Ning Zining spread out another sheet of paper, holding the brush as if in deep thought. Lan Mu Ye wisely kept silent, watching as he ruined yet another painting.
Zining put down the brush and walked to the table. Lan Mu Ye hurriedly poured a cup of fresh tea for him. As Zining took the teacup, he said gently, “That’s Qiqi’s person.”
Lan Mu Ye’s hand, hidden beneath her sleeve, clenched tightly. Her face, however, remained expressionless as she said, “Speaking of Qiqi, she is far too disrespectful to you. She lacks even the most basic courtesy! I heard that her mother’s family has already sided with the second young master…”
“Ah,” Zining responded, showing no inclination to make his position clear on this matter, as was his usual practice.
“Zining, Gu Lvyu, our cousin from the Gu family, has run into some trouble recently. Do you think you could help him? I believe it would be greatly beneficial for us in the future if we can secure his support.”
“Ah,” Zining nodded, not even bothering to ask for details.
Lan Mu Ye had not expected to achieve her main goal so easily tonight. She was momentarily stunned, but in the past year, Zining had given her considerable authority and seldom interfered, clearly showing his trust. She also felt that the tasks she had handled for the Song family had been managed well, deserving such trust.
Before Lan Mu Ye could feel too pleased, she noticed Zining’s gaze once again fixated on the woman in the painting. Her face froze, and she forced a softer expression as she began to gather the discarded paintings, saying softly, “Since Xiao Ye is willing to follow Qiqi so closely, she must come from humble origins. There might still be ways to… handle her.”
Unexpectedly, Zining said, “Of course, her willingness to follow Qiqi is her own choice.”
Lan Mu Ye’s heart skipped a beat, but she maintained her gentle smile, gathering the discarded drafts and saying, “Zining, it’s getting late. You should rest now.”
“Ah.”
As Lan Mu Ye gently closed the study door and moved to a secluded corner, she suddenly clenched her teeth and tore two pieces of paper to shreds. Will? When did the seventh young master of the Song family start caring about a woman’s will?
The servant girl beside her was startled and quickly looked around to ensure no one had seen. She bent down to pick up the scattered pieces, whispering, “Miss, it’s just a woman. The young master will grow tired of her soon enough.”
Lan Mu Ye replied coldly, “That wench’s background is still unknown! Qiqi is clearly trying to deceive Zining. But what can I say? Zining is always soft on relatives.” She then regained her composure and left with the servant girl, as if nothing had happened.
A short while later, the servant girl secretly went to the outer courtyard. Not only were Song family guards stationed there, but also children of vassal families who relied on the Song family for protection.
Zining had brought only fifty guards and twenty attendants, leaving several rooms vacant in the hundred-person capacity courtyard. The vassal family members had thus found ways to squeeze in, even if it meant cramming seven or eight people into a single room. They didn’t mind, as long as they could claim to have stayed in the Song family residence after the hunt.
The servant girl entered the last room on the east side, which housed three people. These were young men from other vassal families, either seeking favor directly from Lan Mu Ye or introduced by the Ye family patriarch. Clearly, the treatment of three people per room was much better than that of other vassals.
Moreover, being at the very end, the room was slightly larger and had an extra window, making it more spacious. It was Lan Mu Ye who had rearranged the accommodation for the Song family guards to make room for this room.
The servant girl didn’t stay long, and when she left, a roll of paper she had been carrying was missing.
Inside the room, the three men were discussing a painting of a lady.
“This is quite troublesome. That Xiao Ye is Qiqi’s companion and bodyguard, right?”
Another one scoffed, “What bodyguard? Everyone knows her real purpose. We are all at least level six or seven, seasoned in battle! A mere level five girl, how hard can it be?”
A third man hesitated, “But it’s risky. If Qiqi finds out, she’ll kill us. And the Song family might not stand up for us.”
“You’re just scared! Fortune favors the bold. If it were easy, the Song family would do it themselves. We need to seize this opportunity. We’re giving them what they want!”
