Why Have You Been Following Me All This Way?

The next day.

Mo Chen put on the Human Skin Mask, changed into a dark robe, disguised himself as a young gentleman, and returned to Yunyi County.

His contract of sale was still at the Lu Residence, and his registration was also filed with the Yunyi County yamen.

So he had not fled under the cover of night.

Nor had he planned to flee!

Using the Human Skin Mask's disguise effect, Mo Chen swaggered into the city.

"Waiter, bring me ten baskets of soup dumplings!"

He found a dumpling shop near the yamen.

Mo Chen sat down facing the yamen entrance.

"Right away, sir. Please wait!"

The waiter called out and brought Mo Chen the dumplings.

But when he saw that Mo Chen was alone, he froze slightly. "Sir, you're eating ten baskets of dumplings all by yourself?"

Mo Chen glanced at the yamen entrance and raised a brow. "What? Can't one person eat them?"

The waiter hurriedly bent over with an ingratiating smile. "Oh, sir, listen to this mouth of mine. I was only worried you wouldn't be able to finish them..."

Mo Chen said nothing more and slapped a handful of copper coins onto the table. "Stop talking. Count the money and leave. Don't disturb my meal."

"Certainly." At the sight of the copper coins, the waiter's eyes immediately lit up. He counted the money and left.

Mo Chen glanced at the waiter's retreating back, said nothing further, and picked up a dumpling with his chopsticks before stuffing it into his mouth.

The wait was long.

Mo Chen ate while watching the people entering and leaving the yamen.

He waited the entire day.

By the time night had fully fallen—

Even the dumpling shop had closed.

Yet Mo Chen still had not seen the black-clad woman from the Martial Suppression Academy.

"Could she not be in the yamen?"

Mo Chen frowned slightly, feeling uncertain.

In his view, yamen personnel had accompanied the black-clad woman every time she appeared. She should have had close ties with the yamen.

Yet after waiting a whole day, he had not even caught a glimpse of her.

"She couldn't have left Yunyi County, could she..."

Mo Chen waited another two hours.

Finally.

The yamen gates closed as well.

Mo Chen was completely disappointed.

"Fine. I'll check the inns."

Meanwhile.

At the Lu Residence, in the servants' courtyard.

A black-clad woman stood in an inconspicuous corner.

With her arms folded and a saber hanging at her waist, she stared boredly toward the servants' courtyard, somewhat speechless.

"What is with this Mo Chen? He's made me wait three days?"

She had come by the previous night.

Yet after waiting all night, she had not seen the firewood shed servant named Mo Chen.

During the day, she had used the investigation into the dead thief as an excuse to question the others in the firewood shed.

They had all blankly told her that Mo Chen had already returned.

As for where he had gone afterward, they had no idea.

Su Jinse was utterly speechless.

She had come to the Lu Residence for three consecutive days looking for Mo Chen.

But after three days, she had not seen even a shadow of him.

"I'll wait one more two-hour watch. I refuse to believe I won't catch him!"

Two hours later.

Mo Chen sighed in disappointment as he emerged from the fifth inn.

Elsewhere.

Su Jinse left the Lu Residence in frustration.

"First watch of the Xu hour! The air is dry, beware of fire!"

On the streets of Yunyi County.

Every household had its doors and windows shut.

The night watchman beat his gong and shouted loudly.

Mo Chen looked up at the gong-beating watchman, then shifted his gaze to the red-lacquered gates of the Lu Residence not far away.

"Lu Jianshen probably isn't asleep at this hour..."

A cold glint flashed through his eyes.

Until Lu Jianshen was dealt with, there would always be a thorn buried in his heart.

Just then.

A dark figure suddenly leaped over the Lu Residence's rooftop and landed lightly in the shadow of the outer wall like a civet cat.

Mo Chen's gaze froze, and his brows twitched. "Someone broke into the Lu Residence to steal?"

The black-clad figure remained hidden in the shadows instead of leaving immediately.

Only after observing for a long while did they dart swiftly toward the shadow beneath another wall.

Mo Chen's eyes lit up. He took out his axe, eager to make a move.

"I was just worrying about having no silver to spend. And now someone's delivered it right to me."

Naturally, Mo Chen had no intention of letting thieves and bandits go.

Especially since this thief had come out of the Lu Residence.

Their purse had to be bulging right now!

What a great opportunity!

Without another word, Mo Chen grabbed his axe and followed.

Su Jinse darted and vaulted through the darkness, racing swiftly onward.

She had already gone three streets away from the Lu Residence.

Yet she suddenly stopped in an alley.

"Come out!"

Without turning around, Su Jinse shouted coldly.

Holding the Xuanhua Battle Axe, Mo Chen emerged with considerable surprise.

"I didn't expect you to be a woman."

Su Jinse did not turn around. "You've followed me all the way here. If you have something to say, say it. If you have something to fart, let it out!"

Mo Chen stepped forward two paces and shook his head. "No fart, but I do have something to say!"

"Hey! Hand over every last bit of valuables you stole from the Lu Residence, and I may be kind enough to spare your life!"

A deathly silence followed.

With her back to Mo Chen, Su Jinse said nothing. Only a trace of astonishment showed in her eyes.

She had actually been mistaken for a thief?

Was this man a guard from the Lu Residence, or some local gang looking to rob a robber?

"What? You don't want to hand it over?"

Mo Chen looked at the battle axe in his hand, his gaze turning fierce as he snorted coldly.

"Then don't blame me for being rude. We split it thirty-seventy! You get three, I get seven!"

The expression on Su Jinse's face grew even stranger.

The corner of her lips curled upward despite herself. She turned around with a cold laugh and stared directly at Mo Chen.

"You're quite an interesting fellow. But can you really rob me of my money?"

She drew the curved saber at her waist. Under the moonlight, it reflected a bright, chilling gleam.

However, the moment she finished speaking—

Mo Chen saw her face clearly, and his expression changed drastically. He blurted out in shock, "Holy crap, why is it you?"

After searching for her a thousand times in the crowd, he suddenly turned his head, only to find her standing where the lights were dim.

He had searched all day, never expecting to meet her this way.

Ponytail, black clothes, curved saber in hand.

Slim and valiant.

Wasn't this the Martial Suppression Academy envoy he had been looking for all day?

"Oh? You know me?"

Su Jinse raised a brow, somewhat suspicious.

Mo Chen hesitated for a moment. Sensing the aura armor she had condensed around her entire body—

He gritted his teeth and made up his mind.

I'm going all out!

With a raise of his hand, Mo Chen removed the Human Skin Mask from his face, revealing his original appearance.

Then he respectfully clasped his hands and bowed. "Mo Chen greets the Martial Suppression Academy envoy!"

Su Jinse froze, then suddenly widened her eyes. "What did you say?! You're Mo Chen?"

Well, wasn't this effortless?

She had waited for him for three whole days, only for him to try robbing her in this alley...

Su Jinse did not know whether she was lucky or unlucky, and she was rather speechless.

She sheathed her curved saber and said with a strange expression, "Fine. Since you've delivered yourself to me, come with me."

"Fine!" Mo Chen nodded without the slightest hesitation.

Su Jinse stepped forward two paces. Seeing Mo Chen's calm and composed expression, she felt somewhat puzzled. "You're not afraid of me?"

Mo Chen shook his head. "No! I haven't done anything bad, so there's nothing to fear."

Are you kidding? I'm dying to join you people right now. Why would I be afraid?

"Fine. Come with me, then!"

Su Jinse gave Mo Chen another look, then led him onward without delay.