Young hero, stay put and don't be reckless.

Chapter 116 An Unstable Aura

Helian Quan raised his glass: "Then I wish you all a successful trip tomorrow."

Everyone raised their glasses and downed them in one gulp.

After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere at the table became more relaxed.

Helian Quan was exceptionally warm towards Xiao Rui, toasting him twice and even inquiring about the Xiao family.

"How is your uncle's health?"

Xiao Rui's uncle is Xiao Yidong, the general guarding the border of the Great Han and the pillar of the Xiao family.

Xiao Rui wore a warm smile that was as comforting as a spring breeze: "Thank you for your concern, City Lord. My uncle is in good health. Before I left, he mentioned that he hadn't had any mare's milk wine from Shuofeng City for more than two years."

"Haha, General Xiao still remembers this!" Helian Quan laughed. "I'll have someone prepare some fine mare's milk wine for you to take back and have General Xiao try."

"Then thank you very much, City Lord."

Xiao Rui handled the situation with composure, which even Jiang Xun secretly admired—this man was no less capable than Li Che.

In contrast, Tuoba Feng's side was much quieter.

Helian Quan simply nodded, without saying a word more.

Jiang Xun saw this and understood—the Xiao family was a powerful and influential family in the Great Han Dynasty, while the Tuoba family was a declining old noble family. Helian Quan naturally knew who to befriend.

Jiang Xun had always disliked this kind of opportunistic behavior.

Just as he was about to get up and leave, Ye Qingying, who was next to him, suddenly spoke up.

"Lord Helian, this junior toasts you."

Helian Quan was slightly taken aback, then raised his cup and said with a smile, "You're too kind, Fairy Ye."

Ye Qingying picked up her wine cup but didn't drink it immediately: "I'm new to Shuofeng City. In the past few days, I've seen and heard that the people live in peace and prosperity, and the city is well-managed. The city lord deserves much credit for this."

Helian Quan's face lit up, and his smile became more genuine: "Fairy Ye, you flatter me. Shuofeng City's current state is entirely due to the foundation laid by our ancestors; I have merely maintained it."

Ye Qingying nodded and smiled slightly: "I heard that the ancestors of the Helian family were able to establish themselves in Shuofeng City because they had the support of the Tuoba family."

The hall fell silent.

Jiang Xun almost burst out laughing.

Ye Qingying's words were clearly a slap in the face.

The Helian family rose to power by relying on the Tuoba family, but now that the Tuoba family has declined, they have turned their backs on them and are instead trying to curry favor with the Xiao family.

Helian Jun's face flushed red, and he was about to stand up and lash out when Helian Quan pressed him back down with a look.

"What Fairy Ye says is true." Helian Quan's voice was calm, as if nothing had happened. "Back then, our ancestors did receive a lot of help from friends, which enabled them to settle down and make a living in Shuofeng City. I, Helian, have never forgotten my roots and have always kept them in my heart."

He suddenly turned to Tuoba Feng, his smile unchanged: "After your father, Tuoba Xiong, was injured, I sent someone to deliver medicine, but I don't know why it was returned?"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Tuoba Feng—could there be another hidden story behind this?

Tuoba Feng frowned, and finally spoke to explain: "After my father was injured, he relinquished his position as clan leader. I was unaware of the city lord sending medicine."

Everyone suddenly realized.

It seems that there has been a power shift within the Tuoba family, and the Tuoba Xiong lineage has been marginalized. In order to exclude them, the new clan leader has even gone so far as to distance himself from Shuofeng City.

"Brother Tuoba, I've always had a question," Xiao Rui suddenly said. "I heard that Senior Tuoba was injured by an assassin from the Central Plains. Is that true?"

Chen Lei's expression changed slightly upon hearing this—Xiao Rui's words had a hint of provocation.

"Indeed, the murderer came from the Central Plains. I tracked him down and finally subdued him at Tiebei Pass." For some reason, Tuoba Feng became more talkative than usual. "I have determined that the murderer was acting under someone's orders. But just as I was about to find out who was behind it all, a mysterious expert suddenly appeared and injured me."

"Brother Tuoba, could you see clearly who that mysterious expert was?" Helian Jun couldn't help but ask.

Tuoba Feng glanced at him and said calmly, "That person was disguised, and his martial arts were far superior to mine. He killed the murderer with a single move. I only managed to escape to the Central Plains by the chance that we would both be seriously injured."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xun pondered to himself.

