Chapter 147: Stalker One, Stalker Two

In the quiet privacy of his study, Lu Feng sat behind his desk, his chin resting lightly on his knuckles as his eyes fixated on the dark wood grain before him.

He was deep in thought, carefully weighing his next strategic move regarding the two Iron Fang operatives currently chained to the stone supports in the estate’s underground storage cellar.

Ever since Bai Bao had separated them into different holding areas to prevent them from coordinating their stories, Lu Feng had been analyzing the safest way to leverage their captivity.

His main idea revolved around a classic play. That was revealing the recovered master ledger, the very document Agent Zhou had hidden and Iron Fang was desperately hunting for, to one of the captives to gauge their reaction, break their morale, and confirm key details about the gang’s internal structure.

After that, he contemplated releasing the second prisoner back into the streets as a baited hook.

However, the pros and cons surrounding such an operation were heavily balanced on a razor’s edge.

On one hand, the risks were severe. If he freed the second scout, the man wouldn’t necessarily flee the city in panic. Instead, he could head straight back to Black Rat or the gang’s higher leadership and confess that Lu Feng was holding their infiltration team hostage.

That knowledge could provoke Iron Fang into launching a full-scale, desperate assault on the estate to eliminate Lu Feng and recover the ledger by force.

Alternatively, the released operative might report the captivity directly to the city guard authorities, framing Lu Feng for illegal abduction and bringing official, heavy-handed search warrants down upon his gates.

On the other hand, the single primary advantage was almost too tempting to ignore. Releasing the scout would provide Lu Feng with a live, walking beacon. Lu Feng could silently tail him through the winding alleys of Crimson Vale without his knowledge, mapping out Iron Fang’s primary and secondary hideouts across the city.

As Lu Feng tapped his fingers idly against the desk, still debating whether the potential intel outweighed the threat of an immediate assault, the quiet night air was broken by the heavy, metallic screech of iron hinges.

Out in the front courtyard, the main estate gates swung wide open.

Lu Feng’s sharp spiritual sense instantly flared, picking up the familiar rhythm of iron-shod hooves and rolling carriage wheels entering the grounds. Ye Chenxue and Old Ma had finally returned from their trip to Lin Laifu’s estate.

A faint, easy smile touched Lu Feng’s lips. He remembered that there was a crucial question he needed to ask Ye Chenxue regarding Lin Laifu’s response and her impression of the merchant’s current standing.

Pushing his thoughts about the cellar captives aside for the moment, Lu Feng stood up from his desk, adjusted the sleeves of his dark robes, and began heading out toward the front entrance.

He glided down the quiet corridor and stepped out onto the wide stone porch of the main building, waiting to receive them as the carriage pulled around the circular driveway.

However, as the vehicle drew closer under the pale moonlight, Lu Feng’s expression subtly froze.

He expanded his spiritual perception toward the moving carriage—and caught four distinct physical signatures. Beside Old Ma on the driver’s bench and Ye Chenxue inside the cabin, there were two additional human presence signatures resting inside the vehicle.

One aura was completely faint and unconscious, while the other was wildly unstable, practically vibrating with sheer, suffocating terror.

Lu Feng blinked, genuine surprise flickering across his face. He certainly hadn’t expected Ye Chenxue to return from a simple messenger errand with uninvited guests in tow.

The heavy black-and-gold carriage ground to a final halt right at the foot of the entrance steps.

Up on the driver’s bench, Old Ma looked visibly worn out. He let out a long, heavy sigh, his weathered face wearing an expression of silent resignation as he set the brake lever.

The dark wooden carriage door swung open, and Ye Chenxue was the first to alight. She stepped smoothly down onto the stone floor, looking as pristine, serene, and unbothered as ever.

However, as she emerged, she reached back into the dim cabin with one hand, grabbed a tall, unconscious man clad in dark scout attire by his left ankle, and casually dragged him backward out of the door.

THUD...

THUMP!

The unconscious man’s heavy boots and head hit the wooden carriage step before crashing onto the hard cobblestones below with a dull, heavy impact.

Old Ma winced violently at the sound, closing his eyes and rubbing his temple as if his head had personally taken the hit.

