"Master, there are two tails behind them," Liu Zhaoqiang whispered to Lan Zechen.
Lan Zechen didn't turn around when he heard this, and whispered to him, "Find a chance to tell that guy surnamed Quan, but be careful not to let those kids hear it."
He believed that doing so showed the demeanor of an elder, and at the same time, he wanted to prove that traveling with him would not be a loss, but rather beneficial.
Unexpectedly, the next moment they heard Tianquan say to the girl, "Mother, there are two sneaky people following us."
"Let's just follow them. They probably won't make a move in town," another child said.
"Great! If you ambush us on the road tomorrow, Mother, can you pick two for us to practice on?" Xiao Yaoguang said excitedly.
"Okay, okay, fine, fine." Hong Xiaoduo replied indulgently.
Wow, seriously? These kids actually figured it out too? Instead of being nervous or scared at all, they're excitedly eager to try it out. What? Practice?
From the few simple words exchanged between the children and Hong Xiaoduo, Lan Zechen and his two servants could tell that they had encountered similar situations many times before and were already used to it, no longer taking it seriously.
That's true. What happened last night, those kids were just trying to practice, weren't they?
Looking at these nine people of all ages, they didn't care about the two people tailing them at all. They bought whatever they wanted, strolled around and laughed. Even the youngest, Yao Guang, was as experienced as a seasoned veteran and didn't even look at the two fools who thought they hadn't been discovered.
Back at the inn, Liu Zhaoqiang asked his master if they should see if there were any of their own people nearby to summon as helpers.
After considering Xiao Yaoguang and the others' reactions, Lan Zechen decided that it wasn't necessary.
"If you really encounter trouble this time, don't rush to take action. Observe the situation first. It's not too late to make a move if you feel that they can't handle you." Lan Zechen suddenly thought of something and deliberately instructed the guard.
"Your subordinate understands, and naturally will protect you as your master," Liu Zhaoqiang replied immediately.
Upon hearing this, Lan Zechen immediately frowned and scolded, "What do you understand? Is that what I meant? Didn't you hear what those kids were saying on the street earlier? They all wanted a chance to practice."
If you intervene recklessly, do you think they'll be grateful for your help or resentful of your meddling?
Feeling wronged after being scolded, Liu Zhaoqiang muttered under his breath, "They're being too frivolous. If you really encountered someone doing this kind of business, they'd be ruthless. This isn't something to be done to make a child happy!"
"Hmph, don't be so unconvinced. There are hardly any peaceful places in our Fengliang Kingdom. This group of people, with many children and few adults, have been traveling for years. Look at their carriages and attire, are they discreet?"
Also, what was the reaction of the little children when they realized they were being followed? They showed no panic whatsoever, but rather looked forward to it with excitement. What does this tell us?
This only shows that they have never suffered any losses while traveling abroad.
"Hey, tell me, with a brain like yours, how did you get chosen to work by my side?" Lan Zechen asked his personal bodyguard with obvious disdain.
Liu Zhaoqiang wanted to say that they were probably just lucky and had only encountered some nobodies, not any formidable figures. However, seeing his master's expression, he didn't dare to say it and could only silently complain in his heart.
He thought to himself, if it were the leader of the martial arts alliance or something, it would be understandable for his master to act this way.
But the other party was just a young woman a few years older than those children. Anyone with slightly better martial arts skills could tell that she wasn't a trained martial artist.
That is to say, with her clothes and a sword at her waist, she looked quite heroic and dashing, with the demeanor of a female knight-errant.
Among this group, only Master Quan is truly formidable.
But the master is so eager to please and fawn over that young lady who is only slightly older than his eldest granddaughter. Doesn't the lord care at all if word gets out and he gets ridiculed?
...
In the afternoon, seeing the little ones occasionally looking up and stealing glances at her, Hong Xiaoduo knew what they were thinking.
So they simply made them put down their calligraphy brushes and told them the whole story about Hu Jiawang.
Hearing this, and thinking about how they had lived and eaten with such a malicious colleague for so long, the children felt a chill run down their spines.
No one believes that Hu Jiawang did what he did out of necessity due to some unforeseen circumstance.
Tian Shu and the others were about to reflect on their own actions, blaming themselves for persuading Hong Xiaoduo to take in Hu Jiawang, when they remembered what she had said in the stable in the middle of the night. So, they decided to let go of any self-blame or guilt.
Learn from your mistakes; just be more careful in similar situations in the future.
We can't just stop helping people in similar situations in the future because we've helped the wrong people before.
She said a long time ago that eating can cause choking, so does that mean we should stop eating altogether?
"Should we keep an eye on the stables tonight?" Tian Shu asked, changing the subject.
Without a second thought, Hong Xiaoduo said, "We don't need to keep an eye on you. You can sleep soundly. If there's any noise, Xiao Hui and Xiao Hei will give us a warning."
That was all she could say, since she couldn't tell them that the surveillance cameras would trigger an alarm.
Moreover, they wouldn't hear the alarm; only she could.
"I've kept our silver and valuables safe. They can't find them even if they search openly, let alone in the dark." Hong Xiaoduo thought for a moment and felt it was necessary to tell them so they wouldn't worry and lose sleep.
As Hong Xiaoduo became more and more skilled at storing and retrieving things in the space, she put all her money, except for what she carried with her, into the space.
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