Why do I have so many masters?-Chapter 315 - 22 Changes in the Tan Residence (Two in One) _2

Just then, one man forcefully struggled out of the constable’s grip. The surrounding patrol officers were startled, and the clanging sound of their swords being drawn could be heard as they all unsheathed them and pointed them at the martial artist. However, this person didn’t intend to flee; instead, he knelt in the direction of Wang Anfeng with chains on his body and said in a deep voice:

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"Thank you, benefactor, for sparing my life."

"One day… I will repay this debt."

Having said this, he kowtowed deeply.

The constables were taken aback, sheathed their swords, and scolded as they pulled the chains, dragging the assassin away from the courtyard. The weapons that had been stuck in the ground as evidence were also removed, and at a glance, the yard seemed much more spacious.

Wang Anfeng was looking at this scene when he suddenly said:

"Miss Tan."

Tan Yurou was about to return to her room when she heard his words, stopped in her tracks, turned back, and looked at him,

The young man began to speak:

"Today, I would like to visit the Tan Residence..."

............

Wang Anfeng still decided to meet Tan Tianxiong once more.

Last night at Zhao’s residence, he overheard Zhao Zhengyong and his younger relatives’ private conversation. He learned that the Twenty-Seven Allied Gangs were eyeing the Tan Family’s foundation. Although given Tan Tianxiong’s shrewdness, it was unlikely he hadn’t anticipated this, Wang still felt somewhat uneasy.

Yet, he never expected to be turned away at the door.

In the side hall of the Tan Residence.

Wang Anfeng was sitting in a chair, the tea in the cup beside him already cooling for the third time.

The servant next to him refilled Wang Anfeng’s cup with fresh tea.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps approached from outside the hall. The young man’s half-closed eyes opened before he could see anyone, and he heard a clear, hearty laugh:

"Brother Wang has come. I should have received you personally."

"But there have been many complications in the household these days. If there has been any neglect, I hope Brother Wang will forgive me, forgive me, hahaha..."

As the laugh subsided, a man entered from outside the door. His features were the same, but the clothes he wore were no longer the white garments as pristine as jade he had on when they last met. Instead, he was dressed in a black shirt with hidden dark golden tiger patterns that suggested wealth and revealed his authority.

Wang Anfeng noticed a change in his demeanor, it was no longer humble but mixed with a bit of wanton pride. His heart sank slightly, though his face showed no change. He stood up and returned the greeting, saying:

"Young Master Yu."

Yu Jiu raised his hand to stop the young man’s movement, smiling:

"Why be so formal? If you don’t mind, just call me Yu Jiu."

"Do you have any urgent matters for gracing our residence today? Feel free to speak your mind?"

Wang Anfeng replied, "It’s nothing important; I just wanted to see the elder. I have some questions I’d like to ask."

Yu Jiu laughed upon hearing this and, with a slight bow to Wang Anfeng and a somewhat apologetic expression, said:

"Brother Wang is a distinguished guest of the Tan Residence. Normally, I should convey your message and leave the decision to meet to the ’elder.’

"However, the elder has been declining all visitors these days, and as his subordinates, we really cannot defy his orders."

His voice paused slightly, then continued:

"If there is anything you need, feel free to speak to me. Thanks to the elder’s grace, I am temporarily managing worldly affairs on his behalf."

Wang Anfeng’s gaze shifted subtly. His Pupil Skill had greatly improved over the past two years. Though the young man before him had a faint smug complacency in his features, it wasn’t enough to escape his attention. Without changing his demeanor, he simply laughed lightly and said:

"It’s nothing."

"I was just concerned about a friend’s safety and wanted to inquire with the elder."

"I wonder how the task I entrusted is coming along."

Seeing the young man’s slightly knotted brow as if he were worried about his friend’s safety and nothing else, Yu Jiu relaxed and chuckled:

"Don’t worry, Brother Wang. Our people from the Tan Residence have already started investigating all around the city."

"If we find anything, we will certainly inform you immediately."

Wang Anfeng nodded slightly and said, "In that case, I must trouble Brother Yu further."

"Hahaha, it’s the least I can do."

Wang Anfeng watched the young man before him with a faint smile, feeling a growing heaviness in his heart. The youth had apparently gained significant power; the very morning after Wang last visited the Tan Residence, assassins from various organizations attacked that night. It would be impossible for there not to be a traitor within the Tan Residence.

And this traitor must hold a high position.

Wang Anfeng gazed at Yu Jiu’s handsome face, his thoughts elsewhere, and after making some idle conversation, he got up to leave. As he walked into the outer courtyard, he noticed that everyone showed great reverence for the young man beside him, which weighed even more heavily on Wang Anfeng’s mind.