The third man added, “Alright, but we can’t do it here. Although each family has their own compound, they’re too close. Tomorrow, once we’re in the mountains and set up camp, it will be chaotic. We’ll wait for the girl to be alone, lure her out, knock her out, and take her away. As long as we’re careful, there won’t be any traces. We should act tomorrow night!”
“Heh! Should we tie her up and deliver her, or strip her and put her in the young master’s bed?”
“Come on! You’re thinking with your libido. After you’ve stripped her, would the young master still want her?”
“Hey, just a suggestion. That girl is fiery; she makes you itch just looking at her!”
The voices in the room lowered, interspersed with suppressed laughter.
A short while later, Zining met with two of his trusted attendants in the study.
The short and sturdy one, named Song Jing, spoke first, recounting the incident with Lan Mu Ye’s servant. He then said with a bit of unease, “Young Master, if they succeed, how will we explain it to Miss Yin?”
Zining gave him a half-smile, half-frown. Song Jing immediately fell silent, muttering inwardly about the young master’s indulgence of his future wife.
Zining’s gaze returned to the ruined painting on the desk. What was Lan Mu Ye’s intention? There were many ways to get a woman, but she chose the crudest one. She must know that if this were to leak out, it would tarnish the Song family’s reputation. Unless there was something inherently wrong with the girl, in which case, Lan Mu Ye could hold it over Qiqi.
The lean and lanky young man, Song Ge, reported on another matter, “Young Master, I obtained the list of Qiqi’s attendants from the Duke’s residence. Her female companion is named Qian Xiaoye, a level-five fighter, positioned for long-range combat.”
There were thousands participating in the Tianxuan Spring Hunt, and the Duke’s records only included the children of the families, not the numerous guards, attendants, and concubines. Qian Xiaoye was only listed because she was one of the nine members of the Yin family hunting team, and her information was very basic.
Zining frowned, murmuring, “Why is it like this?”
The two attendants exchanged puzzled glances, and Song Ge carefully added, “Miss Ye seems to have asked Captain Qiu for the list as well.”
“Delay it. Give it to her once the hunt starts.” Zining then asked, “When was the last time she met Qiqi?”
Song Ge thought for a moment before answering, “Miss Ye visited the lower continent a month ago. She probably met Qiqi at the banquet hosted by City Lord Yuan Zeyu in Xichang City. I will need some time to gather more specific information.”
Zining said, “Investigate Qian Xiaoye as well.”
“But she is Qiqi’s attendant. Investigating her background might alert Qiqi.”
Zining said indifferently, “It doesn’t matter. Let them know.”
The next morning, teams began to leave the Duke’s residence, heading deeper into the Tianxuan Mountains. The great families had already scouted out the locations for their camps, but for the sake of authenticity, they only started setting up the day before the hunt.
The Empire, with its thousand years of warfare, ensured that even a spring hunt was conducted as realistically as possible.
To ensure success, the hunting areas were divided similar to battle zones, separating the families as much as possible. While the rewards for the spring hunt were secondary, the prestige of the family name was more important. Additionally, performing well in the hunt could be a shortcut for the sons of the vassal families to gain status. Some of these vassals were attached to a particular family, while others acted independently.
The Yin family had chosen a site on a gentle slope halfway up a mountain, with a stream at the bottom of the valley. The location was suitable, neither too far from the forest nor the main road leading back to the Duke’s residence.
The camp mimicked a military setup, with three wooden houses arranged in a triangular formation in the center. These were Qiqi’s main living quarters, doubling as a tactical command post, kitchen, and storage for equipment. Around the perimeter were long rows of houses, serving as both living quarters for the guards and attendants and defensive fortifications.
Yuan Jia led the team to set up the camp, and by the time Qiqi and the others arrived in the afternoon, most of the work was complete, except for two unfinished tool sheds at the northeast corner.
