Just a minute after the two servants left Lee Zhong's room, the bald servant departed the Lee family house with the badge and letter he had received from his young master. He headed straight toward the Han family house.
As he made his way, the other servant, the one with a sword at his waist, called out after him, "Senior, don't forget to do exactly as we discussed!"
"Got it!" the bald servant responded, waving back without turning around as he disappeared into the distance.
After the Han family servant left the house, the Lee family servant thought to himself, 'Hmm... Until Senior returns, I should deliver this letter to the second young master.' With that thought, he began walking toward another part of the house.
Knock... Knock... Knock...
A few minutes later, the servant reached one of the rooms at the back of the house. He knocked on the door and called out, "Young master, may I enter?"
"Come in."
Hearing the approval from a young voice inside, the servant pushed the door open and entered. He looked at the boy, who appeared to be around fourteen or fifteen years old but was already noticeably taller than his peers. Bowing slightly, the servant spoke, "I apologize for disturbing you at this hour, young master. Your elder brother sent me."
The boy, holding a wooden sword in his hand, raised his eyebrows as he gazed at the servant.
Knowing that his elder brother would never bother him at such a time without a good reason, and considering everything that had happened earlier, the boy was certain that the servant's visit at this hour meant something important.
After a brief moment of silence, the boy looked at the servant and asked, "Speak. What did my brother say? What's so important?"
"Young master, your brother asked me to deliver a message and give you this letter," the servant said.
"He instructed that, in the event of any unusual situation, you are to flee to the nearest city immediately."
Hearing this, the second young master of the Lee family was momentarily stunned, his expression frozen in shock. Recovering quickly, he snapped, "Unusual situation? What kind of situation? Hurry and give me the letter." He extended his hand toward the servant, his urgency evident.
"Right away, young master." The servant pulled the letter from his chest and handed it over.
Grabbing the letter, the boy inspected the handwriting on the envelope before waving the servant off. "You may leave now."
The servant bowed slightly and replied, "Understood, young master. I will wait outside the door for a while in case you need me." He left the room, closing the door behind him.
Paying no attention to the servant's words, the boy walked over to his table, sat down, and opened the letter to read its contents.
A few minutes later, after finishing the letter, the boy leaned back in his chair, massaging his temples with both hands as he let out a sigh. 'Ahhh… If things have truly become this dangerous, then if they can't find the lord by morning, I'll have no choice but to take my younger sister and escape to the city.'
The letter, written by his elder brother, detailed the current state of their family and explained that their families would launch another attack tonight. If the attack failed, the two siblings were to take the horses from the described location and flee to the city with the Han family's youngsters.
Pondering the letter for a while longer, the boy thought, 'since my brother didn't specify exactly when we should leave, the best course of action is to prepare early. I should take my younger sister and head to the Lu family house immediately.' he stood up and walked to the door.
Opening it, he found the servant waiting outside. "Is my brother still in the house?" he asked.
The servant, turning at the sound of the door, nodded. "Yes, young master, your brother is still here."
"Good. Take me to him immediately. Lead the way."
The servant hesitated briefly but then nodded. "Of course, young master. Please follow me," he said before walking ahead.
As the second young master of the Lee family, accompanied by the servant, made his way toward his elder brother Lee Zhong's room, a similar situation was unfolding at the Han family house, located near the southeastern part of town, not far from the Lee family house.
Having just finished reading the letter, the young master of the Han family looked at the servant in front of him with a serious expression. "Where is my brother right now?" he asked.
The bald servant, addressing the plump boy who appeared around fifteen years old, replied, "Young master, your brother is currently at the Lee family house, making preparations with young master Lee Zhong."
"Hmm..."
The Han family boy pondered briefly before turning to the servant. "Very well. You may leave now. I'll head to the Lee family house with my elder sister."
As the boy turned toward the wardrobe beside his bed to gather his belongings, the servant spoke up again. "Young master, I must be on my way. Please be careful on your journey to the Lee family house."
"Understood."
Hearing this, the bald servant left the room. As he walked away, he glanced at the badge in his hand, which belonged to young master Han Fei. 'Let's see if I can quietly take a few Earth-Horses with me, as I discussed with Junior', he thought as he made his way toward the stables.
After walking for a minute, the servant arrived at a smaller, tightly guarded area to the south of the house, close to the town walls. Despite being part of the Han family house, the area was noticeably more secure and resembled a small garden.
At the door, the servant showed the guards his master's badge. "I was sent by the young master. I need to speak with the stable master."
The guards scrutinized him with serious expressions until a voice called out from behind them. "Let him through. I know him—he's young master Han Fei's man."
Turning toward the voice, the guards recognized the speaker as the head stable master. Their tense expressions relaxed as they stepped aside to let the servant through. "You may pass."
Walking between the guards, the bald servant tried to hide his tension as he muttered, "Thank you."
Once inside, he approached the stable master, who was sweeping the area with a broom. "Head stable master Han! It's been a while. How have you been?" the servant greeted with a faint grin.
Even as the servant addressed him, the stable master continued to sweep, ignoring him completely.
Realizing he was being ignored, the servant pleaded, "brother Han, please help me. It's urgent," as he reached out and grabbed the broom.
The stable master paused, raising an eyebrow at the servant. "You only show up when you need something. You still owe me for last time," he said, his tone tinged with reproach.
As the stable master walked over to replace the broom with another tool, the servant followed, trying to explain himself. "Brother Han, I know it's been a while, but I've been busy. Next time, let's drink pear blossom wine—my treat!" he said with a nervous smile.
Hearing the mention of pear blossom wine, the stable master's expression flickered with surprise, but he maintained his composure and continued with his work, ignoring the servant.
Running out of time and patience, the servant decided to get straight to the point. "Brother Han, the young master sent me. I need Earth-Horses."