My low-key cultivation of immortality was discovered by the emperor in my diary.

Chapter 28 Teammates Return, Swords Cry for the First Time

Let's get back to Lou Qing's side.

After being reprimanded by the emperor, the commander of the Night Guards dared not act arrogantly anymore.

From the emperor's attitude, he realized that Chu Lengyu's mission, though seemingly ordinary, was actually quite special.

It's all his fault for being careless back then and assigning this task to Lou Qing, letting that kid get lucky.

Although the Night Guard Commander didn't know exactly what Lou Qing had reported to the Emperor in the Imperial Study, he assumed the young man hadn't said anything nice and might have even taken the opportunity to complain about him to the Emperor.

But the emperor is the supreme ruler of this Great Xia, and the Night Guard commander has no choice but to obey his words.

Lou Qing wanted people, so he had to give them to him.

The commander also wanted to plant some of his own people in his team so that he could keep track of Lou Qing's squad's movements and prevent any unexpected events from happening.

But Lou Qing refused.

He selected two people, hoping the commander would agree.

……

Old Wu and Little Zhang were guarding outside the Pine Forest Cottage.

Faced with this strange garden, they felt completely at a loss.

In the distance, Lou Qing quietly returned with two new teammates.

With a sly smile on his face, he deliberately slowed his pace and quietly crept up behind Lao Wu and Xiao Zhang.

"Hey!"

Old Wu and Xiao Zhang were startled by the voice. They turned around and saw that it was Lou Qing.

But when they saw who was following him, their surprise turned into delight.

"Sister Qiao! Chengzi! Long time no see!"

The newcomers were a woman and a man. The woman, dressed in a close-fitting outfit, had a heroic air about her; she was Sister Qiao. The man, on the other hand, had a clever look on his face, with curiosity shining in his eyes; he was Cheng Zi.

"Haha, you two are finally back!" Old Wu laughed and patted Sister Qiao and Chengzi on the shoulders, his eyes full of relief and nostalgia.

These two were Lao Wu's former teammates.

Since Captain Lou passed away and Lou Qing took over the captaincy, the Night Guard Commander has always deliberately made things difficult for Lou Qing, and even transferred two of the team's capable officers to other places.

Now that their teammates have returned, they naturally exchanged a few pleasantries.

When Sister Qiao heard Lou Qing explain that their current task was to follow a young lady from a wealthy family, she realized that in many ways, she would have an advantage over the men.

But she was curious: "Old Wu, Little Zhang, are you two just squatting at the gate and watching?"

Upon hearing this, Old Zhang pointed to the Pine Forest Lodge not far behind him, his eyebrows drooping, and said helplessly, "Sister Qiao, you don't know, and you don't know where Chu Lengyu found four strong men to be guards. They are all sharp-eyed and sharp-eared. Every time Xiao Zhang and I get close, they discover us."

“Yes, those guards all look fierce and menacing, it’s scary to look at them,” Xiao Zhang agreed with lingering fear. “But the fact that they’re guarding outside proves that Chu Lengyu is inside.”

“What’s the use of just knowing she’s in there! This garden is so big, we need to know what she’s doing in there. What if she left through some back door?” Lou Qing decided to try again himself.

Relying on his agility and speed, Cheng Zi patted his chest and volunteered, "Captain, I'll cover you."

The group gathered together and decided that Chengzi would lead the highly vigilant guards away, creating an opportunity for Lou Qing and Xiao Zhang to infiltrate.

Cheng Zi walked around to the front gate of Songlin Xiaozhu, slowly stood up from the grass, and swaggered out.

He was eager to try, a cunning glint in his eyes, and was about to speak to attract the guards' attention when...

Suddenly, a clear sword cry rang out from ahead.

The sound, like the roar of a dragon and the cry of a phoenix, echoed in the air, sending chills down one's spine.

Lou Qing and the others were stunned by the sudden sound of the sword, as if they had been frozen in place.

Their eyes widened as if they were seeing a gleaming flying sword.