He knew of Tuoba Feng's martial arts skills. Looking across the northern border, how many people could defeat him and make him flee in a sorry state?

He glanced at Ye Qingying beside him and saw that she looked normal and unmoved—did she already know about this?

Just then, Tuoba Feng spoke again: "The Xiao family is well-informed. Do you know who ordered this assassin?"

"Brother Tuoba, you jest." Xiao Rui remained calm and composed. "I've only heard rumors, how could I claim to be well-informed? As for who ordered the murderer, I have absolutely no idea."

Tuoba Feng remained silent and did not ask any further questions.

Others naturally didn't say much.

The banquet lasted for another half an hour before it finally came to an end.

Huang Hu stood up, cupped his hands in greeting to the crowd, and said, "Please rest early, everyone. We'll set off early tomorrow morning."

Helian Quan instructed his servants to lead everyone to the side rooms.

The city lord's mansion was large enough that it was clearly arranged in advance, with each person having their own private courtyard.

Jiang Xun followed the servant through the corridor and arrived at a small courtyard on the east side.

The courtyard was small, with a few clumps of bamboo planted in it. They cast shadowy shapes in the moonlight, and rustled in the wind, as if someone was talking in hushed tones.

"Please, young master." The servant pushed open the door to the main room, bowed, and withdrew.

The lights were already on inside.

A large, carved bed, covered with brocade bedding that felt smooth to the touch and carried a faint scent of incense.

A desk stood by the window, upon which were placed the Four Treasures of the Study (writing brush, ink stick, inkstone, and paper) and an unlit oil lamp.

There was a copper basin stand in the corner, covered with a brand-new white cloth, and the water in the basin was still warm.

He looked around and opened the back window.

Outside the window was a small garden, not very clear in the moonlight, only the shadows of a few peonies could be vaguely discerned.

The courtyard wall is not high, made of blue bricks, and there is no broken glass embedded in the top of the wall, so it is not difficult to climb over.

Jiang Xun left the window slightly ajar, returned to the bedside and sat down. Without taking off his clothes, he leaned against the headboard and closed his eyes to rest.

late at night.

The city lord's mansion was as quiet as an ancient city submerged underwater.

Jiang Xun lay on the bed with his eyes closed, breathing evenly, as if he were truly asleep.

But he didn't.

He was waiting, waiting for the entire city lord's mansion to sink into a dream, waiting for those eyes hidden in the shadows to close as well.

Just after midnight, he opened his eyes, turned over and sat up, his movements as light as a cat's.

He took off his outer garment, revealing a black night suit underneath—the clothes had been prepared in Yunzhou and had been tried on several times, fitting him perfectly.

Although he didn't know he would be staying at the city lord's mansion that night, he always took precautions.

Jiang Xun deftly pushed open the back window and silently climbed out.

The courtyard was quiet.

The moonlight, like water, illuminated the bluestone ground, making it gleam white, as if covered with a thin layer of frost.

He crouched low, pressed himself against the wall, and made his way towards the backyard.

The memories of the day are still clear—passing through the corridor, around the moon gate, past several palaces, the backyard is just ahead.

But the city lord's mansion was much quieter tonight than during the day.

There were no patrolling guards, no servants on night watch, and even most of the lamps were gone.

Only a few lanterns were still lit, hanging under the eaves, swaying gently in the night breeze, casting flickering shadows, as if someone were carrying lanterns.

Jiang Xun encountered no one along the way and arrived at the bamboo grove. The wind rustled through the bamboo, sounding like whispers or a reminder of something.

He stopped at the edge of the bamboo grove, took a deep breath, and walked in.

The footsteps were very light, as light as a cat stepping on fallen leaves, almost inaudible.

But after taking only a few steps, he suddenly stopped.

A powerful aura surged from the depths of the bamboo forest, like a mountain pressing down on his chest, making it hard for him to breathe.

The aura was heavy and oppressive, carrying a sense of urgency that made people instinctively want to flee. It wasn't murderous intent, but it was even more chilling than murderous intent.

Grandmaster, Helian Bo.

Jiang Xun placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, stood still, held his breath, and tried to calm himself down so he could feel the aura.

Strange—this aura is strong, but it seems unstable, like a flame flickering in the wind, sometimes bright and sometimes dim.

Although it was very subtle, so subtle that most people wouldn't even notice it, the Bu Zhou Tian Yin Jue still managed to detect it.