Night Watch I

With a creak, Lu Sheng shut the wooden window and turned to look around the room.

He took off his outer robe and placed it on the wooden clothes rack behind the door.

Then he opened the wardrobe. Inside were several dull gray women's garments worn by Yu Jie. Closing the wardrobe, Lu Sheng went to inspect the dressing table.

The plain dressing table bore no patterns at all. A Bronze Mirror sat in the very center.

A tiny amount of pink powder had been scattered before the Bronze Mirror. Lu Sheng dipped his fingers into it and brought them to his nose.

"Ordinary scented powder used by women."

Lu Sheng suddenly frowned.

"I remember Yu Jie wasn't someone who liked using scented powder."

Whoosh. A sudden gust of cold wind swept through, making the candle flame sway sharply.

Lu Sheng swiftly gripped his saber and swept his gaze around the entire room.

Sssht.

A flash of white cloth vanished past the gap in the not-quite-closed door.

Lu Sheng hurried over.

"I distinctly remember shutting the door after I came in."

He touched the wooden bolt. The padlock hanging from it was still unlocked.

He opened the door and stepped into the corridor to take a look.

The corridor was empty and desolate.

A stream of chill air kept pouring in.

Lu Sheng swept his cold gaze over the area but found nothing amiss.

So he returned to the room.

With a click, he shut the door securely.

He sat upright beside the table, laid his saber across the tabletop, and kept one hand on it.

He sat there like that, slowly waiting for the so-called sound of a woman crying.

The lamplight was as small as a bean.

Time trickled by.

Supported by the Jade Crane Skill, Lu Sheng did not feel sleepy in the slightest. He sat alertly by the table, waiting for the crying.

Later, with truly nothing to do, he used his mind to accelerate the circulation of the Jade Crane Skill.

This health-preserving qigong was simply too stable. Even if he wanted to suffer a deviation in his qi, he could not.

A good deal of time passed without his noticing.

Only when a clear rooster crow sounded outside the window, and the pitch-black view beyond gradually turned faintly pale, did Lu Sheng abruptly realize that he had been sitting here all night.

"Where was the woman's crying? Nothing happened all night."

Through the window, he could see the faint light of dawn outside.

Saber in hand, Lu Sheng rose and stretched his body.

Opening the door, he stepped out. Some light had filtered into the corridor as well. When he reached the courtyard of the Lotus Flower House, yesterday's dishes, bowls, and chopsticks were still sitting where they had been.

Faint voices could be heard speaking outside the courtyard.

Lu Sheng walked over and threw open the main gates.

His father Lu Quan'an, Lu Yingying, Lu Yiyi, and a whole group of family members had long been waiting outside.

The moment they saw the door open, everyone jumped in fright and took a step back.

At the sight of Lu Sheng, Lu Quan'an hurried forward.

"Sheng! Are you all right?!"

His face was full of concern.

Seeing that everyone was still holding torches, while some guards who had rushed over even had drawn sabers and swords in hand, Lu Sheng felt puzzled.

"What happened? Did something go wrong?" he asked loudly.

Lu Quan'an let out a long sigh.

"Someone else disappeared from the household last night."

"What???"

Lu Sheng's eyes widened at once.

Only then did Second Mother Liu Cuiyu step forward and explain what had happened.

It turned out that while Lu Sheng had been keeping watch, the others around the area had indeed heard no more sounds of a woman crying.

At first, everything had been normal. The guards patrolled, while many people stayed in their rooms. They said they were resting, but in truth, most could not sleep and were waiting for the outcome.

But later, something happened.

"Bajun said he was going to the latrine. Who knew that once he went, he never came back."

A slightly plump woman wept as she clutched a handkerchief.

This woman was the younger sister of Lu Sheng's birth mother, Sun Yan—his Little Aunt, Sun Zining.

The one who had disappeared this time was Lu Sheng's cousin, Sun Bajun.

Lu Sheng was not close with Sun Bajun. The boy loved gambling and was the idle, gluttonous sort. Lu Sheng could not stand him and often lectured him.

For that reason, the boy disliked him as well, always taking a detour whenever they met.

Who would have thought that he would be the one to disappear this time?

Lu Sheng's brows knitted tightly.

"I didn't sleep all night. I sat in the room listening for movement, but I didn't hear any woman crying."

When everyone heard that, their hearts sank further.

"What in the world is going on?!"

Little Aunt Sun Zining burst into loud sobs.

"Zining, don't panic yet. There must be a way," Second Mother said, pulling her aside to comfort her.

"Let's go to the main hall first and discuss a solution."

Lu Quan'an sighed.

With no other choice, the group could only leave this place for now.

Lu Quan'an summoned Lu Sheng, the few direct family members, and Uncle as well.

The doors to the main hall were shut. Everyone sat in their seats, and the atmosphere was heavy.

Uncle Lu Anping was a stern middle-aged man with thick brows, large eyes, and a square face.

He wore the half-body silver scale armor common in Great Song, with an ornamental curved saber at his waist. Sitting beside Lu Quan'an, his expression was grave.

"The question now is whether we should let the authorities intervene," Uncle said slowly. "If we still cannot find the source, I'm afraid we'll have no choice but to borrow outside help."

"Inviting a god in is easy; sending one away is hard." Lu Quan'an sighed. He had lost count of how many times he had sighed that day.

Over the past few days, he had been worn down in body and spirit, seeming to age especially quickly.

Lu Sheng sat in a lower seat, silent.

Lu Quan'an glanced at his son.

