Chapter 88: Zhou Hongling’s Fury
Lu Yuan followed Zhou Hongling toward the front hall.
Zhou Hao was following closely behind, but just as he stepped through the courtyard gate, he was seized by two family servants and couldn’t struggle free.
"Sis, what do you think you’re doing?!" Zhou Hao shouted, his voice full of dissatisfaction.
"Do I even need to say where you’ve been?" Zhou Hongling’s voice rang out. "Drag him away! Give him three lashes and make him kneel outside the ancestral hall. He can get up tomorrow morning."
Zhou Hao instantly let out a miserable shriek. "Sis, you can’t do this to me!"
If his father, Zhou Ren, had ordered this, Zhou Hao wouldn’t have paid it any mind. He would have run off the moment no one was watching. But these words came from Zhou Hongling, which meant the punishment was real.
Zhou Hao absolutely did not dare to flee, or he would face an even harsher penalty.
He knew his sister’s temper well enough.
When his shouts died down and he saw that Zhou Hongling had no intention of turning back, he quickly added, "Yuan went too! Why am I the only one getting punished?"
However, he had barely finished speaking before the servants dragged him aside.
The corner of Lu Yuan’s mouth twitched. ’That bastard sold me out without a second thought.’
He glanced at Zhou Hongling, then rubbed his nose sheepishly. "Actually, we just went for a few drinks."
"Mm," Zhou Hongling said with a nod, letting the subject drop.
When they arrived at the front hall, Lu Yuan saw Zhou Ren already seated inside. Zhou Ming was there as well, along with a few elders of the Zhou Family.
They were clearly all waiting for Lu Yuan to arrive for dinner.
He naturally didn’t dare to be disrespectful. He immediately bowed and said, "Greetings, Sir."
"Yuan, there are no outsiders here. You don’t need to be so formal with me. At home, just call me ’Uncle’," Zhou Ren said with a warm chuckle.
’Lu Yuan is a Captain now,’ Zhou Ren thought. ’And he’s highly regarded by the Marquis. I can’t treat him as a mere subordinate anymore. I have to find a way to build a closer relationship with him.’
"Yes, Uncle." Lu Yuan didn’t stand on ceremony, addressing him as requested before taking a seat.
Then, at a signal from Zhou Ren, a lavish spread of delicacies was served.
Once everyone began to eat, Zhou Ren took a sip of wine and said, "There are no outsiders here, so I can tell you this in advance. This afternoon, we received an order from the Marquis."
"We are to hunt down members of the Charm Demon Sect within our territory. This is a direct order from the Imperial Court. While our main army is on campaign and all eyes are on the battlefields Beyond the Passes, the demonesses of this sect have infiltrated our Northern Border. In the Youzhou region, many young, able-bodied men have already been drained into desiccated corpses."
"Moreover, many low-to-mid-level officials have been won over by them, sheltering these people from the Charm Demon Sect."
"This has made the investigation extremely difficult. For the time being, this will be our primary focus."
"We have to excise this cancer first," Zhou Ren said in a grim tone.
Zhou Hongling turned to Lu Yuan, her expression apologetic. "I promised that when you returned, I would send men with you to Yunzhou to escort your mother here. But with this situation, we’ll have to postpone it for a while."
"However, the Marquis has said that the Charm Demon Sect is exceptionally good at amassing wealth. Any assets we seize are ours to keep."
"Furthermore, the military merit awarded will be generous."
"Whoever makes the greatest contribution will have their name reported to the Imperial Court. Your current military merit is enough to secure your position as Captain, but if you want to climb higher, simply taking heads on the battlefield won’t be enough. You’ll need to accomplish a few truly spectacular deeds."
Lu Yuan nodded. "Alright. It won’t hurt to go back a little later. I just returned from the battlefield, so a few days of rest will be good."
Seeing him agree, Zhou Hongling couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.
She cared a great deal about what he thought.
Zhou Ren glanced at his daughter, a thoughtful expression in his eyes. He then smiled and said, "Yuan, don’t worry about other areas for now. The day after tomorrow, when you get back to Icefield Fortress, you can start the investigation there."
"If we can find just one of their dens, we should be able to unravel the rest of their network by following the trail. I’ve heard men have gone missing in Icefield City, too, so it’s likely been infiltrated."
"You must take this matter seriously. The Imperial Court places great importance on it. The Marquis just suffered a major defeat Beyond the Passes, and he’s hoping to use this operation to atone for his failure. If you can really crack this case, it will be a huge boon to your career."
Lu Yuan nodded. ’Wanhua Courtyard,’ he thought, but didn’t say the name out loud.
He wasn’t certain that Wanhua Courtyard was actually a hideout for the Charm Demon Sect. If he spoke rashly and was wrong, not only would his superiors see him as impetuous, but he would also make enemies for no reason.
After all, for a place like Wanhua Courtyard to operate, it had to have powerful backers.
It would be better to speak once he had proof.
’In any case, I have a lead now.’
’Once I’m back in Icefield City, I can just start by investigating the brothels.’
’If I can just take down one den, the primary credit will be all mine.’
Just as these thoughts were running through his mind, Zhou Ren raised his cup. "Yuan, don’t feel any pressure. Even if you don’t crack this case, your past accomplishments are impressive enough."
"Once you’re formally appointed as Captain, we can plan our next move. There’s no rush."
Clearly, Zhou Ren was treating Lu Yuan as one of his own and didn’t beat around the bush when he spoke.
Zhou Hongling nodded. "Mm, that’s true. But if you do find something, don’t hold back. You have my full support."
Lu Yuan nodded. "I understand."
Then, Zhou Hongling picked up a piece of meat with her chopsticks and placed it in Lu Yuan’s bowl.
"Argh!"
Just then, a faint scream of pain drifted in from outside.
Hearing this, Zhou Ren raised an eyebrow. "That sounds like Hao."
At his side, Zhou Ming glanced at Lu Yuan, then whispered something in Zhou Ren’s ear.
He had clearly already learned what happened.
Once Zhou Ren understood the situation, he gave a wry smile and said with a sigh of resignation, "That rotten kid... he really does deserve a beating. His behavior is outrageous."
He then glanced at his daughter, struggling to suppress a smile.
’What a situation,’ he mused. ’I’m the one who paid for it, and Hao goes and takes Yuan to a brothel. It’s actually a little funny, thinking about it.’
Zhou Hongling, for her part, ate impassively, occasionally placing another piece of meat in Lu Yuan’s bowl.
He, in turn, accepted everything she offered.
He simply focused on the hearty meal.
’I have to admit, the food at the Zhou residence is really something else.’
’The dishes were full of medicinal herbs.’
’Eating them would be a great benefit to my cultivation.’
After the meal was over, he got up and returned to the courtyard the Zhou Family had arranged for him to rest.
The night passed without incident. The next day, Zhou Hongling, having clearly learned her lesson, personally accompanied Lu Yuan around the city for the entire day. She bought him not only several new outfits but also various accessories.
Early on the morning of the third day, the two of them, along with their Personal Guards, left Yanzhou City and headed for Icefield Fortress.
In truth, if Zhou Hongling hadn’t insisted he stay, he would have left yesterday.
After all, the Charm Demon Sect case was a source of major military merit. Now that he had a theory, he was eager to investigate and see if he was right.