Ruan Fengshan’s eyes were deep as he extracted a thick pile of papers from the letter.

On top was unexpectedly a folded title deed.

Ruan Fengshan glanced at the address on the deed; it was for a secluded estate.

Ruan Fengshan’s eyes flickered. He was unclear about the intention behind Xu Shouxian entrusting his old steward to hand him a title deed for a rather secluded estate after his death.

Below the deed were over a dozen letters, densely filled with small calligraphy.

Upon seeing the handwriting, Ruan Fengshan’s heart leapt. The thin, elegant script was definitely Xu Shouxian’s handwriting.

Ruan Fengshan believed that any doubts he had would be clarified in the last letter left to him by Xu Shouxian.

Ruan Fengshan picked up the thick pile of letters and focused his eyes on them.

"Fengshan, Shopkeeper: The old man is muddle-headed, his death is not worthy of sorrow..."

"...Under the appointment by the Shopkeeper, I was promoted to the position of Chief Accountant for over twenty years. The errors and omissions, needless to say, were numerous..."

"...If the water is too clear, there will be no fish. Many fly-by-night folks are unworthy of mention... Shopkeeper, it is also ill-advised to rashly become angry and excessively blame over messy accounts, as this could shake the foundational trust of Yuan Shun Escort Agency..."

"...My greed started with Luan Jingfu! ..."

Ruan Fengshan felt his emotions shifting drastically as he read page by page!

In the last few pages of the letter, the handwriting was already sloppy and difficult to decipher. Despite being very familiar with Xu Shouxian’s handwriting, Ruan Fengshan had to pause frequently to guess and piece together sentences.

This showed just how intense the emotional turmoil of the writer was at this point...

Ruan Fengshan finished reading, and for a moment, his mind was as tangled as a ball of thread...

The anger and hatred he originally felt for Xu Shouxian had completely dissipated. Now, his heart overflowed with a sense of sorrow.

Ever since Xu Shouxian became Chief Accountant, he would originally pocket some small gains. But his extravagant embezzlement began only two years ago, instigated bit by bit by Luan Jingfu.

"When did your master give you this confidential letter?" Ruan Fengshan asked in a deep voice.

"On New Year’s Eve last year!"

Ruan Fengshan nodded. "It seems this letter was written last December."

The letter’s end only noted the twelfth of the month but did not mention the year.

Last year should have been Xu Shouxian’s first year of extravagant embezzlement. By the year’s end, perhaps he had already begun to feel fear.

Ruan Fengshan muttered to himself, "You were already afraid, so why didn’t you stop?"

Ruan Fengshan turned to look at the title deed on the desk.

Having read the letter, Ruan Fengshan now understood why Xu Shouxian left this title deed to a secluded estate.

Beneath the floor tiles of the east wing of this secluded residence, a box is buried.

Inside the box are the funds Xu Shouxian embezzled in the past two years, along with jewelry gifts from Luan Jingfu, and detailed records of accounts between him, Wang De’an, Zhu Shicheng, and Luan Jingfu, as well as the leaders of the six escort teams.

The only person of power in Yuan Shun Escort Agency without private accounts with him is Xiao Zongting!

And, among all these records, the transactions with Luan Jingfu were the largest; compared to this, the others were nothing worth mentioning!

"Luan Jingfu?"

Ruan Fengshan sighed deeply, his face filled with sorrow as he looked at Ye Tian and said, "Old sir, you should head back. I will have people place your master’s body into a coffin and send him back to the mansion tonight! Consider it the last journey I send him on."

Upon hearing this, Ye Tian knelt down and called out, "With the Shopkeeper accompanying him, my master can rest in peace!"

After crying for a while, Ye Tian stood up, tears on his aged face, saluted Ruan Fengshan with clasped fists, and then turned to leave.

Watching Ye Tian’s departing figure, Ruan Fengshan suddenly let out a bitter laugh and muttered, "Old thing, the steward you chose did show some admirable character!"

