Zhu Yu was momentarily stunned upon hearing this. Other matters were easier to discuss; for things she had dabbled in, she could conjure up a few words to bamboozle the couple. That shouldn’t be a difficult task.

However, when it came to feng shui and metaphysics, she was genuinely clueless.

But she glanced at Lu Qing next to her. Seeing him calm and composed, her heart settled quietly.

Lu Qing glanced at the couple, showing some reluctance and hesitation. But soon he nodded: "Alright, it is fate that we meet here. I also appreciate the hospitality from both of you over the past days.

However, I am a junior in the family with scant knowledge; my understanding in these areas is far inferior to my elders. So if what I say is unpleasing, please take it as a joke and don’t take it too seriously."

"Alright, alright, please feel free to help us take a look!" The landlady was immediately overjoyed to hear Lu Qing agree, nodding repeatedly.

Upon hearing her words, Lu Qing got up and walked outside, with the innkeeper couple hastily following behind.

Zhu Yu followed as well, mainly curious about what Lu Qing intended to perform.

Lu Qing walked around the yard, inspecting the inn’s grounds from front to back, then strolled back inside. He surveyed the room, then fished out several Copper Coins from his bosom, scattering them on the ground.

The Copper Coins clattered as they rolled across the floor. Lu Qing bent down, frowned as he scrutinized their arrangement and orientation, musing silently and nodding thoughtfully.

"Dear guest, how’s the feng shui here?" The landlady, seeing Lu Qing silent, grew nervous, anxiously approaching and carefully asking.

"The mountain on the left resembles a dragon spewing jewels, while the slope on the right appears as a tiger clutching treasures. Inside the stable, the stone trough channels divine water, the kitchen’s stone well overflows with riches.

When this inn was built here, did anyone calculate the feng shui specifically for you?" Lu Qing spoke some ambiguous words and turned to ask the innkeeper couple.

"No, no, we really didn’t!" The landlady, although seemingly not fully comprehending, sensed that what Lu Qing said sounded favorable, and expectation faintly emerged on her face, "We were fleeing from all directions back then. Had we possessed such ability, we wouldn’t have lost our fields and homes!

We both initially settled here, scraping a living. Gradually, as more people gathered, we thought of doing something we were skilled at, and thus opened this inn."

"Earlier, I used Copper Coins to divine a hexagram, and this hexagram..." Lu Qing stroked his chin, "A dragon coils around the pillar, a tiger roars. A vermilion bird carries money, a black tortoise surges. But see the elm seeds fall like rain, bending the counter to trade for a golden bridge.

This is a great fortune."

The innkeeper couple seemed to partially understand Lu Qing’s previous words, but they felt anything involving dragons, tigers, vermilion birds, or tortoises sounded incredible.

The phrase "bending the counter to trade for a golden bridge" carried an air of opulence, and hearing the final conclusion was "great fortune" made them overjoyed.

The landlady intended to inquire further, but Lu Qing raised his hand, halting her plan: "As they say, the secrets of heaven cannot be divulged entirely. Many matters must be touched upon lightly, not fully revealed."

The innkeeper couple dared not to inquire further, loudly acknowledging, thanking, and refraining from asking anything else.

Having sent them off, Lu Qing and Zhu Yu finally could return to their room for some rest.

Everything else was manageable, but today’s hustle in that little wooden building, added to the travel distance, had worn Zhu Yu out. She simply washed her face, removed her outer robe, and intended to sleep.

Suddenly, the familiar sound of a bird chirping came from the silent window.

She had just closed her eyes but opened them again.

Lu Qing silently approached the window, opened it slightly, then quickly closed it and returned, indeed holding that familiar Mechanical Box.

Zhu Yu sat up, joining Lu Qing at the table beside the oil lamp. Lu Qing adeptly opened the Mechanical Box and took out the secret message from within.

Interestingly, the secret message this time wasn’t long. A small piece of paper with two brief lines of music score.

But those two short lines caused Lu Qing’s expression to turn cold immediately, while Zhu Yu came slower, soon showing a surprised look.

The message revealed only one matter—the Duke Yan setting out with his family from the capital returning to his hometown for retirement, had unknowingly caught the eye of mountain bandits due to their large convoy. They were ambushed mid-journey, and when discovered, no family member, young or old, had survived.

Zhu Yu felt a chill in her heart.

Leaving other matters aside, just the possibility of mountain bandits setting up camp along the way doesn’t mean they would rob everyone passing by.

They wouldn’t rob those who are too poor as there’s no gain to be made.

They wouldn’t rob large groups because of the potential risks in conflicts.

They wouldn’t rob government connections since it’ll invite trouble.

Unless they backed by greater powers, they wouldn’t dare provoke trouble for themselves by raiding these groups.

Among these three scenarios, Duke Yan Zhao Bi’s family fits the latter two.

Sensible mountain bandits, upon seeing such a large convoy, should weigh whether or not it’s within their capacity to tackle this.

Moreover, mountain bandits rob for wealth, not out of deep hatred. Encountering resistance resulting in some casualties can be understandable.

At worst, encountering bold ones, abducting women as captive wives is possible too.

But to kill all family members, along with servants and Protectors, totaling dozens of people, is definitely not typical mountain bandit behavior. It’s labor-intensive with no benefits.

Lu Qing silently stood, quietly letting the secret message burn over the lamp, turning it into small ashes.

His gaze lingered on those small ashes, his expression seemingly calm, but beneath his deep eyes, some other emotions surged.

There was everything but rejoicing or satisfaction.

Everything indicated that the events involving Zhao Bi and Lu Qing’s family over twenty years ago were related. Even though Zhao Bi’s intention to eliminate Lu Qing’s family is predictable, guessing is still different from getting a direct account from him.

Furthermore, if it were him, such enemies would only truly feel satisfied if they died directly through his hands or plans.

Now that Zhao Bi’s family has become victims on someone else’s blade, it’s no wonder Lu Qing’s heart isn’t fully relieved.

Zhu Yu even felt that dying without owning up to the crime of betraying loyal subjects was indeed a slight reprieve for that old rogue Zhao Bi.