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Chapter 147: Chapter 147 Vermilion Bird: Subordinate did not see anything...
"Master, are you alright..." Vermilion Bird stopped at the door, his eyes meeting with Zhan Lan and Mu Yan’s in mutual gaze.
Mu Yan’s upper body was covered in bite marks and flushes, his handsome face also blushing, breathing lightly, his forehead still sweaty.
Zhan Lan had a face full of satisfaction mixed with surprise, an ambiguous atmosphere filled with desire hit them squarely...
What had happened between those two, did it even need saying?
Vermilion Bird immediately covered his eyes, turned around, and with a slight smirk and flying brows, he declared his innocence: "I didn’t see anything."
Mu Yan angrily squeezed a word through his teeth, "Leave!"
"Right away!" Vermilion Bird quickly vanished from Mu Yan’s sight.
Zhan Lan didn’t react immediately, she looked at Mu Yan and asked, "Wasn’t I eating roast suckling pig? Where is the pig!"
Mu Yan, still angry, picked up his semi-dry clothes to wear, and without a word, pushed open the door and left.
Zhan Lan recalled the events of last night, tapping her dizzy head, and muttered, "What did I do?"
Why did Mu Yan leave in embarrassment?
Why were there so many red marks on his chest, Zhan Lan shook her head, bewildered.
She called towards the direction Mu Yan left, "Lord Mu, are you guys leaving? Take me with you!"
She huffed, as it was her who stayed with Mu Yan last night, lighting a fire for him, making mushroom soup for him...
Suddenly, Zhan Lan remembered that pot of mushroom soup. Yes!
After drinking the mushroom soup, she couldn’t quite remember anything, and it seemed she also ate roast suckling pig.
Could it be that she alone had hogged the roast suckling pig, and Mu Yan got angry?
No wonder when she called Mu Yan’s name, he walked even faster with long strides.
"Miss, are you alright?" Xiao Chen’s voice came from behind Zhan Lan.
Zhan Lan turned to look at him, "Xiao Chen, you’re not hurt, are you?"
As she spoke, she looked Xiao Chen up and down.
It was too dark last night, she hadn’t noticed Xiao Chen was injured on his shoulder.
She naturally pulled apart Xiao Chen’s clothes that were torn by a war spear, the exterior stained red, and inside a cut was visible on the skin.
"It’s only a superficial wound," Xiao Chen said, looking down, not daring to look at Zhan Lan.
As Mu Yan turned his head back and saw Zhan Lan pulling open the man’s clothes, peeking at his chest, he clenched his molars in anger and said to Vermilion Bird, "Let’s go, back to Ding’an City."
Vermilion Bird casually asked, "Master, didn’t you say we came here to handle a case..."
Mu Yan said coldly, "What case to handle, I am a traitorous official, why bother with so much!"
Vermilion Bird was frightened by the coldness emanating from Mu Yan, not daring to say another word.
Could it be that last night Master was afflicted by Soft Bone Powder, thus unsatisfied with his own performance last night?
Vermilion Bird followed behind him, leapt onto his horse, and watched as Mu Yan rode the Ferghana horse away like an arrow.
He didn’t dare delay either, spurred his horse and followed towards the direction of Ding’an City.
Zhan Lan furrowed her brows at Xiao Chen, "Your wound, it still needs to be tended."
Xiao Chen nodded, "It’s alright, I have already applied the medicine Master brought."
"Good, have Liu Jinxiu and the others chased them back?" Zhan Lan asked.
She was also nervous inside, uncertain if Xiao Chen and the others could really chase the people down.
"Master rest assured, everyone is in the cart, they can’t escape, with Lord Mu’s Hidden Guard helping, those Death Guards suffered heavy casualties, it’s a pity that the leader escaped..."
Hearing that the midwife was chased back, Zhan Lan breathed a sigh of relief, "You all have worked hard!"
"Master, shall we return to Ding’an City immediately?" Xiao Chen proposed.