If it wasn’t that all the servants and martial artists in the courtyard were deep schemers who did not show their emotions easily, then it must be that other martial artists, loyal and close to the Tan Family, had been sent away, leaving only those who were Yu Jiu’s confidants.

At that thought, a sudden pang of anxiety sped up his steps as he remembered Tan Yurou’s intention to stay a while in the courtyard.

As he approached the courtyard, he happened to see a kind-faced old woman, carrying a box of pastries on her arm, picking one up and bringing it to Tan Yurou’s lips, which parted slightly to receive it.

Wang Anfeng’s heart tightened, and without a care for Yu Jiu behind him, he flung a Copper Coin with a sharp whistle, knocking the pastry from the old woman’s hand.

The old woman, startled, only trembled slightly in her palms, yet stood firm.

Tan Yurou turned her head and saw Wang Anfeng striding out, with Yu Jiu following behind, whose previously smiling face now looked much more serious, his eyes wide open with a smile that was not a smile, resembling neither man nor fierce tiger, but rather like the quiet gaze of a hungry wolf.

The old woman first made a salute to Yu Jiu before turning to Wang Anfeng and murmured a complaint:

"Young master, why did you suddenly intervene? These are pastries I made especially for the young miss...

The miss has always liked them the most."

Already at Tan Yurou’s side, Wang Anfeng raised his hand to shield the girl behind him and looked at the old woman, saying flatly:

"We have been here for less than half an hour, and yet the old mother seems to have finished quite quickly."

The old woman’s expression stiffened slightly, but she still insisted:

"Being of advanced age, I have some foresight in these matters. The young hero, being young, may not know..."

Wang Anfeng glanced at her and said:

"Oh? Able to predict the future?"

"That would be presumptuous of me..."

The old woman’s expression relaxed slightly, and she said:

"I am not worthy of such courtesy from the young master..."

Before her words could finish, the calm voice of Wang Anfeng was heard, saying:

"Then why did the old grandmother not foresee that the pastries she painstakingly made would be shattered by a single Copper Coin of mine?"

The old woman was taken aback, her face turning a mix of pale and flushed, unable to speak.

Wang Anfeng still kept Tan Yurou shielded behind him and turned to look at Yu Jiu, saying:

"Brother Yu is currently in charge of the affairs within the Tan Residence, and it would be inappropriate for me to intrude any further."

"Please, no need to see me out."

Yu Jiu paused mid-step, and with Wang Anfeng putting it that way, especially after he had left Wang Anfeng hanging for a long time on the pretext of being busy, it would not be good to send him off now. His eyes briefly swept over the girl shielded by Wang Anfeng, then over the longsword sheathed tightly behind the youth, contemplating his martial skills, he exhaled and offered a calm smile:

"In that case, I shall only accompany you this far."

"The winter days are cold."

"Please take care on your way, Brother Wang."

"Thank you."

Wang Anfeng replied indifferently, ready to leave with Tan Yurou, when her eyes suddenly shifted and in a soft, aggrieved voice, she said:

"But, young master, Yurou really wanted to eat...

The youth paused his steps momentarily.

The almost deadly atmosphere that surrounded them instantly dissipated completely, as Wang Anfeng turned halfway to look at Tan Yurou, his mouth twitching slightly. This courtyard, in his view, was like a Heavenly Net Earth Net, fraught with hidden dangers. Knowing that any further delay could lead to unforeseen incidents, he suppressed his feelings of frustration and said:

"I’ll make them for you..."

"But there are still osmanthus cakes and hawthorn pastries in the box..."

Feeling the atmosphere around him change again, Wang Anfeng’s heart sank. He grabbed the girl’s wide sleeve and, pulling her along, said:

"Whatever you want to eat, I’ll make it for you."

Tan Yurou allowed the young man in front of her to pull at her sleeve.

His tone, carrying a hint of frustration and annoyance, lost the air of detached profundity from before, and instead took on a younger vibe. Tan Yurou’s fingertips, hidden under her azure blue sleeves, gently reached out and timidly touched Wang Anfeng’s palm.

Through the sleeve.

A blush appeared on the girl’s face, her eyes glimmering as she let Wang Anfeng lead her forward. Ahead of her was the back of the youth, somewhat irritated, his black hair lightly tousled by the wind, while eaves of the houses slid behind them, casting shadows that fragmented the cool winter sky into different pieces.

The sunlight spilled down, flowing quietly in her brown eyes, and the youth’s black hair caught the light with the warm and reassuring color of an autumn wheat field.

The sky was a deep blue, with sparrows fluttering by.

The young man stepped forward.

Pulling her beyond the gates of the Tan Residence.

PS: A chapter of over 4,000 words is quite a bit longer than one with just over 2,000 words, yet falls a little short of a 5,000-word combined long chapter. Please bear with me, past this plot point... (hands together in prayer)