Chapter 405: Visiting Too Frequently
Yu Luo’s words carried a clear message—if Feng City’s condition was unreasonable, she would reject it. Though she had spoken tactfully, no one in the room was a fool, least of all Xing Yong.
“Hahaha! Miss Yu doesn’t seem like a typical Jianghu (Martial world) woman, yet you possess the spirit of one! Since that’s the case, I won’t beat around the bush and will speak plainly.”
“Please, Second Master, do go ahead.”
Yu Luo smiled, but from the moment she had set foot in Feng City, she had been on high alert. Despite Xing Yong’s outward friendliness, she knew he was far from an easy character to deal with.
“Alright then,” Xing Yong continued, his voice booming and cheerful, as if he had just proposed an exciting opportunity rather than a demand.
“What if Feng City requests that Luo City becomes a vassal city of Feng City? In return, Feng City will guarantee Luo City’s safety and future development. Would Miss Yu be willing to accept such a condition?”
The moment those words fell, the entire hall turned silent.
Yu Luo’s expression remained impassive, but internally, her heart sank like a stone into an abyss.
Even Zhang Hu, standing behind her, could barely contain his fury.
The stillness in the hall lasted for so long that even Xing Yong’s confident grin began to fade.
As time stretched on, his smile stiffened, and Third Master, who had been watching expectantly, began to shift uncomfortably in his seat.
—Because Yu Luo showed no anger, no panic—only patience.
She simply sat there calmly, letting the weight of Xing Yong’s words settle into the silence of the hall.
Just as Xing Yong’s grin completely disappeared, and Third Master was about to break the silence, Yu Luo finally spoke.
A slow, amused smile curved her lips, but her eyes remained unreadable.
“That’s not a condition, Second Master. That’s a robbery.”
“Hahahaha!” Xing Yong burst into laughter, but his expression carried an edge of forced amusement.
“Miss Yu, you truly don’t disappoint! But surely, this isn’t the time for jokes?”
Yu Luo’s smile faded into a chill expression.
“If Second Master was joking, then so was I.”
She turned to Zhang Hu and gave him a subtle nod.
Immediately, Zhang Hu produced a formal invitation from his robes and stepped forward.
“I did not come to Feng City empty-handed,” Yu Luo continued. “Ten days from now, Luo City will host its first annual food festival. Today, I came not only to visit but to deliver a personal invitation. I had hoped to meet the City Lord, but since he is unavailable, it seems that meeting Second Master will have to suffice. Time is getting late—I will take my leave now.”
Zhang Hu stepped forward, handing the invitation to one of Xing Yong’s subordinates, who received it respectfully.
Xing Yong glanced at it, then stood up as well.
“Ah, what a shame!” he said, his tone warm and regretful.
“Our City Lord is away on important business, or he surely would have loved to meet Luo City’s esteemed young lady. Miss Yu, why not stay for dinner? It would be my honor to personally escort you back to Luo City afterward.”
—Stay?
—And continue negotiations?
Yu Luo read between the lines.
Her decision had already been made—if Feng City truly had ambitions toward Luo City, she and her father would need to prepare for battle.
“Second Master’s hospitality is generous, but I must decline,” Yu Luo said smoothly, standing from her seat.
She bowed slightly, showing the appropriate level of courtesy—neither too humble nor too arrogant.
“There will always be opportunities for us to meet again. For now, I must return. Goodbye, Second Master.”
Without hesitation, she turned and strode toward the exit.
Xing Yong’s expression twitched, but before he could speak further, Third Master stepped in.
“Allow me to escort you to the city gates!” he offered.
By the time they reached the city gates, Yu Luo pulled on the reins of her horse and turned toward Third Master.
“No need to see me off further,” she said with a polite smile.
“Let’s meet again at the food festival.”
“Hahaha! Miss Yu, you truly have a straightforward personality! Even my Second Brother couldn’t convince you to stay!
“Well then, see you in Luo City!”
Finally, as they departed from Feng City, Zhang Hu and the others let out a collective sigh of relief.
Once they had passed the great walls, their tension finally eased.
“Miss Yu, Feng City is clearly harboring ambitious intentions.” Zhang Hu’s voice was grave.
“Even though you deflected today’s conversation, it’s clear they won’t give up on swallowing Luo City.”
“That’s expected,” Yu Luo responded, deep in thought.
“To Feng City, Luo City is easy prey. But our food festival has already been advertised for half a month—it’s too late to cancel. More importantly, food-related events are the easiest to sabotage. We must be extra cautious—I need you to increase security measures. Every single person entering Luo City must be searched, and no one should be allowed to smuggle poison into our festival.”
Zhang Hu nodded firmly.
“Understood! But if someone truly intends to sabotage the event, it will be impossible to prevent everything. Perhaps Feng City might even use this as an excuse to rally other cities and nations against Luo City. Miss Yu, are you sure this is the right time to hold the festival? Maybe we should cancel it and focus on dealing with Feng City first?”
Zhang Hu was being practical—after all, Luo City did not lack money.
What they needed was to secure their position in the Jianghu and among the nations, before focusing on economic growth.
Yu Luo let out a long breath, her gaze settling on the distant walls of Luo City.
A bitter smile crossed her lips.
“If I had rejected them outright today, they would have simply found another excuse to pressure us into submission. They want Luo City under their rule, and my father and I will never agree. The only thing we can do is prepare for battle, step by step. We can’t shut ourselves away—Luo City has too many people to feed.
And let’s be honest—even if we don’t provoke Feng City, they will eventually make a move against us anyway. So, instead of waiting for them to act, we’ll give them the perfect opportunity to make the first move. Then, we’ll be ready.”
Zhang Hu fell silent.
Finally, he exhaled and nodded solemnly.
“Understood, Miss Yu.”
“If Feng City wants war, we will fight to the end!”
When they finally returned to Luo City, Yu Luo stepped into the City Lord’s residence, only to see Chi Jinchen sitting with her father, sipping tea.
She paused mid-step, slightly surprised.
“Young Master Chi?” she raised an eyebrow.
“Why are you here again?”
After all, she had just invited him to dinner yesterday—and now, he was visiting again today.
“You’re coming a little too frequently, aren’t you?”
