Mu Baiyu, after much persuasion, managed to calm his mother. Watching her leave, surrounded by maids and servants, Mu Baiyu let out a deep sigh of relief.
He turned to look at the sobbing Mu Xiaoxiao, sighing softly, "Xiaoxiao, why don't you want to marry? Do you... already have someone you like?"
His gaze was deep and prolonged, lacking its usual clarity. Mu Xiaoxiao was taken aback, feeling as though her soul had been instantly seen through.
She instinctively turned her head away, her voice muffled by her nasalization as she denied, "No."
Mu Baiyu sighed again.
This demeanor certainly suggested otherwise.
"Is it that Feng Luan?"
"No, it's not!"
Mu Baiyu had merely been guessing, but seeing Mu Xiaoxiao's fervent denial, he grew even more certain.
"Is he a disciple of Medicine King Valley?" Mu Baiyu ignored Mu Xiaoxiao's denial but didn't press further. Instead, he began to inquire about Feng Luan's background.
If he were a disciple of Medicine King Valley, he would be considered a passable match for his sister.
Mu Xiaoxiao bit her lip and nodded slightly, "Yes, a direct disciple."
Mu Baiyu's eyes lit up. A direct disciple meant his status wasn't low. If that were the case, he could approach their grandfather. Regardless of Wang Mingyang's prominence, he couldn't match the abilities of a direct disciple from Medicine King Valley.
This marriage would likely be more beneficial to the Gong Prince's Estate.
"Xiaoxiao, that Feng Luan..."
Mu Xiaoxiao was not foolish; in fact, she was quite intelligent. She had already understood her elder brother's intentions. But precisely because she understood, she felt ashamed and mortified. Yet, she also knew that if this matter wasn't clarified with her brother, the eventual fallout would be even more embarrassing.
Her hands, hanging by her sides, clenched slightly. After taking a few deep breaths, she slowly began to speak, "Brother, Feng Luan... he is already married."
"What did you say?"
"You—"
Mu Baiyu didn't know what to say. His own sister had fallen for a married man? No matter how much of a direct young lady from the Gong Prince's Estate she was, she couldn't become a concubine. At this moment, Mu Baiyu finally understood why Mu Xiaoxiao was unwilling to admit it.
But the man already had a wife, and yet he had captured his sister's heart. He didn't seem like a gentleman.
However, he didn't disparage the man in front of Mu Xiaoxiao. Instead, he earnestly advised, "Xiaoxiao, although your brother hopes you will marry someone you truly love, he hopes even more that you understand that love requires dignity and boundaries."
Mu Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth and nodded heavily.
...
As the winter hunt approached, officials from the Ministry of Rites were rushed off their feet, preparing for the event while also managing the year-end sacrifices.
The matter of the two countries' marriage alliance had been put aside.
After all, this matter couldn't be finalized anytime soon. Even if it were, the alliance would be postponed until after the new year.
This year's winter hunt was, as usual, to be held on Mount Wei'an.
Mount Wei'an was adjacent to the western suburbs' hunting grounds, making the transportation of game to the mountain a simple affair.
However, something had occurred this year.
"What, a monster appeared on Mount Wei'an?"
Jingzhao Yin Wang Sheng's head spun when he heard his subordinate's report. Why was he so unlucky this year, burdened with so many issues?
Whether it was a monster or not was secondary, but why did it have to appear on Mount Wei'an?
This was going to be the death of him!
The security of the nearby suburbs was his responsibility. Now that the Ministry of Rites had approached him, it was clear they intended to suppress and resolve the issue. Otherwise, they would have already reported to His Majesty and requested troops.
"Quick, have Li Gan lead his men to Mount Wei'an. No need to capture it alive, just kill it." To quickly resolve the problem, Wang Sheng directly ordered the yamen runners to kill the monster.
"Yes!"
Mount Wei'an, with its rugged mountain paths and towering ancient trees, was devoid of its usual vibrancy in the dead of winter. The ground was covered in withered branches and fallen leaves, which crunched underfoot with a "gazi gazi" sound.
Li Gan led his team of twenty men, searching for the monster's tracks.
According to the description from the Ministry of Rites, the monster was neither human nor beast, covered in scales, with eyes as large as bronze bells and backward-growing fangs. It was immensely strong, having flipped the Ministry of Rites officials to the ground and made off with a cage of game.
The cage, though not made of fine iron, weighed over a thousand jin with the game inside. Yet, the monster carried it on its shoulder and moved swiftly. Before the Ministry of Rites officials could react, it had vanished into the forest.
If they hadn't had ample game with them at the time, not a single one of them might have survived. Dignified court officials had narrowly avoided becoming food for wild beasts.
Speaking of which, those men were still filled with lingering fear.
Let alone them, even their fellow yamen runners felt a sense of unease. This monster was no ordinary bandit or tyrant. If they encountered it, it was uncertain who would live and who would die.
To avoid becoming the monster's meal, they had also brought game with them into the mountains.
"Go, catch a rabbit."
Li Gan ordered someone to take a rabbit from the cage, slit its throat with a knife, and let the blood spread.
He threw the rabbit onto the ground, set up a trap, and then hid.
They waited for several hours.
As the sky gradually darkened, Li Gan gritted his teeth and led a sheep out of the cage. If this still didn't lure the monster, they would have to descend the mountain. Nighttime was not a good time to hunt this monster.
Following suit, he slit the sheep's throat and placed it beside the rabbit.
After about a quarter of an hour, just as Li Gan was about to pack up and return the next day, a "gazi gazi" sound of withered branches and leaves being rapidly crushed came from the southeast. His expression turned grim, and he couldn't help but hold his breath. In the fading sunlight, a nine-foot-tall monster covered in green scales suddenly appeared before them.
They had heard about it, but seeing such a terrifying monster suddenly, Li Gan and the others couldn't help but gasp.
"What is that thing?"
Li Gan couldn't help but curse. Those fellows from the Ministry of Rites were truly despicable. Having encountered such a monster, they didn't report it but instead sought them out. Could these yamen runners handle such a creature?
But the matter had come to this; the arrow was already on the string.
He slightly raised his hand. As the monster bent down to grab the prey, he suddenly waved. A yamen runner who had been guarding the trap nearby cut the rope holding the cage with a knife.
The massive cage dropped rapidly. However, the monster's reaction was even faster than the cage's descent. It suddenly leaped backward, its enormous feet leaving two deep pits in the ground. With a single jump, it completely vanished from their sight.
This monster... had intelligence?
If it were an ordinary monster, it would have already gone berserk upon being stimulated by the fresh blood. Even if it hadn't been caught by the cage, it would have fought them upon seeing them. But this one had simply fled?
Li Gan's expression turned grim again.
This assignment was going to be difficult!
...
Regent's Estate.
News of the monster's appearance on Mount Wei'an reached Ji Jinmo's ears a mere quarter of an hour after the Ministry of Rites officials went to the Jingzhao Yin's Estate.
"Scales, fangs—"
In his half-closed phoenix eyes, a cold glint seemed to flow.