The night grew deeper.

Ye Chutang and Shen Yanchuan’s figures were hidden in the shadows, as if they were about to merge with their surroundings.

Although it was a small mine, the layers of rock had been dug out, and piles of stone made the path difficult to traverse.

Fortunately, furnaces were situated at regular intervals, providing cover and making things easier for Ye Chutang and her companion.

At last, the two arrived at a spot about a hundred meters from the door.

From here, they could clearly see an increase in the amount of scrap iron and dross on the ground.

The foreman in charge of guarding the door held a whip, his expression fierce.

Ye Chutang stared at him for a few seconds, her eyes narrowing slightly.

’This man...’

"He’s a trained martial artist."

Shen Yanchuan’s voice was extremely low, reaching Ye Chutang’s ear.

Ye Chutang raised an eyebrow, meeting his gaze.

It seemed they had come to the same conclusion.

The man’s breathing was steady and his steps were light. He was clearly trained in martial arts.

Most of the laborers were just physically strong, with a bit of brute force, but this man was far superior to them.

No wonder the workers didn’t dare to fight back when he doled out punishment. They must have known that they could endure the pain, but showing the slightest hint of defiance would mean certain death!

’But... why would an ordinary mine hire someone like this?’

"Wait here for a moment," Shen Yanchuan said.

Ye Chutang nodded lightly without asking a single question, as if she trusted him completely, no matter what he was about to do.

Shen Yanchuan took half a step, then looked back at her.

He paused, then said, "Be careful."

Ye Chutang blinked.

’He’s the one heading into danger. He should be the one being careful. Why is he telling me that instead?’

However, she still nodded and mouthed silently:

"You too."

She had no Inner Strength and couldn’t compare to Shen Yanchuan. This close to the door, it was better to be cautious. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

It would be disastrous if someone heard them.

A flicker of emotion crossed Shen Yanchuan’s eyes as a thought suddenly occurred to him—’Compared to the hostility of our first late-night encounter, this is a huge improvement.’

His mood suddenly improved in a subtle way, and in that instant, he no longer felt like holding the matter of the wine against her.

Ye Chutang watched Shen Yanchuan turn, his long legs striding forward. The next second, his figure vanished silently from the spot.

Ye Chutang’s eyelashes trembled.

’Is this... Shen Yanchuan’s true power?’

She had long suspected that he was no ordinary man, but from their first meeting in Jiangling to their reunion in the Capital City, the noble Heir of Duke Dingbei had always been gentle and refined.

He was like a sheathed sword—polished and restrained, its sharp edge hidden.

Only now did Ye Chutang feel she had finally glimpsed his sharpness.

He always seemed nonchalant, with a bone-deep languor, as if nothing could stir his emotions.

But it was only at moments like this that one would realize with a start—it wasn’t that he couldn’t, but that he didn’t want to.

If he truly wanted something, there was likely nothing he couldn’t obtain.

...

As Shen Yanchuan approached the door, he recalled the previous scene, and his phoenix eyes narrowed slightly.

—Ye Chutang truly had no martial arts ability. She didn’t have a shred of Inner Strength in her body, nor any sign of training.

’But... she’s kept up with me this entire way without falling a single step behind!’

’How could a seventeen-year-old girl from a sheltered upbringing possess such nimble footwork?’

THUD—!

A dull thud came from behind the door!

Shen Yanchuan looked up and saw the man standing before the door also glance back out of habit.

The door was ajar, revealing only darkness within.

Shen Yanchuan strode forward.

The man seemed to sense something and suddenly whipped his head around!

"Who’s there!?"