“Moo…” Helen Brooks made a funny face, puffed out her cheeks, and continued copying calligraphy. After a short while, she looked up at the doorway again, opened her mouth as if to speak, but then put on a ‘you won’t let me talk’ expression.

Grace Brooks had already heard someone outside the door. He stood up and smiled at Helen Brooks, saying, “Sister, focus on your calligraphy. I’ll be right back.”

Helen Brooks nodded listlessly, her head nearly drooping onto the paper.

Grace Brooks walked out of the room and put on his shoes. Uncle Paul greeted him excitedly, about to speak, but was stopped by a look from Grace Brooks. Grace Brooks gently closed the study door and gestured for Uncle Paul to follow him back to his own room to talk.

Watching the two of them acting so secretive, a trace of worry welled up in Helen Brooks’s limpid, autumn-water-like eyes…

……

East wing, Grace Brooks’s room.

Grace Brooks knelt on an ivory-colored fine bamboo mat, poured a cup of spring water for Uncle Paul, and said, “Uncle Paul, it’s rare for you to visit during the day.”

“Heh…” Uncle Paul gave a wry smile. “I’m just anxious, that’s all.” As he spoke, he gave a thumbs up. “Young master, your foresight is incredible!”

“Oh, so it really was Emily Reed?” Grace Brooks secretly breathed a sigh of relief. This was his first time testing his skills, so he couldn’t help feeling a bit uncertain.

“It should be!” Uncle Paul rasped. “Today, those idle young men wanted to invite Emily Reed to celebrate the March Festival together, but were told she had important matters that day and couldn’t join them.”

“Hmm…” Grace Brooks nodded, then heard Uncle Paul continue, “The third of March is a festival for talented men and beautiful women, a time for showing off one’s elegance. All the singers and dancers in Yu Hang are eager to make a splash that day. But Emily Reed is refusing all visitors. Those idle young men wouldn’t give up and insisted on finding out why, but everyone on the pleasure boat kept their mouths shut…”

“So it definitely isn’t for any other reason—it must be to receive some important guest!” After saying this, Uncle Paul concluded word by word, “And right now in Yu Hang, the only ones with that kind of status are the prefect or Raymond Carter!”

“Mm, the prefect isn’t likely to be interested in this at the moment.” Grace Brooks nodded approvingly. “As expected of you, Uncle Paul.”

“You flatter me, young master.” Uncle Paul showed a slightly terrifying smile. “The deathsworn I’ve trained for you are finally about to draw their swords!” Ten years of sharpening, and now the blade was finally coming out of its sheath—he couldn’t help but be excited!

But Grace Brooks poured cold water on him: “No one from the Lu family estate can be used.”

Uncle Paul frowned. “Just the two of us? That’s not enough, young master!”

“Not two,” Grace Brooks shook his head slightly. “Just me.”

“Ah!” Uncle Paul couldn’t help but exclaim softly, “Young master, don’t overestimate yourself! Even if Raymond Carter travels at night in plain clothes, he’ll have plenty of expert guards with him. Besides, he himself was ranked in the thirties on the Earth List of the Investigation Bureau just two years ago!”

“It was thirty-seventh.” Grace Brooks took a sip of the cold spring water, his tone turning icy. “It’s the perfect chance to measure the gap between myself and an Earth-rank grandmaster!”

“I’m an Earth-rank grandmaster too…” Uncle Paul said a little resentfully.

“Oh.” Grace Brooks apologized, rubbing his forehead. “Uncle Paul, you always hold back when sparring with me, so it doesn’t count as a real life-or-death fight.”

“With all due respect, young master, you can only fight me to a draw when I use seventy percent of my strength.” Uncle Paul muttered.

“To keep my body from having any issues, I can only use fifty percent of my strength.” Grace Brooks said calmly.

“Young master…” Uncle Paul was starting to grit his teeth, wishing he could spar with Grace Brooks again right then and there.

After a while, the tense atmosphere in the room finally dissipated. Uncle Paul gave a wry smile. “Young master, even if your martial arts are stronger than mine, a lone tiger can’t stand against a pack of wolves…”

“I’ll find help…” Grace Brooks said softly.

“…” On Uncle Paul’s fierce face appeared an incongruous look of grievance. “Does young master have some other trump card?”

“Other than you, Uncle Paul, I have no other helpers.” Grace Brooks quickly tried to comfort his somewhat unstable uncle, and stopped keeping him in suspense. “The ones I want to hire are the White Ape Society…”

“Oh…” Uncle Paul suddenly understood. “So young master wants to kill two birds with one stone!”

“Exactly.” Grace Brooks nodded, recalling the records in the black ledger:

‘The White Ape Society, founded during the Northern Dynasties, is famous for accepting commissions to assassinate nobles and officials, claiming that everyone has a price! After the founding of the Great Xuan, their activities went underground and their reputation faded. However, during the Baoyan Temple incident, the leader of the White Ape Society appeared with a Heaven-rank grandmaster, conspiring in the assassination of the late emperor!’

Only then did Uncle Paul feel less upset, but he still shook his head. “The White Ape Society claims that as long as the price is right, they’ll kill anyone in the world. But I doubt they’d dare touch anyone from the Xiahou clan…”

“Of course.” Grace Brooks nodded, raising his eyebrows. “But if the target isn’t Brian Carter, they probably won’t refuse.”

……

After seeing Uncle Paul off, Grace Brooks returned to the study, only to find Helen Brooks propping her chin with one hand, daydreaming at the desk. The calligraphy she was copying was still at the same spot as when Grace Brooks had left…

“Sister, if you really don’t want to write, then just leave it.” Grace Brooks knelt beside Helen Brooks, picked up the celadon water bowl, and prepared to clean both their brushes.

“Little Yun,” Helen Brooks looked at Grace Brooks listlessly and said, “You’ve been acting a bit strange lately…”