Night fell.

Zhou Changhe had finally managed to coax Zhou Minghu to sleep. Already somewhat exhausted, he stared blankly at the ceiling.

"What am I going to do?"

Cut off from Baixi Village for over a month with no news from home, he spent his days in restless anxiety, not daring to step outside the house.

He felt that everyone harbored ill intentions toward them, that anyone could be men sent by the Sun and Wang families to wipe them out, root and branch.

"Young Master, would you like me to get you something to eat?" Just then, a voice called out from the side.

A teenage servant emerged from the shadows, lowering his head respectfully.

Startled by the sudden voice, Zhou Changhe forced himself to stay calm. "No need. The night is deep. Go down and rest as well."

"Yes, Young Master." The man's eyes flashed darkly before he slowly withdrew.

Only after the man had completely retreated did Zhou Changhe finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Although this man was a long-serving family servant named Zhou Yuan, Zhou Changhe had always felt his intentions were somewhat crooked. Especially after Zhou Yuan accompanied him to the county town last year, witnessed its prosperity, and rubbed shoulders with all sorts of dubious characters, Zhou Changhe grew increasingly uneasy.

If not for the fact that Zhou Ping had saved Lin Zhaohao, earning a great life-saving debt from the Lin family and allowing them to rent a house right next to the Lin residence, Zhou Changhe would have truly feared what Zhou Yuan might do.

But gazing at the pitch-black darkness outside the door, he timidly stepped forward to close it. He hung a bell behind the door, tightly clutched Zhou Minghu, and slowly drifted into sleep.

Soon, the entire Qingshui County town fell into dead silence, without a single sound.

In Zhou Yuan's room, however, three people sat in a circle, eating meat and drinking wine. One was Zhou Yuan. The other two were a skinny, rat-faced man named Ma Liu, and a fierce, burly man named Chen Wu.

Both were local street ruffians in the county town who idled away their days. Bullying the weak and fearing the strong, they made a living through dirty hands and petty theft around the neighborhood.

"Yuanzi, do those two little whelps really have that much money?" Ma Liu asked, his face gleaming with grease as he grinned viciously.

Zhou Yuan wiped the grease from the corner of his mouth. "I've seen it with my own eyes. Dozens of taels of silver, at least. Look at this-whenever I ask that guy for money, he hands over a tael of silver at a time. Very generous."

Ever since coming to the county town with Zhou Changhe, Zhou Yuan had been responsible for his daily needs and security. Handling the buying and selling meant he inevitably rubbed shoulders with outsiders.

Ruffians like Ma Liu and Chen Wu naturally targeted this unfamiliar and generous fat sheep. They set traps to lure Zhou Yuan into gambling and debauchery, making him increasingly reckless, though he still maintained a bottom line.

But with the Zhou family out of contact for so long, and Ma Liu and Chen Wu whispering neighborhood rumors and constantly egging him on, Zhou Yuan's resolve wavered. Finally, he harbored thoughts of turning on his masters.

"Heh, once we finish this job, we run. As long as we get out of Qingshui County, it'll be time for us three brothers to live free and easy," Chen Wu laughed, his face savage and terrifying.

"Then we have to be fast. This is the county town," Zhou Yuan warned uneasily. If they were discovered, Chen Wu and Ma Liu would only be charged with theft and murder, facing a few decades in prison or exile. But as a servant whose indenture contract was held by the Zhou family, he would face certain death.

"I know, I know. We three brothers are so close, don't you trust us?" Ma Liu sneered, a cunning glint flashing in his eyes.

In the distance, Chen Wu appeared to be drinking, but he was watching Zhou Yuan from the corner of his eye.

They had no intention of fleeing to some distant land. Wasn't the perfect scapegoat sitting right in front of them? A servant rebelling against his masters-such a heaven-defying crime would be enough to have Zhou Yuan executed dozens of times over.

When the three had eaten their fill, they wiped their hands casually, grabbed wooden clubs and short knives, and crept toward Zhou Changhe's room.

Sound asleep, Zhou Minghu suddenly jolted awake. He stared fearfully at the door, then hurriedly shook Zhou Changhe awake.

Zhou Changhe, groggy and about to speak, suddenly felt Zhou Minghu cover his mouth.

"Brother, there's someone outside," Zhou Minghu's childish voice was so soft and light that if he hadn't been pressed right against Zhou Changhe's ear, he wouldn't have heard it.

Zhou Changhe was instantly shocked awake. He knew Zhou Minghu was an Immortal Master. Even though he was still weak, he might have some special methods.

