Chapter 65: Another Dead Agent
Leaving the heavy stone gates of the Eastern District Guard Post behind, Lu Feng flagged down another horse-drawn carriage to take them toward the central market square.
The bustling heart of Crimson Vale was only a few minutes away, but the atmosphere inside the enclosed wooden carriage felt choking from the tension filling the space.
Han Lin adjusted the sleeves of her silk robes, her brow furrowed into a tight knot as she stared out the window at the passing vendor stalls and crowded thoroughfares.
"I arranged a backup housing agent just in case Zhou fell through or tried to gouge our prices," she explained, her voice dropping into a low, cautious murmur. "His name is Master Chen. He operates out of a quiet, respectable tea house near the central plaza. He has been in the city’s real estate trade for over a decade and came highly recommended."
"Let us hope Master Chen is alive, well, and far less complicated than his peer," Lu Feng replied calmly. He leaned back against the padded seat, his mismatched eyes remaining sharp and observant as he watched the urban scenery blur past.
When the carriage finally pulled up alongside the curb of the two-story tea house, the trio stepped down onto the sun-drenched cobblestone street. The air was rich with the pleasant aroma of roasted tea leaves, dried medicinal herbs, and steamed pork dumplings.
Navigating their way through the sea of patrons, cultivators, and bustling waiters, they headed up the carved wooden stairs toward the private second-floor booth Han Lin had reserved days prior.
However, as they drew back the embroidered silk curtain leading into the alcove, they didn’t find the respectable, middle-aged broker Han Lin had described.
Instead, a lean, young clerk was frantically throwing scrolls, brass keys, and account ledgers into a heavy leather satchel. He looked to be even younger than Lu Feng was but he also looked like he was lacking a few days worth of sleep.
The moment the curtain rustled and he spotted the three figures standing in the doorway, he flinched violently. His face drained of all color, and his hands shook so hard he nearly dropped a stack of wooden seals onto the floor.
"A-Are you here looking for Master Chen?" the young clerk stammered out, his voice trembling uncontrollably as his eyes darted nervously around the room, as if expecting assassins to burst through the paper windows at any second. "If you are... you’re too late! Master Chen... he died abruptly just two hours ago! Found stone-cold in his private study on the other side of town!"
Han Lin froze in her tracks, her eyes widening in utter disbelief and growing frustration. Two independent agents, both specializing in high-end property rentals within the exact same district, dead within hours of each other. It was beyond a tragic coincidence—it felt like a calculated cleanup intended to disrupt or control who purchased land in that sector.
Or was there something deeper playing behind the scenes? They wouldn’t know. At least, not yet.
Ye Chenxue’s hand drifted closer to the hilt of her small dagger inside of her robe which she’d collected from Han Lin since she was fat more better wielding it as compared to Han Lin who has no knowledge about using daggers.
Ye Chenxue’s eyes that shone like glaciers, scanned the clerk’s body language for any signs of deceit. She was ready to strike the clerk down of she so much as suspected that he would become a threat for the trio but Lu Feng held up a hand, silently signaling her to stand down.
He could tell the terrified young clerk knew nothing of the deeper plot; the boy was simply a low-level worker desperate to gather his things and flee the city before he became the next target. It seemed like the killings wouldn’t be stopping anytime soon and the boy wasn’t about to wait behind and found out.
Even as he spoke, it was clear through his stammers that he was panicking. His eyes were even darting around dark corners as though there was a bounty on his head and he was not to be seen around such areas.
Lu Feng noticed this slightly earlier than Ye Chenxue did and because of that, when she’d gone for her weapon, he had stopped to examine the boy a little more and then stopped Ye Chenxue too before she could strike.
"Let’s go," Lu Feng said quietly, gently placing a hand on Han Lin’s shoulder to guide her away from the booth. "There is nothing for us here."
Thoroughly exhausted by chasing dead ends and dealing with the city’s murky, dangerous undercurrents, they decided to abandon any further search for the remainder of the afternoon. Hailing another carriage, they bypassed the market entirely and returned directly to Lin Laifu’s estate, choosing to rest, recover, and cultivate in the security of their guest quarters until evening fell.
