Of course, there was no such thing as coincidence.

Miss Luo, who spent money like water, had actually gradually bought up quite a few residences and shops around the tavern. After all, she wasn’t short of money, and having more properties provided security against unforeseen circumstances.

When buying the properties, Luo Sheng hadn’t shown her face, so outsiders didn’t know who the actual owner of these properties was.

This way, when Zhu Wu asked around about available houses to rent nearby, the nominal owners all gave the same two-word answer: not renting.

In the end, when he finally managed to rent this residence with the secret passage, Zhu Wu was almost moved to tears.

Luo Sheng entered the secret passage from the wine cellar, and when she emerged, she found herself in a hidden chamber.

Originally, the exit of the secret passage on this residence’s side had been the woodshed, but later Luo Sheng had secretly modified it.

The residence wasn’t large—just three main rooms divided into an east room, west room, and central hall.

With this layout, typically the east room served as the master’s living quarters, while the west room was arranged as a study. If guests came, they might be received either in the living quarters or hold conversations in the study—both were possible.

Luo Sheng had been quite straightforward—she’d partitioned off hidden chambers in both the bedroom and study. If she wanted to eavesdrop, at least she wouldn’t come up empty.

She had infiltrated the study’s hidden chamber.

There was no entrance or exit between the hidden chamber and the study. From the study’s perspective, it was just a wall, which eliminated the possibility of discovering a secret door.

However, a palm-sized section of this wall was very thin. By pressing one’s ear against it, the sounds from the study could be heard very clearly.

Even if necessary, one could use a sharp object to poke a small hole through that spot to see clearly what was happening in the study.

Luo Sheng tilted her head to listen and heard clear conversation.

She couldn’t help but curve the corners of her lips.

She’d guessed correctly.

When discussing private matters, most people would choose the study, as if those rows of bookshelves could provide some sense of security.

“Haven’t you made enough of a mess yet?” A voice reached Luo Sheng’s ears.

This voice sounded like it should belong to a man in his forties or fifties.

Zhu Wu’s voice rang out: “I haven’t been making a mess.”

Luo Sheng pressed her lips together.

In front of the people at the tavern, Zhu Wu could be considered a steady and smooth accountant, but at this moment, he gave her the feeling of a frivolous young person.

Luo Sheng understood—this was because Zhu Wu’s mentality had changed, his identity had changed.

To Zhu Wu, they were merely outsiders he had to deal with while temporarily taking refuge. But the man currently in the study should be an elder familiar to Zhu Wu.

Luo Sheng felt an impulse to poke a small hole through that thin wall section to see the man’s true appearance.

But she still suppressed this thought.

She knew Zhu Wu’s martial arts skills, and the man’s skills were perhaps even superior. If any slight sound was heard, all would be lost.

Continuing to listen was the most prudent choice.

“Not making a mess?” The man’s voice came through, tinged with anger. “You insisted on establishing some assassin organization back then, killing and burning for bounties. I never approved of such crooked methods, but since you insisted, I let it be. Now what? All those people you gathered have been taken away by government officials, and even you might be under surveillance. What more do you want to stir up? Must you expose our side as well?”

“How would we be exposed? The government can’t get anything out of those assassins’ mouths. At most they’ll learn there’s a ledger recording those who’ve hired assassins in recent years.” Zhu Wu was unconcerned, his voice carrying a cold note. “So what if the ledger falls into their hands? The one who cooperated most on that ledger is none other than His Highness the Crown Prince.”

Luo Sheng’s heart skipped a beat.

She had once considered the possibility that this mysterious assassin organization worked for Wei Qiang, but from Zhu Wu’s words, it sounded more like he couldn’t wait for Wei Qiang to have bad luck, deliberately trying to harm that Crown Prince.

Luo Sheng supported herself against the wall, her expression grave.

As if moved by Zhu Wu’s words, the man’s tone softened somewhat: “Even so, there’s no meaning in you staying here anymore. Return early.”

