Strongest Scammer: Scamming The World, One Death At A Time-Chapter 614: Qing Luan’s Request

Hearing Han Yu, Qing Luan nodded at once, relief flooding her features.

"Yes. Yes, of course. I understand."

The driver echoed her.

"We will obey completely. Thank you, honored disciple."

Han Yu inhaled slowly, as if deciding whether this annoyed him or amused him.

Then he gave a single curt nod.

"Very well. I will accompany you for a while."

Qing Luan let out a shaky breath of relief she had been holding in. Her eyes became glossy again, but this time with gratitude rather than fear.

Han Yu kept his cold mask.

Inside, however, his thoughts were sharp and focused.

Something was wrong with the Qing clan.

And now he had a way to learn what.

Han Yu stepped into the carriage without a word, brushing past the driver who bowed low and scurried to regain his seat at the front. As the door shut quietly behind him, he took in the carriage's interior.

It was… comfortable. Much more than he had expected of something traveling alone through bandit territory.

The walls were lined with soft padding wrapped in velvet. The seats were cushioned, wide, and arranged in a manner more similar to a noble's private room than a travel wagon. The faint smell of sandalwood hung in the air, mixed with something sweeter, likely incense burned earlier to calm the occupants.

Once the door clicked shut and Han Yu was certain no one outside could see him, he sent out a thin sweep of spirit sense, now that he was directly inside the barrier.

He immediately found what he had suspected.

'This is rather good...'

A defensive array hidden beneath the inner wooden frame. The pattern was simple but well-crafted, designed to disperse impact force and resist elemental attacks. No wonder the bandit he kicked into it had bounced off like a sack of grain hitting stone.

There was also a temperature control formation embedded in the flooring, which kept the interior pleasantly warm despite the breeze outside.

But something was missing.

There was no crest. No emblem. Nothing that marked this as belonging to a major clan. Even carriages bought from merchants often carried at least a maker's mark. This one was spotless. Too spotless. As though someone had deliberately removed every sign of origin.

'Strange.' Han Yu narrowed his eyes.

This made no sense for someone of Qing Luan's status. A girl with her talent should have traveled with a full retinue. And in one of the Qing clan's own armored spirit carriages, heavily decorated with their emblem.

'This was… suspicious.'

He filed it away in his mind. For Ju Fan, suspicion would translate into impatience and cold scrutiny. So he settled into his seat with arms folded and stared at Qing Luan with a blank, almost disdainful expression.

"Where are you going?" Han Yu asked, letting his tone drip with indifference. "If your path does not align with mine, I will leave immediately."

Qing Luan sat opposite him, back straight but hands fidgeting on her lap. She swallowed and answered quickly.

"We are heading to White Peacock Town, honored disciple. It is about two days of travel from here, perhaps three if the roads are rough."

Han Yu nodded slowly. He hid his thoughts behind a cold mask, but inwardly he was relieved.

White Peacock Town was on the same route he was taking toward the Harrow Mountains. It was one of the last settlements before the mountains stretched outward like a jagged sea of stone. He would have stopped there anyway for supplies.

Now he could approach it in comfort.

Qing Luan lowered her head after speaking, silence filling the carriage like a tight, anxious fog. She looked as if she desperately wanted to speak but had no idea how to do so without angering him.

She finally raised her hand. Not timidly, but with the awkwardness of a student asking for permission to speak to a strict teacher.

Han Yu inwardly laughed but merely jerked his chin to indicate she could talk.

She clasped her hands tightly.

"Honored disciple… are you also traveling toward the mountains? Or at least toward White Peacock Town? If so… we would be grateful to take you to your destination after the town if it is not too far away."

Her voice was soft, careful, polite, and trembling with hope.

Han Yu shrugged lightly.

"I am passing through White Peacock Town."

He did not elaborate, and that seemed to be enough for her. She released a breath she had been holding and relaxed her shoulders slightly. It was clear she feared being abandoned on the road again.

"It is fortunate," she whispered mostly to herself.

Han Yu let the silence linger only a moment before asking the question he had been leading toward.

"Why is someone from the Qing clan traveling alone with only a driver? You expect me to believe a clan of that size cannot spare even a single guard?"

His voice carried mild insult, which was exactly what a blood sect disciple would say. Qing Luan flinched but did not appear offended. Instead she looked down, her hair falling forward to hide the shame in her expression.

Sadness radiated from her like a gentle fog, blended with a deeper emotion that Han Yu could not yet place.

"If honored disciple is willing to hear it," Qing Luan said softly, "I can tell you the full story."

Han Yu felt the sharp pulse of anticipation in her Eight Emotions energy. She had been holding something inside for a long time. Too long. And being young, frightened, and alone, meeting someone powerful had given her a small outlet. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

So Han Yu leaned back, crossing his legs in a posture of superiority, and pretended to be wholly uninterested.

"Speak. I am listening only because I am bored."

Qing Luan nodded, took a slow breath, and gathered her courage.

"It began two months ago," she said. "Before everything changed in the Qing clan."

Her fingers dug into her robes, anxiety and fear on her face.