He Yiming left the banquet and strolled through the Cheng manor, surprised to find that the area occupied by the Cheng family was by no means smaller than that of his own He family.

One had to remember that the He family was situated at the foot of a mountain outside the county town, whereas the Cheng family had established their main residence within the county limits.

One inside and one outside, though the land area was similar, the value difference was worlds apart.

With a deep sigh, He Yiming mused that although the He family had risen quickly due to their formidable martial power, they still could not compare to the Cheng family in terms of wealth.

After walking a short distance, he encountered fewer and fewer people until he found himself by a high wall.

Shaking his head slightly, he managed a wry smile and was about to turn back when his ears twitched slightly. Then, he dropped low, silently darting beneath a nearby rockery like a wildcat.

His movements were utterly swift and light; as he moved, he drew in his internal energy, causing his clothing to cling tightly to his arms, back, hips, and legs, ensuring not the slightest sound escaped, no matter how fast he moved.

Just as he concealed himself, a figure suddenly appeared atop the tall wall.

The figure peered over the wall for a moment, saw that the ground below was unguarded, and then nimbly vaulted over.

From behind the rockery, He Yiming watched the person through a gap in the stones.

The intruder wore a form-fitting black suit, but their face was uncovered—no mask or anything of the sort. However, the person's face was completely unfamiliar; He Yiming had never seen them before.

Seeing the movements just executed, He Yiming felt immense curiosity churning in his heart.

Given the Cheng family’s influence in Taicang County, could petty thieves really dare to target them? It seemed utterly unbelievable.

Although the Cheng family's martial strength did not appear imposing to He Yiming, they still represented the authority of the government. Even the most foolish thief shouldn't set their sights on them.

With this thought, He Yiming suppressed the urge to capture the intruder and instead coiled his body tighter, determined to observe what the person intended to do once inside.

Indeed, after descending, the figure did not immediately leave but swiftly slipped into a dark corner nearby to hide.

Seeing the hiding spot the person chose, He Yiming paused for a moment, feeling a flush of self-reproach.

By comparison, that location was a far superior place to conceal oneself, much better than his current spot behind the rockery.

A few moments passed with the intruder remaining motionless, and He Yiming began to grow impatient. While he had fled the endless formality of the banquet, he couldn't stay outside too long, lest he incur reprimands upon his return.

He pondered whether it would be better to simply take the person down and interrogate them rather than waiting foolishly where he was.

However, just as he considered putting this plan into action, he heard another set of staggered footsteps approaching.

His heart stirred, and he immediately halted.

A figure stumbled along the small path, and from a distance, a potent, overwhelming smell of alcohol preceded them. Judging by the swaying, near-staggering gait, the person was clearly drunk.

He Yiming’s gaze flickered over the person’s face, and in a flash of thought, he recognized him.

This was one of the Xu family members who had been trailing Xu Xiangci and Xu Xiangqian. According to his elder brother’s introduction, this person didn't seem to be a core disciple of the Xu family but rather a retainer the Xu family had recruited.

He Yiming remembered him so clearly because the man was unusually small and slender. Though an adult, his height was not much different from He Yiming’s own. A physique like that was naturally noticeable, making it hard to forget.

In Tianluo Kingdom, every major clan meticulously cultivated the young members of their main line while also recruiting capable individuals. Although these people held various titles, they were fundamentally retainers.

Of course, truly skilled individuals would never settle in the small county of Taicang. Those recruited by the three great families in Taicang County were generally only cultivators whose internal energy was at the Fifth Layer or below.

Once internal energy reached the Sixth Layer, their worth immediately multiplied a hundredfold, and they would have long since left Taicang County to seek better patrons in other parts of Linlang Prefecture.

The He Family Manor did not recruit retainers; instead, their primary fighting strength came from the servants and subordinates within the manor who had learned internal energy techniques. However, among those estate guards, few showed any surprising talent in cultivating internal energy. Even breaking through to the Third Layer was considered the limit, and out of several hundred men, only about twenty had reached that level.

It wasn't that the He family didn't want to recruit retainers, but rather their foundation was too shallow, lacking the financial means to support such cultivators.

Nevertheless, relying on the He Family Manor's current peak martial strength, they could indeed stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Xu and Cheng families even without any recruited retainers.

