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Chapter 598: Stench
Both of them covered their faces with black cloths. Zhu Yu followed closely in Lu Qing's footsteps, and the two of them wandered around, avoiding all the main roads that people might pass by, and traveled through various winding alleys for a while.

The further Zhu Yu walked, the lower the surrounding houses seemed to become, and the lower and more dilapidated the courtyard walls were. Every now and then, as he passed by a certain section of the road, he could hear dogs barking in the yard.

Even the road surface has become bumpy and uneven, and it feels slippery underfoot when you walk on it, which is completely different from the flat bluestone road in the high-rise courtyard.

It was pitch black all around, and Zhu Yu couldn't quite tell which way to go, so he followed Lu Qing step by step.

Fortunately, her physical strength wasn't particularly bad to begin with, and after she started learning self-defense techniques from Lu Qing, she practiced diligently every day, which also made her more stamina than before. She walked very fast without feeling any strain.

Finally, after turning into a small alley, Lu Qing slowed down, took Zhu Yu's hand with one hand, and walked slowly forward, carefully observing the surrounding environment.

When they reached the end of the alley, which was completely blocked by a wall, it was a dead end. Zhu Yu was still wondering if they had gone to the wrong place when Lu Qing gently squeezed her hand.

"It's right behind this wall." He whispered in Zhu Yu's ear, pointing to the top of the wall in front of them, indicating how the two of them should get there.

Zhu Yu nodded in the darkness, and fearing that Lu Qing couldn't see clearly, he squeezed Lu Qing's hand in return.

Lu Qing laughed silently, and without wasting any more time, he squatted slightly and pushed off the ground to stand up. At the same time, he stretched out his long arms and climbed onto the top of the wall. In the blink of an eye, he had already nimbly leaped onto the top of the wall.

He bent down again and reached out his hand to Zhu Yu.

Zhu Yu quickly stood on tiptoe and grabbed his hand. As he pulled her up, she used the wall for leverage, and Lu Qing quickly climbed to the top of the wall without much effort.

This was her first time climbing a wall, and the process went so smoothly that she was quite moved.

Although she didn't need to undergo various physical fitness tests in her previous life, she would still go out of curiosity to watch her colleagues from other departments train and see how they quickly climbed over two-meter-high walls.

I saw it at the time and it left an impression on me. I never thought it would come in handy today.

It's true that having many skills is never a bad thing, and nothing you learn is ever wasted.

Once Lu Qing confirmed that Zhu Yu had regained his balance on the wall, he jumped down first.

Despite his tall and muscular build, he jumped down with remarkable agility and barely made a sound when he landed.

He steadied himself, looked up and gestured to Zhu Yu on the wall, then opened his arms.

Without hesitation, Zhu Yu jumped down and instantly landed in Lu Qing's prepared embrace. With a twist of his body, he dissipated the force of her fall, and Zhu Yu's two feet landed firmly on the ground.

Lu Qing did not immediately let go of her waist; his eyes looked bright in the darkness, as if he was in a very good mood.

Zhu Yu knew without asking what this guy was happy about.

It was just a wall that was so high just now. He only gave a slight indication, and then he jumped down without hesitation. That complete trust without any worry made him feel happy again.

Zhu Yu couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.

Over the years, Lu Qing must have longed for a true family, a relationship closer and more trusting than that of a master and apprentice or allies. However, this kind of thing, so commonplace for others, was something Lu Qing hadn't dared to hope for in the past twenty years.

However, she quickly put away these wild thoughts, because a faint yet incredibly familiar scent wafted into her nose on the gentle evening breeze.

She gestured to Lu Qing, and the two of them quietly crept into the courtyard, heading towards the only room in the small courtyard.

On the way here, Zhu Yu had wondered if someone had deliberately revealed Gu Lingyun's hiding place to Liu Yueyao's informant in order to lure Lu Qing and himself here, and that a trap had been set up for them to fall into.

But then she thought about it again and dismissed her worry.

Whether Lu Qing was the carefree prince or the golden-faced censor, he had done a lot for Emperor Jin. As a result, he had been offending people for Emperor Jin all along. Now that he had been caught doing something wrong, not only were his fellow disciples beheaded, but he himself was also demoted to a commoner.

At this critical juncture, framing Lu Qing again would at most cost him his head, but Lu Qing, even if he were alive and kicking, would not be able to threaten any force at all.

If Lu Qing were alive, Emperor Jin would have one more enemy in this world. Even if Lu Qing himself did nothing, he could still be used as a "tool" to kill someone else and take the blame for plotting against Emperor Jin.

Moreover, the mastermind behind the fake lord initially had the same idea: to instigate and fan the flames, to ignite Lu Qing's hatred for Emperor Jin, so that he would impulsively kill the emperor in a fit of rage, thus eliminating Emperor Jin and plunging the world into chaos, giving those who had been hiding in the shadows an opportunity to take advantage.

Of course, this plan was unworkable; Lu Qing wasn't fooled at all.

However, the fake fortress lord who knew very well that Lu Qing wouldn't fall for it had long been devoured by the fish in the mansion of the High Priest of the Brahma Kingdom, Ishaen, until not even a bone or scrap remained.

Therefore, they probably couldn't figure out Lu Qing's actual thoughts either.

In this situation, Lu Qing, who is alive, is more valuable than the one who is dead.

Once she understood this, she had no more worries and felt at ease.

The two arrived at the door of the small house and found that although the door was closed, the window was open with a crack large enough for a cat to easily squeeze through.

You know, the Double Ninth Festival has already passed, and the nights are already a bit chilly. You need to wrap yourself tightly in a quilt to sleep. Under normal circumstances, it would be impossible to leave the window open, or you would definitely catch a cold.

Moreover, upon reaching this window, the faint, almost imperceptible stench of decay seemed to intensify.

Zhu Yu reached out and gently, little by little, opened the window a crack.

Some of the old hinges creaked in the quiet night, and Zhu Yu immediately paused, straining his ears to listen.

There was still no sound from inside the house.

So she became bolder and more certain of her previous speculation. Her actions became less hesitant and more decisive, and she directly opened the two windows that were originally half-closed.

A foul stench suddenly wafted out of the room.