20 Bleak Winter Season 4

"He's a bodyservant of a boy? A boy who's an mere outer disciple of the Heaven Sword School? Are you certain?"

The one who was asking was the Old Marquis, who was alerted to the arrival of the middle-aged fellow and his apparent master. That was a development that he had not expected. However, if the boy was a disciple of the famous Heaven Sword School, it would make a little more sense.

Still, only an outer disciple? If an outer disciple could get a Completion Realm master to serve as his bodyservant ... Just what sort of background would someone like that have?

"You have checked with everyone that he has every dealt with then? That man who likes to show up in that faded green robe? And with our own people at South Gate? He is the same man?"

He was seated in the highest seat in his Audience Hall, in the middle of his Residence, as he listened to the report. And beside him was his wife, who seemed to remain calm throughout the whole of it. Indeed, she was simply taking a sip of tea, as her husband made his query.

One that made the spy who had been making the report lower his head once more.

"Yes, Master. We have done so. He was the person who had sold the ginseng root and the Dragon Beard Grass to the Second Ducal Prince back then. And we have already reported his purchase of that town-house to the East, just after the Harvest. From the look of things, he and that youth are moving in there now."

The Old Marquis nodded while Lady Xie merely looked curious. "A town-house, in the quietest and the poorest part of the City? That is a little unusual," the old man confessed, as he looked at his wife, "Not the sort of behavior that one would associate with the disciples of Heaven Sword School, if we were to look at their recent history."

"Not even after I arrived here? Forty-three years ago?"

The Old Marquis smiled at his wife's reminder. "They were more unbridled back then. But between my army and your martial arts cultivation, they had learned to pretend at being civil. We have not had a clash with them for about half a century, remember? Ever since our eldest was born.

"Which makes me wonder what they are thinking now. Why are they sending one of their outer school disciples here at this time? And what is his relationship with that quiet old expert? I cannot believe that they are master and servant!

"At least, not an ordinary master and servant!"

Lady Xie smiled. "You are being too restrictive, in the way that you view the world. There are some experts who are willing to serve, even if it means looking after their Master's wastrel children. So why can't that be the case here?

"Although I am a little concerned about the young man. Why would he choose to leave the School at such at time? This is the worse time of the year to shift to a new environment. And the School hasn't even bothered to send him off properly."

The Old Marquis had a thoughtful look on his face as soon as he heard his wife's words. And he turned to look at the spy at once, before he realized that the man would not have any answers. It was not something that they could find out, without interacting with the two that they were watching.

Or with the Heaven Sword School.

And he was not ready to take things that far. At least, not yet.

So, he could only speculate. "He looks old enough to be past sixteen, they said. So it is possible that he has ... failed to reach the required Initial Realm? That would be enough of a reason for them to throw him out of the School."

But that drew a snort from his wife. And she waved a hand at the guards that were lining the walls inside their Audience Hall. "Would you throw out your guards just like that, if they failed one of the training exercises that you prepared for them? Or would you try to use them in some other way? Perhaps, one that would make better use of their inborn talents?

"As a spy perhaps?"

The Old Marquis laughed, as soon as he heard that. "So, you think they would play the same game that we are playing now? That he is here to judge our reaction to the news of the Barbarian Horde? The Heaven Sword School is not known to be so subtle, you know?"

"Perhaps not. But there's no other explanation why they would bother to send someone to us now. And such a low-leveled disciple at that," the Lady sniffed again, "But if you consider the Completion level expert next to him, it makes for a more interesting tale."

"In that case, why not send for him, and share what we know about the situation? It would save you from having to make the trip, and we could try to find out if there's a chance that the School would consent to taking a more active role."

Lady Xie sighed, and shook her head at her husband. "No, that won't do. We do not know who sent this boy, or what is their objective for making such a move now. If we rely on him to pass the word and it doesn't reach the ears of the ones making the decisions ..."

The old man seemed to understand her point immediately. And his manner grew a lot sterner, as he turned to look at the spy standing before them. There was no change of expression on the man's face of course. Then again, he had not expected there to be one.

"Then what shall we do?"

The Lady waved a hand at the spy then, as if to include him in her planning. Although that was merely for show. She would not deign to ask the opinion of her tools. "We should carry out our plans, while we try to find out why he has been sent here. It is what they would expect us to do, anyway. So it would not surprise them."

"So ... you are still going to the Heaven Sword School?" he asked quietly, "To speak to the Grandmaster there?"

"I see no point in delaying. And it doesn't matter if this boy is one of their agents or not. We still need to secure their aid, or a promise of the same, before the Barbarians come at us. So there's no point in postponing my trip to the Martial Arts School.

"And you can get our grandson to ... pay him a courtesy call, to thank him for the help rendered by his bodyservant. That should seem innocent enough," she added, after a moment's thought.

"Then ,,, you do not intend to meet with this fellow yourself?"

"No. Even if he is a spy for the School, it only goes to prove that they are interested in what happens. And that they are aware of the threat the Barbarians pose to all of us. If he is not ..."

She shrugged her shoulders again, and cocked her head at the Old Marquis. Who sighed as he agreed with her reading of the situation.

"If he is not, there would be no point in speaking to him at all."

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