In the forest, three shadowy figures were slowly approaching the camp. Their movements were nearly imperceptible, and their presence was perfectly concealed, indicating they were skilled in stealth. They hid nearby, observing the camp’s activities cautiously.
The rows of houses were bustling with servants and attendants, but the guards patrolled in groups of three, with two teams covering the perimeter. While not dense, their routes protected the main house without gaps. The three intruders felt a bit challenged.
Soon, they spotted their target: Xiaoye!
Xiaoye had come out of the main house, suggesting she shared quarters with Qiqi. If true, this mission might be futile. Even if they were skilled in hunting, infiltrating the heart of the Yin family camp seemed impossible.
However, they soon noticed a change. Xiaoye appeared to be busy with something, moving large boxes alone towards the northeast corner without calling for guards or attendants. The three repositioned themselves, continuing to observe. There were two separate tool sheds, one completed and the other still open-roofed.
Xiaoye made several trips, carrying large boxes, and then the light in the tool shed turned on, and she stayed inside. The three intruders exchanged excited glances. This girl was making their task much easier, practically delivering their fortune.
The area was unoccupied, and the patrols passed every half hour, giving them ample time to act. They just needed to wait for the right moment, strike, and flee with their captive.
They moved closer, able to see Xiaoye’s shadow through the window. Just as they were about to act, faint voices came from the forest. They froze, worried that someone had appeared in their planned escape route, but the voices soon faded, and they relaxed.
But not for long, as the voices returned, this time closer. They could hear about eight or nine people, likely on a reconnaissance or search mission.
After the voices disappeared, one of the intruders growled, “We can’t wait any longer. Act now!”
The three leapt from their hiding place, like phantoms, vaulting over the low wooden fence and using the blind spot to approach the tool shed. They each reached for the windows and doors, breaking the locks with their aura, and rushed inside.
Qian Xiaoye, wearing a black robe similar to the one from the Wu An Tang banquet, but with gold embroidery instead of blue, had tied her wide sleeves with ribbons for ease of movement. She stood at a table, which was covered with various firearms and crossbow parts. She looked up, startled, at the three intruders.
They were clad in lightweight armor and masked, clearly with malicious intent. Xiaoye was surprised that they were only level seven and six, daring to invade the Yin family camp with such limited strength.
To the three, Xiaoye looked frightened and confused. But fear only made her more alluring, either to be pitied or dominated.
One of the intruders said, “Listen, Young Master Song Zining has taken a fancy to you. This is your lucky chance! Come with us, and if you please the young master, you might even become a concubine. Isn’t that better than being an anonymous follower of Qiqi? The Song family is a powerful clan!”
Xiaoye’s face showed a mix of expressions, “Young Master Song…fancies me?”
Seeing her reaction, they felt hopeful. To them, she looked both scared and happy. No matter her expression, it was pleasing. They didn’t notice her voice was deeper and harder than a typical girl’s.
“Of course! He even drew many pictures of you. Come with us, and when you rise in status, don’t forget us!”
Another one chimed in, “Yes! A beauty like you, just a glance can make one’s bones melt. Being a guard or attendant is a waste.”
The third one held out a rope and a white cloth, apologetically saying, “To prevent accidents, we’ll have to restrain you on the way.”
Xiaoye struggled to describe her feelings, flexing her fingers and hissing, “Song Zining…I wish he were dead!”
The three felt a sense of foreboding.
In the darkness, the forest where they had come from filled with voices, and nine figures emerged, fully equipped. They looked disheveled, exhausted, with torn outer robes revealing their inner armor.
The leader was tall and imposing, exuding a formidable presence. He was unscathed, but a faint yellow glow covered him.
The Wei family’s Thousand Mountains technique was well-known, but he used it to clear paths in the forest and protect his clothes. The Wei matriarch would surely give him a good beating if she knew.
This young man was Wei Qiyang, known as the Breaker. He burst out of the forest, saw the camp and the banner with the Yin family emblem, and laughed, “Finally, I found it! After running all night!”
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