"Sheng, do you have anything to say? You are the future helmsman of the Lu Family, and this estate will all be yours one day. Do you have any idea how we should resolve our current predicament?"

Lu Sheng closed his eyes, then opened them again. Just as he was about to answer—

"This is bad! This is bad!"

Xiao Qiao's cry suddenly came from outside.

"Young Master! Brother Sheng! People in the estate are trying to run away!"

Lu Sheng immediately stood and strode over to open the door. Xiao Qiao was waiting outside, her face flushed red.

"Young Master, someone else in the estate disappeared, and the head guard Wang Chong secretly took a whole group of people and fled! I received word from the other girls and rushed here to tell you."

"They fled?"

Lu Sheng's eyes snapped wide open.

He had guessed that panic might spread and cause people to flee, but he had not expected it to happen so soon.

"Where is Wang Chong now?"

"I don't know. We only noticed after they'd fled. Zhao Fanghu and the others are gathering in the main courtyard now. I'm afraid they want to run too," Xiao Qiao said hurriedly.

Zhao Fanghu was another leader among the guards and servants.

"How many people have gathered?" Lu Quan'an quickly asked.

"I'm not sure, but there are so many of them!" Xiao Qiao hastily replied.

"I'll take a look!"

Lu Sheng's face darkened as he strode toward the main courtyard.

Lu Quan'an and Uncle Lu Anping followed close behind, their faces equally grim.

The group soon reached the main courtyard.

More than twenty people had already gathered there, mostly guards and servants, along with several maids.

Every face was filled with fear and unease.

Some had already packed their belongings, ready to leave Lu Estate at any moment.

When they saw Lu Sheng and the others arrive, the previously noisy crowd quieted slightly.

"Who wants to leave?"

Lu Sheng walked before the crowd and asked coldly.

"We all want to leave!"

A male guard stepped forward. It was none other than Zhao Fanghu, and lingering terror remained on his face.

"Young Master, we're people too. We have lives too. The trouble facing the Lu Family isn't caused by any person—it's a female ghost!"

His eyes were wide, filled with fear.

"Absurd!"

Lu Sheng cut him off sharply, his voice fierce.

"Who gave you the nerve to spread such bewitching nonsense?!"

"But I saw it with my own eyes! That white shadow! Your Lu Family can forget about dragging all of us down with you—"

Pfft! Blood sprayed across the ground.

The guard's head flew into the air and rolled viciously to the ground, crashing to a stop at the feet of a maid carrying a bundle.

"Those who dare spread bewitching nonsense will die!!!"

Lu Sheng roared, gripping his saber as he stared at the terrified crowd before him.

Thud.

Only then did the guard's headless body collapse to the ground.

"Ah!!!" The maid screamed.

"Shut up!"

A vicious aura surged from Lu Sheng. One sweep of his eyes made the screaming woman clamp a hand over her mouth and begin sobbing softly.

None of these guards, servants, or maids had ever witnessed such a brutal, bloody sight.

They all trembled from head to toe, their faces deathly pale, yet none dared make a sound.

"Get the hell back! Cause trouble again, and I'll kill you!"

Lu Sheng shouted harshly.

Deep fear showed in every pair of eyes.

Under Lu Sheng's tyrannical might, they finally remembered that this Young Master was a ruthless man who had single-handedly killed several wanted criminals.

At once, everyone scattered as though fleeing a disaster.

The guard's corpse on the ground was dealt with by the guards who had not caused trouble.

Before entering the estate, these servants, guards, and maids had all signed contracts selling themselves. Did they truly think the Lu Family were soft-hearted saints who would let them come and go as they pleased? Once everyone had left, Lu Sheng turned around to find Lu Quan'an and Uncle Lu Anping staring at him with complicated, astonished expressions.

"Using violence to suppress violence is only a temporary measure." Uncle shook his head.

"As long as it keeps them in line for now, that is enough. If this cannot be resolved soon, then our Lu Family will have to flee as well."

Lu Sheng spoke calmly.

"It seems we really will have to seek help from the authorities this time." Lu Quan'an sighed. "Fortunately, we have you, Sheng."

Lu Sheng's decisive handling of the matter had shown him his son's sense of responsibility and strategy, leaving him deeply gratified.

Lu Sheng said in a low voice,

"Tonight, I'll keep watch once more. I want to see what kind of thing dares cause trouble in my home! Don't worry, Father. Though I found nothing last night, I've already noticed a clue."

"Is that true?" Lu Quan'an's spirits lifted.

"Absolutely true!"

"Do you need me to deploy men?"

Uncle asked seriously.

"Don't make any rash moves for now. I'm afraid too many people might instead become a burden. No one knows what abilities these ghosts possess. More people could only get in the way. You can deploy men to guard outside the estate."

Lu Sheng shook his head.

"That makes sense. Sheng, we're counting on you this time!" Uncle nodded and reached out to pat Lu Sheng on the shoulder.

Though he was an Assistant Commandant, he was not a martial artist of the jianghu. Moreover, Great Song's military officers had not fought a war for many years.

To put it plainly, he had earned his official position through examinations in military strategy and written tests. It had little to do with fighting.

Great Song's long-standing habit of valuing scholars over warriors was also a deep-rooted flaw. Thus, at this moment, the entire family's hopes rested on Lu Sheng.

"Don't worry." Recalling that flash of white cloth he had seen, Lu Sheng faintly felt a premonition stir within him.

If he could catch the person wearing that white garment, perhaps he could solve the case of people constantly disappearing.