Previously, half the gate had blocked his view, so Lu Sheng had not seen anyone inside. Now that the carriage had moved, he could see the scenery in another corner of the courtyard from this angle.
The stone bridge and the scholar were in another corner of the courtyard.
The scholar stood stiffly there, utterly motionless, merely staring at the moving carriage.
Lu Sheng watched the scholar closely as well. The man's clothes were tattered, old, and filthy, as though they had not been washed in many days, with holes in them too. His hair hung loose in a tangled mess. Standing on the stone bridge like a pillar, he did not move at all.
"This manor hasn't had anyone entering or leaving for many days. There probably shouldn't be anyone living here, right? After all, if nobody comes and goes, what would people inside eat?" From Duan Meng'an's angle, he could not see the scholar and simply continued explaining on his own.
"But there really is someone. Isn't that him?" Lu Sheng tilted his chin toward the manor.
Duan Meng'an hurriedly looked over as well.
Strangely, the moment he looked, the scholar vanished in the blink of an eye.
Lu Sheng narrowed his eyes. He had merely let his attention lapse for a moment while saying something to Duan Meng'an, yet he had not noticed when the scholar disappeared.
"Where is there anyone? Young Master, don't scare me." Lu Sheng's words made Duan Meng'an's scalp prickle. He peered carefully through the crack in the gate, but could not see anyone no matter how hard he looked.
Lu Sheng focused his mind for a moment.
"It's nothing. Perhaps my eyes were playing tricks on me."
The carriage slowly drove away. All along the road, Lu Sheng kept recalling the scholar's