Shen Yanchuan raised an eyebrow slightly. "What do you mean?"

Lian Zhou paused, then lowered his voice. "When I watched them walk, their posture was ramrod straight and their steps were light. They looked like... men from a military camp!"

Shen Yanchuan’s gaze sharpened, a cold glint in his eyes. "Are you certain?"

"I’m almost certain," Lian Zhou said, his tone firm.

He had come from the army himself, so he was intimately familiar with such things. He would never misjudge it.

"Though they wore short tunics and were dressed like commoners, appearing no different from ordinary folk at first glance, you could still see the difference in the details."

Men trained in a military camp all carry the unique habits of a soldier, more or less. No matter how well they disguise it, some fundamental traits are not so easily changed.

Shen Yanchuan lowered his gaze, lost in thought.

Shiluan City was a small place, nestled between mountains and water. The scenery was beautiful, and its people were simple and honest.

If it hadn’t been for the sudden downpour, they wouldn’t have even chosen to stop here.

He never expected that by a twist of fate, they would uncover something so peculiar.

"Were those men all in their prime?"

"Not all of them. Three were in their early twenties, but their leader looked to be about thirty."

Lian Zhou had his suspicions, but he wasn’t entirely certain. He hesitated before saying:

"However, the work at the iron mine is all manual labor. It’s possible they specifically recruit discharged veterans."

Shen Yanchuan countered coolly, "Then tell me, did any of those men have disabilities?"

Lian Zhou recalled for a moment before shaking his head. "No. All of them were able-bodied and looked quite robust."

A faint smile touched Shen Yanchuan’s lips, but his eyes were laced with frost.

He said coolly, "There may have been no major wars in recent years, but enemies still circle our borders, and garrison duty is arduous. Not many soldiers are able to retire in good health, especially at such a young age."

Lian Zhou’s expression tensed. "Master, you mean..."

Shen Yanchuan gazed out the window. The night was deep, with neither stars nor moon in sight. There were only layered, dark clouds from which a gloomy rain fell.

Leaves, torn from the trees by the wind and rain, fluttered down. The bare, sprawling branches looked all the more desolate and bleak.

After a moment, he let out a low chuckle, his voice lazy but full of interest.

"This Shiluan City... is rather interesting."

’I wonder whose hand has already reached this far?’

...

The rain still hadn’t stopped the next day.

So, Shen Yanchuan remained.

Xu Jie didn’t send any more men, likely having learned of his initial failure and decided to lie low for the time being.

Finally, by afternoon, the rain had lessened.

Shen Yanchuan donned a conical bamboo hat and slipped silently out the second-floor window.

When he reappeared on the main street, he had transformed into a completely different person.

He had the ordinary face of a young man and was dressed in a loose, black robe. With his head slightly bowed and the conical hat obscuring half his features, he was utterly inconspicuous in a crowd.

Puddles of varying depths dotted the road. Raindrops sent ripples spreading across their surfaces, distorting his tall, straight reflection.

He made his way toward the eastern part of the city.

According to the information Lian Zhou had gathered, the iron mine was located southeast of Shiluan City.

They had entered the city from the east, but with the heavy rain at the time, they hadn’t noticed anything else.

There were few people on the streets; only occasionally did a hurried pedestrian brush past.

"Miss, we have to hurry back! It’ll be terrible if the rain gets heavy again!"

A young maid holding an umbrella spoke, her crisp voice laced with anxiety.

The woman walking with her laughed and replied, "Alright."

Upon hearing her voice, Shen Yanchuan stopped in his tracks and turned to look back.