This old woman was none other than Granny Liu. When Tan Si called out, she was already in the courtyard, and she heard every word of the subsequent conversation clearly. Shocked, she realized that the master of this place had returned—and that he was no pushover. Her own Sixth Miss and Young Master Qi were still unconscious. If a fight broke out and the Wei family’s skills were truly as formidable as Wei Zhongqi claimed, her young mistress could be in grave danger at the slightest misstep.
As a seasoned and shrewd old-timer, Granny Liu’s mind raced. Noticing that the other party had female members, she saw an opportunity to intervene, hoping to prevent a fight altogether. If that proved impossible, she could at least act swiftly to protect her young mistress.
Granny Liu stepped out of the courtyard, scolding Tan Yi and Tan Er under her breath. Then, turning her gaze toward the tense standoff, she feigned excitement and called out, “Ah, has the master of this household returned? Oh dear, I must apologize. We’ve taken up residence here without permission, but it was truly out of necessity. My young mistress is gravely ill, and we couldn’t leave. Since this was the only habitable place, we had no choice but to borrow it.”
As she spoke, Granny Liu hobbled toward the Wei family. Her steps were unsteady, her legs not as nimble as they once were, and she nearly stumbled a few times. But she paid it no mind, continuing cheerfully, “It was wrong of us to occupy your home without permission. Whatever compensation you demand, just name it. Though my Lin family isn’t fabulously wealthy, we’ll do our best to make amends.”
As Granny Liu drew closer, Tan Yi and Tan Er at the gate frowned, while Tan San and Tan Si subtly shifted positions, blocking her path to prevent her from advancing further.
Just as she neared the group, Granny Liu—who had only recently regained her ability to walk—finally succumbed to exhaustion. With a cry of “Oh no!” she stumbled and fell to the ground, wailing incoherently, reverting to her usual state of speechlessness when flustered.
Tan San sighed in exasperation. Keeping his guard up, he retreated toward Granny Liu to help her up. Over the past few months, Tan San had been responsible for their meals, with Granny Liu directing him whenever she was lucid. Of the group, he was the most familiar with her.
But before Tan San could reach her, Wei Ya’er abruptly shoved Wei Zhongqi aside and dashed toward Granny Liu, babbling excitedly. The Wei family shouted in alarm, and Wei Shoutou lunged forward to stop her. Qi Wu and the other four, however, wouldn’t let him pass. The eight of them clashed in a chaotic melee, while Tan San and Tan Si raised their swords to block Wei Ya’er.
Wei Ya’er pointed frantically at Granny Liu, then at herself, as if trying to convey something. But neither Granny Liu nor the Tan brothers could decipher her gestures. They simply stared at her, bewildered. Granny Liu wore a blank expression, while Tan San and Tan Si were too preoccupied with the ongoing fight to spare much thought for her meaning.
After a few more failed attempts, Wei Ya’er slumped in defeat, ceasing her babbling and gesturing.
Tan Yi, sensing something amiss, called out from the gate, “Everyone, hold your weapons! The Wei family’s young lady clearly has something to say. Let’s hear her out before resuming hostilities.”
As Qi Biao’s chief attendant, Tan Yi’s martial prowess was exceptional—and the same went for Tan Er, Tan San, and Tan Si, each with their own unique strengths. Qi Wu, Qi Liu, Qi Qi, Qi Ba, and Qi Jiu, though skilled, were originally trained as covert operatives, excelling in stealth rather than open combat.
The moment Tan Yi’s voice boomed, the fighters felt an overwhelming pressure, their movements slowing involuntarily. Seizing the moment, they disengaged.
With the fighting halted, Granny Liu exhaled in relief. Once Tan San helped her up, she asked Wei Ya’er, “Young Miss Wei, can you write?”
Wei Ya’er nodded. He Shi gasped, “You can write? Why have we never seen you do so?”
“If you can write, could you write down what you mean?” Granny Liu gestured to a nearby broken branch.
After a brief hesitation, Wei Ya’er walked to the tree and snapped off a slender twig. Even this small effort seemed to strain her, as though her hands lacked strength.
Holding the twig, she returned to Granny Liu and knelt down to write. Her hand trembled so violently that she nearly dropped the twig multiple times. By the time she had painstakingly scratched the character “Liu” (劉) on the ground and pointed at Granny Liu, others could have written dozens of characters.
Granny Liu stiffened. Could this Wei Ya’er know her? She studied Wei Ya’er’s face closely—it did seem familiar, but she couldn’t place it. Traveling with Sixth Miss, she encountered countless rustic, rough-skinned girls daily. How could she remember every one? Yet meeting one here, of all places, was undeniably strange.
Keeping silent, Granny Liu watched as Wei Ya’er continued.
After a short break, Wei Ya’er continued writing. This time, she spent even more effort carefully shaping the character “Wei” (薇). Then, she pointed at herself. Granny Liu’s eyes widened in shock. She almost cried out but restrained herself, waiting to see what Wei Ya’er would do next.
After writing just two characters, Wei Ya’er was already exhausted and collapsed to the ground, looking at Granny Liu with pleading eyes. However, Granny Liu’s expression remained unchanged. Undaunted, Wei Ya’er wrote another character—”Fang”—and gestured wildly toward the courtyard, her face filled with agitation.