Zhu Wu remained silent.

“Fifth Young Master, I’m getting old. Surely you can’t wait until I can’t work anymore before coming back to take over the Vermillion Bird Guard? By that time, you may not be able to command respect…”

On the other side of the wall, Luo Sheng’s heart shook violently.

Vermillion Bird Guard—was it the Vermillion Bird Guard she knew of?

Prince Zhennan’s manor had a most elite guard force that wasn’t on the court’s roster of manor troops. They were essentially private soldiers raised by her father. These private soldiers weren’t even in Prince Zhennan’s manor, and where exactly they usually trained was known to very few.

Just before leaving the palace to marry, she’d learned of the Vermillion Bird Guard’s existence from her father.

Father had said this was a bit of capital for Prince Zhennan’s manor to make a comeback in case of disaster.

The Vermillion Bird Guard hadn’t been cultivated starting from her father, but had been passed down for several generations.

Each generation of Vermillion Bird Guards might never reveal themselves to the world under the name of Vermillion Bird Guard until their physical strength declined. Instead, they would quietly step down and be succeeded by the younger generation of Vermillion Bird Guards.

And what could command the Vermillion Bird Guard was half of the Vermillion Bird Token.

The Vermillion Bird Token was split in two—half was held by the Vermillion Bird Guard commander, while the other half was held by successive princes of Zhennan.

The Vermillion Bird Guard leader held the left half of the Vermillion Bird Token. As long as they saw the person holding the right half of the Vermillion Bird Token, the entire Vermillion Bird Guard would heed their commands.

Luo Sheng clenched her fists tightly.

If the Vermillion Bird Guard still existed and she had the right half of the Vermillion Bird Token in hand, why would she worry about lacking expert assistance?

However good others’ help was, it still wasn’t her own. She’d have to owe huge favors, and even if the other party patted her head, she could only smile.

“Uncle Xing, you know that the Young Prince didn’t die—he’s currently under house arrest. I’m unwilling to just leave the capital like this. I want to see if there’s a chance to rescue the Young Prince—”

“Nonsense!” The man shouted sternly.

Luo Sheng’s heart, however, leaped with joy.

It really was Prince Zhennan’s manor’s Vermillion Bird Guard!

The man’s shout kept her calm, listening carefully to what he would say.

The man spoke word by word: “I don’t recognize any Young Prince.”

Luo Sheng was startled.

Zhu Wu’s urgent voice rang out: “Uncle Xing—”

“You need not say more. I won’t recognize any Young Prince. I only recognize the other half of the Vermillion Bird Token.”

“Uncle Xing, how can you be so inflexible!” Zhu Wu was somewhat angry.

The man said calmly: “This isn’t inflexibility. This is a rule the Vermillion Bird Guard must observe. From the first generation of Vermillion Bird Guards, we’ve only recognized the Vermillion Bird Token, not people.”

“But what if that half of the Vermillion Bird Token falls into someone else’s hands?”

The man laughed: “You don’t understand.”

“Don’t understand what?”

“Unless Prince Zhennan personally passes it on, even if others see the other half of the Vermillion Bird Token, they won’t know that’s what it is. Anyone the Prince deigns to inform is naturally someone the Prince trusts and deems capable of commanding the Vermillion Bird Guard.”

“But that’s the Young Prince!”

“How do you know it must be the Young Prince?” The man asked in return.

Zhu Wu was suddenly stumped.

The man sighed: “Fifth Young Master, people may change, but the Vermillion Bird Token won’t change. I am the Vermillion Bird Guard commander. The rules established when the Vermillion Bird Guard was founded cannot be broken starting from me.”

“Fine then, Uncle Xing, you go back. From now on, try not to contact me either, lest you be targeted by those with ulterior motives.”

“Since you know there are many with ulterior motives, why don’t you take this chance to escape quickly?” The man asked angrily.

“For now, it should still be fine—”

Before Zhu Wu could finish speaking, knocking sounds suddenly came.