Xu Can had guessed correctly.

When Lord Xiaoyao heard that his precious son had gone up the mountain to hunt bears and had been missing for a whole day, he was furious.

The servants had only just reported it to him, and in his rage, he smashed the table on the spot.

He couldn’t even care about the old madam’s birthday celebration anymore—finding his son was the priority.

A massive search effort was immediately organized.

They searched the entire day, turning everything upside down, but there was no sign of life or death.

Lord Xiaoyao was on the verge of collapse.

He had taken every precaution against outsiders, yet the real danger had come from within his own family.

He had never expected his son to go missing at his maternal grandfather’s home!

If he didn’t need these useless fools to provide him with clues, he would have already taken out his frustration on them.

..

“Useless! All of you are useless! It’s been two days, and you still can’t even find a trace of him. What’s the point of keeping you around, huh? I told you to stay close to the young master at all times, and this is how you take care of him?”

Lord Xiaoyao kicked over a few guards in fury.

His chest heaved violently as he looked at several bloodied corpses lying nearby.

“Master, Funiu Mountain is vast, with deep forests. Given the men we have, it won’t be easy to search the entire area in a short time. But the hunters who live at the foot of the mountain know the terrain better than we do. Why don’t we offer a reward?” suggested the head steward, Fang Bo.

A bounty?

“We can draw the young master’s portrait and post it in busy areas and at the city gates, offering a generous reward for information. The more people who see it, the faster the news will spread.

If we offer a hundred taels for accurate information and a thousand taels for his safe return, the whole town will be searching for him in no time!”

Lord Xiaoyao finally calmed down. “Bring me a brush. I’ll personally draw my son’s portrait. Make copies and distribute them widely.”

…

Meanwhile, Qiao Xin and her group were used to mountain roads. Even with three ox carts in tow, their pace remained fast. By the time they reached the city gates, a huge crowd had already gathered around the notice board, pointing and chattering excitedly.

“A hundred taels for information, a thousand taels if you find him? Damn! Lord Xiaoyao truly is the wealthiest man in the Great Jing! If we find the person in the portrait, why would we even bother trading fur anymore?”

“Who is this person, anyway? A relative of Lord Xiaoyao or a fugitive? Either way, this bounty is tempting! Let’s hurry up and ask around!”

“If I get my hands on that thousand taels, I can buy a dozen acres of good farmland and live like a proper landowner. No more running around just to make a living!”

“What are you waiting for? Get moving! The first to find him gets the reward—even just bringing news is worth a hundred taels!”

Hearing this, Qiao Yunqing, who was walking nearby, muttered, “It must be a wanted criminal. Too many people here—let’s not get involved. We should head to Fu Tai Tavern first.”

“A thousand taels for a fugitive? Sounds too good to be true! I need to check this out!” Qiao Xin’s family was still poor, and she wasn’t about to pass up easy money.

She said excitedly, “You all stay here and watch the carts. I’ll go take a look. Who knows? Maybe I’ll get lucky!”

Qiao Yunqing: “…”

How could his adoptive mother be this obsessed with money?

Before he could stop her, Qiao Xin had already wriggled her way into the crowd like an eel.

Seeing this, Qiao Yunqing turned to Qiao Yuxin and said, “Big brother, you and third brother keep an eye on the carts. If anything happens, call out. I’ll go with mother to check it out.”

“Got it.”

Xu Can, the closer he got to the town, the more he felt eyes watching him.

He didn’t even feel safe being slightly apart from Qiao Xin.

This was not the time to be alone—he quickly moved forward to stay close. “I’ll go too. Maybe I recognize the person in the portrait.”

Qiao Yunqing didn’t plan to stop him, so he let him tag along.

By now, Qiao Xin had already squeezed her way to the front.

One look at the portrait made her feel an odd sense of familiarity.

Studying it closely, she realized—wait a minute, wasn’t that Xu Can?

Since the drawing was not very realistic and she wasn’t exactly an art expert, she hesitated to confirm.

To be sure, she grabbed Xu Can, who was trying to push forward.

“Hey, slow down! Don’t shove!”

The person she had just pushed aside was annoyed at first, but when they turned to look at the person Qiao Xin was holding, their anger froze.

They glanced at Xu Can, then at the portrait on the notice board, suspicion growing in their eyes.

Qiao Xin smiled and struck up a conversation. “Brother, sorry about that. I just wanted a closer look at what kind of lowlife this wanted criminal is. If I manage to catch him, wouldn’t I be doing the country a favor?”

The man: “…”

Xu Can had just regained his balance and was about to complain when he looked up—only to see his own face posted on the city wall.

What the hell?!

His father actually put up wanted posters for him?! How embarrassing!

He pulled up his sleeve to cover his face and tried to slip away, but Qiao Xin wasn’t about to let go until he admitted it.

“Stop covering up. Everyone’s seen it. Just say it—are you the guy in the portrait or not?”

“No! That’s my cousin. Can’t you see the notice says to claim the reward at the Yang residence? My last name is Xu!”

Though the artist had captured his arrogant, nose-in-the-air expression perfectly, the face itself was a disaster—his nose was so exaggerated it could fit a garlic clove, and his eyes were practically on his forehead.

His features were all scrunched together, making his normally handsome face unrecognizable.

Honestly, he had to give it to his father—his art had always been terrible.

He swore he would never mock his father’s drawing skills again.

Qiao Xin had already suspected the truth when he mentioned the Yang family. If she could read the text on the notice, she wouldn’t have needed to drag Xu Can forward to confirm.

Damn it, she had basically become illiterate in this world!

Just then, Ah Yuan, who had finally pushed through the crowd, looked up and saw the portrait. Recognizing his master’s face—despite the awful drawing—he grabbed Xu Can’s sleeve excitedly.

“Young master! That’s you, isn’t it? The lord used to draw you like this all the time at home!”

Xu Can: “…”

This servant was getting fired.

“It really is him!” The crowd erupted with excitement.

Qiao Xin wasn’t about to let her reward slip away.

She pointed at Xu Can’s handsome face.

“Look closely, everyone! If you say this portrait is him, isn’t that an insult? This young man is obviously dashing and noble-looking! Compare that to the mess in the drawing—can you really say they’re the same person?”

Ah Yuan, realizing his mistake, didn’t dare say another word. If he spoke again, the crowd might tear them apart for the reward money.

“But he looks just like the guy in the drawing! Even the way he’s looking at us—nose up, eyes slanted—exactly the same! And his clothes match too!”

Qiao Xin glanced at Xu Can’s outfit. It was indeed identical to the one in the portrait, just without the colors filled in.

“Yes, it’s him!”

“Oh my God, a thousand taels!”

“Quick! Grab him! We’ll all get a share of the reward!”

Xu Can: “…”

Qiao Xin: “…”

He had followed Qiao Xin for safety, but now he had walked straight into a trap!