Heroine, don't turn back, I'm just a farmer.

After taking his seat, Lu Guo was slightly taken aback when his gaze fell on Madam Liu.

She wore a plain white dress and no jewelry, giving her a cool and simple appearance. Her individual features might not be considered stunningly beautiful, but together they created a harmonious look that was hard to look away from.

Her white clothes were already quite white, but her skin was even whiter, so white and translucent, like a warm hue shining through the finest mutton fat jade. Her neck was long and slender with smooth lines, and even in plain clothes, one could see her delicate and supple figure.

But what is most striking are her eyes, which are extremely deep and bright, like two bottomless pools. Beneath their calm surface lies something indescribable, carrying scrutiny, vigilance, and a hint of faint curiosity.

She is a very rational and beautiful woman. She is the type who, even if you only last three minutes, will give you enough confidence to tell you that "three minutes is already very impressive."

"Please sit down." She gestured to the chair opposite her.

Lu Guo sat down and glanced around the entire side hall. The game scene was very realistic—there was a pot of orchids on the windowsill, which had already withered, leaving only a few leaves.

On the opposite wall hung a calligraphy scroll with the four characters "Sword-like courage and a heart of music" written in vigorous strokes. In the corner stood a celadon vase with cracks on its body, which had been mended with copper clamps, but the clamping technique was exquisite, unlike what an ordinary craftsman could do.

Sitting opposite him, Madam Liu bent down and personally poured him a cup of tea.

The tea was clear and bright, and the rising steam blurred her features, making her appear hazy and aloof.

"Did Aunt Liu know I was coming?"

Lu Guo picked up his teacup, but didn't drink it. He asked, "..."

Madam Liu did not answer the question. She took out another letter from her sleeve. The envelope was unsigned, with only one line of small characters on it—the handwriting was messy, as if it had been written in a hurry.

"This is what he left behind. He said that if you come someday, he would give you this letter."

"Who left it?"

Shen Wansan?

Based on the game's logic, this should be some kind of token or a necessary item for the quest.

Lu Guo took the letter and was about to open it when Madam Liu suddenly reached out and pressed down on his wrist.

Her fingers were cold.

[You have been affected by Lady Xue's Mysterious Yin Finger technique...]

"..." Lu Guo.

Good heavens, so you're Lady Snow.

"Guo'er".

Madam Liu's tone was calm, but her eyes suddenly became complicated. "Before you read the letter, I have a question for you."

[Critical Decision Triggered]

[A question from Lady Snow:]

"You came to Qingluo Manor, is it to repay a debt of gratitude, or for something else?"

[1. "To repay a debt of gratitude, Uncle Shen saved my life."]

2. "For the truth, I want to know who killed him."

3. "Uncle wouldn't leave a letter for me without a reason, because of what's in it."

4. "..."

Lu Guo looked at the four options and fell into deep thought.

Answering based on the content of these four options doesn't seem like a good approach.

It may seem like just a dialogue branch, but my intuition from playing countless RPGs tells me that every choice here could completely change the course of the story, with a clear direction, and once you make a choice, you can no longer choose other branches.

Option 1 is the pure "chivalrous" route, following the traditional path of a chivalrous hero, valuing loyalty and righteousness, but potentially being exploited, not being as free, and being unable to do many things.

For example, it might be impossible to win over this Madam Liu.

Option 2 is the "hunt" route to decipher the mystery, leading straight to the truth, but you might miss the information hidden by Lady Snow.

Option 3 is the "utilitarian" route, directly stating that you are there to take the item. While honest, it will reduce trust.

Option 4 should be left to your own discretion.

This option is the most ambiguous, but also the most realistic.

Lu Guo remained silent for a long time, then said in a low voice, "To be honest, Aunt Liu, I don't know either. I just felt that since you're still here... I should come."

For some reason, Madam Liu was stunned.

She looked into Lu Guo's eyes for a long time, then released her hand from his wrist and smiled softly.

The smile was faint, carrying a hint of relief.

"My husband didn't misjudge me."

Lady Snow's trust level has increased significantly.

[Special Status Unlocked: Guest of Honor at Qingluo Manor]

[Intelligence obtained: Shen Wansan visited a place before his death—Jingmiao Nunnery.]

Regardless of whether the letter contained poison or not, and without any attempt to conceal the fact that it was written by this so-called Madam Xue, he was not afraid of being poisoned. He was confident in his ability to reload his game, so he opened the letter and began to read it in front of her.

