Infiltration

Under the warm winter sun, carriages and horses bustled before the gates of Xu Manor, and peddlers and foot travelers came and went in an endless stream. Qin Mo, having disguised his appearance with a secret technique, blended into the crowd without drawing the slightest eye. This was already his third day in Jingjiang City. Before arriving in Jingjiang City, he had planned to slip directly into the manor under the cover of night to rescue her. But after seeing the scale of the Xu Manor estate, he decisively abandoned that plan. It was simply too huge. The manor covered far too vast an area. Without knowing its internal layout, even if he managed to sneak inside, finding anyone in a short time would be impossible unless he had heaven-defying luck. Furthermore, powerful figures resided within Xu Manor. Even with his master concealing his aura, there would still be an immense risk of exposure. And so, the rescue operation had ground to an impasse. However, while eating at nearby stalls over the past two days, he had heard others mention that an ethereal beauty from Xu Manor had stepped out twice. Qin Mo wanted to try his luck and see if he could run into Jinxuan outside the manor while she was out. If he could meet her, there would be no need to take the risk of entering Xu Manor. Yet this wait had already lasted two days. Qin Mo let out a soft sigh, walked over to a vendor's stall selling noodles beside the manor, and ordered a bowl of noodles with extra meat. Finding a table, he sat down and inconspicuously observed the main gates of Xu Manor not far away. Soon, the stallkeeper scooped a piping hot bowl of noodles from the cauldron and brought it over. Eating his noodles, Qin Mo pondered his next move. Suddenly, a rather honest, simple-sounding voice drifted over from an adjacent table. "...Old Man Liu, I heard your son got hired as a long-term laborer in Xu Manor! How'd he manage that?" "..." Upon hearing this, Qin Mo raised an eyebrow sharply and glanced back at them. They were a middle-aged man and a skinny old man, both dressed in coarse hemp clothes. Beside them on the ground lay some mountain produce; they were likely folk who had come into the city for the market. Turning his eyes back, he focused his hearing. As the honest-sounding man finished speaking, the skinny old man replied slowly with an air of modest pride: "Nothing special about it. It cost several taels of silver pulling strings to get him in." Hearing this, the man lowered his voice: "Hey, hey... Old Man Liu, I heard that even a low-grade long-term laborer in Xu Manor gets a monthly wage of one tael of silver. Is that true?" The old man called Old Liu glanced somewhat smugly at the middle-aged man beside him and stroked his sparse wisp of a beard. "How could it be that much? The monthly wage is just over one guan." One tael of silver could be exchanged for two guan of copper coins at the end of the month. "Just over one guan?! Then you'll make it back in a little over a year! Tsk, tsk..." The honest man clicked his tongue, a tempted look in his eyes. Rubbing his hands together, he grinned and pushed his basket of mountain goods toward the skinny old man. "Brother Liu, our families have known each other for generations. Ahem... could you tell me which connection you used?" The skinny old man glanced at it, wrinkles blooming across his face in a grin. "Connections? Heh-heh, it's simple enough. As long as you..." "..." "..." Having listened carefully to their conversation, Qin Mo finished his noodles, left a dozen copper coins, and stood up to leave, a plan already taking shape in his mind. A day later, Jingjiang Xu Manor. Outside the southwest side gate used by servants and laborers, the alley was quiet, but at this moment, the echoing sound of a stern lecture could be heard. "...Remember the rules of our Xu Manor, every last one of you! If anyone dares cause trouble, you'll answer to the manor's disciplinary code!" "...Once inside Xu Manor, do more, speak less, and keep your eyes to yourselves. Your monthly wages will never be withheld..." "...With the world outside in such chaos, being able to work in our Xu Manor is a blessing earned over eight lifetimes!" A young steward stood atop the steps, lecturing the newly arrived long-term laborers before him. Only when his throat went parched did the young steward wave his hand, signaling the gatekeeper page to open the door as he prepared to leave. Yet as if recalling something, he stopped in his tracks, turned his head, and spoke with a hint of warning: "Oh, right. Don't say I, Li Ping, didn't warn you: when the foremen take you around to get your bearings in a moment, keep your eyes where they belong! The young ladies, the mistresses, and even the maidservants aren't for useless runts like you to look at." "Especially Miss Su." "Back then, even a sixth-rank immortal