Deacon Han's "Private Visit"

There was a moment of silence in the cave.

Lu Yuan tapped his knee lightly twice with his fingers. "The exact location?"

"The third fork in the road to the east, the abandoned mine tunnel leading up," Lin Xiao said quickly. "I caught a glimpse of a figure in the distance, but didn't get close. He left the Inspection Office's triangular emblem on the stone wall, with a piece of paper underneath."

"Didn't you explore further?"

"No." Lin Xiao shook his head. "After leaving my things, I turned and left, walking slowly, as if I was deliberately letting him see me."

Lu Yuan stood up and walked to the stone table. A simplified map of the mine tunnels was spread out on it. He moved his finger across the map. "Less than two hundred feet from here, there's a collapsed old tunnel and a warning line marked by Mo Chen."

Mo Chen looked up from the pile of parts, his greasy hair hanging down. "My wire wasn't triggered. He was either lucky or knowledgeable enough to spot the traces."

Where's the paper?

Lin Xiao handed over a folded piece of rough yellow paper. Lu Yuan unfolded it.

The paper was the cheapest kind from the town's general store. The handwriting on the charcoal stick was messy, yet carried the uprightness of a government official. "Tomorrow at noon, the usual place, one person, to discuss a new business deal." There was no signature.

Shen Moxin adjusted her glasses. "The usual place... is it the grove outside town?"

"It should be." Lu Yuan stared at the line of text. It wasn't surprising that Deacon Han could find the edge of the mining area; they would always leave traces when they moved the wounded. Bai Zhi might also have some channels that he hadn't noticed.

The key is attitude.

They didn't bring any troops, didn't forcefully search, and didn't even try to go deep. They only left marks and notes. The tone was also wrong - "talking about a new business", it didn't sound like a business matter, but more like a political infighting.

"He wants to talk privately." Lin Xiao crossed his arms, his pupils slightly contracting in the dim light. "Why?"

Lu Yuan didn't answer immediately. He walked to the cave entrance and pushed open the half-closed stone slab. Outside was the deep darkness of the mine tunnel.

Deacon Han is a shrewd and cunning man who is adept at navigating the gaps in the rules. In the last "ruins" incident, the Inspection Office seemed to have been tricked, but Deacon Han himself did not suffer any losses; on the contrary, he gained some information.

This visit may represent the Inspection Office's follow-up investigation into the "ruins".

It's also possible that he personally saw another "opportunity".

"He doesn't want to escalate things," Lu Yuan said, turning around. "At least not now. Leaving a mark tells us he knows we're roughly in this area. Leaving a message saying 'see you later' is a signal: we can talk."

"What are we talking about?" Mo Chen sneered. "Should we surrender? Or hand over our technology?"

Lu Yuan shook his head, pointing to the words "new business." "Business" means exchange, each getting what they need.

Shen Moxin's eyes showed worry. "This is too risky. His stance... we can't figure it out."

"I know." Lu Yuan paused for a moment, "But we have to go. He's being polite now because we still have value, because he has something to gain. If we hide and refuse to see him..." He paused, "Next time, he won't be alone."

Lin Xiao licked his canine teeth. "I'll go with you."

"No." Lu Yuan looked at him. "You stay in the shadows. Mo Chen, you come with me. Set up a few small warning traps at the meeting place. They don't need to be lethal; just enough to create chaos."

Mo Chen's eyes lit up. "I'm good at this."

"Miss Shen, you stay here and look after my father. Su Yan, Li Wangye, you two follow Miss Shen's instructions. No one is allowed to leave while I'm away."

The two boys nodded emphatically.

Lu Yuan folded the note and stuffed it into his pocket. "Lin Xiao, you set off now and lie in ambush near the grove. Just observe, and unless I give you a signal, do not show yourself."

Lin Xiao stared at him. "You're going alone?"

"The name is written on the paper," Lu Yuan said. "These are his conditions, and also a test. If I bring men, it would seem cowardly, and it would break the rules." He patted Lin Xiao on the shoulder. "You're in the shadows; you're my trump card."

Lin Xiao nodded, turned around, slid out of the cave entrance, and disappeared into the darkness.

Mo Chen began packing up his tools, muttering to himself as he pondered the mechanism. Shen Moxin sighed softly and walked back to the stone bed where Lu Qinghe was lying.

Lu Yuan walked to the cave entrance and looked out into the bottomless darkness.

My fingers unconsciously traced lines on the stone wall.

Tomorrow at noon.

It's yet another game of trying to outmaneuver a tiger.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, Lu Yuan and Mo Chen left the mine tunnel.