“Are you… Fifth Cousin?” Granny Liu could no longer contain herself, her voice trembling.
Wei Ya’er froze, then erupted into even more frantic babbling and gesturing.
“Do you recognize this?” Granny Liu pulled out a small pouch from her robe—the very one Lin Fang wore around her neck. Opening it, she revealed a purple pearl and held it out to Wei Ya’er. Lin Fang had once told Granny Liu about the pearl. After Lin Fang fell unconscious, Granny Liu had removed it to prevent discomfort, carrying it with her ever since.
At the sight of the pearl, Wei Ya’er seemed to snap. She gestured wildly, pointing at herself, then the courtyard, then the empty air—a chaotic display that, to Granny Liu, suddenly made perfect sense. Overcome, Granny Liu rushed forward and embraced Wei Ya’er, weeping, “Fifth Cousin, what’s happened to you? How did you end up like this?”
Wei Ya’er stopped gesturing and sobbed quietly in Granny Liu’s arms.
He Shi, watching her daughter weep in the arms of this old woman, asked shakily, “Child, so you can write… and you have a name. Why did you never tell us? Have we treated you poorly?”
Wei Ya’er shook her head vehemently, unable to speak, her tears flowing harder.
Granny Liu wiped her eyes and said, “Madam, thank you for taking in my Fifth Cousin. To be frank, she was born into the Li family—the niece of General Li Ziyi of the capital.”
“Is this true?” Wei Zhongqi blurted out, stunned.
He had never imagined that the girl he’d rescued from a pile of corpses was a nobleman’s daughter. The Lin family had plastered the city with missing notices bearing her likeness, but the girl had been nearly unrecognizable at the time, so he hadn’t made the connection.
Granny Liu nodded. “Yes, Master Wei. My cousin’s name is Li Yinwei, the fifth daughter of her generation.”
Tan Yi stepped forward and clasped his hands respectfully toward Wei Zhongqi. “Master Wei, since this is your home and there’s clearly much to discuss, please come inside. We’ll vacate the rooms immediately and beg your forgiveness.”
As the leader, Tan Yi had his own considerations. Judging by Li Yinwei’s demeanor, the Wei family hadn’t mistreated her. The Li and Lin families were related by marriage, and his master held the Lin family in the highest regard. With General Li now allied with his master, they were effectively on the same side. Regardless of who the Wei family was, they had sheltered Li Yinwei—extending goodwill first was the prudent move.
On the surface, his side had the numbers, but they were still on the Wei family’s turf. Moreover, his master remained unconscious, with no telling when he’d wake. Stabilizing the situation took priority.
Wei Zhongqi demurred politely and followed Tan Yi toward the house. He Shi cast a complicated glance at Li Yinwei before trailing after her husband. Wei Shoutou tried to speak to Li Yinwei, but his mother yanked him back. Sulking, he turned away and carried his younger brother after his parents. Strangely, despite the commotion, Wei Shoutai remained asleep.
Qi Wu and the others shadowed the Wei family, both as a precaution and to pay their respects to their master as soon as possible.
Granny Liu and Li Yinwei moved slowly, with Tan San and Tan Si guarding them. At the gate, Tan Si stayed behind with Tan Er to stand watch, while Tan San headed to the kitchen to prepare a meal.
Once inside, Wei Zhongqi requested an audience with Tan Yi’s master.
Though the Wei family had their own secret mission—to guard Tou Tai Gou—and their ancestors had been taught extraordinary skills by their former masters, dealing with these people wouldn’t be difficult. Still, Wei Zhongqi didn’t dare let his guard down. He couldn’t guess who Tan Yi’s master was, but Li Yinwei’s identity alone made her someone he couldn’t afford to offend.
If Li Yinwei was General Li’s niece, then the “Lin family” the old woman mentioned must be the one General Li’s sister had married into. Though the Wei family had lived in Tou Tai Gou for generations, they weren’t entirely cut off from the world. Wei Zhongqi made a point of learning about the powerful and wealthy families in the capital—lest he inadvertently bring trouble upon himself or his masters.
Tan Yi, however, declined Wei Zhongqi’s request. Instead, he produced a small metal box and said with a smile, “My master is still unwell and cannot receive guests. This item symbolizes his authority—seeing it is akin to seeing him. Please bear with us for now, Master Wei. Once my master recovers, I’ll inform him of your visit.”
His master’s status was too lofty to grant audiences lightly. Even if that weren’t the case, given his current condition, it wouldn’t be wise. Who knew what Wei Zhongqi’s true intentions were? If he harbored ill will, allowing him near the master would be tantamount to inviting disaster.
Tan Yi had another motive for producing the needle box: to test Wei Zhongqi.
As Qi Biao’s trusted aide, Tan Yi knew all of his master’s peripheral forces—aside from Strategist Lin Wen, he had command over them as well. He was also privy to most of Qi Biao’s secret forces, though a small fraction remained beyond his knowledge. But he knew one thing: all factions obeyed the rule that the needle box represented the master’s authority. By presenting it, he hoped to gauge Wei Zhongqi’s reaction.
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