Chapter 144: Letter Delivery

Clack! Clack!

The heavy carriage wheels turned against the paved road, the sound of iron-rimmed wood echoing softly through the quiet avenue as Old Ma guided the pair of fine horses out through the estate’s front gates. Inside the carriage, Ye Chenxue sat with her back straight, her hands resting lightly on her lap beneath the folds of her cultivation robes.

They had barely cleared the estate grounds—no more than a few dozen meters onto the main thoroughfare—when her sharp spiritual sense caught the faint shift in the surrounding air.

It was subtle, a thread of focused intent cutting through the ambient noise of Crimson Vale’s outer district. Someone had stepped out from the shadow of an alleyway, falling into a precise, measured pace behind the carriage. The presence kept a disciplined distance, neither closing in nor dropping back, tracking their exact vector as they headed toward the central city.

Inside the carriage, Ye Chenxue’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. Her icy blue eyes remained calm, though her spiritual awareness expanded outward, taking note of the stalker’s weight, breath pattern, and faint residual Qi.

Before she could move, a soft, deliberate double-knock sounded against the front wooden wall of the cabin.

Old Ma had almost no spiritual sense to speak of, but he was no soft-handed driver. Beneath his worn, humble tunic, his broad shoulders and well-defined, muscular build bore the clear mark of a veteran warrior who had spent decades surviving on dangerous roads.

Sitting at the very front on the driver’s bench, reins in hand, his sharp eyes had picked up the subtle anomalies in his surroundings—the faint scrape of a shoe on loose gravel, a shadow moving out of sync with the afternoon sun.

Without turning his head or changing the tempo of his whip, Old Ma leaned his broad back gently against the outer carriage wall and lowered his voice into a gravelly whisper.

"Lady Ye," he murmured, his tone steady and devoid of panic. "We’ve got a tail. Picked us up right after the gate."

Ye Chenxue didn’t shift her posture. "I know," she answered softly through the wooden partition, her voice cool and composed. "Keep driving at your normal pace. Don’t alter our route."

"Should I try to lose them in the market turns?" Old Ma asked quietly.

"There is no need," Ye Chenxue replied smoothly. "The tail will either follow us all the way to our destination or break off midway. It makes no difference to us, so long as they do not attempt to touch this carriage. And if they do..." A slight, dangerous chill flickered through her voice. "...I am here to ensure they bitterly regret the mistake."

Old Ma let out a low, silent breath of agreement and shifted back, flicking the reins to keep the horses moving smoothly down the stone avenue.

For the next ten minutes, the carriage wound through the changing scenery of Crimson Vale, moving from the quiet residential lanes toward the denser commercial thoroughfares.

Then, as they passed a busy intersection packed with street vendors and foot traffic, the trailing presence behind them suddenly dissolved. The distinct intent that had been locked onto their carriage simply vanished into the background noise of the crowd.

Up on the driver’s bench, Old Ma’s tense shoulders visibly relaxed. He let out a soft huff, assuming the stalker had realized the futility of trailing a well-guarded carriage into the open city streets and given up the pursuit.

Ye Chenxue, however, knew better.

Her spiritual perception had caught the exact moment the handover occurred. The first scout hadn’t simply given up; they had stepped into an alleyway precisely as a second, entirely different presence seamlessly picked up the trail from a high rooftop nearby.

It was a textbook rotation tactic used by organized covert outfits—switching eyes halfway through a target’s journey so the mark would believe the tail had ended and drop their guard.

A faint, cold smirk touched the corner of Ye Chenxue’s lips, but she didn’t say a word to correct Old Ma. There was no point in burdening the driver with unnecessary anxiety when the situation remained firmly within her control. She simply sat back, letting the second stalker watch them, her inner Qi resting like a coiled spring beneath her serene exterior.

Eventually, the grand perimeter walls and reinforced iron-studded gates of Lin Laifu’s private estate came into view.

The moment the carriage turned onto the long driveway leading up to the main entrance, Ye Chenxue felt the distant presence pause at the tree line several hundred meters back, entirely unwilling to step anywhere near the heavily guarded merchant compound.

As the carriage ground to a halt before the massive wooden gates, the estate guards immediately stepped forward, their hands resting loosely on their weapons. But the moment the lead guard caught sight of the driver, his strict posture relaxed into a smile of immediate recognition.

Old Ma had worked for the Lin household for years before being reassigned to Lu Feng’s personal service, and his weathered face was intimately familiar to everyone on the grounds.

More importantly, every guard present knew that it was only after Old Ma’s sudden, late-night visit a few evenings ago—bringing Lu Feng’s secret assistance—that their master Lin Laifu had miraculously recovered from his life-threatening affliction.

"Old Ma!" the head guard greeted warmly, waving his men to unlatch the heavy iron crossbars. "Good to see you, senior brother! Drive right on in!"