Mo Chen carried a bulging old leather bag on his back, which jingled inside. The two of them deliberately chose to walk along desolate mountain ridges and dry streambeds. Mo Chen kept talking the whole way, from the tension of mechanical reeds to the nodes of Soul Power disturbance.

Lu Yuan mostly listened in silence, occasionally asking key questions.

My side still aches, and my Soul Power has recovered to less than 30%. But my mind is clear, as if I've been immersed in ice water.

About an hour later, they arrived at the grove of trees outside the town.

The place was secluded, with dense trees and a thick layer of fallen leaves on the ground. This was where I last met Deacon Han.

As soon as Mo Chen arrived, he got to work. He quickly buried inconspicuous little gadgets around the edge of the woods, behind the big trees, and around the spot where Lu Yuan was about to stand. These were simple triggering devices with metal wires and embedded inferior Soul Power crystals.

"They're all for warning and interference." Mo Chen wiped his sweat and lowered his voice. "The largest one is buried three steps behind you under the fallen leaves. Stepping on it won't explode, but it will release a cloud of smoke mixed with iron filings, which can obstruct your vision and interfere with your Soul Power perception for three to five breaths."

Three to five breaths were enough for Lin Xiao to launch a sudden attack, and enough for Lu Yuan to retreat.

"That's enough." Lu Yuan nodded.

Mo Chen checked the area once, then crouched down and slipped into his hiding place behind a boulder thirty feet away.

Lu Yuan stood alone in a clearing in the woods.

Backed by a large, old elm tree, with bushes to the side, and an open view in front. Sunlight filters through the gaps in the branches and leaves, casting dappled patterns. The wind rustles the leaves.

He closed his eyes and regulated his breathing.

Soul Power flowed slowly through his meridians, weak but stable. The knowledge base in his mind silently unfolded, and information about Deacon Han and the Inspection Office emerged and collided, combining to form various deduction paths.

Time passed little by little.

The sun was rising higher, approaching noon.

Footsteps could be heard from outside the woods.

Unhurriedly, stepping on fallen leaves, they approached step by step.

Lu Yuan opened his eyes.

Deacon Han walked in from the edge of the woods. Sure enough, he was alone, dressed in an ordinary gray cloth robe, not in uniform. His face lacked the smooth, official smile, and instead showed undisguised fatigue, with heavy bags under his eyes.

But those eyes lit up the moment they saw Lu Yuan.

A scrutiny, a calculation, and a hint of excitement.

He stopped five steps away from Lu Yuan and cupped his hands in greeting. "Young friend Lu, I've kept you waiting."

"Deacon Han," Lu Yuan returned the greeting, his tone indifferent.

Deacon Han smiled, but his smile was a little dry. "Let's not beat around the bush. I don't have much time, so let's get straight to the point."

He paused, glanced around, and lowered his voice.

"You guys did a great job with the 'ruins' incident last time," he said, his tone devoid of praise or criticism. "You outsmarted the Cloud Mist Sect and even our Inspection Office. Of course, the Shadow Guards showing up at the end was an accident."

Lu Yuan didn't reply, but just looked at him quietly.

"I don't care how you did it," Deacon Han, staring into Lu Yuan's eyes, his words quickening. "nor do I care who you rescued. That's all in the past."

He leaned forward slightly.

"What I'm concerned about is the... ability you've demonstrated."

He emphasized that word.

"The ability to create realistic clues to ancient artifacts and ruins. That unique understanding of Soul Power theory. And," his eyes flickered, "That boy in your team named Su Yan, he can somehow temporarily interfere with the Soul Power circulation of Soul Ancestor level cultivator."

Lu Yuan felt a slight chill run down his spine.

Su Yan's use of Soul Power threads to interfere with the Wind Blade was indeed noticed. They even found out his name.

"What does Deacon Han want to say?" Lu Yuan asked, his voice still steady.

Deacon Han a deep breath, as if he had made a decision.

"The Inspection Office Department isn't entirely monolithic." He lowered his voice even further, almost whispering, "Some people, like a certain lord behind me, are very interested in 'new things.' Especially... 'new things' that can enhance the strength of the Empire's lower-level Soul Master without being completely constrained by those major sects."

He stared at Lu Yuan, speaking each word carefully.

"Are you interested in trying a different way of cooperating?"

"It's not intelligence exchange. It's more like..." he carefully chose his words, "... technology. Or, training."

A sudden gust of wind swept through the woods, rustling the leaves.

Lu Yuan stood there, his face expressionless.

But in my heart, a certain suspicion that had been hanging in the air suddenly came true at this moment.