The backyard of the Mo Mansion was a spacious garden filled with rare flowers and herbs. Though shrouded in darkness, the intense fragrance permeated the air, causing Han Li to take a deep breath.
"Hmm!" Han Li exclaimed softly, recognizing the familiar scent of medicinal herbs amidst the floral aroma.
"Someone is cultivating medicinal herbs here," Han Li chuckled. The unmistakable scent piqued his curiosity, indicating that someone in the Mo Mansion had inherited Doctor Mo's medical skills.
Not wanting to delay any further, Han Li stealthily made his way along the garden path towards the illuminated area.
Along the way, Han Li noticed several well-concealed sentries, difficult to detect without his heightened senses. It seemed that the security in the Mo Mansion was tight.
However, now that he had been discovered, bypassing these guards was an easy task for him.
Han Li stopped in front of a two-story building. He had chosen this spot because the guards here were more numerous and vigilant than elsewhere, with about twenty to thirty stationed nearby.
Observing that the second floor of the building was still lit, Han Li deduced that it housed important individuals who had yet to retire for the night, making it ideal for investigation.
With the agility of a shadow, Han Li swiftly approached the building and effortlessly scaled the second floor without alerting the guards. None of the sentries noticed his intrusion.
Pressing himself against the wall of the building, Han Li concealed himself in the shadows and listened carefully to the activity inside the room.
With his extraordinary hearing, Han Li discerned the presence of a woman speaking inside, indicating that there was more than one person in the room.
"Seven thousand three hundred taels from Changping Town's secret branch," the woman's melodious voice rang out, vibrant and energetic, clearly belonging to a young woman. However, her last sentence carried a hint of dissatisfaction.
"Mother, the amount of silver delivered by the secret branches last month was significantly reduced compared to previous years," the young woman complained.
"I'm aware of that," another woman with a low, magnetic voice responded.
"Could this be one of the Three Beauties of the Mo Clan?" Han Li's spirits lifted, feeling fortunate to have stumbled upon Madame Yan, while the young woman was likely Mo Caihuan, the daughter of Doctor Mo and the woman he was looking for.
"You keep saying you're aware, but why not come up with a solution? If this continues, those secret branches will soon lose respect for our main branch!" the young woman vented her frustration.
"I don't have a good solution at the moment. You must know that the secret branches have always been under the control of your fifth sister alone. The other members of the Mo Clan have no say in it," the woman replied helplessly.
Han Li was now certain that the woman inside was Madame Yan, while the young woman was Mo Caihuan. He felt lucky to have found the right place so quickly.
Reaching for the token and letter left by Doctor Mo, Han Li prepared to reveal himself to the two women.
"Mother, that impostor is so annoying! He tried to flirt with me in the garden today, boasting about his wit and talent. He's truly despicable!" the young woman suddenly exclaimed, causing Han Li, who had just lifted his foot, to hesitate.
"Be more polite to that man with the surname Wu. After all, he's your future brother-in-law. Don't let him see through your facade!" Madame Yan's tone became serious.
"Ugh! Eldest Sister is always bothered by him. She even pretends to be interested in him. It's so annoying! If it were me, I would have drawn my sword and dealt with him already," the young woman sighed.
"We have no choice. Although we know that Wu is a fake and have investigated his background, we need to delay him as much as possible to buy time. The enemy's influence is too great. If they realize they can't trick us, they might launch a full-scale attack, and we wouldn't stand a chance!" Madame Yan's voice was filled with exhaustion, hinting at the toll the situation had taken on her.
Han Li now confirmed that the woman inside was Madame Yan and the young woman was Mo Caihuan. He was fortunate to have found them so quickly.
Placing his hand on the token and the letter hidden on his person, Han Li prepared to reveal himself to the two women.