By the time the afternoon heat faded and the sun began to dip below the horizon—painting the cloudless sky in dramatic, sweeping shades of crimson and gold—Lin Laifu returned to the estate grounds exactly as he had promised.
However, the moment the fat merchant stepped into the courtyard, Lu Feng immediately registered a profound shift in the man’s demeanor. Ever since learning that Big Sister Su—a formidable woman backed by her own massive commercial network and the absolute authority of her brother, the City Lord—held deep, personal respect for Lu Feng’s family background, Lin Laifu’s slight air of merchant slyness had vanished completely.
His posture was far more humble, his expressions entirely transparent, and his words carried a direct, earnest clarity without a single hidden motive or calculated scheme behind them. He was taking no chances whatsoever with a distinguished guest who possessed such terrifying, high-tier connections.
"Young Master Lu, please forgive my earlier absence and the delay," Lin Laifu said, bowing deeply at the waist before stepping aside to introduce the figure standing behind him. "After the unfortunate news in the market, I took it upon myself to personally vet an agent from my private circle to ensure absolute reliability and safety. This is Master Wei."
Master Wei was an elderly man with a thin, snow-white beard, dressed in simple yet meticulously tailored gray silk robes. The moment his eyes landed on Lu Feng, Han Lin, and Ye Chenxue, he bowed so low his forehead nearly touched his knees.
He appeared surprisingly welcoming, yet visibly nervous and overly eager to please, having clearly been thoroughly instructed by Lin Laifu regarding the immense background and status of the young master he was about to serve.
"It is an absolute, unquestionable honor to meet Young Master Lu!" Master Wei declared, his voice quivering slightly with polite enthusiasm. "Master Lin has made your exact standards and preferences abundantly clear to me!"
The group gathered around the main mahogany tea table in the estate’s reception hall, where Lu Feng laid out his exact structural and spatial demands for their permanent residence.
"We require a spacious, highly functional layout," Lu Feng stated plainly, leaning back in his chair with an air of relaxed authority.
"Specifically, we need three primary buildings within the same enclosed perimeter—one main residence for our daily living quarters, and two separate auxiliary buildings strictly dedicated to martial training and high-level cultivation. Furthermore, the property must be completely secure, isolated from prying eyes, and situated directly over a strong, undisturbed vein of natural spiritual energy."
Master Wei stroked his wispy white beard thoughtfully, nodding his head vigorously with every word Lu Feng spoke.
"Three distinct structures... absolute privacy... dense spiritual energy... Ah! Young Master Lu, your timing is truly immaculate!" Master Wei exclaimed, his eyes lighting up as he reached into his sleeve. "I have two separate places in my portfolio that fit your general description, but one of them stands so far above the other that there is truly no comparison!"
Master Wei quickly unrolled a large, highly detailed map scroll of Crimson Vale across the tea table, placing brass weights on the corners to hold down the map against the weak blowing winds.
His index finger pressed directly against a quiet, secluded sector nestled in the Upper Eastern District—a prestigious, heavily guarded neighborhood typically reserved for clan elders, high-ranking alchemy masters, and visiting foreign dignitaries.
"This estate is a private, magnificent courtyard tucked peacefully near the foot of the eastern hills," Master Wei explained eagerly, tracing the outlined boundaries on the map.
"It features a grand primary building for living quarters and two fully reinforced, solid stone training halls fitted with ancient, built-in meditation arrays. The surrounding outer walls are thick, reinforced with ironwood, and the isolation is absolute. Best of all, the spiritual energy beneath the property is among the purest and most concentrated in the entire district. I believe it meets every single one of your criteria for safety, energy, and complete privacy!"
Lu Feng studied the spatial layout rendered on the scroll, feeling a quiet sense of genuine satisfaction settle in his chest.
"Take us there," Lu Feng smiled and then nodded before issuing a smooth command as he rose up from the table. "If the physical estate matches this scroll, we will settle the deed immediately."