Discuss with you

Chapter 354: Soldiers coming to stop them
Lu Qing watched silently, guessing that Yan Daoxin probably already had a general idea, so she wasn't in a hurry to ask.

However, Lu Yan didn't have that much patience and hurriedly asked, "What exactly is this thing? Has the divine doctor recognized it?"

"It's hard to say right now." Yan Daoxin's words were somewhat ambiguous. He mumbled something under his breath, as if talking to himself, and then left with the flower seedling and the drawing he had made.

Of all those present, apart from Yan Shu, everyone knew that Yan Daoxin was a highly accomplished disciple of Qiyun Mountain Man, a renowned medical prodigy who, at a young age, possessed medical skills comparable to those of Qiyun Mountain Man. He also had a somewhat eccentric personality and was not a particularly easygoing person.

So when he wanted to leave, no one stopped him. They couldn't get any answers from him, so they could only watch him walk away.

"When you were up there, did you hear anyone screaming again, like the previous nights?" Zhu Yu asked, breaking the silence as he noticed the group exchanging bewildered glances after Yan Daoxin's departure.

Yan Shu was the first to react, shaking her head: "Now that you ask me, I realize that I really didn't hear anything tonight."

After she finished speaking, Lu Zhang shook his head as well: "I didn't hear anything either."

Lu Yan was still in a bad mood, and he gave a perfunctory "hmm" as if to acknowledge the words of the two people in front of him.

Zhu Yu frowned and fell into deep thought.

Seeing this, Lu Qing didn't disturb her, but simply said to the others, "Tonight, without that floral fragrance, we didn't fall asleep as easily as before."

Since that's the case, there's no need to gather together and watch over each other anymore; it's better for everyone to go back and rest.

Everyone here is quite alert; please make sure to close the doors and windows when you're asleep at night and stay a little vigilant.

Based on what happened the previous few nights, those people probably won't come to bother us at night.

"When soldiers come, we'll meet them head-on; when water comes, we'll dam it. It's also important that we stay mentally prepared to deal with those people."

Lu Zhang nodded hurriedly in agreement.

He has really suffered a lot these past two days. Although he has always followed his maternal grandfather since he was a child, he always had to listen to his instructions and arrangements, which made him feel somewhat uncomfortable. He would also be blamed from time to time for his poor handling of things. But after all, he was in the capital, where everything was comfortable and convenient.

This time, he was ordered to patrol the border alone. Not only was the journey arduous, but the bedding in the outer camps was also not as comfortable as that in the Prince's Palace. He had no time to appreciate the many beautiful sights along the way because he was traveling day and night.

All of this had already taken its toll on him. All he could manage was a few days of comfort at the Prince Shuo's mansion. But then he turned around and ended up in this eerie Immortal Fortress, where he had to be on guard against being harmed at any time.

He couldn't eat properly, and he barely had a chance to close his eyes while sleeping. He was almost at his breaking point.

Seeing his apparent agreement, Yan Shu turned her face to the side and rolled her eyes where Lu Yan wouldn't see. "You should go back and rest too. Who knows what new situations we'll face tomorrow? Being well-rested is essential," Zhu Yu said to her, noticing her reaction.

Yan Shu naturally gave Zhu Yu more face. Hearing what she said, she nodded, stood up, nodded to Lu Qing, and then turned and left.

Her departure drew the attention of Lu Yan, who had been frowning just moments before. He watched in surprise as Yan Shu walked out of the room and disappeared through the doorway. When he came back to his senses and looked at Lu Zhang, who was still sitting awkwardly at the table and hadn't had time to get up, a hint of mockery appeared on his face.

“I originally thought my second brother was the kind of person who was arrogant and unapproachable, but I didn’t expect him to be so kind-hearted,” he said, as if trying to vent his anger. His tone was so sarcastic that he didn’t even bother to hide it. “Your chief clerk is quite arrogant! Before the master has even spoken, he’s already gone back to rest on his own.”

This allowed me to see a rare, unknown side of my second brother's kindness.

Normally, Lu Zhang would never sit idly by when he heard such words; he would definitely retort and not let Lu Yan gain any advantage over him.

However, the person Lu Yan was teasing was not an ordinary chief secretary of the Prince's mansion, but Yan Shu, the betrothed lady whom he himself only realized belatedly recognized, and this matter absolutely could not be discovered by outsiders.

So Lu Zhang could only swallow his bitterness and suffer in silence.

“Brother, you should rest early too. We can discuss anything tomorrow morning, or at least wait for the divine physician to have a conclusion.” He stood up, pretending not to have heard Lu Yan’s sarcastic remarks, greeted Lu Qing, nodded to Zhu Yu, and then turned and left.

At this point, apart from Lu Qing and Zhu Yu, only Lu Yan remained sitting at the table, not moving.

"You should get some rest too. Whatever it is, we should discuss it tomorrow morning. There's no point in staying up like this," Lu Qing advised when she saw Lu Yan not moving.

"Brother, I'm not reconciled." Lu Yan took a deep breath to try to maintain a normal tone of voice and not sound too agitated. "Since the sleeping incense in this courtyard is gone tonight, why can't we leave tonight, go back to the camp to mobilize troops, and then storm in at dawn, catching them off guard and annihilating them without leaving a single survivor?!"

My men were murdered, they died a horrible death in the dungeon beneath this building. How can I sleep peacefully here when I think of their gruesome deaths?!

“What your second brother said just now is correct,” Lu Qing’s expression turned serious. “The fact that the seedlings can grow so lush and green even in the dark is itself very strange.”

We still don't know who we heard those voices tonight, nor what those seedlings are. If we rashly rush in at this time, and they destroy crucial evidence, leaving us empty-handed, and the most important lord of the fortress takes the opportunity to escape and hide, never to be found again, will your subordinates be able to rest in peace, or find solace?

Lu Yan was speechless after being asked that question. He was unwilling to accept it, but he couldn't refute it. So, in a fit of pique, he stood up and walked out: "Fine, fine, it's just sleeping! I'll knock myself out, I'm going to sleep tonight!"

He took a few steps, then stopped, turned to look at Zhu Yu who was still sitting at the table, and asked somewhat irritably, "Chief Secretary Yu, didn't you hear my brother say that everyone is going back to rest?!"

What are you still sitting there for? Are you rooted to this chair?!