"It's not that I'm unwilling to help, but that I'm powerless. If my sister doesn't believe me, she can search the manor freely. If she finds a large sum of silver, I'll give it to you directly," Wu Caiwei said, looking at her with a sincere expression.
Seeing her genuine eyes, Bai Shuxue couldn't help but wonder, had the general misjudged?
Indeed, when he first mentioned this matter to her, she hadn't believed it either. Bai Yulan, that bumpkin who grew up in the countryside, had such great capabilities?
But the general had spoken so confidently that she had no choice but to believe him, and for a time, she was at a loss.
When she met the general again, seeing his questioning gaze, Bai Shuxue could only shake her head helplessly.
The Zhenguo General's eyes narrowed involuntarily, and everyone's lunch was somewhat unenjoyable.
After the meal, the Zhengguo General specifically found Master Bai. "There's something I'd like to ask, if it's appropriate."
"We are all family. Just say what you need to, son-in-law," Master Bai said, his spirits raised as he prepared to deal with the situation. In his opinion, anything that the Zhenguo General would personally ask must be extraordinary.
"My sister is not young. Why has she remained unmarried for so many years? I have many generals with good family backgrounds under my command; she can choose any of them," the Zhenguo General mentioned, seemingly casually.
"This matter is a long story. Actually, your sister is already engaged, but it hasn't been announced publicly. I apologize for troubling you with her affairs," Master Bai said, immediately concocting a lie. He didn't know why the general was so concerned about his daughter's marriage, but there must be a reason.
"Oh? Who is the other party? How have I never heard of them?" the Zhenguo General asked, looking at him with interest.
"I promised your sister that I wouldn't tell anyone, but you'll know in a few months," Master Bai said, feigning mystery.
Upon hearing this, the Zhenguo General didn't press further. Since they had reached this point, there was no point in asking more. He didn't doubt the veracity of the matter, especially since he had said he would know in a few months.
His objective unmet, the Zhenguo General made small talk with them, and soon after, he took his leave.
After seeing off the couple, Master Bai quickly recounted the Zhenguo General's words to his daughter.
"What do you think he's plotting?" Master Bai asked, voicing his doubts.
Wu Caiwei also recounted her conversation with Bai Shuxue that day. Master Bai fell silent. He had some idea of how well his daughter's business had been doing over the years; she had probably made a lot of money. However, his daughter likely didn't have much silver on hand. If he guessed correctly, it had all been sent to that person.
"From now on, you must be careful. Today's probing clearly shows they have noticed you," Master Bai said. He believed that with his daughter's intelligence, she would have already thought of this, but he couldn't help but caution her.
Wu Caiwei nodded quickly, knowing he was concerned about her.
From then on, Wu Caiwei continued as before, going to the shop and returning home, never lingering outside.
Even so, she felt that she was being followed every day.
An Feng arrived in the capital at the appointed time to collect the silver. This time, although he sat in the lobby for a long time, the shopkeeper acted as if he hadn't seen him. Even when Wu Caiwei passed by him once, she didn't even glance at him.
An Feng's heart sank. It seemed something had changed.
At night, he avoided everyone and secretly slipped into the shopkeeper's house. As soon as the shopkeeper saw him, he pulled him inside, glanced around outside, and quickly shut the door.
"I knew you would come tonight. I've been waiting," the shopkeeper said with a hint of pride.
"Quickly, tell me what's going on!" An Feng asked anxiously.
"Someone has set their sights on the employer's silver. They've been sending people to track us every day. The employer fears exposure, so she hasn't dared to contact you."
"Who is that person?"
"The Zhenguo General."
An Feng was about to ask more when he suddenly heard the sound of a roof tile breaking above. The sound was very faint, but it didn't escape his ears.
He quickly rushed out of the room and leaped onto the roof. He saw two men in black about to escape.
He immediately drew his sword and pursued them. The two men in black didn't expect him to react so quickly. Seeing that escape was impossible, they had no choice but to fight head-on.
An Feng, facing two opponents, had a slight advantage, but capturing them was not an easy task.
The two men in black knew that if they delayed any longer, no one would be able to leave. They exchanged a glance. One of them charged forward desperately, while the other took the opportunity to escape.
An Feng tried to intercept him, but he was repeatedly blocked by the other person's desperate fighting style. By the time he dealt with the person blocking him, the other had already fled.
After a moment of thought, he quickly turned back and told the shopkeeper about the situation, asking him to inform Wu Caiwei tomorrow to be extra careful.
Then, led by the shopkeeper, he left with the silver that very night.
That same night, the Zhenguo General received the news. He stroked his chin. "So, someone has gotten there first. It's a pity that you couldn't find out who that person was and instead alerted them."
"I deserve death," the man kneeling on the ground was revealed to be the fleeing man in black.
"It's not entirely your fault. In my eyes, your martial arts are already quite formidable. Who knew he could fight two opponents alone? It seems the person behind her must be extraordinary."
"What should we do now?" the man in black asked, full of self-reproach.
"As she said, she's not the only one who knows how to do business in this world. The Liu and Lin families are also quite capable. After all, they have been in business for generations. I believe their accumulated wealth must be considerable, but I don't know if they have a master," the Zhenguo General thought there was no need to be fixated on one target. Knowing that she had a master, he quickly shifted his focus.
"Your servant knows what to do. Please grant your master a chance to atone for his mistakes," the man in black kowtowed, hoping to make amends.
"This is your last chance. You know I don't keep idle people around me. Don't disappoint me," the Zhenguo General said, looking at him meaningfully.
"Thank you, master. I will not mess things up this time."
The Zhenguo General nodded, waved his hand, and let him leave.
The next day, as soon as Wu Caiwei arrived at the shop, the shopkeeper pulled her aside and recounted yesterday's events.
Wu Caiwei nodded, indicating that she understood. After a moment of thought, she felt that this was not bad. As long as she was careful, he should not be able to investigate Huangfu Xingchen and would stop watching her.
Things unfolded as she had expected. The tails that had been following her disappeared that day.
However, this incident also indicated that the competition had intensified. She believed that it wouldn't be long before someone made a major move.