master was killed by the Third Young Master with a single palm strike, to say nothing of you runts! If you stare and displease the Third Young Master, not even the Heavenly King Himself will save you!" With that, the gatekeeper page opened the door behind him, and the young steward turned and walked away. Once the steward left, the laborers below began murmuring and gossiping among themselves. The disguised Qin Mo blended into the crowd, whispering along with them. After overhearing the information at the noodle stall, he had gone through a few twists and turns before buying a spot from a dark-skinned youth for seven taels of broken silver. And thus led to the present scene. After waiting outside the manor gate for about fifteen minutes, several foremen in long robes finally arrived at a leisurely pace to pick workers. Because of his tall build, Qin Mo was picked in the very first batch, assigned to prune and clean the manor's gardens. When new servants and laborers entered the manor, it was customary for the foremen to take these newcomers on a general tour of the estate, explaining their duties and the household's taboos as they walked. Walking along the path, even though he had prepared himself beforehand, Qin Mo was no different from the other laborers around him at this moment—he couldn't help revealing a hint of shock in his eyes. The entire Jingjiang Xu Manor was like an imperial palace. Pavilions and towers, small bridges spanning flowing water, detached courtyards one after another, and at the heart of it all lay a massive lake constructed inside the estate. "Kid, could you not act like such a country bumpkin?" The voice echoing in his mind gave Qin Mo pause, making him blank for two seconds. Keeping his outward expression completely natural, he asked in his heart: "I'm just a little surprised, that's all. But old man, won't you be discovered talking to me inside this manor?" The middle-aged male voice replied unhurriedly: "If I can conceal your aura, naturally I can talk to you." "Then could you help me locate Jinxuan?" "Kid, there is at least one Grandmaster in this manor. Using my intent-soul to search would very likely get me discovered." Hearing this, Qin Mo felt somewhat disappointed, thinking to himself: "Then I'll just take my time on my own. There's bound to be an opportunity." "Heh-heh." The middle-aged male voice let out a soft chuckle. "Excited to see your little lover?" "We're just good friends." Qin Mo's mental voice carried a hint of helplessness. "Heh-heh, fine, just good friends. Thinking back to when this old man was young, those sect saintesses..." "..." Listening to the somewhat annoying muttering in his ear, Qin Mo quietly committed the paths they walked to memory. After walking around for a full hour, the group of servants and laborers was led back to a corner of the lake by the foreman, who began assigning simple tasks. Blending into the crowd, Qin Mo listened quietly, feeling a trace of excitement inside. He had actually been assigned to the area around the lake. A spot like this was undoubtedly the most likely place to cross paths with Jinxuan. Now, all that remained was to quietly wait for an opportunity— Yet before the thought could finish, Qin Mo's eyes suddenly narrowed. Across the immense lake, a long bridge extended from the shore toward the center, where an elegant pavilion stood. And right at this moment, a young nobleman in brocade robes with flowing long hair stepped out of the pavilion in the center of the lake, walking along the trestle bridge toward the shore. "..." Qin Mo narrowed his eyes. "Kid, that's probably Xu Changtian, isn't it?" The muttering that had ceased at some point rang out once more. Qin Mo retracted his gaze, his face showing no emotion whatsoever, and replied in his heart: "I know." The middle-aged male voice carried a teasing note: "Heh-heh, that kid certainly has a fine face on him—far better-looking than you, brat." Qin Mo wasn't annoyed either. He merely laughed inwardly and replied: "Old man, on our journey here, have you and I seen few of these useless wastes who have nothing but good looks?" "Heh-heh, that's true enough." The deep middle-aged male voice chuckled warmly. "Do you plan to check out the center of the lake tonight? I feel like that pavilion out there is the perfect place to hide a golden beauty away." Hearing this, Qin Mo felt tempted, but held back: "No. Old man, you said yourself there's a Grandmaster in this manor. It's best not to act rashly. Once the foreman finishes assigning rooms, I'll find a few veteran servants to coax some information out of first. Jinxuan wouldn't go unnoticed among these servants. There's no need to rush right now." And during their exchange, the young nobleman in brocade robes had already walked over along the path. A casual glance swept across— meeting Qin Mo's eyes square on.