Why did you provoke me?

Nangong Tianshou has made contact with his own people. He has many questions to ask, and there are also many problems waiting for him to solve.

This is also why Secretary Wu went into hiding.

After going around in circles, Nangong was indeed already sitting there drinking his honey water.

"They promised to make a splash, but it won't last long."

"Alright, let them prioritize their own safety. If they can save us, they will. There's no reason for us to risk our own people to save these outsiders."

Nangong Tianshou felt pleased to hear this.

"Don't worry, he's one of my trusted confidants."

"Then let's wait for news. Do you want to go back to sleep?" Secretary Wu kindly suggested.

"Hmm, it's fine to go back and sleep for a while." Nangong readily agreed; his body wouldn't allow him to be willful.

……

First Battlefield

The captain of the tenth squad, following instructions from Secretary Wu, found an opportunity to enter the dense forest. He found Butler Han and waved his communication bell in front of him.

Butler Han was stunned for a moment, then his eyes lit up, and his lips trembled, "Really?"

The captain of the tenth squad nodded. "I know you. When our goods were seized, it was you who said you knew our superior that the Zhu family released them. There were very important things in that shipment."

Hou Yulin didn't say anything, he just squatted down next to her with a water bottle, occasionally feeding Han the housekeeper a sip.

The squad leader assessed their condition and left behind his medical supplies. "Can you still walk?"

"Yes!" Butler Han said confidently, even if it seemed impossible, it had to be possible at this point.

"That's good. I'm leaving now. I'll have someone bring some food over in a bit."

After everyone had walked away, Hou Yulin asked in a low voice, "Uncle Han, who are they?"

"People from Jingchuan."

"Huh?" Hou Yulin looked at Butler Han in surprise.

"That's Jingchuan's unique way of recognizing people. Secretary Wu demonstrated it when he delivered the communication bell."

"How come I didn't know?"

"Back then, how could an ordinary person have come to you? I didn't tell you." Butler Han sighed, he had no recollection of what the squad leader had mentioned. He hadn't expected them to remember such a small matter, and now they were even repaying him. This Jingchuan was truly worth befriending!

That night, the squad leader came again and guided them safely through the exit.

Hou Yulin's gaze towards him changed. This guy was too capable! How could such a capable person be content to be just a squad leader?

He turned his head twice, as if to say something, but Butler Han pulled him away quickly.

As they exited the battlefield, a car was parked in the shadows. A man in black robes approached, flashing his communication bell. Without a word, he led the person to the car, bowed politely, and then disappeared into the night.

Butler Han waved his hand, and the guards quickly got into the car. Butler Han didn't care what Hou Yulin was thinking and shoved him into the car. "We'll talk about it when we get to a safe place."

Hou Yulin knew the gravity of the situation, so he remained silent and complied with Steward Han's arrangements.

The car quickly disappeared into the night, and a man in black robes emerged from behind a tree not far away.

Then another car picked him up and quickly disappeared.

Jingyi opened her voicemail and sent a message to Secretary Wu: "Mission complete."

"Return to the team."

Secretary Wu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Nangong Tianshou sat there watching him reply to messages, and couldn't help but ask, "Did it work?"

Secretary Wu nodded. "We can both get a good night's sleep tonight."

……

In the car.

Hou Yulin finally couldn't hold back any longer, "Uncle Han, where are we going? Back to Kyoto?"

Butler Han shook his head. "I'm not going back."

"What exactly happened? Why did Uncle say that? Where is Grandpa? Is it really as Uncle said?"

Butler Han didn't look at him. "I don't know the specifics either. I received orders from the head of the family to come to the first battlefield to rescue you. They said that the second master, in collusion with the Wang family, drugged him. Before I could ask what was going on, the communication bell went dead."

"You mean my second uncle... he poisoned Grandpa?" Hou Yulin asked, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"Why? That's his own father! How dare he do that? Uncle Han, did you hear me correctly?"

"Young Master, you'll have to investigate all of this yourself. I'm afraid I can't help you anymore." His voice trailed off, growing softer and softer until Butler Han leaned over the front of the driver's seat.

It was only then that Hou Yulin realized something was wrong with Steward Han.

"Uncle Han, what's wrong?" He reached out to grab Butler Han's hand, and the coldness of the hand startled him. "Uncle Han, Uncle Han, what's wrong? Don't scare me, Uncle Han," Hou Yulin cried out in a sob.

The head of the guards driving the car pursed his lips. "Young Master, Butler Han has been shot and is bleeding profusely."

"Huh?" Hou Yulin turned to look at him. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

The captain of the guards looked at the road ahead. "Butler Han forbade us to say it. He said there was no point in saying it there, and he was afraid it would distract the young master."

"Isn't there hemostatic medicine? Is that medicine fake?"

"The medicine is real, but the bullet hasn't been removed, and Butler Han was injured at the beginning and still ran for so long." The captain of the guard stopped there.

Hou Yulin looked at the guard captain driving the car, and then at Butler Han, whose body was growing colder and colder.

He covered his face, and then suppressed sobs came from under his hands.

As dawn broke, the car arrived at a small courtyard.

"Where is this?" Hou Yulin asked hoarsely.

"This place is more than 200 miles from the capital. It's Steward Han's own courtyard. He asked us to escort you here."

Hou Yulin got out of the car. He wanted to carry Butler Han down, but the captain of the guards stopped him. "Young Master, you're not fully recovered yet. Let me do it."

Hou Yulin refused, but when he tried to carry him, he almost fell to the ground. The captain of the guard caught him and then carried Butler Han on his own back.

Hou Yulin sat on the ground and pounded the ground twice with his hands. The other guards came over, helped him up, and took him into the house.

They were just guards; they had no right to comfort him.

Hou Yulin watched in bewilderment as they settled Steward Han in the courtyard, set up a mourning tent, offered incense, and kowtowed.

The next day, they buried the person in the ground.

Throughout the entire process, only the captain of the guard asked him if there was anything else he wanted to do.

Hou Yulin just looked at him, unsure of what he should do.

Without receiving an answer, the captain of the guard left. He arranged everything that followed.

This situation continued for seven days. On the eighth day, the captain of the guard arrived. "Young master, what are we going to do?"

"What for?" Hou Yulin repeated.

"We don't have much money left, but we can last for two more days." Hou Yulin stared at him for a long time before realizing what he had said.

He patted his pockets but didn't take anything out.

He never had to worry about these things before, and he never had the habit of carrying money with him.

The captain of the guards knew his young master's habits. But now he had no choice; the guards had run out of money, so he could only come to his master for help.

"Go ask Uncle Han for it. When did I bring any money with me?" Hou Yulin casually ordered.

The captain of the guard stood still. Hou Yulin looked at the captain of the guard who had not moved, and belatedly realized what he had said.

Even with my eyes closed, tears still streamed down my face.