Watching the diminutive, thin Xu family retainer slowly approach, a sudden question surfaced in He Yiming's mind.

This location was so secluded, quite a distance from the main hall. Why would a Xu family retainer, already this inebriated, come here?

His eyes flicked toward the dark corner, and he saw the person who had scaled the wall moments before subtly shift, then dart out.

He Yiming’s fists involuntarily clenched. He thought to himself, so the two of them truly were connected.

In truth, had he not witnessed the initial wall-scaling, he would never have linked these two individuals together.

"Why are you only arriving now?" the wall-scaler whispered, his tone carrying a hint of reprimand. "Was there any change?"

The drunkard suddenly straightened, his body instantly losing all sign of intoxication.

He Yiming admired him inwardly to the core. This performance was incredible; watching him moments before, He Yiming had almost believed he was genuinely drunk. To think that this man had been faking it—He Yiming would never have believed it had he not witnessed the transition firsthand.

"It wasn't that I didn't want to come, but there were too many people here, and those Xu family whelps were clustered together, refusing to separate. It took me all my effort to find an opportunity like this to slip away," the drunkard explained urgently.

The man in the black suit frowned slightly. "Enough nonsense. Did you bring the item?"

"I brought it." The drunkard flipped his hand and produced something wrapped in oilcloth, handing it to the man in black. "This is one of the volumes; you take it first."

"Why only one?" The excitement on the black-clad man’s face immediately froze. His eyes narrowed, and a chilling murderous aura surfaced between his brows. Nevertheless, his movements were swift, and he snatched the oilcloth bundle from the drunkard’s hand.

The drunkard quickly waved his hands. "Don't misunderstand. Think about it: how often can I get access to that place? To manage copying one volume in a year is already remarkable. Another person definitely couldn't do it."

The man in black paused slightly, the murderous intent fading from his face. "I understand, but you need to hurry with the other volume."

The drunkard patted his chest lightly. "Don't worry. That volume isn't completely copied yet, but about half of it is done. At most... half a year, and I’ll have it finished."

The black-clad man's eyes lit up. "Excellent. When should I contact you again?"

The drunkard pondered for a moment. "After six months, wait for me at the market ten li outside Xu Family Fort. I'll find a way to pass it to you."

"How will you manage that?" the man in black asked, puzzled. "The control over retainers who enter the Inner Fort is so tight; they barely give you a chance to come out. How can you leave?"

The drunkard chuckled. "They are quite strict with Inner Fort retainers, but they have minimal restrictions on Outer Fort retainers. Once I finish copying the second volume, I'll find a way to request a transfer to the Outer Fort. Then I can enter and leave freely without arousing suspicion."

The man in black considered this for a moment. "That's a good plan, but can you actually pull it off?"

"Rest assured. For this goal, three generations of my family have served as retainers in Xu Family Fort; we've already earned their trust. Plus, I have a backup plan. As soon as the second volume is copied, and I find the right moment to bring it up, I can definitely secure a transfer out of the Inner Fort." The drunkard sounded full of confidence.

The man in black finally relaxed. "Fine. You’ve done well. If both secret manuals are secured, you can return in a few years. When you come back, the Master will surely reward you handsomely. We won't contact you again within these six months. Be careful, and whatever you do, don't get discovered..."

The drunkard suddenly raised a hand in a silencing gesture, then his body began to sway unsteadily again, murmuring words that were utterly incomprehensible to anyone.

The man in black reacted quickly. After only a slight hesitation, he immediately retreated back into the dark corner.

He Yiming started, realizing then that the inconspicuous drunkard possessed no low level of internal energy—at least, he must be around the Seventh or Eighth Layer.

He had never expected that among the Xu family's retainers, there hid a master whose strength had reached the Seventh or Eighth Layer. Yet, this master showed absolutely no outward signs of it.

On second thought, it would have been a ghost story if they could recruit an internal energy master of that caliber in Taicang County.

Soon after, some guards discovered the staggering drunkard and, without suspicion, helped him away from the area. Those guards clearly weren't there for the drunkard, but they had been unwittingly led away from the location by him.

After they all departed, the man in black emerged from the corner, cast a deep look in the direction they left, turned, and vaulted back over the wall.

Ps: Three chapters tomorrow. Brothers and sisters, please save your recommendation votes for White Crane. Thank you...