The captain of the guards stomped his feet anxiously and chased after them with several guards, yet he did not dare to forcibly stop them.
Lin Xia's status was special. He was the blacksmith association's precious treasure and also an honored guest of the Zhu family, someone even the family head treated with great courtesy.
As for Zhu Zhuqing, no matter what, she was still the Second Young Lady of the residence. Her status alone spoke for itself.
Forcefully stop them?
If they offended either side, mere guards like them would never be able to bear the consequences.
Watching the two figures, one tall and calm, the other delicate yet walking with unwavering determination, quickly disappear around the corner of the street leading toward the city gates, the captain of the guards felt a chill shoot from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.
"Quick! Hurry! Report this to the Family Head immediately! Something terrible has happened!"
He practically roared the words, his voice cracking.
"Young Master Lin Xia has taken the Second Young Lady away! He said they're going out of the city to search for ore and won't return for several days! Hurry!"
The entire squad of guards instantly exploded into chaos. Several of them scrambled away in panic, stumbling and crawling as they rushed toward Zhu Zhan's study, their faces filled with terror as though the end of the world had arrived.
The news exploded through the depths of the Zhu residence like a thunderclap.
When the captain of the guards, pale-faced and gasping for breath, reported to Zhu Zhan that Lin Xia had taken Zhu Zhuqing away, this normally mountain-like and composed head of the Zhu family, whose emotions rarely showed on his face suddenly halted the stroke of his brush while handling family affairs. A drop of thick ink spread across the precious Snow Wave paper, staining it with a large blot.
The air in the study instantly froze, heavy as lead.
Zhu Zhan slowly raised his head. Violent waves surged within his deep eyes—shock, disbelief, anger, worry, countless complicated emotions collided together.
He abruptly stood up. His tall figure cast a massive shadow before the desk, and the invisible pressure radiating from him nearly caused the reporting guard captain to collapse to the floor.
"What did you say?! Lin Xia took Zhuqing away? To search for ore? They're leaving the city for several days?!"
Zhu Zhan's voice was terrifyingly low, every word squeezed out through clenched teeth.
"Y-Yes! Your subordinate did not dare stop them.Young Master Lin Xia was extremely determined and the Second Young Lady… the Second Young Lady also…"
The captain stammered incoherently, trembling all over in fear.
Zhu Zhan's chest rose and fell violently several times. His brows were tightly furrowed, his expression dark enough to drip water.
He turned his back and looked toward the direction of Zhu Zhuqing's courtyard outside the window. It now stood silent and empty.
Anger? Of course there was anger!
Lin Xia's actions were no different from viciously slapping both the Zhu family and him, the Family Head, across the face!
Taking away the critically important marriage pawn, who had just been shackled by fate itself from Star Luo City was practically a direct challenge to the authority of both the Zhu family and the imperial family!
But following closely behind that anger came an even deeper and sharper concern.
Zhuqing was only six years old!
Although she had awakened her Martial Soul, her Soul Power was still weak. She possessed almost no ability to protect herself!
No matter how talented Lin Xia was, he was still only a Soul Grandmaster!
What if they encountered powerful Soul Beasts, what if they ran into malicious Soul Masters the consequences would be unimaginable!
If Zhu Zhuqing truly met with an accident, not only would the Zhu family suffer enormous losses, they would also be unable to explain themselves to the imperial family!
No matter how useless Dai Mubai might be, he was still her fiancé in name!
The study fell into deathly silence. Only Zhu Zhan's heavy breathing and the faint sound of the guard captain's chattering teeth could be heard.
Time seemed to stretch endlessly.
Zhu Zhan's clenched fists loosened and tightened repeatedly.
His mind rapidly weighed the pros and cons.
Immediately dispatch a large force to forcibly bring them back?
Such a massive operation would inevitably alarm the imperial family and other factions, confirming that the Zhu family had "failed in supervision." It might even intensify the conflict and embarrass the Blacksmith Association behind Lin Xia.
Ignore it completely?
That would be even worse. It would be gambling with his daughter's life and that was a gamble he could not afford to lose!
