Evil Spirits. Beacon Fired.

　　After entering the estate, Shen Yiren apologised to the owner first and foremost. For the most part, civilians didn't like being affiliated with government officials, especially those in the military. Shen Yiren was cognizant of the fact, which was why she never considered asking civilians for shelter.

　　Liu Shan Men was established to work for the people. The highest standard they had to uphold was, "Protect the nation. Not the monarch." In other words, if the nation was ever in peril, they were to sacrifice the monarch for the nation's sake. Liu Shan Men's reputation was always decent among the people. For the reason that, unlike the Qilin Guards who lodged at residential homes, they never disturbed the people's peace unless absolutely necessary.

　　The owner of the estate was a wealthy owner in Huzhou and was acquainted with government officials. As such, it wasn't the first time he opened his doors to government officials. Shen Yiren and Song Ou needed to hide their ident.i.ties. Nevertheless, the deputy general's presence was a great honour the owner could brag about. He couldn't give the female general, who kept apologising to him, grief, either.

　　Shen Yiren demanded more out of herself than others demanded of her. She wasn't comfortable with taking shelter there, so she had the soldiers chop firewood, fetch water, fix the roof and so forth to repay the owner.

　　The estate wasn't a stately estate. Though it was located in a rather remote location, it was s.p.a.cious enough for the escort of three hundred people to lodge at without disrupting the daily life of others.

　　Shen Yiren: "I'm going to wash, change and turn in. Don't disturb me if there's nothing important."

　　Song Ou: "But the owner said he wanted to treat us, so…"

　　Shen Yiren shot Song Ou admonis.h.i.+ng glare: "Treat us? Didn't I make it clear we wouldn't accept a single grain of food from him and would strictly stay for just the night? Treat us to what?"

　　"He said he wanted to provide the three of us with cordial hospitality. It's hard to turn him down."

　　The three individuals Song Ou referred to were Shen Yiren, himself and the deputy general. Shen Yiren didn't state her rank, so people might a.s.sume she was ranked higher than the deputy general.

　　Shen Yiren stopped to think for a moment then explicated, "Tell the others not to use any of the owner's resources. If they're hunger, eat the rations we brought along. If they're thirsty, drink the water they fetched themselves. This isn't just about being a decent guest; this is also taking our safety into account. Don't forget we're still marching. That said, it would be inappropriate to turn down the owner's offer. I have to go through doc.u.ments, so you two go… And don't drink."

　　Song Ou was livid his fiancée wouldn't let him run things for once or even attend a dinner with him, so off he went in a cranky mood.

　　Shen Yiren went to have her bath. Since the weather was stuffy and warm, her wet hair stuck to her forehead, and she was sweating profusely. Consequently, her clothes would cling to her body whenever she moved; it was uncomfortable to say the least. As the descendant of an exalted clan, she was used to being clean and living in comfort. Being able to maintain her demeanour as a leader and keep her priorities in line demonstrated she was a patient character.