Wen Chaoshen directed the trouble towards the White Dragon Guards, convincing the man in red before him that he truly knew them.

  Among the renowned forces in the Martial World, the White Dragon Guards are the most mysterious, an existence ordinary people can never come into contact with.

  Their service is exclusively for the royal family of the Qi Kingdom. Forces like Tianji Tower, Nine Songs, and Wangchuan only have ties with the royal families of the Four Kingdoms because they are rge enough and have sufficient value. However, these ties are never too deep.

  The White Dragon Guards, on the other hand, were created out of necessity for the Qi Kingdom's royal family. Those who associate with them are usually people of high status. Ordinary folks like Wen Chaoshen, who have never practiced martial arts and dress pinly, would never encounter such an existence without some stroke of fate.

  This is why, after Wen Chaoshen described the White Dragon Guards in detail, Lu Chuan chose to believe him.

  He pondered over the letter Wen Chaoshen handed him for a while, and then Qian Lv appeared. The tter had put down his long sword and was dressed in simple bck cloth. He walked straight to Lu Chuan and handed him a piece of paper.

  Lu Chuan gnced at the contents of the paper.

  "Wen Chaoshen... Hmm, you only recently became a citizen of Qi. Which country were you from before? Why leave your home to come to Qi, and to such a poor pce as Kuhai County?"

  Wen Chaoshen took a sip of tea, his gaze sweeping over the qin stage, seeing it still empty, and pondered how to continue stalling for time.

  "This is a long story. Do you have time to hear it?"

  Lu Chuan tapped his chopsticks on the pte and smiled:

  "Speak."

  "I have time until the meal is finished."

  "If I enjoy it, maybe I'll let you keep your life."

  Wen Chaoshen didn't believe such absurd words about 'letting you keep your life,' but he still showed a subtle expression of delight and began to weave a story.

  He was very good at storytelling.

  Because compared to Lu Chuan, Wen Chaoshen had seen and learned much more.

  Wen Chaoshen fabricated a nonexistent small country called 'Ming' and spent half an hour convincing Lu Chuan of its existence.

  Initially, the other party wasn't that interested in his story, but when he learned that the founding emperor of 'Ming' was a beggar, his interest was piqued.

  Once someone is intrigued, they become patient.

  "...The reason I came to Kuhai County is that I had no choice. 'Ming' is on the other side of the wastend, over ten thousand miles away. Our group, due to a royal rebellion, fled early with over a hundred people, and I was the only one who survived. Former Magistrate Liu Jinshi wouldn't let me enter the county because I couldn't produce ten taels of silver, keeping me outside for three years. Fortunately, I had extensive survival experience in the wastend, or I wouldn't have survived these three years."

  Lu Chuan looked at the bck-clothed Qian Lv beside him, who said indifferently:

  "That's not in the records, but when I investigated earlier, the clerk responsible for Kuhai County's information mentioned that Wen Chaoshen was indeed kept outside the county for three years. It was only after Chun Qiong took office that he was granted citizenship of Qi."

  Lu Chuan clicked his tongue:

  "Chun Qiong is so kind-hearted, letting a refugee in during such sensitive times, not afraid of causing trouble?"

  "I thought he was cautious, but it seems I have to clean up his mess."

  Hearing the words 'clean up his mess,' Wen Chaoshen felt a tightness in his chest.

  He looked at Lu Chuan, wanting to ask if he was destined to die today, when his gaze suddenly caught the qin stage. He suddenly shouted:

  "Hey, the qin pyer is here!"

  Everyone was distracted by his voice and instinctively looked towards the qin stage. Si Xiaohong, who had just returned, looked at Wen Chaoshen in surprise. As their eyes met, Wen Chaoshen's fingers traced a vertical wave in the air.

  Si Xiaohong's eyes flickered, her surprised expression gradually returning to normal. She suddenly stood up, clutching her stomach, her brows furrowed, and bowed to the people present, saying crisply:

  "Dear sirs, I apologize for tonight. Xiaohong is feeling unwell, probably due to something I ate. If I've disturbed your enjoyment, I hope you'll forgive me!"

  With that, Si Xiaohong ignored the guests' attempts to retain her or their compints and hurriedly left through the back door.

  "Strange..."

  Wen Chaoshen picked up a peanut with his chopsticks, tossed it into his mouth, and asked Lu Chuan:

  "Lord Lu, you often come to Mandarin Duck Tower, right? I heard the qin pyer here is the only one in the county city who understands music. Now that I've seen her, she doesn't seem well?"

  "But it doesn't make sense. A few days ago, during Liu Jinshi's fiftieth birthday, she helped Mandarin Duck Tower please that gentleman. Such a rare money tree, the madam of Mandarin Duck Tower must care more about her health than she does."

  "However, I think she's blind. Lord Lu, a person of such high status, is sitting here, and she gnced this way before leaving. I wonder if she's truly unwell or... secretly took a private job."

  "Lord Lu, do you want to investigate?"

  His words made Lu Chuan frown.

  Si Xiaohong's behavior was indeed unusual, leaving immediately after returning. It didn't seem right. He was about to send Qian Lv to follow her, but Wen Chaoshen's words hit his sore spot, putting him in a difficult position.

  If he did so, it would seem like he was competing for a lowly brothel girl in a remote area.

  His status and pride stopped him.

  Silently, he picked up a piece of nearly cold meat from the table and put it in his mouth. As he chewed, he said bndly:

  "You really haven't seen the world."

  "Have you heard the story of the frog at the bottom of the well? You look up, and the sky is just a small piece, thinking that's your world."

  "In the Royal City, countless beauties would pay silver just to see me, like climbing to the heavens... Besides, I don't like them too young, no fvor."

  Wen Chaoshen's eyes moved, recalling some sage advice from an internet master in his past life, and continued the conversation with Lu Chuan:

  "That's true, women... are like wine. If not aged enough, the fvor isn't there, tasting bnd, like drinking water."

  "But if aged too long, the fvor becomes too strong, and most can't handle it."

  Hearing this, Lu Chuan's eyes fshed, and he paused his hand reaching into his sleeve. He looked at Wen Chaoshen twice, clicking his tongue in wonder:

  "You, a young d, without talent or power, no woman would fancy you, yet you speak as if you have experience. Where did you get it?"

  Wen Chaoshen lowered his head, smiling mysteriously:

  "Wrong."

  "Lord Lu, I indeed ck talent and power, but not long ago, I found an injured woman outside the county. To repay me for saving her life, she gave me a night of pleasure..."

  kant202323