Around them, the guards and even some of the prisoners cautiously glanced at the Lu family.
The earlier cheerful atmosphere from the offerings had quietly dissipated. They had believed that having a divine protector was the peak of fortune, but now they realized the Lu family had hidden experts in their midst.
It happened so fast—before they could even register what was happening, the person was gone, like they’d seen a ghost!
At this moment, many felt torn between wanting to curry favor with the Lu family and being afraid.
The guards didn’t dare breathe loudly and kept looking at Du Hangwu, silently asking what to do next. If a prisoner attacked a guard, it was considered rebellion and could result in immediate execution.
However, Du Hangwu simply ordered two men to take care of the body. He gave a few instructions to his subordinates but refrained from saying more. He didn’t even question Lu Qing.
The Lu family wasn’t a group they could control. If the Lu family had wanted, they could have wiped out the entire group of guards on the first day out of the capital.
But the Lu family hadn’t done that. In fact, they were the most diligent during the journey, with the fewest complaints, and they even shared whatever good things they had.
The Lu family conducted themselves impeccably, and as their leader, Du Hangwu knew he would have to rely on them in the future. Therefore, whatever the Lu family did or whoever they met, he chose to pretend he didn’t see anything. His men should follow his lead.
Not knowing things you shouldn’t know and not asking questions you shouldn’t ask—this was a lesson Du Hangwu had learned from working under powerful figures in the capital.
As dusk fell, the setting sun cast a glow across the horizon.
Because of fear, those who had been trying to get closer to the Lu family earlier now avoided them.
The sudden shift in attitude confused the Lu family members. Just this morning, those people had been eager to strike up conversations, but now they were as silent as statues.
“Yao Ge, what’s going on? A guard dies, and now nobody talks to us. Do they think we killed him?” one of the Lu clan members scratched his head, clearly baffled.
He glanced at Lu Xingyao and was shocked by what he saw. “Whoa! Ge, why is your face as red as a monkey’s butt!?”
Lu Xingyao waved his hand, reeking of alcohol and hugging an empty bottle. “I’m tired… You’re on night watch tonight. I’m going to sleep inside.”
With that, his body swayed, and he stumbled toward his tent, struggling to stay upright.
The night was serene, the only light coming from the flickering campfire. Distracted, Lu Xingyao tripped over a rock, his body lurching forward. His head was about to slam into another rock on the ground.
Gu Xingzhao had been about to leave but paused when she saw Lu Xingyao staggering, drunk and flushed. He was clearly intoxicated.
As he tripped, Gu Xingzhao instinctively reached out to catch him.
In an instant, Lu Xingyao regained his balance, but his arms, seeking support, latched onto Gu Xingzhao. His grip was tight, as if he had clung to a lifeline, his breath thick with alcohol, pulling her close into an awkward embrace.
Startled, Gu Xingzhao quickly pushed him away.
She was strong, and the drunken Lu Xingyao stumbled backward, landing hard on the uneven ground. His drunken eyes blinked in confusion as he stared ahead.
Through his alcohol-fogged vision, he thought he saw a blurry figure before him, dressed in a flowing red-and-white dress, ethereal like a goddess descending from a painting—untouchable, yet captivating.
Lu Xingyao opened his mouth, but his voice seemed caught in his throat, leaving only the sound of his pounding heart in the silence.
Gu Xingzhao’s brow twitched in disbelief. Hands on her hips, she glared at him. This kid, still so young, and already acting like a drunk lecher?
“Divine… goddess…”
The whispered words made Gu Xingzhao freeze. She stared at Lu Xingyao with wide eyes.
Did she hear him right? What did he just call her?
Their eyes met, and Gu Xingzhao swallowed nervously as the drunk reached out toward her.
Lu Xingyao, still trying to touch the ethereal figure he believed he saw, found only cold air. He squinted, trying to focus, but when he looked again, the vision had vanished, leaving only his tent standing alone ahead of him.
A cool night breeze blew, sobering Lu Xingyao up considerably. His face drained of color. “!!!”
He jumped to his feet and dashed toward the nearest tent.
Gu Xingzhao, startled by his sudden movement, followed instinctively, her heart racing. Could it be that Lu Xingyao had actually seen her?
Bursting into the tent, Lu Xingyao barely noticed his father, uncles, and grandfather sitting inside. He rushed to his grandfather, clinging to his arm and trembling like a leaf. “Grandfather! I… I think I just saw a ghost…”
Gu Xingzhao’s lips trembled: “…” A ghost!?
Lu Qing frowned. “A ghost?”
Lu Zhou was about to scold his son for his reckless behavior, but Lu Yang’s curiosity got the better of him. “Nephew, what kind of ghost did you see?”
Even Lu Xingyan was now watching Lu Xingyao intently.
Lu Xingyao swallowed hard, “It was a female ghost… I saw her wearing a red… no, white dress!”
“She was really beautiful…”
Gu Xingzhao raised an eyebrow, her expression a mix of surprise and amusement. “A female ghost in red and white?” she muttered to herself.
Lu Xingyao: “She’s a pervert! I was about to go back to the tent to sleep, but she came up and hugged me and wouldn’t let go!”
Lu Yang’s eyes widened. “Oh my goodness! Meeting a pervert in the wilderness? Is this something out of a storybook?”
Nephew, I hope you haven’t read too many storybooks and developed hysteria.
Gu Xingzhao’s face darkened.
She clenched her fists so hard that they creaked. She wanted to cut Lu Xingyao into eight pieces and throw him into the sea to feed the fish!
Meanwhile, Lu Xingyao continued to cling to Lu Qing, crying. He had heard that those haunted by female ghosts wouldn’t live long.
“Grandfather, please ask our ancestors to see if the female ghost has left. Please stop bothering me. I’m still young.”
Lu Xingyan, standing nearby, seemed thoughtful. A beautiful female ghost? Could it be… His gaze lingered on his nephew, and a faint smile appeared at the corners of his mouth as he pondered.
Lu Qing detected a strong, familiar smell of alcohol on his grandson. He narrowed his eyes and asked, “Have you been drinking?”
Lu Xingyao, half drunk and half awake, nodded.
Lu Qing smiled and said, “Is there any left? Give Grandfather a sip too.”
At that moment, Lu Xingyao was too dazed to think clearly and handed over the thermos bottle he was clutching tightly.
When Lu Qing opened the bottle, the familiar aroma of wine filled the air. It was empty—only the smell remained.
The mystery was solved: his grandson had drunk all the wine and left none for him, the old grandfather.
Still talking about ghosts? Clearly, he was the only drunkard here!
A while later, after being thrown out of the tent by his father and uncle, Lu Xingyao wondered, “What just happened?”
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