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Chapter 332 Shrunk to an Inch
Whether it was because those golden melon seeds were truly substantial or not, such a generous gesture made the old steward even more convinced of Lu Qing's words. He hurriedly ordered two guards to push open the two brass doors and lead the group inside.

I had imagined that such a tall, imposing gatehouse would lead to a bright and open space inside, but instead, I was met with another high wall. The gray stone bricks completely blocked my view, and I couldn't see anything at all.

"Gentlemen, it's not easy for strangers to find their way in this fortress, so you must stay close to me," the old steward said to them. "The people living in this fortress are mostly farmers and craftsmen who haven't seen much of the world. They're not used to dealing with outsiders. If you take the wrong path, you might be offended by their rudeness, which would be inappropriate."

"Thank you for the reminder, steward. We will follow you." Lu Qing nodded.

The old steward was quite satisfied with his straightforward and uncurious answer, so he led the way.

Zhu Yu followed closely behind Lu Qing, making her feel dizzy and disoriented as they walked along the winding road.

She considered herself to have a pretty good sense of direction. She wouldn't say her ability to remember routes was amazing, and it might be hard to say if she were thrown into the deep mountains and forests, but at least in a fortress like this, she wouldn't get lost.

However, as she and Lu Qing followed behind the old steward, they seemed to be constantly walking through the high, gray walls, and soon they were completely disoriented.

She clearly remembered that they had walked a long straight road under the old steward's guidance before reaching a bend in the road. But when she stopped and turned around to check the way they had come, she found a wall not far behind her, about ten feet away, like a dead end.

This discovery greatly surprised her.

Could it be that she somehow mastered the "shrinking the earth to an inch" technique without even realizing it? Or perhaps the wall came to life and was following them all along?
Regardless of which idea it is, it is truly absurd, and even Zhu Yu himself finds it laughable.

But she was quite certain that the group had walked a very long way, at least ten zhang, let alone one zhang. How could they turn around and find the previous bend right behind them?!

Yan Shu and Lu Yan seemed unaware of all this, continuing on their own. Yan Daoxin also looked very serious, while Lu Zhang probably had some idea as well, his feigned composure revealing a hint of tension.

Zhu Yu calmed herself down and continued walking with Lu Qing, comforting herself that she wasn't alone in this situation, so why panic? With so many heads, surely she could handle this kind of situation.
After walking for an unknown amount of time through many twists and turns, the old steward led them to a small building.

The small building is located in a courtyard. The courtyard is not large, and there is a small pond in it. There are some leaves and flower buds in the pond that Zhu Yu does not know the names of. There is also a small rockery next to the pond. These things add a touch of elegance to this small courtyard.

The building has two floors. The ground floor is a main hall with some tables and chairs, which seems to be used for receiving guests and drinking tea. The stairs on both sides lead directly to the second floor.

"Gentlemen, this is the place our fortress lord usually uses to entertain guests. Please rest here for the day." The old steward looked up at the sky. "I'll have someone bring you tea and food later. Tomorrow, after I've finished arranging the miscellaneous affairs in the fortress, I'll bring samples of dyes and silk for you to see, so you can see if the products of our Immortal Fortress are as superior as outsiders say."

“Old steward, I wonder if the Lord of the Fortress is in the fortress? How about arranging for us to meet with the Lord of the Fortress and have a detailed discussion?” Lu Qing said to the steward. “I always like to finish what I need to do today. Now that we’ve come to Immortal Fortress, there’s no reason to waste the remaining half day.”

"Well... why are you in such a hurry, guests?" The old steward waved his hand somewhat awkwardly. "It's not that I'm delaying making arrangements for you, it's just that things are a bit unfortunate. Our lord has some business to attend to and won't be at the fort for the next few days."

That's why I said that you guys should take a look at the items tomorrow. If you think they're of good quality, we can discuss things clearly first, and then I can send a letter to our lord, asking him to finish dealing with things outside and come back soon.

After all, the supply of goods is not something I can decide. Ultimately, the decision rests with the Lord of the Fortress.

"Please settle down comfortably in the fortress. Don't worry about the Jie bandits outside. The guards of our Immortal Fortress are all highly skilled in martial arts. Those people have never dared to cause trouble here, and they will certainly not bother you again."

Since the lord of the fortress was not there, there was no point in saying anything more. Lu Qing did not say anything more, but thanked the old steward. The old steward let them stay in the small courtyard and gave them a few more instructions. The Immortal Fortress never entertains outsiders, so guests could only stay in this small courtyard. He reminded them not to wander around. Then he hurriedly left alone.

The group sat in the guest hall for a while, and sure enough, several servants brought over a teapot and some fruits. They didn't speak to Zhu Yu and the others, but delivered the things, bowed, and left quickly without ever opening their mouths.

Yan Daoxin took the cups, smelled each one closely, then randomly picked one, filled it with tea, smelled it carefully, took a small sip, smacked his lips, and nodded: "Although the tea isn't anything special, there's no sleeping potion or anything like that in it, so drink it without worry!"

Zhu Yu looked surprised. With Yan Daoxin vouching for him, Lu Qing felt at ease and took the teapot to pour a cup for himself and Zhu Yu. In front of Lu Yan, he couldn't be too intimate, so he handed the teapot to Lu Yan and Lu Zhang, who were sitting on his other side, before saying to Zhu Yu, "When Doctor Yan traveled with my master, he was obsessed with studying medicine and poisons, so he is very authoritative in this field. His sense of smell and taste are exceptionally keen. He can either smell or taste ordinary poisons."

He said it's okay, just drink it without worry.

Zhu Yu then picked up the cup with relief, took a sip of tea, and moistened his slightly parched throat.

She glanced outside to make sure no one was in the courtyard and that the talismans and runes were guarding the entrance before asking the others, "Did any of you feel anything was wrong just now?"

Every time I look back, the road behind me seems different from when I just walked it.

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