Chapter 648 - 404: A Pre-Meal Workout Helps You Dig In

Chapter 648: Chapter 404: A Pre-Meal Workout Helps You Dig In

Under the bright sun, a gentle breeze blew.

CLIP-CLOP, CLIP-CLOP, CLIP-CLOP...

"HYAH!"

Two women in black riding attire galloped swiftly across the fields outside the city on two bay horses.

The woman in the lead was in her early twenties, young and pretty, with a neat, short haircut. Her figure was slender, and she had a dashing air about her.

The woman a step behind was in her forties, a gracefully aging woman with a well-defined figure.

As she followed closely behind the lead rider, a faint golden Spiritual Light would flash in her eyes from time to time, scanning her surroundings. She only relaxed slightly when the tall city gates appeared ahead.

As the two women approached the city gates, they tugged lightly on their reins. Their mounts, understanding the command, began to slow their pace.

Soldiers stood guard at the city gates. One of them, a new recruit on his first day, saw the two women preparing to ride into the city.

Their speed was a bit fast. According to regulations, he needed to stop them and remind them not to ride so quickly. He prepared to raise his hand and signal for them to halt.

Just then, a veteran soldier in his forties who was on duty with him quickly grabbed the rookie’s arm. "Kid, what do you think you’re doing?"

"Mr. Wu, those two are riding too fast. Regulations say I need to stop them and remind them they can’t ride that fast inside the city," the young soldier said.

"Idiot. During your training, didn’t your instructor tell you who you can stop and who you can’t?" the middle-aged soldier said.

"Uh... he did mention it. Mr. Wu, are you saying these two are important?" the young soldier asked.

The middle-aged soldier nodded. Watching the two women in black riding attire draw closer to the gates, he whispered to the rookie.

"Look at their horses. Look closely at the style of the bridles. Only people from the City Lord’s Mansion can use those. Understand now?"

"The City Lord’s Mansion?!" The young soldier was stunned. He never imagined the people he was about to stop were from the City Lord’s Mansion.

As a mere gate guard, how could he possibly afford to offend someone from the City Lord’s Mansion!

After the veteran’s warning, the young soldier no longer dared to block the two women in their black riding attire, mounted on fine steeds and preparing to enter the city.

"Miss, we’re about to enter the city. We’re going too fast," the gracefully aging He Manyu reminded the dashing girl in the lead as they were about to reach the gates.

"I know, Ms. Yu." The girl called back over her shoulder, then pulled harder on her reins. The steed beneath her immediately slowed its pace significantly.

By the time the two women in black riding attire passed through the gates, their mounts had already slowed to a speed within the city’s prescribed limit.

After entering the city, the two women stopped their horses at a crossroads.

"Miss, why have we stopped? Aren’t we going home?" He Manyu turned her head to the side and asked the dashing young woman.

"We’re not going home just yet."

"Where are we going, then?"

"To my uncle’s house."

As she finished speaking, the dashing girl flicked her reins and rode toward the right-hand path of the crossroads. Seeing this, the charming middle-aged He Manyu immediately urged her horse to follow.

***

The street was lined with shady green trees. Before an opulent and sprawling estate...

"WHOA..."

The two women in black riding attire came to a stop in front of the Zhu Family’s estate.

The Zhu Family guards posted at the vermilion main gate saw the two women dismount and immediately came forward to greet them.

"Miss Li, Guard He." Two able-bodied Zhu Family guards approached the women, greeted them respectfully, and took the reins from their hands.

"Take them for something to eat and give them a bath," Li Qian ordered the two guards from her uncle’s household as if it were her own home.

"Yes, Miss." The two guards nodded. One of them led the two panting horses away, intending to enter the estate through a side gate and take them to the stables, where a groom would arrange for their food and washing.

"Are my uncle and cousin home?" Li Qian asked the guard attending to her as she walked into the estate.

"The Master has gone out on business, but the Young Miss is at home," the guard replied.

Li Qian nodded. "Go tell my cousin I’m here. Have her come out and see me right away."

She then started walking toward the main hall, but the guard’s next words stopped her in her tracks, a look of astonishment on her face.

"Miss Li, the Young Miss is entertaining a guest by the lake. I’m afraid she cannot come to see you at the moment," the guard said, looking troubled.

"Entertaining a guest? A man or a woman?"

"A young gentleman."

"Eh?!" Li Qian’s astonishment instantly turned to intense curiosity upon hearing the guard’s reply.

She knew her cousin very well.

When a male visitor came to call, she would meet with them in the main reception hall at most. For her to take a male guest for a stroll by the estate’s lake was simply unbelievable.

"You don’t need to announce me. I’ll go find my cousin by the lake myself," Li Qian said. Then, with her guard, He Manyu, she quickened her pace toward the estate’s man-made lake.