Mountain Patrol Military Officer
Chapter 432 - 345: Undercurrents and Lurking Dangers (Request for Monthly Ticket)

Chapter 432: Chapter 345: Undercurrents and Lurking Dangers (Request for Monthly Ticket)

Several minutes later, in the small courtyard next door, under the apricot tree covered with icicles, two women sat opposite each other.

One dressed in red, with a white lining underneath, a tall figure, a red ribbon tying her high ponytail, carrying a Green Peak Sword on her back, wearing black boots, her eyebrows exuding a heroic spirit.

It was none other than Lian Nichang, who currently serves as a Mountain Patrol Military Officer in Qingshan County!

Opposite her, Fang Qingzhu wore a white robe, her demeanor graceful, her eyes sparkling like stars, a Three Flowers Seal between her brows, which matched the snowy surroundings, giving her an air of subtle elegance.

At that moment, next to the stone table under the tree, a woman with a blue and white flowered kerchief tied over her head, wearing a gray jacket and skirt, and a somewhat bleached white apron tied around her waist, bashfully rubbed her apron as she brought over steaming tea and some dried mountain fruits on a tray and placed them on the table.

"The hospitality here is modest; the place isn’t much, and it’s cold outside. I have a fire in my house if you don’t mind..."

At this time, Lian Nichang softly said,

"Sister Hua, there’s no need to be so formal. We are cultivators, such kinds of cold do not bother us; it’s us who are imposing on you."

Hearing Lian Nichang call her ’Sister,’ the woman felt flattered,

"Oh, I shouldn’t be so informal in front of the lord."

Lian Nichang shook her head slightly, "When my brother was in Qingshan, he was friends with you; I am simply following suit."

Upon hearing this, Sister Hua’s eyes warmed slightly, "Lord Chen is a great benefactor of Qingshan County; it’s I who am reaching beyond my station. I hope you won’t laugh, but sometimes I wonder when the lord might visit his hometown."

As she spoke, the woman wiped her eyes and was about to leave, "Sorry for embarrassing you, please continue your conversation, I will leave first."

"Sister Hua, wait a moment, there’s something I want to ask!" Lian Nichang suddenly spoke, her gaze shifting, "Have you seen Elder Wu at my brother’s house these past few days?"

Sister Hua stopped, "Do you mean the old man who helps Lord Chen look after his house?"

"Yes!"

"It’s strange, I haven’t seen him lately. He used to come every other day to clean up Lord Chen’s house, wishing he could come every day, always before dawn."

"I hope the elder hasn’t fallen ill, especially with this freezing weather and the strange snowfall. People say times are changing; we just started living peacefully."

Sister Hua lived next to Chen Yuan’s house and knew that the elder often came before dawn. Lian Nichang’s question made her find this unusual too, and she began to open up.

"Rest assured, nothing is wrong in Qingshan. You better go back inside; it’s cold out."

Lian Nichang gently spoke, and in the midst of speaking, with a whoosh, two figures dashed and landed on Fang Qingzhu’s shoulder—one was Little White Fox, and the other was Little Squirrel.

"Ah"

Sister Hua responded and prepared to go back inside.

At that moment,

"Squeak, squeak"

Little Squirrel jumped from Fang Qingzhu’s shoulder onto the table, moved to the plate with dried fruits, grabbed one with its tiny paws and stuffed it into its mouth, puffing its cheeks, then chirped towards the inside of the house.

"Mom, I want some too!" a voice called out.

At the doorway, wearing a tiger head hat, with a young, lively face, Huwa saw Little Squirrel munching on the fruit and felt envious, quickly rushing over.

Sister Hua, walking back, quickly grabbed her son by the ear, pulling the embarrassing lad back inside.

"Eat your mother’s fart, you have no manners!"

Seeing its "friend" thwarted, Little Squirrel quickly grabbed a few more fruits with its paws and then puffed its belly, rushing inside with a "swoosh."

The little fox followed closely behind.

Soon, Huwa’s happy voice could be heard from inside.

While this was happening, a voice spoke up, "After several months, I’m surprised to see Miss Lian’s Martial Arts have advanced so rapidly, already to Heavenly Pass, congratulations."

Fang Qingzhu began, with a trace of surprise; she herself had struggled to break through to Heavenly Pass and had been trapped on the Night Navigation Ship, facing many dangers before promoting to Heavenly Pass.

"Purely luck. Before Brother Chen took up his post, he gave me a lot of Heavenly Pass Demon Blood Meat, and Miss Fang was there too. Nichang was just lucky to use these substances to vault into Heavenly Pass, but my foundation is still unstable." Lian Nichang had already advanced to Heavenly Pass, though her aura was somewhat unsettled, clearly having just achieved a breakthrough recently.

As she said, she was able to advance to Heavenly Pass quickly by relying on the demon flesh Chen Yuan had given her before, along with the relative peace in Qingshan County these past months, allowing her to stay in the mountains to cultivate steadily.

"Brother Chen is a carefree, generous hero, now renowned in Shu. Who would’ve thought a few months ago, the three of us were in that small courtyard, revisiting this place, I can’t help but feel bewildered. By the way, Miss Lian, why are you here now? Chen’s courtyard is empty and sealed with prohibitions."

"Something happened!" Lian Nichang’s delicate brows furrowed, revealing her concern.

Hearing this, Fang Qingzhu’s eyes flickered thoughtfully, "The elder you asked about just now, could it be Elder Wu who was with Brother Chen before? Is it related to him?"

Lian Nichang hummed in affirmation, her beautiful eyes flashing a cold sternness.

"The elder has disappeared!"

"I came to see if there were any traces of him in this courtyard since it’s usually the elder who guards it."

"But I can’t get in; I can only ask around."

"You can’t enter?" Fang Qingzhu was surprised.

She thought that since Lian Nichang and Chen Yuan were colleagues and with Lian Nichang taking up the position of Mountain Patrol Military Officer in Qingshan County, their relationship would be quite deep.