had come to kill Hu Tingzhi.

It would be futile for her to say anything more now. She had planned everything, but she never expected that Yu Ying's trip was for Hu Tingzhi.

"Old Wang carried my brother's body back, but it was too late..." Dongli murmured to herself with a smile. She wished her brother, lying on the ground, could still stand up and curse her.

Even when she ran away that day, her brother knew when she came back, but he still gave her a cold look and didn't have the heart to scold her much.

"Manager Hu, where was he murdered...?"

As the richest man in Pingnan City and a man of the King of Wei, Hu Tingzhi should not let Luo Yu succeed easily. He has several experts by his side who should be able to deal with Luo Yu.

Unless he is alone.

"In Fushui Village."

Wang Xiaohu entered from the dark room, his face pale and extremely weak.

Sun Miao'er had met him before, back in Fushui Village. She had even fooled Wang Xiaohu, who thought he was just a low-level thug from Duhuanlou. She never expected him to be Hu Tingzhi's confidant.

What was he doing in Fushui Village?

Why did Hu Tingzhi go to Fushui Village alone?

Wang Xiaohu said, "Master has something to give to the young lady."

"What is that?"

Sun Miao'er was completely bewildered. What was so important about Fushui Village that Hu Tingzhi was willing to risk his life to protect it?

"The drug-using man." Wang Xiaohu's expression was solemn. "Fortunately, I arrived in time, preventing the drug-using man from falling into the hands of the Feather Camp. If the Feather Camp had succeeded, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

"Medicine people? Why would there be medicine people in Fushui Village?"

Her thoughts were tangled in a huge net, and she couldn't sort them out no matter what she did.

What is the connection between the medicine man and Fushui Village? And what is the connection between Hu Tingzhi and the medicine man?

"The medicine man was made by Mr. Fu. When Mr. Fu left Yingzhou, he instructed my master to escort the medicine man to Kezhou. My master went there this time to retrieve the medicine man."

Wang Xiaohu's words left her stunned. When did her master refine the medicine mannequin, and what kind of person did he use to refine it? Why had she been kept in the dark from beginning to end?

Are they taking advantage of innocent people?

Sun Miao'er pressed on, "Where is the medicine man now?"

"Among the warehouses of Duhuan Tower, only that place is safe for the time being."

She had heard her master talk about medicine people, who were extremely insidious and only obeyed the person who created them. Why would her master make such a thing?

Sun Miao'er breathed a sigh of relief, her gaze falling on Hu Tingzhi's corpse. "Don't make a fuss about Manager Hu for now; the Yu Camp will definitely come looking for us."

"Don't worry, brother, I'll take care of Duhuan Tower. I won't let you down."

Dongli's voice was soft yet powerful, like a firm promise.

“Miss Sun, let them come. I will avenge my brother.”

She never imagined that her brother would leave her like this.

She always remembered her brother from when she was little, who was chased by vicious dogs for days over two sesame cakes, but who shielded her with his body and disappeared from the world.

She always thought that as long as her brother was alive, she could simply be a carefree, decorative figure. But now that he's gone, she has to shoulder all of this.