Without a single question or demand for entry permits, the grand gates swung open wide, allowing the carriage to roll smoothly into the cobblestone courtyard.

As they drove deeper into the inner grounds, Ye Chenxue looked out through the silk-curtained window. The courtyard was surprisingly busy. Several luxurious, private carriages were lined up near the secondary stables, their drivers making final preparations to depart.

Small groups of well-dressed guests—merchants, local trade representatives, and minor officials—were strolling toward the main gate, exchanging lingering pleasantries as they took their leave.

It was obvious that the celebration banquet Lu Feng had mentioned earlier had only just drawn to a close. The lingering aroma of roasted spirit-meats, fine wine, and decorative incense still hung faintly in the afternoon air. Ye Chenxue noted the departing crowds in silence, filing the detail away without making any comment.

Old Ma brought the carriage to a gentle stop right before the grand marble steps of the main residential building where Lin Laifu resided.

Ye Chenxue gathered her dark robes, ensuring the thread-bound letter rested safely within the hidden inner pocket against her chest, and stepped gracefully down to the paved floor.

"I won’t be long, Old Ma," she said calmly.

"Take all the time you need, Lady Ye," Old Ma replied with a nod. "I’ll park the rig over by the side awning out of the way." Seeing that he had time on his hands and no immediate threats inside the secure compound, he offered a small, easy grin. "If it’s all the same to you, I’ll go grab a drink with the boys at the stable lodge to pass the time."

"Go ahead," she agreed softly before turning toward the grand entrance.

Stepping into the cool, marble-tiled reception hall, Ye Chenxue immediately intercepted the first housemaid she encountered. The young servant girl paused, startled by the striking, icy presence of the woman standing before her.

"Inform Master Lin that I have arrived with an urgent message directly from Lu Feng," Ye Chenxue said, her tone quiet but carrying a weight that left no room for hesitation.

The maid’s eyes widened instantly at the mention of Lu Feng’s name. She gave a deep, hurried bow. "R-right away, Lady Ye! Please wait here!"

The maid scurried off down the polished corridor, her cloth shoes pattering quickly against the floor. Barely a minute passed before she returned, bowing low and inviting Ye Chenxue to follow her into the private rear quarters of the estate.

She was ushered into a quiet, tastefully furnished sitting room near the private gardens. Lin Laifu was seated at a low mahogany tea table, looking vastly better than he had during his days of illness. His color had fully returned, and though he remained somewhat leaner than usual, his sharp, merchant’s eyes were bright and active.

"Lady Ye!" Lin Laifu stood up immediately, offering a polite, respectful bow. "Welcome. Please, sit. I was told you came bearing news from Young Master Lu?"

"I do," Ye Chenxue replied, offering a brief nod of greeting as she stepped into the room.

Before she could speak further, the side door leading to the inner living quarters slid open softly. Lin Laifu’s lady stepped into the room, holding a tray with a fresh pot of steaming tea and small porcelain cups. She wore an elegant silk robe, her posture graceful and her expression filled with gentle, dutiful affection as her eyes settled on her husband.

"Darling," she said softly, setting the tray down near the table. "I heard we had an important visitor and thought to bring fresh tea."

Ye Chenxue’s gaze shifted to the woman. For a brief moment, her icy eyes narrowed, delivering a subtle, piercing glare that caused the lady’s hands to pause imperceptibly over the tea tray.

Ye Chenxue remembered clearly how this very woman had acted when they first met in the carriage—the subtle, lingering glances she had cast toward Lu Feng.

They were far from the innocent looks of a faithful wife, carrying a hidden, calculating interest that had disgusted Ye Chenxue at the time. Yet here she was now, playing the part of a devoted, loving spouse fussing over her recovering husband.

If Lin Laifu’s lady felt the cold sharp edge of Ye Chenxue’s glare, she gave no grand outward reaction, though her smile stiffened slightly as she smoothed down her sleeves.

Lin Laifu, oblivious to the silent friction, turned to his wife with a warm, reassuring smile. "Thank you, my dear, but Lady Ye brings official correspondence from Young Master Lu. I’m afraid we will need complete privacy to discuss the matter."

The lady’s expression flickered for a fraction of a second—a fleeting shadow of unreadable thought crossing her eyes—before she bowed her head obediently. "Of course, husband. I shall leave you to your business."

Offering Ye Chenxue a polite, practiced smile that revealed nothing, she turned and glided silently out of the room, pulling the heavy sliding door shut behind her.

Once the room was completely quiet and the lady’s footsteps had faded down the hall, Ye Chenxue reached into her inner robe. She withdrew the neatly folded parchment, bound securely with a length of red thread, and placed it onto the low table before Lin Laifu.

"From Lu Feng," Ye Chenxue said plainly. "He requested that you read it immediately and provide your sealed reply for me to take back with me today."

Lin Laifu looked at the thread-bound paper, his expression instantly turning serious as he picked it up and began to untie the knot. "A letter huh?"