"Lady Snow's favorability +1".

"..." Lu Guo.

How do I increase my affection level?

Never mind, let's read the letter.

Anyway, he'd already met the person; the adventure was more important. He opened the letter; it contained only three words, the ink thick and bold, penetrating the paper.

【Jingmiao Nunnery.】

[The first part of the adventure has been updated. Head to Jingmiao Nunnery outside Jinling City in Jiangzhou to find the clues left by Shen Wansan.]

Jingmiao Nunnery in Jiangzhou?

Wait, Jiangzhou?

My village, Jiangjia Village, is located in Jiangzhou.

In that case, I have no choice but to go.

Lu Guo put the letter away, thought for a moment, and then handed it to Madam Liu, who was sitting there.

"Aunt Liu, please take a look too."

"This was given to you by Wan San, how can I possibly look at it?"

"You're not an outsider, so I'd like to ask for your opinion." Lu Guo picked up his teacup, finally taking a sip. "What exactly happened to you, Uncle?"

He didn't ask "How did you die?" but rather "What did you encounter?"

Shen Wansan is already dead, so asking about the manner of his death is meaningless; that's already the accepted answer. It's better to change the angle and the way you ask, and try to probe using the existing intelligence.

Madam Liu sat there, dressed entirely in white, like a white jade statue, her expression seemingly lost in some kind of sorrow.

"Lady Snow's favorability +1".

Why did my affection level increase again?

Lu Guo was puzzled.

"Aunt Liu?"

Seeing that Madam Xue hadn't come to her senses for a long time, he called out in confusion.

Madam Liu's fingers tightened slightly, but quickly relaxed again. Her hands were very white, with distinct knuckles, and her nails were neatly trimmed and well-maintained.

It doesn't look like the hands of a wife who takes care of her children; it looks more like the hands that hold a sword.

"Tianluoxiang, my husband mentioned this name before he was murdered."

Lu Guo looked into her eyes. In those jet-black pupils, there was nothing—no tears, no sadness, not even a ripple of emotion.

Judging from the clues, this Lady Liu is Lady Xue, and she should also be a member of Tianluoxiang, just like the assassin Hongqiao who tried to kill him.

I just don't know what the relationship is between her and Hongqiao.

"Aunt Liu," Lu Guo put down his teacup, "Are you safe at the villa?"

Madam Liu raised her head and looked into his eyes. This time, a flicker of emotion finally appeared in her eyes.

"Why do you ask that?"

Lu Guo did not answer; he simply looked at her cuffs.

The other person's sleeve slipped down slightly, revealing a section of their wrist—there was a very fine scar on their index finger, not a bruise, not a whip mark, but a very fine cut, as if it had been left by an extremely thin blade.

In the swordsman's experience, such scars only appear on the wrists of people who practice with soft swords frequently—the sword moves lightly and the wrist has a wide range of motion, and over time, the fingers closest to the blade will develop tiny cracks.

Could this Aunt Liu in front of me be a master swordsman?

[1. "How did Aunt Liu get that injury on her hand? I happen to have some good medicine for it." (Point it out directly and observe her reaction.)]

2. "It's nothing, I just felt sorry for Aunt Liu, who was carrying the burden all by herself. It must have been tough for you." (Avoiding the topic, continuing to observe)

3. "Have any people from Tianluoxiang been here?" (Change the subject and test the relationship)

Lu Guo chose the first option, deciding to test the depths of this Madam Xue's abilities.

"Aunt Liu, how did you get that injury on your hand?"

Then, he saw Madam Liu's fingers stiffen slightly, but only for a moment. She lowered her head, pulled down her sleeve, and said in a voice with just the right amount of panic, "It was my own carelessness... When I was keeping vigil in the mourning hall, the candle fell over and I got burned."

Lu Guo didn't ask any further questions. He simply nodded, as if he truly believed it, and placed the teacup on the table.

"Aunt Liu." He stood up. "I will remember the kindness you and Uncle have shown me, and I will definitely find out the secret and avenge him."

Madam Liu also stood up.

"Where are you staying tonight?" she asked.

"Yuelai Inn," Lu Guo said. "After resting, we'll head to Jinling."

Madam Liu nodded upon hearing this, and said nothing more. She saw Lu Guo to the door and watched him leave quietly.

"Guo'er," she suddenly spoke, her voice very soft, "Be careful on the road."

Lu Guo did not turn around.