"Old monk, it’s been a while, but you’re not happy to see me? And why the long, sorrowful face?" Xiao Man produced a jar of wine as if by magic. "This is a fine vintage I brought back from Wuyue Kingdom. Would you like to try some?"
Wuyou shot Xiao Man a glare and snatched the wine jar from her hand. He took a sip, his face momentarily filled with satisfaction, but it soon returned to solemnity. "Are you here to tear down my temple today?"
Xiao Man chuckled. "Why would I tear down your temple?"
"If you’re not here to tear down my temple, then why are you here?" Wuyou asked in surprise. Did Xiao Man not know Murong Sheng Rui was here?
"I have something to ask you."
"No cheating, swindling, or scamming!" Wuyou was fed up with being tricked by Xiao Man.
"Let’s talk business!" Xiao Man said seriously. "You've lived in Yusheng for many years. Do you know about the First Qin?"
Wuyou's expression didn't change, but his pupils contracted slightly. "If you don't want trouble, you'd best not mention those words. Although the four kingdoms are constantly in conflict, if it concerns the First Qin, they will unite. At that point, no matter how great your ability, you won't be able to stand against the world."
"Alright, no more First Qin." Xiao Man placed her hand on the table and tapped it lightly. "Then tell me, what is Feng Tian Lan's true identity?"
Wuyou raised the wine jar and took a gulp. "I have no comment."
Xiao Man rested her chin on her hand, tapping the table. "It seems you are old acquaintances."
Wuyou continued drinking. "There's no use trying to test me. If I were you, I'd leave quickly."
"You're guilty!" Xiao Man stated confidently.
"Whether I'm guilty or not is unimportant. What's important is that Murong Sheng Rui is here. If you stay here any longer, you might be caught by him on the spot." Wuyou leisurely sipped his wine, glancing at Xiao Man sideways. Little trickster, can't control you, huh!
Xiao Man's expression became somewhat inscrutable. Murong Sheng Rui was here, why?
"Are you trying to trick me?"
Wuyou snorted. "A monk does not speak falsehoods…"
"You dare to say that? You've uttered enough lies to fill several baskets!" Xiao Man interrupted Wuyou. After all, the two of them had teamed up to deceive many people in the past. "Not speaking falsehoods" was just something they used to fool others.
Wuyou coughed twice and pulled a veiled hat from a drawer, tossing it to Xiao Man. "Leave quickly. He is indeed here. For some unknown reason, he is deliberately approaching someone from the Xiao family."
Xiao Man caught the veiled hat thrown by Wuyou and thought carefully. Murong Sheng Rui was wounded by Nangong Yu in Moxi City and didn't return to Shengjing, but instead came to Dijin. Could it be that he was investigating which noble lady was absent from Dijin to guess her identity?
Xiao Man covered her forehead with her hand. She was careless. At this time, the only noble lady not in Dijin who had contact with Wulana was Xiao Ling, and Xiao Ling was currently traveling and her whereabouts were unknown. She had coincidentally become the object of his suspicion.
"What I want to know, I will eventually find out." Xiao Man's lips curved into a confident smile, then she tossed something to Wuyou. Wuyou caught it. "Keep this for me. I'll come back for it when I need it."
Wuyou watched Xiao Man's retreating figure and then looked down at the item in his hand. Upon seeing it, he was so startled that the wine jar almost slipped from his grasp. A hot potato!
"You black-hearted little fox!" A roar echoed. The young monk guarding the door shivered. Why was the old ancestor so angry? He looked at the young master walking away with a spring in his step and scratched his little bald head. What had this young master done to make the old ancestor so enraged?
Xiao Man walked towards the mountain gate. Just as she reached the entrance, she saw a man and a woman walking side by side. They were both her old acquaintances!
The woman was her second sister, Xiao Xiang, and the man was Murong Sheng Rui, the wolf cub she had raised for twelve years. They were laughing and talking, like a couple in love.
Xiao Man stopped and looked at Murong Sheng Rui, who was smiling warmly, and felt a moment of daze. Once upon a time, she too had been captivated by his innocent smile, thinking him naive and trusting him implicitly. Now, seeing that smile again, it felt full of malice.
A moment later, Xiao Man strode directly towards them. Wearing a veiled hat, she wasn't worried about being recognized. As she brushed past the two, her heart felt no ripple. It turned out she had already completely let go of that person.
Murong Sheng Rui suddenly stopped and turned to look at the person who had just passed him. For some reason, he felt a strange sensation.
"Young Master Sheng, what is it?"
Murong Sheng Rui looked at the receding figure and shook his head. "Nothing."
"Where were we?"
"Talking about how your eldest sister bullied your third sister." Murong Sheng Rui turned back and said with a smile.
"Yes, yes, yes! You have no idea..." Xiao Xiang recounted the playful squabbles between sisters as a joke to Murong Sheng Rui, who extracted useful information for himself from it.
Xiao Man had only walked halfway up the mountain when she encountered a broken-down carriage parked by the roadside. Seeing that it wouldn't be fixed anytime soon, the people in the carriage got out to walk.
The first to descend was Prince Chu, Nangong Yan. Nangong Yan extended his hand to help the woman descending behind him. Only when they had both stood firm did Xiao Man clearly see that the woman beside Prince Chu was Pei Qianyun.
Pei Qianyun's belly was already showing. The couple exchanged a smile and walked up the mountain hand in hand. Pei Qianyun's face was full of happy smiles, showing that she was living a very happy life.
Xiao Man smiled. It seemed that after all the twists and turns, Pei Qianyun had found the person who could give her happiness. Although Prince Chu was not powerful, if he treated her sincerely, he was a suitable husband.
Xiao Man brushed past the couple. Just then, an anomaly occurred. A dark arrow shot directly towards Pei Qianyun. Xiao Man instinctively reached out and intercepted the arrow. Numerous assassins sprang from the nearby mountain forest, and the narrow mountain path was instantly crowded.
"Assassins! Protect the Prince and Princess!"
Nangong Yan immediately shielded Pei Qianyun and looked at Xiao Man. Xiao Man casually threw the intercepted arrow, and a killer fell to the ground.
The guards of Prince Chu's mansion were well-trained and protected the couple in the center. Xiao Man stood by the roadside observing the battle with a calm demeanor. The assassins ignored Xiao Man, their target clearly being the lives of the Prince and Princess of Chu.
Nangong Yan protected Pei Qianyun with one arm and held his sword with the other, his gaze falling on Xiao Man. If it weren't for her, Pei Qianyun would have been seriously injured, if not killed. He was quite grateful, but seeing her nonchalantly observing the battle made him a little annoyed.
"Your Highness."
"Don't be afraid, I'm here. Nothing will happen to you." Nangong Yan comforted her softly. "Be careful, don't strain yourself."
Pei Qianyun was somewhat nervous. Although she came from a military family, Duke Chen was determined to raise her as a refined lady, and she only learned archery and riding. Her martial arts skills were average. She couldn't help but cast a pleading glance at Xiao Man.