The four people staggered up the stairs, while the shop’s staff and the proprietress quietly watched them from below. Although their faces remained composed, they could hardly conceal the anticipation in their eyes.

Once the four had returned to their rooms, Lu Qing settled Zhu Yu by the bedside, secured the door, and then turned back to see Zhu Yu already sitting on the bed, rubbing her ankle.

"What’s wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?" Lu Qing asked as he strode over, his voice calm but firm, his eyes clear, quite different from his earlier dazed appearance.

Zhu Yu seemed spirited too: "I pretended to limp just now and accidentally twisted my ankle a bit. It’s not serious; it’ll be fine soon. It won’t affect things."

Lu Qing sat by the bed, pulled Zhu Yu’s leg over to rest on his knees, and naturally started massaging her ankle: "Any other discomfort?"

"No, don’t worry. Yan Daoxin’s Antidote Pills can easily counter any common sedative. I just got too into character." Zhu Yu shook her head, indicating she was perfectly fine, and tried to pull her foot back, "Should we start preparing?"

"There’s no rush." Lu Qing glanced out the window, noting that dusk had already settled outside. "It’s still early and they won’t act hastily for fear of causing a mishap. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

I reckon these bandits will wait until after dark, even until the dead of night, before making a move.

After all, they’ve taken over this entire estate as their ’den’ and likely don’t want to alert outsiders and invite trouble."

Indeed, not until it was completely dark did anyone attempt to enter their room.

Since the two needed to pretend they had been knocked out by the sedative in the food, even after nightfall, they couldn’t light a lamp or speak, silently waiting.

Out of boredom, Zhu Yu loosened her tightly bound hair and recalled the style of the bun that the proprietress had.

Fortunately, this female mountain bandit wasn’t someone from the Capital fond of dressing up; her hairstyle was rather simple and easy to mimic. Relying on memory, Zhu Yu arranged her hair similarly to the proprietress’s.

Lu Qing found a pastime, winding Zhu Yu’s loose hair around his fingers as he played.

Zhu Yu wanted him to stop messing with her hair but didn’t dare speak, afraid of ruining the whole plan, so she just let him be.

After some unknown time, things outside grew increasingly quiet. During this period, footsteps occasionally passed through the corridor, seemingly drawing close to their room to listen for noises but never entering, silently leaving instead.

As they waited, Zhu Yu couldn’t help but feel annoyed at how excessively cautious these bandits were when more footsteps approached the corridor.

This time, unlike before, the person walking didn’t particularly try to muffle their steps, as if heading straight toward them.

Lu Qing heard the commotion outside and sprang into action, his silhouette rising swiftly from the bedside without a sound, moving like a black cat silently approaching prey at night.

He darted to the doorway, standing there like a shadow without further motion.

Zhu Yu knew her strengths and weaknesses well and would never risk her safety or the plan. Without needing Lu Qing’s reminder, she quietly slipped into the bed’s shadow and held her breath, waiting.

The footsteps grew closer, finally reaching the door. After a brief pause, a faintly glinting dagger slid through the crack, slowly unlatching the door.

The two doors were pushed open from outside, and two figures stealthily slipped inside, making their way directly toward the bed without assessing the room.

Zhu Yu clutched a small dagger Lu Qing had bought her, squinting at the approaching figures, calculating how to strike if Lu Qing first attacked one, aiming to neutralize the other in a single move.

But as she considered various strategies, Lu Qing had already moved.

In a rapid leap from behind, before the two realized someone was behind them, Lu Qing had quickly snapped their necks, noiselessly lowering them to the ground.

The silence was such that if it weren’t for their heads being turned at an unusual angle, they too might have seemed simply sedated, asleep on the ground.

Even as they fell, Lu Qing managed to support them, preventing any dull thud.

Seeing the two handled, Zhu Yu rose quickly, secured the door, and opened a nearby wardrobe.

"Stuff them in!" she whispered to Lu Qing.

Lu Qing grabbed each bandit by the collar, dragging them to the wardrobe, where he effortlessly stuffed them in and closed the door.

Meanwhile, two more figures approached silently along the corridor towards their door.

Arriving at the door, they paused before knocking quietly.

Zhu Yu exhaled in relief.

The knock’s rhythm indicated it was Fu Lu and Rune outside.

Lu Qing also believed this but cautiously prompted Zhu Yu to stay put while he quietly opened the door.

As expected, Fu Lu Rune came in.

Both, like Lu Qing, moved silently, even Fu Lu, tall and imposing, created no sound.

Seeing them appear, Zhu Yu and Lu Qing understood their room had also seen action.

"Find some with similar builds to ours, and leave them alive." Lu Qing whispered.

The two nodded and left.

Less than a stick of incense later, Rune returned, moving swiftly and soundlessly, a person slung over his shoulder, whom he tossed onto the bed.

Zhu Yu laughed aloud upon seeing them.

It was the proprietress.

Unsurprising; while the others had to consider size similarity, for her, the only woman in this black shop was the proprietress.