In Ruan Fengshan’s eyes, sorrow was deep, as some past memories rushed to his heart like tides...

It was as if when he was first in the accounting office and had just met Xu Shouxian was only yesterday.

At that time, Xu Shouxian was in the prime of life, not only proficient in accounting but also teaching him wholeheartedly without reservation, quickly becoming good friends despite the age difference.

In the blink of an eye, more than twenty years have passed...

People do change! 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Twenty years is indeed a long time!

"Zheng Wei!" Ruan Fengshan suddenly called out.

Zheng Wei immediately walked in with steady steps, clasped fists silently, waiting for instructions.

"Go to the coffin shop and order the finest coffin! It must be obtained before sunset!"

"Yes."

Upon receiving the order, Zheng Wei turned and walked out.

Ruan Fengshan pondered for a while, then locked the confidential letter and deed in a hidden compartment behind the screen and slowly walked out through the back door.

Ruan Fengshan stood in front of a secluded courtyard wall in the backyard and suddenly leapt over it. Xu Shouxian’s secluded yard was not far from here, conveniently near Yuan Shun Escort Agency.

Perhaps this was also Xu Shouxian’s intentional arrangement.

Ye Tian left the back hall of Juyi Hall and slowly walked to the door of the accounting room in the backyard. The backyard accounting room was already surrounded by guards, with two guards in strong attire holding swords standing at the hall entrance. As Ye Tian approached, their gaze immediately fixed on him.

"Old man, this area is blocked, no entry allowed! Get out!" a guard shouted at Ye Tian.

Ye Tian still made a bow and said, "I have a family letter to deliver to Master Xu Fuxian, Xu Chief."

"What family letter? Said no entry. Get out!"

Seeing the guard’s rude attitude, Ye Tian had no choice but to retreat, planning to find another opportunity later to deliver the letter to Xu Fuxian.

As Ye Tian turned around, he happened to see Zheng Wei coming over.

Zheng Wei, on the orders of Ruan Fengshan to order a coffin, was passing by.

Zheng Wei glanced at the guarded entrance and smiled, "Old man, why don’t I take the letter in and give it to Chief Xu."

Zheng Wei is now Ruan Fengshan’s personal servant; no guard would dare to stop him from entering.

Ye Tian hesitated for a moment but still bowed and said, "Thank you! No need to trouble you. The letter is not urgent; I’ll deliver it myself to my master sometime later."

With that, Ye Tian turned and walked away.

Zheng Wei spat on the ground while watching Ye Tian’s departing figure.

A bit later, a shadow suddenly leapt in from outside the wall of some secluded courtyard in the backyard of Yuan Shun Escort Agency...

The person’s skills were clearly excellent, as they moved swiftly and landed silently.

It was precisely Ruan Fengshan, who had left earlier, but when he reappeared this time, he had an accounting ledger in hand.

Ruan Fengshan rolled the ledger, held it in his hand enveloped by his sleeve, and took slow steps around the rockery, walked through the bamboo path to the back hall of Juyi Hall, sat back at the desk, and began examining the ledger carefully.

Ruan Fengshan examined it for several cups of tea’s time before suddenly closing the ledger with a sigh!

In recent years, since he was promoted to Branch Leader of the Filthy Blood Sect, most of his energy had been directed there, neglecting the management of Yuan Shun Escort Agency.

Especially after introducing Luan Jingfu as the Chief Leader of the Escort Agency, which now appears to have been a blunder!

Though Luan Jingfu was courageous, often engaging in death battles, such a person would also recklessly pursue greed!

Brash but lacking finesse!

Ruan Fengshan stood up and paced repeatedly in front of the desk.

"Luan Jingfu?"

Ruan Fengshan’s expression fluctuated slightly. Indeed, based on the messy accounts at Yuan Shun Escort Agency, Luan Jingfu deserved demise, but at Xianggu Sub-Branch of Filthy Blood Sect, Luan Jingfu was undeniably a valiant general!

Between him and Wei Yutian, they were his right-hand men, and it would be a pity to kill them!