Chapter 351: Private Army
Seeing Yu Luo’s wary expression, Chi Jincheng let out a helpless chuckle.
“Yu Luo, aren’t the men under your command already like a private army? The guards defending Luo City, the brothers risking their lives for you—isn’t that similar to maintaining a private force?”
“No, absolutely not!” Yu Luo shook her head firmly. “My men are merely hired guards, nothing more. But you… you are different.”
As the words left her mouth, Yu Luo suddenly froze. Her gaze locked onto Chi Jincheng, an inexplicable sense of familiarity surging through her—so intense that it felt as if she were on the verge of realizing a long-buried truth.
But just as the pieces seemed to click into place, her mind was thrown into chaos once more.
“Miss! Something bad has happened!”
Before she could grasp the truth, Zhang Hu landed beside her in a burst of light footwork. His urgent interruption snapped Yu Luo’s train of thought. That familiar feeling—that fleeting recognition—vanished as swiftly as it had come.
Zhang Hu was one of her most trusted subordinates, overseeing many of Luo City’s daily affairs. For him to personally rush over with such a grave expression, something serious must have happened.
“What happened?” Yu Luo’s voice was sharp with urgency.
Instead of answering immediately, Zhang Hu glanced warily at Chi Jincheng, hesitant to speak in front of an outsider.
Realizing this, Yu Luo turned to Chi Jincheng.
“Young Master Chi…”
“I overstepped. I’ll wait ahead.”
With that, Chi Jincheng turned and strode away, giving them privacy.
Only when he was at a safe distance did Zhang Hu lean in, lowering his voice.
“What?! My father already went?!”
Hearing Zhang Hu’s report, Yu Luo’s face drastically changed.
“Yes! And he took the Amor-Claw Beast with him! But the master believes the beast listens to you best, so I came to inform you. Miss, please hurry over!”
“I’m on my way! You return first!”
Without hesitation, Yu Luo took off at full speed, moving toward Chi Jincheng. Though his expression remained calm, his gaze carried its usual warmth as if unbothered by being excluded from their discussion.
“Apologies, Young Master Chi—something urgent has come up. I have to leave immediately. Please, go back on your own.”
“Of course. Stay safe, Yu Luo.”
Chi Jincheng didn’t press for details. Given Zhang Hu’s demeanor, he already knew it was a private matter.
Yu Luo nodded gratefully before vanishing into the distance using light footwork.
Upon returning to Luo City, Xuan Qi approached Chi Jincheng.
“Master, something has happened at the coal mine.”
“No wonder that girl was in such a hurry.”
“So, Master was with Miss Yu Luo just now?”
Xuan Qi had noticed his absence but didn’t expect him to be spending time with her.
“What exactly happened?”
“The coal mine collapsed. Over a hundred men are trapped inside, and the situation is dire.”
Hearing this, Chi Jincheng’s normally unshakable composure darkened slightly.
“This should not have happened. How could they be so careless?”
“Master, this has never happened before. It could be an accident—but it might also be sabotage. Shall we take action?”
“No need. Yu Luo already went. Her Amor-Claw Beast is fully grown—it will rescue them swiftly. For now, investigate quietly—see if someone tampered with the mine.”
“Understood. I will look into it.”
Xuan Qi bowed and quickly left.
At the City Lord’s Mansion, the Third Master of Feng City had just delivered his official request for a meeting. He waited impatiently outside with his men, but instead of the City Lord, only Hu Liu arrived.
“I apologize for not greeting you sooner. Unfortunately, our City Lord is currently unavailable. I fear Third Young Master may have made this trip in vain. However, since you’ve come all this way, I, on behalf of Luo City, will host you properly. Please, come inside.”
“Unavailable?!” Third Master’s smile froze before twisting into displeasure. “Tell me, Hu Liu—is your City Lord truly absent, or is he simply refusing to meet me?”
He had followed proper etiquette, even losing sleep at the gambling house just to schedule this meeting—only to be turned away? This was a direct slap to Feng City’s face. His expression darkened with hostility.
Hu Liu, ever the diplomatic strategist, maintained his smile. “I assure you, Third Master, the City Lord truly is absent. Besides—our City Lord had no prior notice of your visit.”
“Hmph! Fine! I’ll return another day!”
If he, a high-ranking leader of Feng City, had to settle for a lesser representative, where would his prestige be? With an angry flick of his sleeve, Third Master and his men stormed off.
As they approached the city gates, Third Master’s fury worsened.
“What happened to you two?!”
Seeing Jiang Wu and Huang San clutching their chests, he snapped at them.
“Third Master! We were attacked by Young Master Chi!”
Hearing this, Third Master’s rage boiled over.
“You deserved it!”
Although he was furious with Chi Jincheng, he couldn’t outright retaliate. After all, his subordinates had acted recklessly. Swallowing his resentment, he led his men back to Feng City.
At the coal mine, Yu Luo’s expression turned grim. The once vast excavation site was now in shambles—a section had collapsed, burying many workers. Thankfully, the Amor-Claw Beast had already tunneled through and begun rescuing survivors.
She landed beside Yu Haojie, her father.
“How long ago did this happen?”
“Half an hour. Don’t worry, Yu Luo—the Amor-Claw Beast is helping clear the debris. The trapped workers will survive, but many are injured and will need time to recover.”
Yu Luo exhaled in relief, scanning the mine.
“Every tunnel was reinforced before digging began. The mines aren’t even that deep—how could this collapse happen?”
“Accidents happen, Yu Luo. Even in modern times, mining collapses are common. We are fortunate to have Xiao Yi (Amor-Claw) Beast. Without coal, Luo City’s thousands of people wouldn’t survive the winter.”
