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

……

[Lady Snow's favorability -5, current status: suspicious.]

As soon as Lu Guo stepped out of the gate of Qingluo Manor that evening, he saw the displayed notification.

What's wrong with Madam Xue?

Opening the letter in front of her and drinking tea in front of her increases her favorability, even if it's not much, +1 is still an increase.

Why did she suddenly lose favor with me after I left?

Where did I go wrong?

Standing on the steps at the entrance of the villa, he looked up at the moon in the game.

A full moon hung high in the sky, large and round, its light bathing the entire mountain resort in a silvery-white glow.

It's really beautiful.

Then he looked at the notification "Madam Xue's favorability -5" and fell into deep thought.

This woman seems a bit sensitive and complicated.

Lu Guo stroked his chin, his gaze shifting to the brightly lit buildings at the end of the street.

Yuelai Inn, restaurants, Zhenyuan Escort Agency, brothels.

When he first entered the adventure, he only glanced at these places and didn't have time to experience many of their functions. Now it seems that if he wants to improve his strength, he needs to make good use of the functions in these places.

At Yuelai Inn, you can gather information about the martial arts world and trigger random quests; at Zuixiao Tower, you can meet martial arts figures and, with luck, become their apprentice; at Zhenyuan Escort Agency, you can escort goods to earn silver and gain combat experience along the way; as for brothels…

He recalled the description of "cultivating one's character and composing poems while drinking wine," as well as the pimp who had reduced his favorability towards him by 1.

Never mind, let's put it aside for now.

Jingmiao Nunnery is near Jinling, Jinling is in Jiangzhou, the courtesan encounter takes place in Jiangzhou, and I am also in Jiangzhou, so I need to shift my focus to Jiangzhou, at least to figure out the exact location of Jiangjia Village in reality and Jinling in the game.

Lu Guo stepped down the steps and headed towards the Yuelai Inn.

The restaurant is a hub for intelligence, where you can gather information. I've already unlocked the "Seeker of Fragrances" skill, and now I urgently need to unlock a profession that excels at intelligence gathering.

He hadn't walked a few steps when a voice suddenly came from behind him.

"Friend, please wait a moment."

Lu turned around.

A person had appeared beside the stone lion in front of Qingluo Villa at some point.

The man was dressed in a faded blue robe, with a long sword hanging at his waist. The scabbard was wrapped with old strips of cloth, and he looked unremarkable.

"What's up?"

The man in the blue robe clasped his hands and said, "My name is Shen Changqing. I just saw you coming out of Qingluo Manor. May I ask—are you and Manor Lord Shen old acquaintances?"

[Random event triggered: Tianluoxiang's probing.]

[1. "So what if it is? So what if it isn't?"]

2. "You also know Master Shen?"

3. (Silence, hand on knife hilt)

4. "I have landed here."

Lu Guo narrowed his eyes.

Shen Changqing, Tianluo Fragrance?

"My name is Lu Guo. Uncle Shen saved my life, and I have come to offer my condolences."

Shen Changqing's expression changed, and he lowered his clasped hands.

"Brother Lu," he lowered his voice, "let's talk in private."

[Triggering subsequent events—]

Shen Changqing's identity: Member of the Tianluoxiang tribe.

Lu Guo followed him into a secluded alley. The moonlight was blocked by the high walls, and the alley was dark, with only a sliver of light above their heads.

Shen Changqing turned around and looked at him.

“Brother Lu, Master Shen went to Jinling three months ago. He saw my father that night.” He paused. “The next day, my father disappeared.”

"I came to Qingluo Manor to ask Master Shen what they talked about that night, but when I arrived I learned that Master Shen also..."

He took a deep breath and stared at Lu Guo.

"Brother Lu, what did you see or hear while you were at the manor?"

[Key Choice]

Should the letter left by Shen Wansan be shown to Shen Changqing?

1. Show it to him.

2. Tell him the contents of the letter, but do not hand it over.

3. Say nothing.

4. Ask him in return, "Who is your father?"

Lu Guo looked at the fourth option and couldn't help but smile.

He didn't hesitate for long, considering the cause and effect.

He chose the second option—to tell him the contents of the letter, but not to hand it over.

Handing over the letter is tantamount to handing over the initiative to someone else.

However, not revealing anything at all might mean missing out on the Shen Changqing lead.

Since it's Tianluoxiang's test, it's easy to handle.

"My uncle said some things to me before he died." Lu Guo looked into Shen Changqing's eyes and lowered his voice, "He told me to go to Jinling."

Shen Changqing's pupils contracted slightly.

Shen Changqing's tone became somewhat strange: "He really did go there."

"Where is that?"

Shen Changqing remained silent for a while, as if he was considering something.

"Three months ago, Master Shen suddenly met with my father. The two talked in the study all night long. Before dawn the next day, Master Shen left. My father looked very unwell when he saw him off."

"and then?"

"Then my father disappeared that very night." Shen Changqing's voice revealed a suppressed anger. "The secret compartment in the study was opened, and the things inside were gone. The guards in the house said that no outsiders broke in that night, but my father just disappeared, neither alive nor dead."

"You suspect Uncle Shen?"

"I had my suspicions," Shen Changqing didn't deny it, "but when I arrived at Qingluo Manor, I didn't know that Manor Lord Shen was also there..."

He looked up and stared at Lu Guo.

"Brother Lu, do you know about 'Tianluo Fragrance'?"

It's that name again.

"I grew up outside the Great Wall, I've never heard of it and don't know anything about it."

"I didn't know either." Shen Changqing's hand unconsciously tightened its grip on the sword hilt. "But three days before my father disappeared, he received an unsigned letter. There was nothing on the envelope except a vermilion stamp in the shape of an incense burner on the seal."

He took a folded piece of paper from his pocket and unfolded it.

There is a mark on it - a three-legged incense burner, and an orchid is carved on the body of the burner.

"I spent three months researching this mark before I finally found out about it from an old hand. He said it's called the 'Heavenly Net Seal,' a token of Heavenly Net Incense."

[Key Clue Update: Tianluo Seal – The identification mark of the Tianluoxiang organization.]

Lu Guo took the rubbing paper and looked at it carefully. The incense burner and orchids seemed familiar to him, but he couldn't quite place where he had seen them before.

Why are you telling me all this?

"Because Master Shen trusts you," he said. "My father said that Shen Wansan is a man who knows how to judge people, and every friend he makes is reliable."

"He left the letter with you, which means he hopes you will go to Nanjing."

There was a moment of silence.

Lu Guo returned the rubbing paper to him and then asked a question.

"What's missing from your father's study?"

Shen Changqing's expression changed slightly, as if he hadn't expected him to ask that question.

"I apologize for my abruptness." Lu Guo clasped his hands in a fist salute to Shen Changqing in front of him. He had asked this question on purpose. "I will stay at the Yuelai Inn for three days. After three days, I will set off for Jinling. If you are willing to come with me, please wait for me at the inn."

"it is good."

Shen Changqing turned and left, his green robe disappearing into the moonlight.