Warning Let the Assassins Enter the City

After the Eastmont Governor-General left the study with a furious expression, Serena Feng stepped out from behind the bookshelf. Thinking back on everything she had witnessed in the past half hour, Serena let out a sigh.

Soon after, the study door opened again and Ninth Royal Uncle entered. "What did you see just now? Why do you look like that?"

"I saw that he wants to kill you." Serena's face was worried. "Has the Eastmont bureaucracy really rotted to this degree?"

It's just a local clan, yet not only can they make the Governor-General act for them, they can even drive a top provincial official to murderous intent against a royal prince. It's honestly... laughable! Pathetic!

"There's a saying in Eastmont: 'An iron Lu Clan, revolving-door Governor-Generals.' The Lu Clan has been one of Shandong's great families since the Former Dynasty. Governors come and go, but the Lu Clan never falls. If you want to keep your seat as Governor-General in Eastmont, you need the Lu Clan's support. Any official who goes against them ends up the same way." That is—to die.

"Is the Lu Clan really just an ordinary noble house?" Serena was skeptical. Even capital powerhouses like the Xie and Wang families don't have such reach or ambition.

"That doesn't matter. What matters is that here in Eastmont, the Lu Clan acts like local emperors. Faced with our pressure, not only did they refuse to back down, they even warned us outright: if you move against the Lu Clan, you make enemies of the entire provincial bureaucracy!" By the end, Ninth Royal Uncle was laughing at himself.

Originally, he hadn't planned to wipe out the Lu Clan completely. But now...

For a mere Lu Clan to dare ignore him—they truly don't know their place. No matter who stands behind them, once they've provoked him, they'll just have to accept their fate.

The Lu Clan is certainly bold and arrogant. Anyone else would never dare send the Governor-General to their door. Serena thought for a moment, then asked, "Will the Lu Clan try to ruin my birthday banquet?"

"No, the Lu Clan has made it clear—they're not afraid to be our enemies."

Nolan was right—the Lu Clan isn't afraid to go up against him. Their earlier flattery was just for show, sending a servant and spending a bit of silver.

If Nolan had accepted, everyone would get along and the Lu Clan would help him out in Eastmont as much as they could. After all, Nolan wouldn't be staying long, so there was no need for the Lu Clan to make enemies.

But if Nolan refused, well, that's too bad—the Lu Clan isn't a pushover. If Nolan wants to take them on, he'd better be strong enough.

After the Governor-General left Blossom Garden, he went straight to the Lu Clan's ancestral home, where Third Young Master Lewis received him.

Third Young Master Lewis, the designated heir, carried himself like a gentleman. He greeted the Governor-General with a respectful gesture, which the Governor-General quickly waved off.

"So, how did it go?" Third Young Master Lewis asked bluntly, skipping the formalities.

"I'm sorry I let you down, Third Young Master," the Governor-General said, face flushed with embarrassment. Clearly, he was frustrated by how Nolan had refused to give him face.

Third Young Master Lewis remained calm, showing no sign of displeasure. He smiled, "No matter. You did your best." If Nolan had caved just because the Governor-General stepped in, the Lu Clan would have had to rethink his resolve.

Whether or not the Lu Clan attended the birthday banquet didn't matter. What they cared about was Nolan's attitude. Since he refused their goodwill, there was no need for the Lu Clan to humble themselves.

The Governor-General relaxed, seeing that Third Young Master Lewis truly didn't care. But then Lewis suddenly changed the subject: "Sir, I've heard the woman hosting the birthday banquet is named Serena Feng?"

"You just got back, so you might not know—yes, her name is Serena Feng. Ninth Royal Uncle values her highly," the Governor-General replied, his tone hinting at something more.

Lewis nodded with a smile, then pointed toward the city gate, his expression unreadable. "I've heard a lot of strangers have been gathering out there lately. Is that true?"

"To be honest, things outside the city aren't peaceful. I've had headaches over it for a while. With Ninth Royal Uncle here in Eastmont, his safety is my responsibility. If anything happened to him, I couldn't explain it to the capital," the Governor-General said, looking more and more frustrated.

He'd worked hard to add extra guards for Nolan, yet Nolan treated him like he didn't matter. It was infuriating.

"You're just too diligent, sir. As Eastmont Governor-General, it's your job to keep Nolan safe, but..." Lewis deliberately paused. The Governor-General, knowing how well-informed the Lu Clan was, quickly asked, "But what?"

Lewis smiled faintly, not answering the question. Instead, he asked mysteriously, "Do you know who those people outside are?"

"Who are they?" The Governor-General had an inkling of Lewis's intentions. Though he wanted to back out, he knew that once the Lu Clan spoke, there was no turning back.

Lewis didn't beat around the bush. "They're assassins," he said plainly.

"Assassins? How could that be?" Normally, assassins wouldn't take jobs targeting officials, princes, or royal kin. Even if they did, they'd work alone and in secret, never show up in groups like this.

I know what you're thinking, sir, but don't worry—those people aren't here to kill Ninth Royal Uncle. They're after a woman named Serena Feng," Lewis said lazily, exuding confidence.

Serena Feng—the same woman by Ninth Royal Uncle's side, the one hosting the birthday banquet?" the Governor-General exclaimed, eyes wide as he met Lewis's gaze. Seeing the murderous intent in Lewis's eyes, he quickly looked away.

Lewis sneered and replied coolly, "That's right. Those assassins are here for Serena Feng."

How could that be? She's just a woman—how could she attract so many assassins?' The Governor-General, no fool, quickly began to consider the logic behind the situation.

Why not? Serena Feng tops the Assassin Alliance's bounty list—her head is worth hundreds of thousands in gold. Assassins are lining up for her. If it weren't for Ninth Royal Uncle's protection and Assassin Zuowan watching her, she'd already be dead.' Lewis revealed everything, since he needed the Governor-General's help for what came next.

They'd worked together many times, so Lewis didn't need to spell it out—the Governor-General understood immediately. "You're thinking..." Borrow a knife to kill?

Exactly,' Lewis nodded. 'Don't worry, sir. The Lu Clan doesn't need you to do much—just let those people in quietly. Whether the job gets done or not, the Lu Clan will pay you ten thousand gold.'

If Serena Feng is killed, the Lu Clan will get hundreds of thousands, and give the Governor-General ten thousand. Lewis didn't think it was a bad deal.

That's right—the assassins outside the city were just a cover. The Lu Clan was the real force behind the plot against Serena Feng, motivated by gold and a desire to intimidate Ninth Royal Uncle.

Since even the Governor-General couldn't make Nolan compromise, the Lu Clan would show him whose turf Eastmont really was. In Eastmont, if the Lu Clan wanted, they could even kill the Emperor.