The village woman immediately went to catch the chicken, but the old hen was extremely fast, darting all over the village and sending feathers flying everywhere.
Just as the hen dodged the coop and charged straight at Sue Quinn, a small, pale hand swiftly grabbed it by the neck. In one smooth motion, the chicken was shoved back into its cage, and the latch was secured.
Leaning on the driver for support, Sue Quinn patted her chest to calm her breathing.
Her mind was consumed with a single thought: get out of this godforsaken place and as far away from these vulgar, uncivilized people as possible.
Her gaze turned cold. She glared at Aurora Sinclair, the one who had caught the chicken, and said sharply, "Second Miss, we need to go! You've already wasted a lot of time!"
Master Aerion stroked his re-attached fake beard and chuckled, trying to placate her. "Dawn Miles grew up on the village's food since she was a child. They all see her as family, so of course they're sad to see her go. Please don't take offense, madam!"
Sue Quinn's expression shifted several times before she let out a cold snort and ignored him. "Second Miss, the car isn't that big. It can't fit all this stuff! Just pick a few useful things to take!"
Hearing this, the villagers all grabbed their things and hurried forward to offer them. "Young Rory, these are jujubes from your auntie's own garden, guaranteed fresh..."
"Young Rory, take mine! Mine are better than hers..."
Sue Quinn pursed her lips in disdain, glancing at the cheap, worthless things on the ground. She grabbed her bag and walked directly toward the village entrance. "Second Miss, we'll wait for you at the foot of the mountain. Once you've chosen, come down as soon as possible!"
After Sue Quinn and the driver left, Master Aerion patted Aurora Sinclair's shoulder and said earnestly, "Your master doesn't have much to tell you. Just take your gear when you go down the mountain, and don't cause any trouble for me!"
Aurora Sinclair nodded solemnly.
The black sedan's trunk was stuffed to the brim with local produce the villagers had given her.
Even the old hen was brought along in the car.
Sue Quinn and the driver had grim expressions the entire time, but there was nothing they could do.
No matter how much they looked down on this "country bumpkin" of a Second Miss, they couldn't object. After all, her status was still that of a Sinclair Family heiress.
Sue Quinn sat in the front passenger seat with the window rolled all the way down, fanning herself incessantly.
The more she fanned, the angrier she got. The stench of chicken droppings just wouldn't go away; no matter how much perfume she sprayed, she could still smell it.
"Second Miss, do you really have to take this chicken with you?"
"Mmm..."
Sue Quinn gritted her teeth and reminded her again, "They don't allow live chickens at the airport!"
Aurora Sinclair glanced at the cage by her feet, completely baffled. "But it's very well-behaved."
Sue Quinn: ...
'Is this a f*cking matter of it being well-behaved or not?'
'What a country bumpkin!'
***
The road leading away from Sunstone was narrow. When there was no oncoming traffic, the driver would usually straddle the yellow line down the middle.
As they approached a bend, he heard a horn from the opposite direction and immediately slowed down and pulled to the side.
A plain black sedan slowly approached from the other direction. The car itself wasn't expensive, but the license plate exuded an air of nobility—it was a Kingsford plate starting with the letter A.
This section of the road was so narrow that the two cars had to scrape past each other, almost touching, as they slowly moved in their respective directions.
The driver took the opportunity to make small talk. "We're from the Sinclair Family of Kingsford. Which family are you from?"
The other driver's expression didn't change much. He merely nodded before rolling up his window.
The heavily tinted glass made it impossible to see who was inside.
The driver was a bit embarrassed and annoyed, feeling the other man was being snobbish, but Sue Quinn, beside him, wore a grave expression.
Although the Sinclair Family wasn't one of Kingsford's famous Great Families, they had still squeezed their way into the upper circles. They shouldn't be treated so dismissively by a mere driver—unless the person in that car was from one of Kingsford's truly powerful and noble houses, a family so far above the Sinclairs they couldn't even hope to look up to them.
'But why would someone so powerful come here?'
There was only one road here, and it led to Sunstone.
***
Inside the black sedan, Beta Morgan glanced in the rearview mirror at the man feigning sleep in the back seat.
The man's features were exquisite, almost excessively handsome. His skin was as smooth as milk. Even Veridia's top movie stars and hottest young idols would pale in comparison to him.
For a man to be that beautiful was simply unnatural.
"Sir, that car just now was from the Sinclair Family of Kingsford."
"The Sinclairs?" Alvin Morgan's voice was lazy, the last syllable rising in a question.
This young master of his was only familiar with the core lineages of Kingsford's Seven Great Families; you couldn't expect him to remember any other family.
Beta Morgan offered a reminder: "They're the minor family Noelle Morgan married into years ago. They just broke into the upper circle a couple of years back!"
Alvin Morgan's eyes snapped open. He gazed out the window, and a smile suddenly touched his lips. "How interesting!"
***
Sunstone had just seen off one young miss, and now a young master had arrived. This one, however, was unnervingly handsome.
Everyone in the village, young and old, enjoyed looking at him. At least he wasn't arrogant or condescending.
