Chapter 186 - 122: Iron Bone Perfection

Chapter 186: Chapter 122: Iron Bone Perfection

Lu Jing’an nodded and asked no more questions.

His eyes were slightly downcast, seemingly focused on savoring the food.

In reality, he had silently activated [Cause and Effect with Sound].

An intangible, formless, yet profoundly mystical perception.

It spread like mercury flowing across the ground, or a spiderweb extending its reach.

In an instant, it crossed the high walls of the Lu Mansion and enveloped the Yuelai Inn on the next street.

The inn’s first-floor eatery was past the dinner rush, with only two or three tables of guests talking in low voices.

A waiter leaned against the counter, dozing off.

The perception spread to the second floor. Most of the twelve guest rooms were occupied.

The clacking of a merchant’s abacus, a couple’s whispers, a child’s cries...

A torrent of miscellaneous information flooded his consciousness.

Lu Jing’an quickly filtered through it.

He could "hear" signs of life in most of the rooms.

But Room No. 3 of the Celestial Building was dead silent, as if completely empty.

’Not here? Or...’

Lu Jing’an’s thoughts raced as he dismissed the possibility that the man had gone out.

’At a critical time like this, how could Mr. Xu, a stranger in a strange land, so easily leave his lodging?’

Lu Jing’an shifted the focus of his perception from seeking life signs to a more subtle level.

The flow of air, the differences in temperature, the settling patterns of dust.

Sure enough!

In the center of the seemingly empty room.

The airflow was subtly, unnaturally stagnant and swirling.

It was as if an invisible furnace was slowly radiating a constant heat,

disturbing the otherwise uniform atmosphere.

Moreover, the pattern of settled dust in the room faintly outlined the silhouette of a person sitting cross-legged!

’What a brilliant technique for concealing one’s breath and form!’

Lu Jing’an praised him silently.

’If not for my unconventional ability, [Cause and Effect with Sound], and if I hadn’t deliberately shifted my angle of investigation, I almost would have been fooled.’

Of course, if Lu Jing’an were to forcefully concentrate his perception and probe the center of that human silhouette,

it would immediately alert the other party.

He stopped just short.

Lu Jing’an decisively cut off the probe, his perception receding like the tide.

At almost the exact same instant he withdrew his perception,

in Room No. 3 of the Celestial Building at the Yuelai Inn,

Mr. Xu, who had been sitting cross-legged on the bed like a clay statue, suddenly snapped his eyes open!

In the dim light, his eyes shone like cold stars.

His sharp, falcon-like gaze instantly swept over every corner of the room:

the window lattice, under the table, the beams above, behind the door...

Nothing escaped his sight, down to the smallest detail.

There was nothing out of the ordinary.

No residual Energy or traces of being watched.

That feeling of being watched just now had been extremely brief, almost imperceptible.

It felt more like a vague, general scan of the room rather than something aimed specifically at him.

The sharp glint in Mr. Xu’s eyes slowly receded, returning to the profound calm of a still well.

Mr. Xu let out a soft breath. A white stream of air shot out over a foot long, lingering for a long time before dispersing.

"Perhaps... it was my imagination," Mr. Xu muttered to himself, closing his eyes once more.

His presence once again returned to a state of Nirvana, as if he had merged with the shadows in the room.

Lu Jing’an withdrew his focus and picked up a piece of hibiscus chicken.

Chen Xuan sat across from Lu Jing’an. Although he didn’t know what Lu Jing’an had just done,

he could sense that Lu Jing’an had definitely done something.

Chen Xuan wasn’t curious enough to press the matter.

After taking a bite of chicken, Lu Jing’an said to Chen Xuan, "Master, what do you make of that Mr. Xu?"

"He is no common mortal."

Chen Xuan gave a simple, five-word assessment.

But the weight behind those five words was immense.

For someone of Chen Xuan’s power and discernment to give such an evaluation,

it was clear that this Mr. Xu’s abilities were truly extraordinary.

Lu Jing’an’s judgment was the same as Chen Xuan’s.

However, Lu Jing’an couldn’t continue his investigation for now.

He would have to think of a more subtle method to probe him.

In any case, with him just one street over, it would still be easy for Lu Jing’an to investigate.

...

「Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month—the Little New Year’s in Yin Mountain County.」

On this day, everyone in the Lu Mansion rose early.

According to local customs, people didn’t eat dumplings for the Little New Year’s.

Instead, they gathered to eat tangyuan, symbolizing "reunion" and "a sweet life."

The kitchen was bustling before dawn, kneading fine glutinous rice flour.

Fillings such as black sesame, peanut, and osmanthus sugar were all prepared.

In the flower hall, Lu Huaiqian, Lu Jing’an, and Chen Xuan took their seats in order.

Mr. Xu, as the guest of honor, was also invited to the head of the table.

Steaming hot, plump white tangyuan were served in blue-and-white porcelain bowls.

The clear broth in the bowls reflected the round dumplings, and a few dried osmanthus flowers were sprinkled on top.

Steam wafted up, carrying a sweet, fragrant aroma.

Everyone ate in silence, the porcelain spoons clinking softly against the rims of the bowls.

The soft, crisp sounds created a seemingly warm atmosphere, yet it was tinged with the stagnancy of the calm before a great battle.

After they finished the tangyuan, the servants cleared the bowls and replaced them with fresh tea.

Mr. Xu wiped the corners of his mouth with a snow-white handkerchief and was the first to break the silence.

His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried clearly to everyone’s ears:

"Everyone, the Little New Year’s has passed, and the old year will soon be behind us.

These next few days are the true turning of the year."

Mr. Xu’s gaze slowly swept over Lu Huaiqian, Lu Jing’an, and Chen Xuan as he continued,

"This reunion meal of tangyuan was quite delicious.

But I wonder if we will have the fortune to share the New Year’s Eve dinner at the same table?

The success or failure of this venture now rests entirely on your invaluable assistance."

Lu Huaiqian set down his teacup, tapped his knuckles twice on the hardwood table, and said in a low voice,

"Rest assured, Mr. Xu. I have made all the preparations I can.

The warehouses, the docks, the guards within the mansion, and our outside informants are all in position.

Now, we just have to wait and see when Bai Ting makes his move, and what that move will be."

Mr. Xu nodded slightly, the corners of his mouth seeming to curve into an extremely faint, almost invisible arc.

"Patriarch Lu is always thorough in his affairs. As for Bai Ting..."

He raised his eyes, his gaze seeming to pierce through the flower hall’s windows toward the river port to the east.

"He will certainly arrive today."

The moment his voice fell, as if to prove his words true,

a series of hurried, yet deliberately softened, footsteps could be heard from the corridor outside the hall.

The steward’s figure appeared at the doorway.

He didn’t barge straight in, but first cast a glance at Lu Huaiqian, seeking permission.

Lu Huaiqian nodded. "Come in and report."

The steward walked in quickly, first bowing to everyone present.

Only then did he lean close to Lu Huaiqian’s side, cover his mouth with his hand, and swiftly whisper a few sentences.

After listening, Lu Huaiqian’s expression remained unchanged, but his gaze grew a few shades heavier.

He waved his hand, and the steward bowed and retreated.

Once the steward had left, Lu Huaiqian looked around at the group and calmly relayed the news he had just received:

"Bai Ting’s advance force has arrived.

Four small steam-powered cutters, reinforced with steel plates, have blockaded all waterways in and out of Yin Mountain Port.

There are about two hundred soldiers aboard, equipped with rapid-fire guns and light cannons.

They have already taken over the port patrol, allowing passage out but not in.

All civilian boats have been ordered to the sides for inspection, and all loading and unloading operations at the docks have been halted."

Two hundred men!

Four armed steam cutters!

Aside from Mr. Xu, everyone else at the table frowned slightly.

With rebel fires raging everywhere, Bai Ting’s garrison forces are spread thin putting them out.

According to Mr. Xu’s intelligence, his total mobile force numbers no more than two thousand.

To now divert a tenth of his elite troops, along with precious steam cutters, to blockade the port of a small county like Yin Mountain...

The level of importance he placed on this was still surprising.

The hall fell silent for a moment, leaving only the sound of the north wind whistling past the windows.

It carried flurries of snow, which pattered against the window paper.

The soft RUSTLING sound only served to emphasize the heavy atmosphere inside.

The storm had reached the city walls.