Chapter 836: Chapter 672: Surveillance
"Then it depends on your abilities. Weâll go in together. Iâll handle them and find out where the treasure map is hidden. You act accordingly and search inside the Yi Mansion. We need to be inside the Yi Mansion first to make plans; talking too much now is useless."
Gu Chengyu wasnât worried. They werenât familiar with the situation in the Yi Mansion. Of course, they needed to go in first to understand the situation before making detailed plans.
"Are you saying you cover for me while I go steal?" Lu Chen rubbed his forehead and asked incredulously.
Gu Chengyu gave him a puzzled look, then exclaimed with disbelief, "Do you think it should be you covering for me while I steal? I have no objections, but you know Iâm clumsy. If someone corners me inside, Iâd have no choice but to surrender."
Lu Chen took a deep breath and finally understood why Gu Chengyu looked at him so strangely earlier.
Does Gu Chengyu get to enjoy himself in the Yi Mansion while he undertakes the highly dangerous act?
Not to mention whether they would get caught in the end, but could he alone run around the heavily guarded Yan Mansion?
Thatâs simply impossible, right? He wasnât arrogant enough to think his skills were unmatched.
"This is utterly unreasonable, and I donât have that capability." Lu Chen shook his head vigorously, firmly disagreeing.
"Do you think I entered the mansion just to confuse others? I certainly wonât let you take the risk alone. We canât be reckless; once inside, familiarize yourself with the Yi Mansionâs layout, then look for opportunities to steal."
Gu Chengyu knew what Lu Chen was thinking; he just thought Gu Chengyu wouldnât take risks, leaving him to take all the risks!
"You make it sound easy, but where does this opportunity come from?" Lu Chenâs expression softened slightly, but he still didnât trust Gu Chengyuâs plan.
"If there isnât one, make one! The weather is dry; maybe thereâll be a fire at the Yiâs!"
Gu Chengyu smiled and set up the chessboard, gesturing for Lu Chen to play a game.
Seeing Gu Chengyu was determined to act, Lu Chen reluctantly agreed.
After all, the Emperor had instructed him that in striving for the treasure map, Gu Chengyu was to lead.
He was only responsible for Gu Chengyuâs safety and monitoring his every move.
"Arenât you afraid theyâll become desperate and trap us in Hejian Prefecture?" Lu Chen looked at Gu Chengyuâs calm and delicate face while placing down a black chess piece and looked at the board.
"Thatâs why you, Lord Lu, must protect me well! Otherwise, I really wonât be able to return to the Capital."
Gu Chengyu wasnât worried about his own safety, but he wasnât relying solely on Lu Chen; he was confident in his ability to protect himself.
"As for the Yan Family, should we meet them or not?" Lu Chen suddenly thought of them still waiting for their response.
"Meet them, of course! We canât just keep them outside the door, can we? Letâs first meet the second elder of the Yan Family; maybe weâll have an unexpected gain?"
Gu Chengyu smirked. With so much happening between the other two families, how could the Yan Family sit still?
He glanced at the invitation on the table; the Yan Familyâs second elder invited them to visit Dongtian Lake the next day.
The sky gradually darkened, and before they knew it, it was late at night.
"My lord! Itâs confirmed that Mr. Guâs arrival in Hejian Prefecture was indeed disclosed by Prince Jing."
"Hmm! Has Prince Jingâs assigned personnel shown any unusual behavior recently?" Lu Chen walked to the window, focusing on the sounds of the night outside.
He wasnât surprised by Prince Jingâs choices, as that was his original agenda.
"No unusual behavior, though the Qu Family has been active. Weâve just discovered theyâve been in frequent contact with a group from the Capital."
"Oh? Who?" Lu Chen turned to the black-clothed figure speaking, eyes glinting keenly.
"Unable to identify them yet! Please grant more time, my lord." The black-clothed figure paused, lowering his head.
"Make haste. Has the missing dart master been found?"
Lu Chen was somewhat disappointed, although the Qu Family wasnât a major concern. The mastermind was either one of the Princes or that sly high-ranking official.
His top concern now was the other half of the treasure map. The Yi Familyâs issue would eventually be resolved, but that elusive half-map remained untraced.
If he failed to obtain the treasure map this time, he couldnât explain it satisfactorily to that individual.
"Not yet. After the dart masterâs disappearance, his family vanished the next day. We canât determine his whereabouts, and inquiries made among the neighbors returned no information."
Lu Chen frowned; the dart masterâs disappearance without a trace wasnât promising.
He disappeared at night after leaving a brothel, and no one saw who took him due to curfew restrictions.
People witnessed the dart master leaving the brothel, but as it was near curfew, no one saw who abducted him.
Three days had passed since the dart master allegedly killed his family, before the news of the treasure map leaked. Who then knew about the treasure map and captured the dart master?
Could another insider have talked? But that person was unscathed, and the treasure map remained in their possession at the time.
Lu Chen was truly puzzled, "Investigate everyone the dart master met in recent days, without missing anyone."
"Yes, my lord! The half treasure map is still in the Yi Mansion; when shall we act? The other party has sent people to expedite us."
Lu Chen sighed, "Whatâs the hurry? The situation is increasingly complex. Even if we acquire the Yiâs half, without the other half, itâs futile."
Didnât he realize how difficult dealing with Gu Chengyu was? Lu Chen not only needed to acquire the treasure map but also protect against Gu Chengyuâs interference. It wasnât so easy to succeed.
Suddenly, Lu Chen remembered how deeply heâd slept the first night, which was unusual.
"Keep a close watch on Gu Chengyu and his two followers. Both have considerable skills; Gu Chengyu relies on them to handle matters!"
Lu Chen was unaware that Gu Chengyu had already placed people in Hejian Prefecture; he assumed Gu Chengyu only brought these two followers along.
Lu Chen was aware of Ming Moâs martial arts skills; for convenience, Gu Chengyu hadnât hidden this fact.
To understand Gu Chengyuâs movements, monitoring Ming Mo and the others should provide a clear picture of Gu Chengyuâs actions.
"My lord! These two have exceptional martial arts. If we monitor them too closely, they might notice and report to Mr. Gu..."
The Black-clothed Ninja expressed some embarrassment, but he had to clarify. If they messed up, the blame would undoubtedly fall on them.
"Then keep your distance," Lu Chen sighed, finding his subordinates inadequate.
It was unclear where Gu Chengyu found these two followers; they supposedly trained under a renowned master from a young age.
"Select a few skillful individuals to standby around the Yi Mansion; our opportunity to strike is approaching."