As the sword flashed, a chill seemed to pierce straight into one's heart.

Cheng Zi is a veteran who has worked his way up in the Night Guard for many years. He has carried out many missions and seen many big scenes.

Now, however, he felt as if he were frozen in place, his heart pounding like a drum, and his legs felt as heavy as lead, making it impossible for him to take a single step.

His usually calm gaze now appeared flustered, and the muscles on his face twitched slightly, as if he was trying to suppress his inner fear.

Huang Yi and Huang Er, two strongmen dressed in yellow, emerged from the gate of Songlin Xiaozhu like two iron towers.

They grabbed Chengzi from both sides, as if capturing prey, and effortlessly led him into the manor.

Chu Lengyu had long known that someone was secretly spying on them, so she specifically instructed that if anyone dared to show their face, they should not be polite and should be arrested and brought back for interrogation.

On previous occasions, Lao Wu and Xiao Zhang would flee as soon as they saw them, and the Yellow Turban Warriors had to protect the entire manor, so they did not pursue them far.

However, Cheng Zi took the initiative to come to them, and they naturally wouldn't let this opportunity pass them by.

Lou Qing and the others were still immersed in the shock brought by the sound of the sword, and it took them a long time to come back to their senses.

Sister Qiao exclaimed, "Oh no! Chengzi has been arrested!"

Old Wu breathed a sigh of relief and said, calming down, "It's alright. Miss Chu doesn't know us, and Cheng Zi didn't have time to do anything. I reckon he'll be released soon."

Xiao Zhang's face turned pale. He blinked his dry eyes and whispered, "Good heavens, what was that just now? Is there a sword master living in there?"

“We’ve seen plenty of those so-called ‘masters’ who have come to the palace, haven’t we? They don’t have that kind of ability.” Sister Qiao’s expression turned slightly serious.

Lou Qing pondered for a moment and said, "This place is too close to the capital. If there really is a sword master living here, we must find out his identity. Otherwise, if trouble arises, we will be implicated."

"Captain, you're right, but how do we investigate?" Old Zhang spread his hands. He didn't really want to take any risks.

"Let's wait and see," Lou Qing said finally.

Old Zhang nodded.

Let's try again tonight. There are only four guards here, and at most one or two will stay on duty at night. This garden is so big, they'll always be able to sneak in.

After a brief discussion, the group patiently waited for nightfall.

In the Pine Forest Cottage.

The faint sound of swords ringing out could still be heard continuously.

It was as if countless sword tips were gently trembling in the air, stirring up ripples.

After Huang Yi and Huang Er brought Cheng Zi into the manor, they ignored him.

Cheng Zi rubbed his shoulder, which was sore from Huang Yi and Huang Er's iron palms, and carefully raised his head to look around.

The manor is elegantly laid out, with rustic pavilions and towers nestled among the pine forest.

Cheng Zi was initially curious, listening intently to the sound of the sword's cry, trying to find its source.

However, as the sword cries grew more frequent, it felt as if a thousand pounds of force were pressing down on him. His face gradually turned pale, and cold sweat poured down his back.

He tried to ignore the sound and dared not listen to it anymore, but a nameless fear welled up in his heart.

Cheng Zi brazenly struck up a conversation with Huang Yi: "I was just passing by and was extremely thirsty, so I came to ask for a cup of water. May I ask who your esteemed owner is, that he can produce such an astonishing sword-like sound?"

His words carried a perfectly balanced blend of flattery and curiosity.

However, Huang Yi and Huang Er remained as still as statues, completely ignoring Cheng Zi's words. Their eyes were fixed straight ahead, as if the whole world had nothing to do with them.

But whenever Cheng Zisheng had the thought of escaping, the moment he moved, their eyes would immediately turn to him, staring straight at him with eyes as sharp as knives, sending chills down his spine.

Cheng Zi swallowed hard and had no choice but to obediently stay where he was and wait.

He comforted himself, saying: This is good. When their master arrives, they will be able to see the true face of this "master of swordsmanship".