Chapter 474: 481: Suspect Behavior

Liu Kuan had always been very wary of Han Yu. Whether it was scheming or tactics, this man was someone to be feared. He had always avoided excessive contact with Han Yu, fearing that Han Yu might notice something. Despite being so careful, he had still aroused Han Yu’s suspicions. Even now, he had no idea where he had slipped up and given Han Yu a hold.

Liu Kuan was certain that the reason Liu Xiu had taken an interest in him was because of something Han Yu had said—there was no doubt about that. Hence, his wariness of Han Yu had increased.

For someone he so desperately wanted to avoid, the mission handed down required him to find a way to come into contact with Han Yu, hoping to pry some information from him. But Han Yu was extremely cautious and hadn’t given him any opportunities. Up to now, he hadn’t been able to extract any useful information from Han Yu. On the contrary, it made Han Yu even more cautious and guarded, and he found himself unable to do anything. In the past, he could have sent his own people to probe, but now, being closely watched by Liu Xiu and Yin Shi’s men, any carelessness could lead to his capture, so he could only rely on his own strategies.

Liu Kuan was feeling anxious about the inability to complete the task assigned to him, but fortunately, he had been recuperating well these past few days and no longer had to lie in his tent all day. Although he hadn’t thought of any solutions, walking outside and interacting with workmates he had good relations with, there might be a chance to find an opportunity.

“Has Liu Kuan truly not shown any suspicious behavior or unusual movements these past two days?” Han Yu specifically called his spy to inquire.

“Nothing at all. In these past few days, Liu Kuan is acting the same as usual, even Chen Chu hasn’t come around much.” The secret guard replied confidently. Because the master placed great importance on this, he feared any mistakes and was constantly monitoring Liu Kuan closely, not giving him any chance for small maneuvers. Moreover, in addition to his covert surveillance, there were people from Liu Xiu and Yin Shi keeping watch. Under so many eyes, Liu Kuan couldn’t do anything.

Seeing how his subordinate was acting, Han Yu didn’t relax at all and instead furrowed his brows, “You’re still being careless. There must be some oversight that has given Liu Kuan the opportunity to connect with those on the other side.”

The secret guard didn’t understand why Han Yu was so certain, as if he had seen it with his own eyes. Knowing Liu Kuan’s cunning, Han Yu couldn’t blame his secret guard and explained, “Liu Kuan’s behavior these days is very unusual. A few times, he even tried to fish for information from me and deliberately approached me. I don’t believe Liu Kuan would act like this without reason. It only indicates one thing: he has received a message from the other side, hence his unusual actions.”

“It was an oversight on my part. However, I can’t understand how, with everyone watching him so closely, Liu Kuan could still manage to communicate with individuals on the other side.” The secret guard didn’t doubt Han Yu’s judgment, but rather reflected on himself, recalling previous events. Still unable to find a slip, he felt somewhat discouraged.

“Any action that has been taken cannot possibly be flawless. Only certain details have been overlooked. However, since they have already passed the message, it’s likely there will be no movement for a while. Don’t continue to dwell on this issue. As always, keep a close watch on Liu Kuan. I don’t want any more mistakes this time.”

Han Yu didn’t end up blaming the secret guard. Everyone has their limitations, and the ability of this guard was not bad, but compared to Zhai Mo and the others, he still fell short. If Zhai Mo and the others were here, they would surely detect anything amiss. They would even make it impossible for Liu Kuan to contact the others. However, with a shortage of manpower and many arrangements to make, Zhai Mo was assigned to assist Su Hengyi, and the rest were dispatched to their respective urgent duties, so things had to be as they were.

In Chang’an, Su Hengyi had matters to attend to, and although Sikong Ling secretly assisted, there was no guarantee of absolute safety. Moreover, Han Yu always maintained his own stance towards Sikong Ling without full trust. Those so-called aristocratic families and noble houses harbored even more deceit within them. For the sake of family interests, there was nothing they wouldn’t do. As the Young Master of the Sikong Family, Sikong Ling would certainly prioritize his family’s interests. The reason Han Yu decided to send a letter asking for Sikong Ling’s assistance was after cautious deliberation; the Sikong Family’s help was undoubtedly beneficial in this matter.

As his thoughts turned to Su Hengyi, Han Yu inevitably thought of his wife and child who had left with his father-in-law and mother-in-law. He wondered how his wife was doing and whether she missed him.

Speaking of this, Han Yu also felt an itching desire, really wanting to catch his little one and scold her properly. Before setting off, he had clearly told her to write him a letter every day. His wife, lazy as she was, had promised very well at the time, but such a long time had passed, and he had received only a few letters. However, seeing the contents of the letters, knowing that his wife and their three children were doing well, he felt at ease. Only when his wife and children were safe and sound could he concentrate all his energy on dealing with the enemy.

Meanwhile, Su Wenyue and their group, after several days of rain, finally saw clear skies. It was time to leave the small village. The three little ones were reluctant, but they had already delayed too long here. It was impossible to stay any longer. Reluctant or not, they had to go. Understanding as they were, the three children didn’t throw tantrums. Instead, they exchanged keepsakes with their friends and made promises to meet again in the future.

The people of the village were all very simple and warmhearted. Over the past few days, Su Wenyue had grown familiar with everyone, especially Mr. and Mrs. Su, who were kind-hearted. Seeing that the village was full of elderly, weak, women, and children, with no surplus food at home, they generously donated some food to each household. Although it wasn’t much, it was enough to help them through a difficult period in these dangerous times. As for their future, it would depend on their own fortune.

When it became known that these benevolent people were leaving, everyone was filled with reluctance. As Su Wenyue and their group departed, the villagers spontaneously gathered at the entrance of the village to see them off. Though they were too impoverished to offer any gifts, they prayed in their hearts for the safety of the kind strangers on their journey.

“Everyone go back, please don’t see us off anymore,” said Mr. and Mrs. Su, moved by the villagers’ gesture, waving their hands to them. Staying a few more days under normal circumstances wouldn’t be a problem, but at this time they couldn’t stay longer. Every additional day spent here posed more danger. If not for heaven’s mercy with the heavy rains making travel impossible, they should have set out long ago.

In recent days, several suspicious individuals had been discovered outside the village, always inquiring about the village situation with the children, and occasionally mentioning Mr. and Mrs. Su. Once, they were even encountered by the Village Chief.

The Village Chief was a perceptive man. He immediately recognized something was amiss. He managed to dismiss those people at the time, but straight away went to alert Mr. Su to be extra vigilant. With their furtive demeanor, they looked untrustworthy, and the Village Chief had his own methods of judging people, not being so warm to just anyone.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om