Chapter 107: First Morning With Workers

Morning light shone through the ornate window lattices of the estate, casting warm, golden rays across the polished stone walkways and quiet courtyards. The heavy silence of the night gradually dissolved into the gentle, familiar sounds of an estate coming to life.

Inside the kitchen pavilion, the day had already begun long before the sun fully cleared the horizon. Aunt Gao was busy organizing the early morning prep, her experienced hands moving deftly between earthenware pots and woven baskets filled with fresh vegetables and grain.

Joining her were the two young ladies who had been recently hired to assist with the daily household labor. The kitchen was filled with the steady rhythm of vegetables being chopped, fire crackling beneath the broad cooking cauldrons, and the rich, comforting aroma of simmering bone broth beginning to drift through the air.

Han Lin stepped into the kitchen pavilion shortly after dawn, tying back her sleeves with a plain cord. Without waiting to be asked, she immediately washed her hands and joined Aunt Gao at the main prep table.

She picked up a wooden paring knife and began assisting the two hired women with rinsing fresh herbs, slicing preserved meats, and grinding spices. Her movements were smooth, diligent, and quiet, falling effortlessly into step with the kitchen staff as they prepared the morning meal for the entire household.

Outside in the expansive courtyard, Song Heng and his partner Bai Bao were already active. Clad in their dark leather robes, the two men swept through the cobblestone grounds with large bamboo brooms, clearing away fallen leaves, dust, and debris that had accumulated overnight.

They worked systematically, starting near the heavy front entrance and sweeping toward the inner garden, ensuring every corner of the estate was clean and presentable.

Meanwhile, in her private quarters, Ye Chenxue rose from her bed with absolute stillness. After spending the earlier hours of the morning refining the cold energy of her final cultivation pill within her training room, her mind felt completely sharp and focused.

She folded her silk bedding neatly, arranged her personal items on the wooden dresser, and straightened her light robes. Her room remained immaculate, organized with the meticulous precision that reflected her disciplined nature.

In the main residence, Lu Feng finally woke up, stretching his limbs as he sat up on his bed. Rolling out of his covers, he dressed casually in his comfortable daily robes and stepped out into the crisp morning air. Rather than diving straight into work, he decided to take a leisurely stroll through the estate grounds to inspect the property and see if anything had changed since the previous evening.

He walked along the covered wooden corridors, watching the subtle rhythm of his household. As he rounded the corner near the main courtyard, Song Heng and Bai Bao paused their sweeping, immediately standing straight to bow respectfully.

"Good morning, Young Master," both guards greeted in unison.

"Morning," Lu Feng replied, offering a casual nod.

As he was about to keep walking, he noticed Song Heng hesitate. The guard lingered for a second, his lips twitching slightly as if he wanted to speak up, a subtle flicker of uncertainty crossing his face. Lu Feng, ever observant, caught the brief hesitation and paused his steps, turning his eyes back to the man.

"Is something wrong, Song Heng?" Lu Feng asked calmly.

Song Heng felt a brief surge of internal conflict. For a fraction of a second, he thought of bringing up the strange incident with the tattooed man from the previous night. However, remembering how Ye Chenxue had handled the situation afterward and how thoroughly she had inspected the perimeter, he quickly rethought his stance.

Young Lady Ye was far more knowledgeable about cultivation and security matters than he was, making her much better suited to deliver a complete and accurate report to Lu Feng without causing unnecessary alarm.

Suppressing his initial urge, Song Heng quickly lowered his gaze and offered a reassuring smile. "No, Young Master. Everything is completely fine. The estate grounds are secure, and nothing is out of order."

Lu Feng looked at him for another moment, sensing there was more beneath the surface, but decided not to press the issue right then. "Alright. Keep up the good work."

By the time Lu Feng completed his full circuit of the grounds, the morning meal had been fully prepared.

Aunt Gao and the kitchen staff set the table in the main dining hall, placing down large porcelain bowls of hot, savory rice porridge, steamed meat buns, pickled vegetables, and thinly sliced roasted pork.

Lu Feng, Ye Chenxue, and Han Lin took their seats around the heavy wooden table. Although Han Lin initially hesitated out of her usual modesty, Lu Feng gestured for her to sit with them as usual, treating her as a core part of their small group rather than mere household help.

The three began their breakfast in pleasant quiet, the warmth of the hot food a welcome comfort in the cool morning air.

As Lu Feng finished his first bowl of porridge, Ye Chenxue set her chopsticks down lightly against her porcelain dish. She wiped her lips with a clean cloth and looked toward him, her cool eyes taking on a serious expression.

"Lu Feng," Ye Chenxue began, her voice soft yet firm enough to draw the immediate attention of both Lu Feng and Han Lin. "There is something regarding last night that you need to be aware of."

Lu Feng raised an eyebrow, setting his own utensils down. "What happened?"

Ye Chenxue calmly narrated the events of the late night, detailing how she had been heading toward her private training building when she noticed the front gates opening. She explained how Song Heng had confronted a large, heavily tattooed man who claimed to be lost and intoxicated, and how the man had been directed away from the property.

She went on to describe her own suspicion upon hearing the description, her subsequent inspection of the front gates, and the multiple, erratic sets of overlapping footprints she had discovered near the perimeter wall—proof that the intruder was intentionally obscuring his true path rather than stumbling around aimlessly.

Han Lin listened intently from her side of the table, her hands resting quietly in her lap as her eyes widened slightly at the mention of a potential intruder.

"Song Heng assumed the man was merely a drunk beggar who had strayed into the upper district," Ye Chenxue continued, her tone dropping into a cold, analytical register. "However, after examining the residual energy outside the wall and the tracks left behind, I can assure you that the presence I felt was not from an ordinary mortal."

Lu Feng’s eyes narrowed slightly. "You think he was sent here intentionally?"

"He was undoubtedly a decent cultivator," Ye Chenxue stated plainly, looking directly at Lu Feng. "His control over his breath was refined enough to hide his initial approach from normal senses, and his lingering spiritual aura, though suppressed, belonged to someone with real combat experience. He was deliberately scouting our perimeter and most likely testing the active array and gauging our defense."