Chapter 147: A Worthy Lord

As an outsider, Chu Bing looked at the three brothers and felt that something was distinctly strange.

Right beside her feet lay a corpse, its eyes still wide open in death. She cautiously sidestepped a little, only to find the gazes of all three brothers instantly converging upon her.

"…What are you all looking at me for? Go on, continue! Please, go on!" She twitched the corners of her mouth, attempting to distance herself further.

However, Li Mohan raised a hand and grabbed her arm, while Li Haoran's gaze lingered on his hand for a brief moment. Then, looking at Chu Bing, Li Haoran asked with a worried expression, "Miss Chu, so many people in this courtyard… did you kill them all?"

Chu Bing hurriedly waved her hands. "Of course not! These traffickers wanted to kill me first; Li Yuxi is the one who saved me!"

Recalling that old man Wang had still been plotting to sell her off just before he died, her face darkened as she added, "Besides, these people are mere human traffickers; they deserved to die!"

Li Haoran nodded and turned to instruct the guards, "Clean this place up thoroughly."

Even though he had no wish to concern himself with Li Yuxi's affairs, this matter involved Chu Bing, and he could not simply ignore it. If word got out that Chu Bing had single-handedly slaughtered a whole village of people, her reputation would be utterly ruined.

Unaware of Li Haoran's well-intentioned efforts, Chu Bing finally remembered that there were still numerous children locked inside the house. "Over there," she urged, "there are over a dozen children who haven't been sold yet in that room. Hurry up and get this place cleared so we can send them back."

Li Haoran was startled. "Are there really children?"

Chu Bing sighed. "You'll see once you go take a look, just try not to scare them."

The two of them conversed as if no one else was around, completely oblivious to the increasingly gloomy expressions on Li Mohan's and Li Yuxi's faces.

The pressure emanating from Li Mohan was suffocatingly low. "You two… why did you come here in the first place?"

Their father, who wished nothing more than to keep his third son confined to the estate for the rest of his life, would actually allow Li Haoran to travel to such a distant place?

Li Haoran was taken aback, then explained with a wry smile, "I originally only intended to take Miss Chu out for a stroll in the streets, but who would have expected us to stumble upon human traffickers abducting children? Since I happened to cross paths with this, I couldn't just stand by and do nothing. So I followed them alongside Miss Chu. Miss Chu arrived at the estate first to scout out the situation while I waited outside for reinforcements, but once I stepped inside…"

He glanced at the corpses littering the ground, leaving his meaning unspoken.

Li Mohan's eyes flickered as he turned to Chu Bing. "You went shopping with him?"

Chu Bing thought, *Wait a minute, Big Brother, your focus is entirely wrong! Shouldn't the main concern be human traffickers kidnapping children? How did the conversation shift to shopping…*

Guiltily, Chu Bing let out a dry laugh, keeping her head lowered and not daring to speak.

Seeing this, Li Haoran wore an expression full of apology. "Big Brother, don't blame Miss Chu. It was because I saw you weren't around and she was bored on her own that I brought her out."

Chu Bing cast a grateful look toward Li Haoran. Even though he had previously thought of planting a spy by Li Mohan's side, right now he was absolute saint-material! She was so touched she felt like crying!

Looking around, Li Haoran quickly changed the subject. "It's getting late. Let's rescue the children and head back to the city."

"Agreed!"

Chu Bing immediately consented, eagerly leading Li Haoran toward the room where the children were locked away. Her retreating back bore a striking resemblance to someone fleeing in panic.

Watching Chu Bing naturally pull her hand away from his grip, Li Mohan's expression turned slightly chilly.

Li Yuxi walked up beside him, his gaze fixed on the retreating figures of Chu Bing and Li Haoran, and lowered his voice. "I wonder if Big Brother knows that Chu Bing seems to hold Third Brother in exceptionally high regard, always inquiring about his whereabouts."

A thought stirred in Li Mohan's heart: Chu Bing coming to his side seemed to have been solely for the purpose of finding out where Li Haoran was! Could it be… that the person she fancied was actually Li Haoran?

Li Yuxi let out a light chuckle, though his words dripped with a chilling hint of bloodlust. "It seems the two of us brothers can temporarily put our feud on hold and properly… deal with that innocent Third Brother of ours."

His slender eyes gazed toward the doorway Chu Bing had entered into, his expression cold and dangerous.

Li Mohan glanced at him without a word, then lifted his feet and strode in the direction Chu Bing and the others had taken.

The moment Chu Bing stepped into the room, she discovered that the children had all pervived and regained their energy. Li Haoran was currently squatting down, speaking to them in a gentle tone.

His robes brushed against the dusty floor, stained with mud. The children had not bathed in who knew how many days, and their bodies reeked of a pungent mix of sweat and blood, yet Li Haoran showed not the slightest hesitation. He pulled a softly sobbing little girl into his arms, gently patting her back to comfort her.

Chu Bing froze in her tracks.

Such a side to Li Haoran…

"Big Sister!" The little boy spotted Chu Bing, his eyes lighting up as he flung himself into her arms. "Big Sister, can we go back now?"

"Of course we can! Big Sister will take you back today, and once we find your parents, we'll send you home!" Chu Bing snapped back to reality, patted the child's head, and smiled.

The room immediately erupted into a chorus of joyful laughter and weeping.

Standing at the threshold, Li Yuxi and Li Mohan listened to the commotion inside, lingering without stepping in.

Li Mohan withdrew his foot, turned around, and leaned against the wall with a calm expression. "I suddenly understand Father's intention."

"What do you mean?" Li Yuxi was startled.

"Since childhood, Father only taught us martial arts and military strategy, paying no mind to Third Brother whatsoever, allowing him only to read the sages' books and learn a gentleman's conduct. Back then, I thought Father wanted him to live out a mediocre life, at least safe and sound. But the moment troubled times began, Father immediately brought Third Brother to this remote country estate, personally teaching him the art of war, the ways of officialdom, and even…"

A bitter smile tugged at the corner of Li Mohan's lips, his expression darkening slightly. "Father's ambitions are immense, and all of it rests upon Third Brother."

"What does that have to do with us? Are we simply born to be stepping stones for Li Haoran?" Li Yuxi scoffed disdainfully. "Have you lost your mind? Father wanting to claim this realm is fine and well, but he has no right to make the two of us act as Li Haoran's executioners!"

Li Yuxi's expression turned frosty. Having always been headstrong and unrestrained, he was absolutely unwilling to risk his life for someone else's benefit.

Li Mohan cast a disapproving look at him. "Even if Third Brother has his flaws, his nature is upright and loyal. As you can see, he still holds compassion even for a group of children. He will certainly be far more responsible toward the common people of the world than the person currently sitting on the throne. He is immeasurably better than that sovereign!"

Li Yuxi was taken aback, turning to look at him with a bizarre expression. "Li Mohan, have you gone mad? Li Haoran wants you dead, and yet you still intend to continue slaving away for him?"

In his astonishment, he even forgot to address him as Big Brother.

Listening to the sound of children echoing from within the room, Li Mohan slowly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, his gaze held nothing but unwavering resolve. "Second Brother, if we can secure a true sovereign for the people of this realm, what does it matter if I surrender this life of mine to him!"