While Beta Morgan knocked on a door, Alvin Morgan leaned lazily against a tree, letting everyone stare. From time to time, he'd call over the village children and give them some chocolate.
"He's even better-looking than Young Rory!"
"Nonsense! My Senior Sister is the best-looking!" Leigh Miles, who was just about to fetch water, was instantly displeased by the comment.
The villager gave a simple-minded grin and didn't argue.
"Tiger, don't run off!"
The little boy trailing behind Leigh Miles nodded with a silly grin and obediently squatted by the courtyard gate to play with a small wooden car.
Alvin Morgan stared at the wooden car for a long time before suddenly straightening up and walking over. He crouched in front of the little boy. "Tiger, who gave you this car?"
The little boy looked up at him. "Senior Sister..."
"Was it that person from just now?"
The little boy ignored him and went back to playing with his car.
A nearby villager pointed at the boy's head and waved his hand dismissively, his eyes full of pity. "Tiger had a fever that damaged his brain!"
Alvin Morgan froze for a moment, then reached out and ruffled the boy's hair. He pulled a chocolate bar from his pocket, unwrapped it, and offered it to him, but the boy clamped his mouth shut and turned his head away.
"Don't give him that. Leigh Miles will spank him."
Alvin Morgan raised an eyebrow. The villager explained, "Two years ago, a group of kidnappers came up the mountain and almost abducted Tiger. Young Rory got hurt saving him, so Leigh Miles gave him a harsh beating for it."
Alvin Morgan patted the little boy's head again, his expression sympathetic.
Seeing that he liked children and was here looking for Apothecary Warner, the villager added, "If you're looking for Apothecary Warner, you should check the Stone-Wood House on the back mountain. I remember after seeing Young Rory off, Daoist Miles went to the back mountain with him."
"Thank you!"
Alvin Morgan's voice was pleasant, and he was so polite. The villager scratched his head sheepishly. "You're just like our Young Rory—beautiful on the outside and kind on the inside."
***
The Stone-Wood House was easy to find. It was on the back mountain, next to two unfamiliar fruit trees.
The man Alvin Morgan was looking for was standing outside the courtyard, pinching his nose.
"Excuse me, are you the Apothecary Hermit?" Beta Morgan stepped forward first and asked respectfully.
Ronan Warner's frown deepened, and his tone was hostile. "No!"
"We are from the Morgan Family of Kingsford."
Ronan Warner paused his shooing gesture, looking them up and down for a moment before asking warily, "What do you want?"
"Our master acquired an encrypted notebook and was hoping you could take a look..."
"Not interested, not interested..." Ronan Warner turned away impatiently.
"It might have been left by the Young Family!"
The notebook was snatched from Beta Morgan's hands.
"Now get out of here! Don't bother me unless it's important!"
Just then, two more people emerged from the Stone-Wood House's small courtyard: one with the ethereal air of an immortal, the other a scruffy, burly man.
"Weasel, have a little patience with the younger generation!"
Ronan Warner took two steps to the side in disgust, his hand still pinching his nose. "I finally get rid of one, and now two more troublemakers show up..."
Master Aerion stroked his beard. "I am Master Aerion of the Radiant Void Sect. I see that you two have unusual fates written on your faces. Why don't you come to my humble abode..."
"Tch. You stinking old Daoist, at least pick your targets! Are you trying to scam the Morgans of Kingsford?" Ronan Warner shot him a cold look and sneered.
Master Aerion faltered, coughed twice, and plastered a smile on his face. "Don't listen to his nonsense, you two. I am a respectable man!"
Ronan Warner shot him a glare and said irritably to Beta Morgan, "Go back for now. I'll contact you when I'm done studying this!"
Beta Morgan quickly cupped his fists and bowed.
***
After leaving Ronan Warner's, Alvin Morgan saw Master Aerion walking toward the home of the boy with the wooden car and shot a look at Beta Morgan.
Beta Morgan quickly stepped forward. "Master, may I ask you something?"
"Speak freely!"
"The little wooden car your child is playing with—where did you buy it?"
Master Aerion stroked his beard, glanced at Tiger by the courtyard gate, and said mysteriously, "That, I cannot say..."
Beta Morgan quickly cupped his fists again. "Master, my lord saw that the car was exquisitely crafted and would like to buy some to take home for the children in his family. Please, tell us. The Morgan Family will reward you handsomely!"
"Is that so..."
"Master, don't you dare get any ideas about that wood! That's what Senior Sister left for me and Tiger!"
Just then, the young girl who had gone to fetch water returned. She set her carrying pole on the ground, unhooked two large wooden buckets of mountain spring water, and effortlessly poured them into the water tank in the courtyard.
Beta Morgan's pupils constricted. He recalled his own training under the Nameless Master, and the water buckets he'd had to carry had been much lighter than these.
'This girl knows martial arts, and she's not weak!'
An idea struck him, and he stepped forward to talk to her. "Miss, the wooden car your brother is holding—did your Senior Sister make it?"