Within Taoyun Residence's main reception hall, the middle-aged steward and five rough servant women were pacing anxiously, waiting for something. Every face bore anxiety laced with worry, and each carried a heavy, bulging bundle on their back.
Inside were changes of daily clothes, along with no small amount of money and valuables.
They had made their plans: if Yuan Bin and the others were defeated, they would abandon the estate, travel light, and flee to another land.
It was a pity to leave behind the manor built at such enormous expense of manpower, resources, and wealth. It was also a pity to abandon Flower Valley and Worm Valley, two wondrous scenic places that had seized heaven and earth's natural bounty. But that was still better than seeing their homes destroyed and their people dead.
As long as people remained, there was still a home. If people were gone, no matter how fine the estate or how excellent the location, it would all be nothing but empty air.
Moreover, the middle-aged steward was a man of foresight. Back when Taoyun Residence had been built, he had prepared for a rainy day, secretly transporting the vast wealth within the manor to a hidden location. It would not easily be opened, nor easily discovered. Naturally, it would not be handed over to those Pudu Cult thieves to become stolen loot used to plague the world.
Suddenly, a violent tremor surged up from beneath their feet and shot through their entire bodies.
The middle-aged steward and the five rough servant women swayed unsteadily. Everything in the main hall appeared crooked and askew before their eyes, while their bodies turned limp and weak, unable to remain standing.
At the same time, a deafening boom like thunder exploding from a clear sky rang in their ears.