"Grand Commander, the alley isn’t far. Shall we leave the carriage and walk over?"
At the front gate, ng Qianqian said to Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan replied indifferently, "Up to you."
ng Qianqian smiled, cradling Bao Shu in her arms as she walked towards Zhuque Avenue. As they walked, she taught Bao Shu how to speak.
"Horse."
"Horse~"
"Walk."
"Nine~"
Bao Shu was obliging, mimicking whatever ng Qianqian said.
One grown-up, one child, carefree and leisurely—those unaware might think they were out for a casual stroll. But in reality, she was heading to et the Twelve Guards.
Lu Yuan had t with Yin Hu privately and learned a little about the Twelve Guards from him. At the ti, Yin Hu had warned Lu Yuan that ng Xiaojiu wouldn’t easily gain the approval of the other ten guards.
In other words, the Twelve Guards might not necessarily support ng Xiaojiu; in fact, they might even look for ways to eliminate her.
An odd rule, yet easy to understand—the easier sothing is to obtain, the less value it holds. Only by enduring what others cannot, can one achieve what others cannot.
ng Qianqian glanced back, seeing Lu Yuan lost in thought. She couldn’t help but ask, "Grand Commander, what are you thinking about?"
Lu Yuan replied, "I’m thinking about who has the upper hand if you and Rooster end up fighting."
ng Qianqian pondered, "He and I probably won’t fight."
After all, she had his "Moonlit Night Naked Picture." If he dared to lay a finger on her, she’d plaster his embarrassing history all over Capital City.
She continued, "The other one, though, is hard to say. I don’t even know who he’s eting this ti. If it’s Si Snake, it could be troubleso."
Lu Yuan glanced at her and asked, "Why’s that?"
ng Qianqian sighed and shrugged, "Yin Hu stole all his poison techniques from Si Snake, and even created antidotes for each. Si Snake is furious and will probably pin the bla on ."
Lu Yuan said composedly, "You Twelve Guards are quite fascinating."
ng Qianqian looked at him, "Grand Commander, are you scared? Si Snake’s martial arts skills are quite formidable. I’m no match for him right now. You’re my husband—if he beats up, who’s to say he won’t co for you next?"
Lu Yuan replied coolly, "He wouldn’t dare."
While speaking, the three entered Feng Shui Alley.
The alley was eerily quiet, exuding a sinister and foreboding aura—as if it were a path to the Underworld.
"Back to the way it used to be," ng Qianqian remarked.
It’s better this way; the old residents of the alley wouldn’t want to be disturbed.
"Haunted," Lu Yuan comnted.
"Hmm?" ng Qianqian was slightly taken aback.
Lu Yuan explained flatly, "After our wedding, a lot of curious townsfolk flooded the alley, so even set up stalls at the entrance. Later, several haunting incidents occurred, and no one returned."
Apparently, it was the handiwork of the neighborhood folks. ng Qianqian chuckled.
Lu Yuan paused and couldn’t help but ask, "When you first moved in, did you encounter any haunting incidents?"
ng Qianqian replied candidly, "Of course I did. I wasn’t scared."
Lu Yuan imagined the scene—perhaps even ghosts would’ve been dumbfounded upon bumping into her.
"We’re here," ng Qianqian stopped in front of Ji Li’s courtyard. The bright red wedding decorations were still on the door, a clear sign that Ji Li hadn’t returned.
She pushed the door open and took out a letter from inside her robes, placing it on the table in the main hall. "Done."
Lu Yuan’s gaze fell on the letter, his tone skeptical, "You already knew he wouldn’t be here?"
ng Qianqian didn’t deny it, curving her lips into a smile, "Taking a walk outside—doesn’t it lift your spirits?"
Lu Yuan snorted coldly, "Hmph."
At that very mont, a faint rustling noise ca from the courtyard next door—ng Qianqian’s old residence. The pair instinctively turned their heads toward the dividing wall.
ng Qianqian handed Bao Shu to Lu Yuan in a huff, "Wait here. I’ll be right back!"
Father and daughter stared at each other—big eyes eting little eyes—before both turned their heads away in disgust.
ng Qianqian leapt into her forr courtyard.
A man wearing a straw hat stood under the veranda, gazing at the old Eight-sided Exquisite Lantern hanging above.
Before her wedding, Nanny Li had taken it down for cleaning. It was spotless now, but didn’t have that new look, making it stand out like a sore thumb amidst the festive renovations.
"Who are you?"
ng Qianqian asked warily.
The man didn’t reply. Instead, he pressed the brim of his straw hat down and vaulted onto the rooftop.
Carrying a heavy sword on his back, his lithe movents were swift and elegant. In re seconds, he vanished.
"What incredible Qinggong!"
ng Qianqian muttered in awe, her brows knitting. She took a shortcut from the side.
An unfamiliar man appearing in her courtyard—what could he possibly want?
Typically, there were only three motives: killing, theft, or gathering intelligence.
She no longer lived here. If soone wanted to kill her, they’d go to the Governor Mansion. Gathering intelligence would be the sa.
Could it be the intruder had calculated she’d return tonight? But that’s absurd—her outing was a spur-of-the-mont decision, solely to please Lu Yuan. Otherwise, she’d have given the letter to Tan’er and let her pick a random day to deliver it to Ji Li’s courtyard.
Theft made even less sense.
Why would a thief stand outside instead of rummaging through the house?
Judging by his attire and Qinggong, he didn’t look like an ordinary bandit.
"Found you!"
ng Qianqian stopped at a narrow alley and darted in, colliding directly with the man who had just leapt down from the rooftops.
She slid along the ground, attacking his legs.
Caught off guard, the man couldn’t avoid her strike and had to endure her kick, flipping once across the ground before kneeling to stabilize himself.
The man didn’t linger, turning to leave imdiately.
ng Qianqian wasn’t about to let him get away. She reached out toward his back and surprisingly managed to pull the heavy sword off him.
As soon as that familiar weight fell into her palm, an indescribable sense of familiarity washed over her.
Fixing her gaze on the sword blade, she noticed sothing etched onto it.
It was—
Clang!
The man tapped the blade with his fingertips, producing a sound akin to a dragon’s roar.
ng Qianqian’s arm went numb, causing her to drop the sword.
As the sword hit the ground, the man effortlessly caught the handle, spun gracefully, and slid the sword back into the sheath on his back.
ng Qianqian stared at him in disbelief.
The straw-hatted man stood tall and imposing under the night sky, his chiseled chin covered in a faint layer of green stubble.
"Three feet of sharp steel roars like a dragon, soaring to touch the heavens with a phoenix’s song. Little Nine, this sword of your brother’s is called the Qinglong Sword!"
"So mighty! I’ll carve Little Nine’s na onto your sword! That way, wherever you go in the future, Little Nine will always be with you!"
A large hand lovingly ruffled her forehead, unveiling the character "九" engraved on the blade. "Already carved. Look!"
ng Qianqian’s eyes welled up bit by bit.
Her mind felt like fabric tearing, mories surging forward like an ocean wave at dusk, crashing into her until she could barely remain stable.
She took one step after another towards him.
The man said coldly, "I don’t intend to kill tonight. If you’re wise, don’t follow ."
ng Qianqian suddenly felt very aggrieved, the tip of her nose stinging.
How long had it been since she heard this voice? She had once thought everyone was gone, thought she herself was gone, thought she had no family left.
"Brother!"
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