His mind raced. He tiptoed over and pushed the window open. Although the weather at the turn of spring and summer was mild, the deep night still held a biting chill. The cold wind blew through his thin clothes, making him shiver involuntarily.

But there was no time to care about that. He hastily scrambled the blankets, didn't even bother putting on outer clothes, and grabbed Zhou Minghu to dive under the bed. He snatched a small object and hurled it at the window, causing a massive crash.

Under the bed, he held Zhou Minghu tightly. Like a trapped, terrified beast, he trembled, not daring to make a single sound.

Hearing the loud crash from inside the room, the expressions of Zhou Yuan and the other two changed drastically.

Chen Wu kicked the door open violently, sending the bell ringing frantically throughout the room.

Ma Liu stepped up, yanked the bell down, and threw it to the floor, cursing, "The little whelp was guarding against you, Yuanzi."

A continuous stream of cold wind blew in through the window, sobering the three men up a bit. Under the bed, Zhou Changhe and Zhou Minghu shivered from the freezing air, Minghu's small hands clutching Changhe's arm tightly.

Sensing the three men enter the room, Zhou Changhe didn't dare breathe, holding Zhou Minghu tight and refusing to look outside.

Zhou Yuan stepped forward and felt the bedding, then saw the clothes sitting by the edge of the bed. "There's still warmth in the blankets. The two whelps couldn't have run far."

"Then what are you waiting for? Chase them!" Ma Liu cursed. He strode to the window and looked out in all directions. "The courtyard walls around here are high. Those two whelps definitely couldn't climb them. As long as we search the alleys thoroughly, we'll catch them."

Zhou Yuan casually pulled open Zhou Changhe's bookcase, but didn't see the money pouch that was usually kept there. He was instantly disappointed.

The men casually searched the room, rummaging through boxes and cabinets. Ma Liu lowered his head and glanced under the bed.

But it was the dead of night, pitch-black with no lights. Combined with Zhou Changhe and Zhou Minghu shrinking back into the deepest corner, all Ma Liu saw was a void of darkness. Unwilling to give up, he reached his hand in and swept it around, but caught nothing.

"Let's go. Search the surrounding streets properly," Ma Liu growled, and the three men immediately left the room.

Zhou Changhe shuddered all over. That hand had been only a foot away from him. He had even felt the force of the wind from the arm swinging past.

The two children remained curled up. Even though they felt the movement outside cease, they still did not dare to emerge.

Who knew how long passed-perhaps an instant, perhaps a quarter of an hour.

Zhou Minghu nudged Zhou Changhe. "Brother, I can't feel them anymore."

Only then did Zhou Changhe tiptoe out, hugging Zhou Minghu fiercely in the aftermath of surviving a disaster.

He hastily threw on his clothes, grabbed a money pouch from a small hidden compartment, and pulled Zhou Minghu toward the door to run.

But the moment he stepped over the threshold, he froze.

It was a dark, windy night. The entire Qingshui County town was dead silent, the streets empty. Any slight movement would travel far. If they were spotted, could two children outrun Zhou Yuan and his gang?

Furthermore, in the middle of the night, where could they go?

Even if Registrar Lin's manor was right next door, knocking at this ungodly hour wouldn't wake anyone. It would only draw Zhou Yuan's trio down on them.

Zhou Changhe looked back into the house, then resolutely pulled Zhou Minghu straight into Zhou Yuan's room.

Looking at the scattered, messy remains of savory meat and wine, Zhou Changhe felt boundless rage. He treated Zhou Yuan extremely well on ordinary days, yet it still wasn't enough to fill that wolfish ambition. Now he had conspired with outsiders to kill his masters for wealth!

Zhou Minghu looked at the fragrant scraps of meat and couldn't help but swallow his saliva, but he said nothing.

Zhou Changhe carefully led Zhou Minghu to hide under Zhou Yuan's bed, terrified of messing anything up and drawing suspicion.

Half an hour later, Zhou Yuan and the other two returned to the house, cursing loudly.

"Motherfucker, where could those two whelps run off to?"

Unwilling to give up, Zhou Yuan went back into Zhou Changhe's room, only to see that the clothes on the bed had vanished. He instantly realized the three of them had been played.

"Damn it, they never left the room earlier!"

Hearing this, Ma Liu and Chen Wu walked in and immediately began cursing a blue streak.

This time, the three of them turned every corner of the room upside down, and actually found the silver Zhou Changhe had hidden in other spots.

