Chapter 3: Madam Liu

The Liu Family in the east of the city was one of the wealthiest households in town. The Patriarch, Liu Zian, was a renowned philanthropist far and wide. By building bridges, repairing roads, distributing porridge, and providing medicine, he had built quite a formidable reputation over the years.

But the good die young. Last month, Liu Zian suddenly fell ill. Despite inviting every doctor in the city and consuming countless bowls of medicine, he still passed away. He was only twenty-six when he died. He left behind a wife surnamed Shen. She was a daughter of the Shen Family from Qing Province, exceptionally outstanding in both looks and talent. They also had a son who had just turned one year old.

These matters were no secret in the city, so Lin Yan naturally knew about them. Having sorted out his thoughts, he looked at the maid and said indifferently, "I'm just a driver. Besides driving carts and transporting people, I don't know how to do anything else. Why is Madam Liu looking for me?"

"That is what Madam instructed. I am merely passing on the message," the maid replied in a low voice. She offered no further explanation.

Lin Yan fell silent for a moment. Ever since he escorted Li Xiuniang last time, the Guard System had not triggered again. Now, someone had come knocking on his door.

"The Liu Family... a widow... Could this be another opportunity?" he wondered.

"Alright," he agreed. However, he did not follow her immediately. Instead, he returned home to prepare forage for Old Niu before finally coming back out and getting into the carriage.

An incense stick's time later, the clopping of hooves came to a halt.

"Mr. Lin, we have arrived," the maid said, lifting the curtain.

Lin Yan stepped down. Before him stood a courtyard mansion built with cyan bricks and grey tiles. Two white lanterns hung above the door lintel, both bearing the character for 'Liu'.

The maid led him through a long corridor and into a side hall. The furnishings inside were very simple. Aside from a few miscellaneous items scattered about, a table sat right in the center with a lit lamp resting upon it. Next to the lamp sat a person. A woman.

She wore plain white mourning clothes. Her long, pitch-black hair was casually pinned behind her head with a hairpin, and her face was completely devoid of makeup. The woman's facial features were incredibly striking; anyone seeing her for the first time would feel dazzled. However, her face was deathly pale, lacking even a hint of color. This only added a sense of sharpness to her, like that of a drawn blade. This woman was Madam Liu.

Seeing Lin Yan enter, she stood up and gave a slight nod. "Please take a seat, Lin."

It was a very polite offer, but Lin Yan did not sit. "Madam, if you have business with me, please just speak plainly." He didn't like to waste time.

Madam Liu paused slightly, as if she hadn't expected Lin Yan to be so direct. She decided to get straight to the point. "I invited you here because I want you to escort me somewhere."

"Where?"

"Qingzhou City."

Qingzhou City was a hundred miles away. Riding a fast horse at full gallop would take the better part of a day, while a carriage would take a full two to three days. An ox cart would take even longer.

"Your family has carriages, and they are much faster. Why look for me?" Lin Yan asked.

"Fifty taels of silver!" Madam Liu said indifferently. She offered no explanation, merely stating that single sentence.

Lin Yan immediately fell silent. Under normal circumstances, this amount of silver would be enough to cover his food and drink for several years. However, the higher the price, the more complicated the situation he would likely have to face. Nevertheless, with the Golden Bell Shield, Lin Yan felt he was capable of securing this money.

"When do we leave?" he asked without spouting any nonsense.

"I still have a few things to arrange. Tomorrow night at the midnight hour, wait for me under the old locust tree outside the city," Madam Liu said softly.

Once the matter was settled, Lin Yan's brow twitched slightly as the system's voice chimed in his mind.

[The Guard System has detected a triggerable mission—]

[Mission Objective: Safely escort the target (Shen Qingci, 2-Star) to the designated location (the Shen Family in Qingzhou City).]

[Mission Reward: Level 10 Vajra Invulnerability Divine Skill.]

Lin Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, preventing his emotions from showing. He naturally knew of this martial art. It was a legendary peak Horizontal Training technique. Once mastered, the practitioner would become impervious to blades, spears, water, and fire—a true top-tier Body-Protecting Divine Skill.

With this, plus the Level 10 Golden Bell Shield, where in the world couldn't he go? More importantly, this mission once again confirmed his hypothesis. The system's trigger conditions were indeed related to women. Specifically, women who were in distress and needed an escort.

"Alright," Lin Yan said in a calm tone. "Pay the deposit first, Madam Liu. Once I take your money, I will ensure your safety!"

Madam Liu did not hesitate. She pulled a pouch from her sleeve and placed it on the table. The pouch landed on the tabletop with a heavy THUD.

Lin Yan picked it up and opened it. Inside were some fragmented pieces of silver. Tucking the pouch away, he said solemnly, "I will wait until sunrise. If you do not show up, Madam, I will come to the Liu Mansion to find you!"

Hearing this, Madam Liu looked somewhat surprised. "It seems you are even more reliable than I imagined. Don't worry, I will be there on time tomorrow night."

Lin Yan said no more and turned to walk out. The maid quickly followed to see him out.

Outside, the night had completely swallowed the surroundings, and the long street was entirely empty. Lin Yan headed straight for his own home.

Back in the side hall, Madam Liu was still sitting under the lamplight. One of her hands rested on the edge of the table, propping up her smooth chin.

"Madam." The maid had returned. She leaned in close and whispered, "Is this Lin Yan... truly reliable? He is just an ox cart driver. Although he beat up Qian Wantong's men a few days ago, they were ultimately just a few local ruffians."

Madam Liu shook her head. "I am well aware of that, but there is no other way now. Those people won't give me much time. If we don't leave in time, I fear both my son and I will be in danger."

The moment her husband died, the Liu Family became a fat piece of meat on the chopping block. The local gentry, led by the Zhao Family, had long been lurking in the shadows, eyeing them covetously. Under their manipulation, the ledgers in her shops had been tampered with, and the rents from her tenant farms couldn't be collected. Even the servants in her own home had begun to feign compliance while secretly disobeying. She was merely a young widow with a swaddled infant in her arms. There was no way she could hold on to such a massive family estate.

Her only option was to return to her maiden home and beg for help. However, just thinking of her father made Madam Liu feel a faint sense of anxiety.

"I hope everything goes smoothly..." she thought.

Madam Liu thought things through very clearly. There was no telling how many spies would be watching along the way. Therefore, she couldn't bring too many people, nor could they travel during the day. Furthermore, she needed an unfamiliar face—someone highly skilled in martial arts. Their character didn't have to be perfect, but it had to at least be passable.

Lin Yan was the perfect fit. Judging from the incident with Li Xiu Niang, this man possessed a sense of chivalry. If he lacked that trait, how could Madam Liu dare to bring her child into a strange man's carriage in the dead of night? She would be dead either way, so she might as well take a gamble!

"But..." the maid wanted to say more.

Madam Liu cut her off. "Say no more. Go down and pack properly."

The maid lowered her head, offering no further argument, and turned to walk outside. The expression on her face shifted rapidly before finally settling into a look of firm resolve. The master and madam of the Liu Family were decent people, but she had no desire to stay on a sinking ship.

The hall grew quiet. Madam Liu stood up, walked to the window, and pushed it open. She gazed outside at the darkest part of the night sky, where only a faint trace of moonlight shone, looking as though it could be swallowed by dark clouds at any moment.