The village was a modest one, comprising only a few dozen families.

Night had fallen by the time they finished circling the perimeter of the village. The men working in the fields had returned home, and joyous laughter could be heard from within some of the residences. Of course, several unfortunate dwellings seemed filled with shouting, or despairing sighs.

In any case, it was indeed a typical historical village.

Zu An and Qiao Xueying snuck into the village and listened in to the conversations from various households, hoping to gather some clues.

“Hm? There are some weird noises coming from there.” Tugging at Zu An’s sleeves, Qiao Xueying pulled him towards one of the residences.

Only when they were right by the residence were they finally able to figure out what those weird noises were—there was the unmistakable sound of heavy breathing, coupled with the creaking of a bedframe. They even overheard a few flirtatious whispers between a man and a woman… 

Qiao Xueying’s face reddened. She clicked her tongue and said awkwardly, “How lewd of them to do this at such an early hour.”

“You’re too accustomed to the extravagant lifestyles of rich clans, and don’t understand the hardships faced by commoners. Most of them are too poor to afford oil lamps. What else do you expect them to do after...