"As the City Lord of Chuzhou, you are completely unaware of such an incident occurring within your city!"
Lu Fan looked at the Chuzhou City Lord with a cold expression, saying, "I think you might as well not be the City Lord at all!"
"It is my subordinate's dereliction of duty!"
The Chuzhou City Lord quickly bowed, his eyes filled with innocence.
He actually wanted to get to the bottom of this matter, but his strength was limited. If it was indeed the work of people from an ancient sect, it was beyond his control.
"Xiao Fan, we should go," Lin Ke said. "It seems we won't get any answers here!"
Lu Fan turned to leave with some helplessness. As the Chuzhou City Lord said, if it was the work of an ancient sect, it was beyond his control.
"It seems we can't stay in Chuzhou!" Lu Fan declared. "After the New Year, I will bring Grandma and the others back to Longdu!"
"I was thinking the same thing!" Lin Ke nodded. "Your identity is sensitive now, and Grandma and the others are indeed in considerable danger."
Upon returning to the villa, Lu Fan found the table laden with dishes, most of which were his favorites.
"Xiao Fan, come and sit!" Yang Shiyun smiled. "It's New Year's Eve, and after dinner, I'll take you for a stroll!"
"Nonsense!" Yang Shiwen glared. "Xiao Fan just returned not long ago and needs to rest. We can't tire him out!"
"It's fine!" Lu Fan said with a smile. "We wanted to see it too, after all, it's a rare visit!"
"That's right, I'll accompany you all then!" Old Madam Yang chimed in. "I haven't been out in a long time either, so it's good to join the fun!"
"That's great!" Yang Zixin smiled. "Normally, when we ask Grandma to go out, she never agrees. But now it's different!"
"That's natural. You should see who's here!" Yang Shiyun teased, a faint smile on her face.
"You all should eat more!" Old Madam Yang looked at Long Yi and Lin Ke. "We'll all go together later!"
Long Yi and Lin Ke nodded, both smiling.
Not long after, the group arrived at the center of Chuzhou City.
It was bustling with activity, adorned with lanterns and various stalls selling calligraphy and paintings, and riddles to guess. It was a lively scene.
However, amidst the crowd, several figures in black were present, looking displeasured, as if observing something.
"Lord Hei Yu, we have gathered information!" a man in black reported. "If we can capture the Old Madam Yang, it will surely throw him into a panic and force him to hand over the Tai Xu Sword!"
"Old Madam Yang?" Hei Yu narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing within them. He had come to Chuzhou for the three divine swords, and he would not let go of any opportunity.
"If they split up, strike them one by one!" Hei Yu said coldly. "This way, they won't be able to manage everything!"
"Your subordinate obeys!" one of the men in black cupped his fist, his expression solemn.
Meanwhile, Old Madam Yang gazed at the fireworks, the various stalls, and the scene before her, appearing quite spirited.
"If only your mother were here! I remember on New Year's Eve, your mother would always go to see the lantern festival with me!"
Lu Fan's body trembled slightly, a wave of sadness washing over him. Old Madam Yang's words brought back memories from many years ago.
However, Lu Fan knew that this was something the Lu family had to endure. As descendants of the ancient Lu clan, they were bound to be drawn into this chaotic world, which was unavoidable.
"Xiao Fan, shall we go on a boat ride?" Yang Zixin asked, looking at the pleasure boats by the river with longing. She was actually afraid of water, but with Lu Fan by her side, she felt no apprehension.
"But Grandma gets seasick!" Lu Fan frowned. "I'm afraid we can't go."
"It's alright, you all go ahead and enjoy the boat ride!" Old Madam Yang smiled. "I'll just stay here, I'm not going anywhere!"
"How about this! I'll stay with Grandma here, and you all go on the boat ride!" Lin Ke said softly. "I'll accompany Grandma for a stroll."
"That's wonderful!" Yang Zixin exclaimed excitedly, pulling Lu Fan towards the pleasure boats by the river. Without Lu Fan by her side, she wouldn't dare to go on a boat ride.
Long Yi and Yang Shiyun followed suit, enjoying the beautiful scenery of Chuzhou from the boat, which was a pleasant choice.
On the boat, Lu Fan sat to the side, while Yang Zixin was busy taking photos, looking quite pleased with herself. The beautiful night scenery made her appear even more radiant.
"Let me take photos for you instead!" Yang Shiyun shook her head. "The ones you're taking aren't good at all!"
Yang Zixin nodded slightly and then struck a few poses.
Long Yi sat quietly nearby, appearing somewhat detached.
"You're also a woman, why aren't you taking photos with them?" Lu Fan asked.
"Perhaps I'm not interested!" Long Yi shrugged. "I'm not very interested in many things, perhaps I can't integrate into this society!"
"You say that like an old person!" Lu Fan chuckled wryly and then added, "But speaking of which, do you feel that the atmosphere tonight is a bit oppressive?"
"I do feel it," Long Yi nodded. "When we boarded the boat earlier, I vaguely sensed a presence, but I wasn't sure."
"People from the Ghost Hall!" Lu Fan suddenly stood up, his expression filled with worry. He had also vaguely sensed a trace of a presence earlier but hadn't paid much attention. However, combined with what Long Yi had just said, it must be someone from the Ghost Hall.
"Don't worry too much. People from the Ghost Hall wouldn't dare to be so blatant!" Long Yi said. "Besides, with us here, if they were to make a move, we could easily deal with them!"
"Don't forget, Black and White Impermanence are extremely powerful. If they were to appear, it would be dangerous!"
"Black and White Impermanence are being pursued by elders of the Ye clan, so they likely wouldn't dare to act rashly!" Long Yi stated. "Experts of their caliber would not put their lives at risk so easily!"
Meanwhile, in the center of the city, Old Madam Yang held Lin Ke's hand. "Xiao Ke, it's my lifelong regret that I couldn't attend your wedding with Xiao Fan. This bracelet is extremely precious. My mother gave it to me personally when I got married!"
Lin Ke was slightly taken aback. Seeing that Old Madam Yang was about to give her the bracelet, she quickly shook her head. "This is not acceptable. If I were to lose such a valuable item, I would feel guilty!"
"It's meant to be passed down from generation to generation. If Xiao Fan's mother were still alive, this bracelet would be with her, and it would eventually be passed to you!" Old Madam Yang said earnestly. "Hurry, give me your hand. Grandma will put it on you personally!"
Lin Ke hesitated but found it difficult to refuse directly, so she put on the bracelet. Seeing this, Old Madam Yang was quite pleased and looked content.