"Alright, darling, just for a little while. And just a little... slurping. Let’s not make too much noise, or someone might hear." Su Liyan always did indulge Lu Yuan.

’Getting frisky in a carriage really does have a special kind of charm.’

’A little "blowing" without the "raining" is pretty great in a carriage, too.’

"Mmm~ Darling~" SLURP~

The clatter of horse hooves grew closer...

"Riders approaching from the rear!" the leader of the Firearms Team shouted.

’Who the hell is it? Don’t they know I’m busy?’ Lu Yuan cursed silently, his mood soured.

Lu Yuan and Su Liyan hastily straightened their clothes.

Strands of hair clung to the sides of her forehead, her face flushed like a ripe apple. Her lower body had also returned to its human form.

A troop of over a hundred horsemen swarmed up from behind, flanking them.

One contingent blocked the path ahead of Lu Yuan’s party, while another stopped behind them.

It was clear they were the targets.

’Great,’ Lu Yuan thought. ’Another problem, and right in King Lu’s territory. This must be about that Spirit Binder incident from a few days ago.’

"Everyone in the carriage, out now! The Sixth Commandery Prince of Prince Lu’s Mansion is here. Show yourselves!" a Mansion Guard holding an Iron Sword bellowed.

Lu Yuan, having arranged his clothes, slowly and deliberately stepped down from the carriage.

"To what do we owe the pleasure of the Commandery Prince’s visit?" Lu Yuan didn’t bother coddling these people, offering only a perfunctory cupped-fist salute.

Gu Zhaolian might be afraid of his wife at home, but he acted tough outside, with a bit of a ruffian’s swagger.

"You punk! Among those Spirit Binders you killed a few days ago, one was my brother-in-law. How dare you be so bold!"

Lu Yuan understood perfectly. This was all about the Spirit Binders. The true reasons behind that incident were too complicated to explain clearly.

’But one thing is certain: those bastards deserved to die for trash-talking my wife.’

’In this day and age, why can’t humans and Half-Demons coexist? Even Empress Ma sanctioned it, granting them a place to live.’

’It was those Spirit Binders who were always arrogant and ran their mouths. Their loose tongues are what got them killed.’

But Lu Yuan couldn’t say any of that. After all, Gu Zhaolian was here to demand so-called "justice."

"Ah? Your brother-in-law? I had no idea. A few days ago, we were set upon by bandits."

The lie rolled off Lu Yuan’s tongue effortlessly.

First, he established his own official status, then he claimed they were attacked by bandits.

’The local County Magistrate and Officials probably wouldn’t have given a very detailed report, anyway.’

’That way, taking down some bandits would be a perfectly justifiable and routine matter for a government official.’

"You!" Gu Zhaolian, still on his horse, pointed at Lu Yuan, momentarily at a loss for words.

Then he shouted, "You are but a mere County Magistrate, yet you kill the innocent without even investigating the truth! Men, seize him and take him to my mansion!"

The Mansion Guards surged forward in unison, Iron Swords in hand, closing in on Lu Yuan and his party.

With a single, sharp motion, the Firearms Team raised their Firearms, creating a standoff.

Ever since they had gotten used to using Flintlock Guns and now these Firearms, it had been a while since the Travelers at Lu Yuan’s side had needed to draw the Iron Swords from their backs.

However, this band of Mansion Guards didn’t recognize the Firearms, nor did they know what they were for.

To them, they were probably just fire pokers. After all, there were quite a few Travelers among these Mansion Guards as well.

A Traveler usually carried two swords on their back: one Iron Sword and one Wooden Sword.

The Iron Sword to command the world, the Wooden Sword to smite evil spirits.

Therefore, in the eyes of these Mansion Guards, these Firearms were definitely not Dharma Artifacts. That meant they were just for posturing—an empty bluff.

A fight was about to break out...

"Stop!" A powerful, resounding voice called out from the distance.

You had to admit, Gu Gaoxu was like Lu Yuan’s doting wife, always showing up. Their relationship was certainly a bit ambiguous.

No, not ambiguous—they were practically inseparable.

Yandu was quite a long way from King Lu’s fiefdom.

Yet Gu Gaoxu didn’t seem to mind the arduous journey, traveling back and forth to find Lu Yuan.

Gu Gaoxu was a large man on a large horse, and he too was followed by a contingent of men.

His mounted retinue consisted of only two servants and a dozen or so soldiers.

"Well now, Cousin, what brings you here?" Gu Zhaolian said, turning and dismounting to greet him.

Gu Gaoxu paid him no mind, riding straight past.

He rode up to Lu Yuan’s side, dismounted, and gave him a big hug, clapping him on the back.

He really was a character, straightforward and a little... goofy.

"Brother Lu, I’ve finally caught up to you..." Gu Gaoxu said cheerfully. "This time I came from the Northwest, and those refugees..."

Gu Zhaolian was utterly dumbfounded. The man hadn’t even spared him a glance.

They chatted away as if no one else was there. Where did that leave Gu Zhaolian?

After a brief chat to catch up, Gu Gaoxu glanced back over his shoulder at Gu Zhaolian and said in a cold voice, "What is it?"

The shift in attitude was like night and day. With a helpless look on his face, Gu Zhaolian said, "This man killed someone from my mansion, he..."

"Enough!" Gu Gaoxu cut him off with a wave of his hand. "You and I met a few times when we were children. Let this matter drop."

Seeing Gu Gaoxu’s attitude, Gu Zhaolian swallowed hard. But then he remembered his wife at home, wailing and screaming.

He couldn’t just let this go. How would he explain it to his wife?

’She’s my new wife. What if she withholds her favor in the bedroom over this?’

Gu Zhaolian steeled himself. "Cousin, stay out of this. I am taking this man in, no matter what!"

"Little brother, have you lost your mind?" Gu Gaoxu’s expression darkened. "You’re just the son of a concubine. Take your men and scram, now!"

To call him "little brother" was already a great courtesy. He was, after all, just one of King Lu’s illegitimate sons. He was truly shameless, pushing his luck like this.

Utterly humiliated and disgraced, Gu Zhaolian resentfully stepped aside, having lost all face in front of his subordinates.

The Mansion Guards he had brought with him also knew to back down, retreating to either side and simply watching as Lu Yuan’s party departed...

Gu Zhaolian’s hands trembled, furious and utterly thwarted.