"Our shop has rabbit meat today, braised pork knuckles, and fragrant braised donkey meat. Would you care for some, gentlemen?"

The waiter first noticed that the leading young man was not old but dressed in noble attire. The three appeared like master and servants, so he inquired directly with Gu Chengyu.

The waiter subtly assessed the trio’s clothing, weighing in his mind that these three likely weren’t lacking in money.

The master’s presence was noble, his every move exuding extraordinary grace. Perhaps they had traveled overnight, for the two behind him appeared somewhat fatigued.

Yet the young man before him still seemed dashing, without a trace of distress.

The waiter, experienced and knowledgeable, believed these three were from a wealthy family, so he eagerly recommended the more expensive prepared dishes from the shop.

Gu Chengyu first surveyed the teahouse, noticing only one table occupied inside.

Two people were seated at this table, one of whom was a rugged-looking man. This man was exceptionally burly and robust, exuding a considerable sense of pressure.

On his left lay a large knife, though still sheathed, Gu Chengyu could already sense its sharpness.

But what caught Gu Chengyu’s attention was not the treasure knife, but the hand resting on it—the man was left-handed!

The man glanced up at Gu Chengyu, lightly pressing his hand on the knife handle. Gu Chengyu met his gaze, feeling the man’s eyes were sharp and piercing.

Gu Chengyu said nothing, maintaining his composure as he locked eyes with the man.

Their gazes seemingly battled countless times in the air, with Gu Chengyu not backing down, and he now felt the man’s muscles tense all over, his left hand fidgeting restlessly.

As his hand brushed past his waist, Gu Chengyu intended to draw the soft sword from his side, striking first.

"Ahem!" Suddenly, a cough sounded, but Gu Chengyu paid no heed, focusing intently on the rugged man’s reaction.

Yet Gu Chengyu suddenly noticed the man’s hand moving away, picking up chopsticks again to reach for the bowl of meat before him.

Ming Mo and Ming Yan, having just secured the horses, sensed the peculiar atmosphere. They promptly stood behind Gu Chengyu, scrutinizing the two at the opposite table.

Seeing the man’s aura dissipate, Gu Chengyu knew there’d be no fight. He removed his hand from his waist and then looked toward the person who had coughed earlier.

This person, sitting opposite the rugged man, was a thin old man. With his back to Gu Chengyu, Gu Chengyu could only see his white hair and slightly hunched back; the old man had a bit of a hunchback.

Judging by their attire, they seemed like people of the martial world and likely had nothing to do with them. Still, Gu Chengyu dared not be careless.

The brief moment of killing intent from that man wasn’t false, even if it quickly vanished. Gu Chengyu, being sensitive, had already detected it.

Gu Chengyu confirmed that he did not know these two; why would they harbor murderous intent against him?

Could it be merely because he glanced at them a few more times? That seemed unlikely, right?

Gu Chengyu first sat at a table, and seeing nothing unusual, Ming Mo and Ming Yan promptly called for the waiter to quickly bring out the prepared dishes.

Since they needed to pack anyway, they decided to order all the meat and dishes.

Gu Chengyu joined them. After all, being young, missing a meal left him hungry. Horseback traveling was quite physically demanding, so naturally, they needed a good meal.

He signaled them to sit, as there was no need for formality while away from home.

Gu Chengyu continued observing the two at that table; the cough seemed like a warning.

Why did the man want to kill him? A stranger he had just met couldn’t possibly kill without reason, could he? And why did the old man stop him?

Gu Chengyu pondered; while in the capital, he hadn’t offended anyone. Could it be those tea merchants?

He shook his head. The tea tax issue was over two years ago; those merchants had adapted to the new tea tax system and had no reason to argue now.

Moreover, as a court official, the tea merchants had some reservations.

The remaining possibility might be related to his purpose for going to Jiangnan. He summarized three possibilities.

First, perhaps someone didn’t want him going to Jiangnan for fear he’d claim someone’s credit.

Second, maybe there’s an issue with Jiangnan’s dike. As an imperial envoy going to Jiangnan, he’d certainly conduct a detailed investigation on the dike issue.

This person feared being implicated if the matter was exposed, so they wanted to take care of him on his way to Jiangnan.

The third possibility was twisted human nature, possibly out of jealousy and deep apprehension. His rapid promotion threatened certain people’s positions in court.

For example, that former Right Junior Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Tao Junyan, who was transferred to the Ministry of Justice while pushing him out—it’s natural he’d harbor resentment.

Of course, these were just his guesses, as the man hadn’t yet made a move.

Gu Chengyi pondered these thoughts in the span of a few breaths. Ming Mo and the others refilled their water skins, then rinsed chopsticks for Gu Chengyu, and replenished tea before sitting down to await the food.

The man cast his gaze over Gu Chengyu’s table, then looked towards the old man opposite him.

The old man picked up a teacup, neither speaking nor responding.

"Gentlemen! Your braised rabbit meat is here, and all the dishes are served. Please enjoy at your leisure!"

The waiter placed a plate of braised rabbit meat on the table, exchanging a few pleasantries. Gu Chengyu listened attentively but heard no response from the two.

The dishes for Gu Chengyu’s table had yet to arrive, but he vaguely heard the sound of hooves approaching.

Gu Chengyu squinted slightly, quickly gauging the two’s reactions. Seeing the old man’s ear twitch subtly and the man beside him place his hand on the knife handle again, he then withdrew his gaze. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

It seemed the old man already knew someone was coming; his ear’s sensitivity to sound was extraordinary.

Or perhaps the old man had profound inner strength, much like Gu Chengyu.

But Gu Chengyu had already scanned them earlier and hadn’t detected any inner strength within them.

Unless their inner strength surpassed his, or they practiced some concealing cultivation technique.

The sound of hooves neared rapidly, like a drumbeat, appearing before Gu Chengyu and the others in the blink of an eye.

With more visitors, the shopkeeper’s face instantly lit up with a smile.

"Quickly, see what these guests want to eat."

Gu Chengyu and Ming Mo turned to see four individuals, dressed like passing merchants.

One appeared to be the leader, handing the reins to the waiter before beckoning the other three towards the teahouse.

Entering the teahouse, finding both tables occupied, he quickly surveyed the room.

Gu Chengyu’s group was closest; the man first scrutinized Gu Chengyu’s face, then sized up Ming Mo and the others, finally shifting his gaze towards the other table.