Chapter 28: A Short-term Feint for Long-term Strategy

Life at the Lu family estate had never been easy for Lu Xiao. Even in the past, when he was neither noticed nor valued, his living conditions were wretched—only slightly better than they were now.

It was Er Niu who had secretly brought him food. Because so many eyes were fixed on every move his elder brother, Lu Zheng, made, having Er Niu deliver the supplies was less conspicuous. Er Niu held him in high regard; throughout the entire estate, he was perhaps the only one who truly treated him as the Fourth Young Master of the mansion. Though at times rather simple-minded, Er Niu was quite sharp when it came to important matters. Lu Xiao held him in high esteem, and if Er Niu were to encounter trouble, he was determined to find a way to resolve it for him. He knew who had shown him kindness and who had not. As for the others in the estate, like Jiang Yurou and her ilk—what kindness had they ever shown him? They were nothing more than enemies who sought his ruin. To expect him to sacrifice himself for them would be a delusion.

As Lu Xiao walked toward the ancestral hall, he pondered the situation. Er Niu was merely a servant; he should never have been dragged before the Old Madam for interrogation. Moreover, wasn’t he supposed to be at the academy with his brother? It was still early, the sky only just beginning to brighten, and yet the Old Madam was already conducting interrogations. It felt like a troublesome omen.

The ancestral hall was situated in the north of the Lu estate, in the deepest part of the grounds. This area was rarely visited by anyone other than those residing within the mansion, and it was not a place for entertaining guests. Inside, Er Niu was kneeling before the Old Madam, his expression pale with fear. He was terrified; to be summoned for questioning by the Old Madam meant the nature of this incident was far from simple.

Seeing Lu Xiao arrive, Dong He, the maid beside the Old Madam, leaned over to whisper a reminder. The Old Madam, who had been resting with her eyes closed, opened them. "You certainly know how to sleep, making me wait here for so long."

Lu Xiao looked at her and offered a standard, perfunctory greeting, leaving her no opening to find fault. As for her words, he acted as if he had heard nothing and offered no reply. The Old Madam, having no interest in wasting time on a verbal sparring match, shifted her gaze to the kneeling Er Niu.

"Er Niu, you have been by Lu Zheng’s side for many years. I always assumed you were content with your master. It seems I was mistaken. You are at the capital's academy, yet your heart remains tethered to this child, Lu Xiao. Since you favor him so, you shall stay with Lu Xiao from now on."

Hearing this, Lu Xiao understood the situation. Er Niu must have been caught delivering supplies to him, and to avoid implicating his elder brother, he had taken all the blame upon himself. For Er Niu, this was a terrible strategy. Er Niu was just a servant, and the Old Madam would have no qualms about dealing with him. Lu Xiao, regardless of how little he was valued, was still a member of the Lu family; the Old Madam could not simply take his life. Even if she had no love for him, she would not dare impose a severe punishment. To harshly punish or kill a direct descendant would spread throughout the Xia Kingdom and tarnish the Lu family’s reputation. Furthermore, they were still waiting to harvest Lu Xiao’s spiritual bone.

But Er Niu was different. He was just an attendant. If the Old Madam had him beaten to death, who would care? Killing a bonded servant would barely cause a ripple. Er Niu was gambling with his life. Fortunately, the Old Madam had no intention of killing him; she preferred to use him as a form of leverage.

"Lu Xiao, this attendant will be by your side from now on. Now that I have arranged a servant for you, if I hear you complaining that the estate treats you poorly, do not blame me for tearing your mouth shut. If you fail the examination for the Martial Sect Academy, do not pin the responsibility on the estate." The Old Madam rose as she spoke, likely intending to return for a nap. "Let me emphasize this once more: if you fail to enter the Martial Sect Academy and refuse to listen to reason, I will no longer indulge you, nor will I speak to you in such a civil tone."

With that, the Old Madam led her entourage out of the ancestral hall. Er Niu, still kneeling, looked at her retreating back as if he wanted to say something, but Lu Xiao quickly gestured for him to stay silent and led him out. That boy was truly reckless; it was pure luck that he had escaped unscathed this time. Any further words might just invite disaster.

As they walked toward Lu Xiao’s quarters, Er Niu finally found an opportunity to speak. "Fourth Young Master, the things I brought for you were all confiscated by the Old Madam. What should we do..." There was a look of sorrow on his face, as if he deeply regretted the loss of the items.

Lu Xiao looked at him helplessly. "It is a blessing enough that you escaped with your life. Possessions can be replaced, but a life cannot."

Er Niu clearly did not realize he had just survived a great crisis, his eyes still clouded with regret over the confiscated goods. "The protective inner armor the Eldest Young Master prepared for you, and the set of highly effective medicinal plasters..."

Lu Xiao knew his brother must have scrimped and saved to prepare those things. It was a pity they were gone, but the fact that Er Niu remained unhurt was, indeed, a stroke of fortune. "Enough, say no more of it. That it did not lead to further trouble is already a good outcome."

Lu Xiao understood that the Old Madam was setting up a trap. By assigning Er Niu to him, she was not only stripping away his excuses for being alone but also creating a point of leverage. After the Martial Sect Academy examination, if Lu Xiao still refused to surrender his spiritual bone, Er Niu would become a bargaining chip. To the Old Madam, this chip might seem insignificant, as she was unsure how much weight a mere servant could hold, and she had seen Lu Xiao’s indifference today. But in truth, this move was a significant constraint. His brother and Er Niu were the only two people Lu Xiao cared about in the estate. Without them, he didn't know how he would have endured these past years.

"I was so careful this time, I even came at the end of the Yin hour, and yet I was still discovered..." Er Niu lamented.

Lu Xiao knew the reason. Under the current circumstances, the estate’s surveillance of him had naturally become much stricter. It was no surprise that Er Niu had been caught.

"I will write a letter to my brother to set his mind at ease. For this period, Er Niu, you will have to suffer alongside me. But do not worry too much. My brother’s path of cultivation is becoming smoother, and he carries weight in the estate. Once this time passes, you will be able to return to his side."