"Just this little bit of money, and they have the nerve to call themselves masters of the house. What a joke," Ma Liu cursed, clutching a few taels of silver before stuffing it into his own robes.

After searching the entire room, the three of them had only found a dozen taels.

"Those two little whelps are pretty smart, making fools out of us brothers," Ma Liu laughed in absolute fury.

Zhou Yuan asked, "What do we do now?"

"What else can we do? Keep looking. If we can't find them, we'll leave the city overnight and go join the West Wind Stronghold," Ma Liu scolded. "Damn it, no money at all, and I was hoping to score some cash to live large. What the hell can a dozen taels do?"

Zhou Yuan's expression shifted, but he said nothing.

He couldn't help but feel a surge of regret. Why had his mind been so clouded that he was now forced to flee into the grass and become a bandit?

"What, you still want to stay and be a servant?" Ma Liu, seeing Zhou Yuan's reluctance, sneered. "Those two whelps have ties with Registrar Lin, you know this better than we do. They might not know Chen Wu and me, but do you think they don't know you?"

Zhou Yuan sighed, knowing that things had reached the point of no return. Having boarded a pirate ship, he could only sail into the dark.

The three of them went out for another search, but still couldn't find a trace of Zhou Changhe and his brother. Returning to Zhou Yuan's room, they devoured the remaining meat and wine until they were thoroughly satisfied.

As the sky began to brighten slightly, the three walked toward the city gates, intent on leaving the city at the earliest possible moment.

What they didn't know was that while they were gleefully drinking and eating meat, two pairs of cold eyes had been watching them from under the pitch-black bed, memorizing their faces perfectly!

At the city gate.

Zhou Ping stood in a corner, quietly waiting for the city gates to open. Around him were many commoners waiting in silence. They were all farmers from villages near the county town, waking up early to enter the city and secure a good spot to sell their vegetables.

He had rushed toward the county town yesterday, but the two places were dozens of li apart. By the time he arrived, the sky was dark and the gates were closed, forcing him to wait for the morning guards to open them.

As for why he came to the county town, he was naturally worried about Zhou Changhe and Zhou Minghu. Even with a servant by their side, they were still just two children. He could never be completely at ease.

As the morning sun gradually rose, the city gates slowly opened. Zhou Ping followed the massive crowd inside, while Ma Liu's trio mingled within the same crowd, causing Zhou Ping to miss them entirely.

The moment Zhou Ping entered the city, he headed toward the Lin family estate by memory.

Meanwhile, Ma Liu and his two companions walked further and further away. Soon, the area became sparse with people, and the surrounding trees grew dense.

"Brother Ma, what is this West Wind Stronghold like?" Zhou Yuan asked.

Ma Liu laughed, "The West Wind Stronghold? It's a massive mountain stronghold with hundreds of brothers, located just northwest of Qingshui County. Several nearby villages have to pay tribute to it. Very imposing."

His hand, however, was hidden behind his back, making a hand signal to Chen Wu.

"Then what can we be when we get there? We can't just be bottom-rung lackeys, can we?"

"When we get there, of course we'll be..."

As Ma Liu spoke, he suddenly flashed a short knife from his sleeve and plunged it directly into Zhou Yuan's stomach. From behind, Chen Wu simultaneously brought a club smashing down on Zhou Yuan's head.

Instantly, crimson blood sprayed!

Before Zhou Yuan could even react, he was drowned in agony. His arms flailed desperately as he tried to strike Ma Liu.

But after delivering the stab, Ma Liu yanked the knife out and retreated sharply, putting several paces between them. He watched quietly as Zhou Yuan slowly died.

"You tricked me!" Zhou Yuan roared, struggling to steady his body. But massive amounts of blood poured from his wound, and after taking Chen Wu's club to the head, his skull felt like a splitting watermelon. The throbbing agony made his mind grow increasingly hazy.

He tried to lunge at Ma Liu and Chen Wu, but his vision grew darker and darker, until he pitched forward and smashed face-first into the dirt.

Ma Liu stepped up and spat a few mouthfuls of saliva onto him. Unwilling to take chances, the two added a few more stabs, then tossed him into the adjacent woods to search his body thoroughly.

After finally unearthing a few taels of silver from the corpse, the two revealed delighted smiles. They wiped the silver clean on Zhou Yuan's clothes and shoved it into their chests.

"Only a ghost would go be a bandit. What a naive idiot, couldn't even figure out who he was."

Afterward, the two divided the silver equally and slowly strolled back in the direction of Qingshui County town.