Amid the suffocating silence, the violent storm of emotions in Zhu Zhan's eyes gradually calmed, eventually settling into a deep, unfathomable solemnity.
He slowly turned around. The anger on his face had already faded, leaving behind only a heavy, weary determination.
"Forget it…"
Zhu Zhan's voice carried a trace of hoarseness as he waved his hand, signaling for the nearly collapsed guard captain to withdraw.
"Lin Xia is ultimately still a member of the Blacksmith Association, and Divine Craftsman Lou Gao's disciple. Since he dares to take Zhuqing away, then he must have some confidence."
It sounded as though he were convincing himself, yet also explaining the situation to others.
He walked over to the desk and picked up a black token representing an emergency order. Soul Power flowed from his fingertips into it, causing the Netherworld Hell Cat emblem of the Zhu family on the token to glow faintly.
"Transmit my secret order."
Zhu Zhan's voice regained the authority of a Family Head, low and clear.
"Have 'Shadow Bat' and 'Dark Owl' depart immediately and secretly follow behind them. Their target: Lin Xia and Zhu Zhuqing. Their duty: ensure the absolute safety of both, especially the Second Young Lady! Unless it is a life-or-death situation, they are not to reveal themselves or interfere with any of their actions! If even the slightest mishap occurs, they can bring their heads back to me!"
"Shadow Bat" and "Dark Owl" were the Zhu family's most elite hidden guards, experts in concealment and tracking. Both were Soul Sage-level powerhouses!
One specialized in stealth and concealment, possessing extraordinarily sharp senses.
The other excelled in long-range surveillance and ambush interception.
Sending those two to secretly protect them was already the most reliable and powerful arrangement Zhu Zhan could make without alarming the various factions while still ensuring their safety to the greatest extent possible.
This was both concern for his daughter's safety and caution toward Lin Xia's identity. It was also a silent expression of the suppressed fatherly love he could never openly speak of.
"Yes! We obey the Family Head's command!"
The guard captain felt as though he had been granted a pardon from death. Taking the token, he scrambled away to relay the order.
Once again, Zhu Zhan was left alone in the study.
He walked to the window and gazed deeply at the sky outside, his fingers unconsciously tapping against the window frame.
Lin Xia searching for ore?
Relaxing and clearing his mind?
That young man always acted in ways no one could predict.
Had he taken Zhuqing away merely to help her temporarily escape her humiliation?
Or was there some deeper meaning behind it?
Zhu Zhan's heart was filled with doubts, but at this moment, all he could do was suppress his worries and place his hopes on those two Soul Sage-level hidden guards, praying they would protect his young daughter, who drifted helplessly within the torrent of fate and that outrageously bold young man like the most loyal of shadows.
Along the official road, a carriage that was not luxurious but quite sturdy moved forward steadily.
Inside the carriage, Lin Xia leaned against a soft cushion with his eyes closed, resting quietly. Larvitar lay beside his legs, its crimson eyes half-open and half-closed. The dark golden dragon pattern on its chest flickered faintly with each breath, radiating a restrained yet heavy aura.
Zhu Zhuqing sat quietly across from him, her small face pressed lightly against the slightly shaking carriage window as she stared blankly at the fields, forests, and distant mountains rushing past outside.
Since gaining awareness as a child, this was the first time she had truly left Star Luo City left the Zhu residence that had felt like a gigantic cage.
Fresh air carrying the fragrance of soil and plants poured into the carriage.
Bright sunlight shone down without obstruction, outlining the distant mountain ranges in clear detail.
The wind slipped through the cracks of the carriage window, stirring the loose strands of hair on her forehead and bringing waves of coolness.
The deathly stillness in her eyes seemed to fade somewhat beneath the flowing scenery, replaced instead by an almost greedy desire to look.
Those ordinary villages, the farmers working in the fields, the rabbits running through the grass, the startled birds taking flight all of it seemed filled with novelty in her eyes.
She watched with complete focus, as though she wanted to engrave every single sight into her memory.
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