No matter where he hid, Jason Lan had to get past this ordeal. Otherwise, if he fell silently into the hands of Ninth Royal Uncle and Serena Feng, there would be no escape—only death awaited him. Even if his aunt arrived, it would be useless; distant water couldn’t put out a nearby fire.
Jason dared not linger. With a light leap through the window, he slipped out and hugged the wall, heading straight for the servants’ quarters. As he went, he found nowhere that could hide a person.
“Nolan Dongling, you bastard! You already guessed my identity and still keep chasing me—truly a wolf with wild ambitions.” The harder it was to find a hiding spot, the more anxious Jason became.
He passed the stables, the latrine, the pond...
Jason paused for a moment by the pond. Staring at the clear water, he considered it, but decided against hiding underwater.
He could swim well enough, but he had no idea how long Nolan and Serena would search. If they stayed for half an hour or more, would he still be alive?
He kept moving toward the servants’ quarters, still searching for any place he could hide himself.
Nolan and Serena, sensing Linden’s abnormal tension, sped up and soon arrived at the room Jason had used before. There they saw Greenshine, clutching a heap of torn cloth and looking slightly flustered. Serena gave a half-smile: “Miss Greenshine, you’re quick with your hands.”
“Miss Serena.” Greenshine lowered her head, saying nothing extra. Serena stepped forward and casually lifted the clothes in Greenshine’s arms, revealing men’s garments—torn and bloodstained—as well as women’s clothes, slashed as if by a whip, and even... the lingering scent of sex.
Serena glanced at Nolan, who wrinkled his nose in disgust and motioned for her to check inside first.
Serena nodded lightly, pointing inside: “Who lives here? Is someone hurt? Do you need a doctor?”
“No, no, no need,” Greenshine stammered, her eyes darting away.
Too fake.
Serena tilted her head and smiled at Nolan. With his strong martial skills, Nolan could hear the breathing inside the room and nodded to Serena: “Let’s go.”
“What’s this?” Greenshine froze, the shredded clothes spilling all over the floor.
She and Ruby Redsleeve had put in so much effort, yet still failed to stall Ninth Royal Uncle and Serena. How could this happen?
In such a short time, who knew if Mr. Jingyang had managed to escape? It was truly worrying. Greenshine stomped her foot, then stormed inside: “Ruby, all your suffering was for nothing!”
Nolan and Serena hadn’t gone far. Hearing Greenshine’s words, they exchanged a glance. Serena asked, “What is Linden really up to?”
Nolan shook his head. “Linden has too many tricks up his sleeve. Today’s search is meant as a warning. Reaching his hand into Shandong—who knows if he’s clever or just foolish.”
Serena nodded and began a careful search, checking all the way to the servants’ rooms and the kitchen.
Both places were dirty and messy, perfect for hiding someone. But Nolan always hated such areas and only glanced from a distance, while Serena, more suspicious, went in for a thorough check.
Nothing unusual in the servants’ quarters, but the kitchen made Serena uneasy. She eyed the black smudges on the stove and ran her fingers over them: “What’s this?”
It wasn’t even mealtime—why was there black soot on the stove?
Several kitchen hands were washing vegetables. Hearing her, one hurried over: “Miss, it’s ash from the chimney, fell down while we cleaned it this morning.”
“If you cleaned the chimney, how did the soot end up on the stove?” Serena walked behind the stove, reaching into the firebox, but found nothing unusual.
“Uh... I don’t know, miss.” The man scratched his head, grinning foolishly. Serena checked the area thoroughly, then paused behind the stove for several seconds before leaving.
This spot? Serena examined the chimney from top to bottom, then glanced at Nolan. He shook his head; Serena nodded and said no more...
Serena didn’t know it, but in those few seconds, Jason—hidden in the chimney—was so frightened he nearly stopped breathing. Only after Serena left did Jason finally dare to move.
He’d escaped disaster at last!
Jason dropped down from the chimney, covered in black soot from head to toe, not a single clean spot left—his eyes looked even more fiercely red.
Clenching his fists, Jason swore to himself: He wouldn’t stay at a disadvantage forever. Soon, Nolan and Serena would be too busy to chase him...
Nolan and Serena left the villa without finding Jason and weren’t disappointed. If Jason wasn’t hiding there, so be it; if he was, he might just lash out like a cornered animal...
“Outside the villa, I’ve posted men to watch. If anything happens, you’ll be informed.” Nolan gave this order, then had the coachman take Serena back to Feng Manor, while he returned alone to Ninth Prince Manor.
Ninth Prince Manor was always solemn; even though Nolan rarely stayed there, everything ran in strict order, all by the book.
"Attend me..." Nolan entered his study and summoned the head of his shadow guards.
“Go to Jiangnan and tell Storm Cloud Bu: I want to see him at the Skyvault Fortress Martial Arts Conference.” Nolan hadn’t settled his last score with Storm Cloud Bu—if anything went wrong again, Storm Cloud Bu would be finished.
The shadow guard leader shivered, bowed his head, and replied, “As you command.”
“Keep a close eye on Linden, especially that maid Greenshine by his side.” Nolan hadn’t dealt with her much, but he sensed she was no ordinary woman.
“Yes.”
“Look into the fate of the Sixth Elder of the Fengli Clan.” Nolan issued another order. Meanwhile, after returning to Feng Manor and finishing a follow-up for Feng Jin, Serena summoned Chunhui to the study: “Send word to Xia Wan—have her slow down. The business in Night City will take at least half a year to resolve.”
“Understood.”
“Go check…” Serena broke off mid-sentence. “Never mind. Go pack your things—I’ll be leaving on a trip in a few days. Also, prepare Master Sixing’s room; he’ll be returning soon.”
Though Chunhui was curious about what Serena hadn’t said, she didn’t dare ask and left, feeling disappointed.
Once Chunhui left, Serena wrote a letter to Tong Jue and Tong Yao. It contained the order she’d left unsaid: Investigate whether the Fengli Sixth Elder was truly dead, look into everyone Fengli Zhi had met and everything he’d done recently, and secretly monitor Fengli Zhi to prevent him from contacting outsiders.
Serena had just finished handling these trivial matters when she set out to find Ling Mo, hoping to learn something about Skyvault Fortress. But she hadn’t even left the courtyard when the butler rushed over.
“Miss, the magistrate of Shuntian Prefecture requests to see you.” The butler looked grave, a hint of worry in his eyes. Serena reassured him, then hurried to the main hall.
Why would the Shuntian Prefecture magistrate seek her out now? Had they found Jason Lan’s whereabouts?
The thought made Serena even more anxious. She lifted her skirts and hurried over. The moment she crossed the threshold, the magistrate rushed up, shouting, “Miss Feng, help!”