"My Princess encountering your Master, that is his karma!" Wei Feng could not help but sigh. Their wise and intelligent young master changed completely the moment he met Miss Xiao.
"It's clearly a match made in heaven, a perfect couple, so why does it become karma in your words?" Yin Zhu retorted. "There are few men in this world worthy of a woman as outstanding as my Master?"
Wei Feng opened his mouth, wanting to say that women should stay at home and raise children, not appear in public all day. But then he remembered this was Lanyue, where women were revered. Most officials and merchants were women, and it was men who needed to stay at home and care for their wives and children.
"As long as they are good to each other, it doesn't matter who manages the household," Wei Feng comforted himself. As long as Xiao Man truly loved his young master, his sacrifices would be worthwhile. Looking at how they interacted now, it seemed his young master had finally found his sunshine after the clouds.
However, when he thought of Wen Mohan, who should have become a powerful minister, renowned throughout the land and remembered in history, now reduced to an untitled male attendant in the Princess's mansion, Wei Feng felt heartbroken for him. Someone like their young master should not have to compromise so much. But for the Princess, his young master had become as humble as dust.
"Yin Zhu, do you have someone you like?" Wei Feng asked abruptly.
Yin Zhu shook her head. "Do you?"
Wei Feng also shook his head. "I don't, so I don't understand what it feels like for my young master to abandon everything for the one he loves. I feel wronged for him, yet he accepts it with joy. I feel indignant for him, but he believes this is all he wants. He should have been a refined gentleman admired by all, yet for the Princess, he willingly became a mere male attendant in her household..."
"Stop!" Yin Zhu interrupted Wei Feng. "Young Master Wen is not the Princess's male attendant, nor does the Princess need one. Furthermore, this is all Young Master Wen's own choice, and the Princess is also trying her best to reciprocate his feelings. Matters of the heart are like a person drinking water; they know its warmth or coldness themselves. Others cannot understand."
Xiao Man traveled day and night towards Xing Tang Dao. Shangguan Jin's disappearance there was truly bizarre. After all, Xiao Man had her own people in Xing Tang Dao. She had stationed her people at every stronghold along the entire trade route. Yet, under such strict defenses, Shangguan Jin still met with trouble.
"Master, will the Shangguan family head be alright?"
Xiao Man remained silent for a moment before stating firmly, "He will not be alright, and he cannot be alright!"
The dark guard remained silent. Shangguan Jin was Xiao Man's financial backbone, managing all her businesses across various industries. If Shangguan Jin were to meet with misfortune, they would suffer immense losses.
"Has any other news come from Xing Tang Dao?" Xiao Man inquired. The sudden upheaval in Xing Tang Dao involved no ordinary merchant. The Shangguan family was not only well-known in Yusheng but also a prominent name along the entire trade route. Those who dared to harm his people were truly audacious.
"Our people searched the entire Xing Tang Dao after the Shangguan family head disappeared but could not find any trace of him. However, it is not difficult to make a single person disappear without a trace from Xing Tang Dao, but it is virtually impossible to make an entire caravan disappear without a trace."
The dark guard wanted to tell Xiao Man that besides being kidnapped, the only other way someone could disappear silently was by being murdered. However, he dared not be too blunt. After all, Shangguan Jin's misfortune meant a significant loss for them.
"Investigate further," Xiao Man commanded. "Even if the opponent possesses extraordinary skills, they will leave some traces."
"Yes, Master."
Qin Xue and Shangguan Jin were deeply in love and had secretly pledged their lives to each other. They had planned to formally marry once Shangguan Jin arrived in Bianjing. She had been looking forward to the wedding when the news of Shangguan Jin's disappearance reached her. Qin Xue felt very uneasy.
"Boss, don't worry. The Shangguan family head will surely turn misfortune into fortune."
"I hope so." Qin Xue said this aloud, and in her heart, she prayed for Shangguan Jin's safety. However, she vaguely felt that the opponent's ability to make an entire caravan disappear without a trace was not to be underestimated. She worried that the mastermind was not targeting Shangguan Jin, but rather...
Qin Xue reined in her horse, turned it around, and looked in the direction of Bianjing. She then shook her head. It shouldn't be. Very few people knew the relationship between Ah Jin and their Master. Even among those close to her, only a handful knew Shangguan Jin's true identity. Concealing Shangguan Jin's identity was originally meant to protect him.
Qin Xue immediately looked at the person beside her. "Susu, take two people and wait here. If nothing unexpected happens, the Master will arrive soon with her people. Stop her."
"Boss, why should we stop the Master?" Susu asked in confusion. "This matter is so strange; wouldn't it be more reliable for the Master to handle it?"
"I have a bad feeling in my heart. If the opponent is only after Ah Jin, it would be fine. I'm just afraid... I'm afraid the opponent is after the Master." Although Qin Xue was worried about Shangguan Jin's safety, she did not dare to put Xiao Man in danger. Xiao Man was their soul; if anything happened to her, the hard-won team would scatter again.
"Boss, let those two wait here for the Master. I'll accompany you to Xing Tang Dao," Susu said, unable to rest assured. The Shangguan family head was not without his experts, yet he vanished without a trace. She worried that Qin Xue, blinded by concern, might fall into the enemy's trap in Xing Tang Dao.
"You wait here and tell the Master that I will enter Xing Tang Dao first and have the Master wait outside for my news," Qin Xue stated resolutely. "Even if it's a mountain of knives and a sea of fire ahead, I must go, but I cannot implicate the Master."
Susu fell silent. The Master's safety was paramount. At all times, they must ensure the Master's safety. If anything happened to the Master, they would have lived their lives in vain.
Xing Tang Dao was originally a deserted small town. Due to years of wind and sand, the people had long since moved away, leaving Xing Tang Dao in ruins. Later, when Yun Qi opened the trade route, Xing Tang Dao became a necessary stop. People began to rest there. As more and more caravans passed through, this deserted ruin of broken walls and ruins transformed into a bustling transit station in the desert.
Both caravans and travelers would stop here to rest and resupply. Because of the harsh environment of Xing Tang Dao, everything here was sky-high in price. Some people, unwilling to pay exorbitant prices, chose to barter. Thus, a trade street also emerged in Xing Tang Dao.
Shangguan Jin and his party disappeared in Xing Tang Dao, but Xing Tang Dao remained unchanged, still bustling with activity. It was as if no one had ever come or left. The comings and goings of people were the norm here.