Ye Chenxue didn’t even bother looking down at the unconscious man sprawling at her feet. She simply turned back toward the open carriage door, resting her hand lightly against the frame, and addressed the dark interior in a calm, frigid tone.

"Are you waiting for a formal written invitation to step out," Ye Chenxue asked smoothly, "or would you prefer to be dragged across the cobblestones by your heels like your partner?"

"A-Ah! No! I’m coming out! I’m coming out!"

A muffled, terrified yelp echoed from inside the cabin.

Without a single second of delay, a female figure dressed in dark, lightweight maneuver gear scrambled frantically out of the carriage. She tumbled onto the stone driveway, her hands raised high in front of her chest as she shrank backward, desperately keeping her distance from Ye Chenxue as if the woman were a walking plague.

Lu Feng stood at the top of the porch stairs, looking between the unconscious man on the ground, the trembling female operative, and Ye Chenxue. A look of utter bewilderment hung on his face.

Catching his confused stare, Ye Chenxue looked up at Lu Feng. A rare, faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she casually pointed a finger toward the two captives.

"Lu Feng, allow me to introduce them," Ye Chenxue said with cool amusement. "This is Stalker One." She gestured toward the unconscious male scout resting on the stones. "And this is Stalker Two." She pointed at the trembling female operative.

She then gave a concise, crisp summary of their trip back, explaining how these two covert operatives had persistent intention to trail their carriage all the way from Lin Laifu’s estate into the city limits. She detailed how she had lured the first one into a quiet side alley to knock him cold, and then yanked the second one straight into the carriage when she tried to play blind on the sidewalk.

Standing on the porch, Lu Feng let out a long, silent mental sigh.

’She really went and kidnapped two covert stalkers on a simple errand run across town,’ he thought to himself, shaking his head in mild disbelief.

Then, mid-thought, Lu Feng suddenly paused. He caught his own judgment and asked himself: ’Wait... am I really in any position to judge her as crazy? I currently have two other Iron Fang operatives tied up in my underground storage cellar right now.’

A wry, subtle chuckle escaped his lips. It seemed reckless decisions were becoming a shared habit around this estate.

Lu Feng cleared his throat, wiped the bewilderment from his face, and stepped down the marble stairs toward their newly acquired captives. He looked down at the trembling female scout, offering a polite, mockingly warm bow.

"Welcome to your new abode," Lu Feng addressed them smoothly, his voice pleasant yet carrying an underlying edge. "You will be provided with secure indoor quarters, locked doors, and three balanced meals a day—so long as you remain obedient."

The female scout swallowed hard, her face draining of all color as she looked up at Lu Feng, sensing that the handsome young master before her was far more dangerous than the icy woman who had captured her.

"Bring them inside," Lu Feng instructed, turning on his heel and leading the way up the porch steps into the main building.

Ye Chenxue casually grabbed Stalker One by his tunic collar, dragging his heavy body across the threshold as if he weighed nothing at all, while Stalker Two scrambled to her feet and followed closely behind with her head bowed, not daring to attempt an escape.

They entered the spacious, warm reception hall of the main building. Lu Feng paused near the central seating area and called out toward the inner corridor.

"Xiao Yun! Xiao Ru!"

Within moments, two young, neatly dressed housemaids hurried out from the side kitchen, bowing respectfully as they approached. "Yes, Young Master Lu?"

The two girls paused mid-bow, their eyes widening in brief shock as they caught sight of an unconscious, bruised man lying on their polished floorboards and a trembling, dark-clad woman cowering near Lady Ye. However, having worked under Lu Feng for some time now, the servants had learned never to ask unnecessary questions regarding the strange happenings on the estate.

"Xiao Yun, Xiao Ru," Lu Feng commanded with a calm smile. "Please go to the kitchen and prepare a small feast. A generous spread of hot food, cooked meats, and fresh tea for our new guests here. They’ve had quite an exhausting evening following Lady Ye through the city, and I’d hate for them to suffer on an empty stomach."

"R-Right away, Young Master!" Xiao Yun and Xiao Ru answered in unison, bowing hastily before scurrying back toward the kitchen to prepare the meal without a single complaint.

Lu Feng turned back to Ye Chenxue and the two stalkers, his eyes glinting with calculating amusement under the lanterns as he prepared to extract whatever information these new captives possessed.