"Hmm!" Zhan Lan patted her still slightly dizzy head, could it be that the mushrooms she ate last night were poisonous?
Zhan Lan turned her gaze towards the mushrooms in the yard, harvesting a batch, and left a silver ingot for the hunter.
Xiao Chen looked at Zhan Lan with suspicion, "Miss, those mushrooms look good, you like them!"
Zhan Lan gave a sly smile, "Perhaps someone enjoys eating them!"
These elusive poisonous mushrooms might come in handy in the future!
Zhan Lan and her group, carrying Liu Jinxiu and her son in the carriage, set off and left Phoenix City.
Halfway through the journey, Zhan Lan felt something odd and became extremely vigilant, fearing any additional complications.
However, the journey was unusually smooth, and they left Phoenix City unscathed.
Even those who were supposed to be monitoring Liu Jinxiu did not follow.
As Zhan Lan’s caravan departed, Mu Yan sat atop his Ferghana horse, observing several people bound and kneeling before him.
"Speak, who are you? And why were you following that lady ahead?" Vermilion Bird inquired.
Mu Yan fiddled with the folding fan in his hands, awaiting the response of the five.
"We didn’t!" one of them said aggrievedly.
Thump!
Vermilion Bird kicked the man squarely in the chest.
Instantly, the Hidden Guards placed their swords against the necks of the other four, who were nearly frightened to death, pleading for mercy repeatedly.
"My lord, please spare our lives!"
After Vermilion Bird kicked him down, the Protector rolled on the ground several times before clutching his chest and said, "My lord, we were ordered to find Liu Jinxiu. That midwife was taken away by the lady ahead!"
Mu Yan closed his folding fan and asked, "Who ordered you to find the midwife?"
The man, panicking, replied, "My lord, we are only lowly Protectors. Our master said that the midwife is his sister-in-law and we don’t know anything else!"
Mu Yan continued, "Is your master the County Magistrate Li Youshui of Phoenix City?"
"Yes!" The men nodded vigorously.
Mu Yan’s voice was low but carried a deep authority, "Tell your master that the midwife was taken by me, Mu Yan. If this matter becomes known to others, I assure you his official hat and head will be lost together!"
"Yes!"
"Yes, my lord!"
The five, trembling all over, knelt and kowtowed vigorously.
Frightened out of their wits, they were untied by the Hidden Guards, mounted their horses, and hurried back to report to the County Magistrate.
Mu Yan put away his folding fan, looking in the direction where Zhan Lan’s team was departing, and said, "Let’s go, back to Ding’an City."
"Yes, Master!" Vermilion Bird nodded.
His horse followed behind Mu Yan, maintaining a safe distance from Zhan Lan’s caravan.
Embracing the breeze, Vermilion Bird felt content, secretly criticizing: The master is tough on the outside but soft at heart.
He had indeed left Phoenix City but couldn’t stop worrying about Miss Zhan, and came back to clear any obstacles along her path.
Even an observer like him was moved, yet he wondered if Miss Zhan knew of his master’s deep concern!
...
Inside Phoenix City, County Magistrate Li Youshui had a row of people kneeling before him.
These five were the same Protectors who were just frightened into weakness by Mu Yan.
"Speak, what happened? How did you let them escape, what are you even good for!" Li Youshui, banging the gavel on the table, shouted angrily.
The lead Protector, feeling wronged, said, "My lord, we encountered formidable foes. His subordinates are top-level Hidden Guards, we stood no chance!"
Li Youshui pointed at the lead Protector’s nose and scolded, "Didn’t you say it was a woman? You are all worthless!"
"It was a woman at first, but she had a male accomplice, and that man was terrifying," the kneeling Protector recalled Mu Yan, feeling like there was a knife hovering over his head.
His life seemed under threat at the orders of that man.
The others chimed in, "Yes, my lord!"
Li Youshui, infuriated, stood up, "Nonsense, who is that man? This officer doesn’t believe it. Half the people in Phoenix City share my surname; who dares to cause trouble in my Phoenix City!"
