It wasn't Chu Xuanzhen.
He immediately went on alert. The other man's body stiffened, and even from a distance, he could see the man's Adam's apple bob, as though he had swallowed.
"Um... this lowly servant is a servant of the household. Lord Chu sent me to attend to you."
"My name is Xia Zao."
The servant cautiously approached and knelt, touching his forehead to the ground as he respectfully gave his name.
"Is that so? Then why were you throwing stones into the pool?"
"S-sorry... I thought, I thought you..."
The servant's face flushed crimson as he struggled to speak. Ever since learning that the person he was to serve might not be human, he had been terrified. He had heard that monsters survived by feeding on human blood and vital essence, so he wondered whether the Mansion Lord had sent him here as food for the monster.
He had come prepared to die. After keeping watch all morning, his terror had turned to anxiety. The desire to live and the urge to flee wrestled within him. Several times, he had wanted to sneak away, but remembering his monthly wages and the family, young and old, who depended on him, he had lost his nerve again.
Where could he go if he left this place?
Besides, he had heard that if he served this "lord" well, his monthly wages would increase several times over. He thought that if he was eaten, the Mansion Lord would at least give his family some compensation. The silver a rich man offered might seem insignificant to the rich, but to Xia Zao, it would be enough to feed his entire family for several years.
If he fled out of fear and was caught, he would get nothing and suffer a harsh punishment instead.