The Villain's Counterattack

Zhu Danchen lamented the hard work of being a retainer. He had just rushed here at full speed, and now he had to rush back to Dali Kingdom at full speed. After all, if the deputy leader of the Beggars' Sect really died in Dali Kingdom, and died at the hands of a member of the Dali Duan family, no matter who he was, it would be a great harm to the Dali Kingdom.

That Yanqing period brought a huge trouble to the Dali Kingdom, and if it was not handled properly, it would have caused chaos.

Soon, there were some disturbances in the martial arts world of Dali Kingdom. Many people began to pay attention to the whereabouts of the four evil men. The army of Dali Kingdom also moved accordingly, and the border fortresses were on high alert. They even secretly notified the border troops of the Song Dynasty, asking them to be careful against the invasion of Western Xia.

Here, Murong Fu and his party advanced in an orderly manner. Although Duan Yu was anxious to return home, Murong Fu's identity was quite special. Once he arrived in Sichuan, he really could not walk. Wherever he went, there would be local officials who warmly welcomed him.

If it weren't for Duan Yu's special status, which helped him avoid many social engagements at this time, it would probably take him at least two months to reach Dali. Even so, it took him more than ten to twenty days to enter the territory of Dali.

As soon as he entered the Dali Kingdom, Duan Yu immediately left with a group of soldiers, and Mu Wanqing, the semi-public princess, also left with them.

Yes, Mu Wanqing had been secretly included in the list of the Dali royal family and was canonized as a princess, but it had never been made public. It was a semi-public secret among the top leaders, and only Mu Wanqing was recognized. Although Qin Hongmian was placed in a villa by Zhennan King Duan Zhengchun, she did not get any identity and was still an underground lover who could not be seen in the light.

Duan Yu is anxious to see his uncle, Emperor Baoding, to protect Ma Dayuan of the Beggar Gang, while Mu Wanqing is anxious to see her master to learn about her life experience.

Murong Fu took Xiao Zhong Ling and went straight to Wanjie Valley. He was not in a hurry along the way. Instead, he summoned back the scattered spies of the Murong family, arranged tasks for them, and obtained a lot of information he needed.

It has been confirmed that Duan Yanqing entered Dali. Their secret base was broken, but the person was not caught.

The Shennong Gang and the Wuliang Sword Sect have a new feud, and the Shennong Gang seems to be taking intensive action recently.

The Wuliang Sword Sect's five-yearly Jianhu Palace Sword Competition is just around the corner. The leaders of the East and West sects have jointly invited some people from other sects to act as notaries or guests. It has become a well-known martial arts event recently.

Among them, the legendary doctor of Wanjie Valley, Ma Wangshen Zhong Wanchou was among those invited. However, the news of the four evil men entering Dali Kingdom was widely circulated recently. Zhong Wanchou didn't know that Yun Zhonghe had been killed, but he was worried that his beautiful wife would fall into Yun Zhonghe's hands, so he stayed indoors.

Wanjie Valley has its own maze set up by Murong Fu. It is difficult for ordinary people to find the way in without guidance. Even the four evil men cannot easily enter. Zhong Wanchou has this advantage and can be more at ease as a otaku.

However, as a miraculous doctor of the Dali Kingdom, he had to interact with the outside world, otherwise he would lose this protective amulet.

Murong Fu first went to Wanjie Valley, went through the formalities, and left a large gift, which made Zhong Wanchou and Gan Baobao proud. Afterwards, he took little Zhong Ling to the Dali Imperial City. Although Zhong Wanchou was quite critical of this, he also knew that the four evil men holding the deputy leader of the Beggar Gang hostage and hiding in Dali was a serious matter. If things went wrong, Wanjie Valley would also be affected.

But the clever Gan Baobao thought more. She vaguely knew that Zhong Ling's life experience might have been known by Murong Fu and Duan Zhengchun. The two of them went to Dali City not just for the four evil men, but more likely to make their daughter Zhong Ling's marriage more legitimate.

Gan Baobao thought of her silly senior sister and Mu Wanqing, then looked back at herself and couldn't help but sigh. She considered herself smart and her appearance was no less impressive than others, but sometimes it was said that being too smart could backfire. She married Zhong Wanchou, a man who truly loved and spoiled her, giving her a stable home, a prosperous life, and finally, a legitimate identity in the Dali Kingdom.

But are these really what you want?

On the other hand, senior sister Qin Hongmian, who had been alone defending the valley with her daughter, suffered so much and only had Duan Zhengchun in her heart. Although she led her daughter astray, she herself was not smart and was fooled by herself. She also had a bad personality and was now being raised outside for unknown reasons.

But, is Senior Sister really unhappy?

At least, she can still be with Duan Lang semi-publicly, and even the illegitimate daughter Mu Wanqing has obtained a semi-public identity. What about herself, a smart person?

After seeing off her son-in-law Murong Fu and daughter Zhong Ling, Gan Baobao tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. An uncontrollable thought came to her mind, which was to find an excuse to see her lover Duan Zhengchun.

But this excuse is not easy to find. After all, his daughter is not like Mu Wanqing. She is an orphan who has been raised by her "master" since childhood. His daughter's surname is Zhong Mingling. She is the daughter of Zhong Wanchou, a famous genius doctor in Dali Kingdom. The whole Dali Kingdom is full of famous and pampered girls.

I can't, as a mother, just follow my daughter to the Dali Imperial City without caring about anything, right?

Gan Baobao seemed to have thought of something. She nudged her husband and asked, "Did you bring the electric marten that our daughter used to raise with her this time?"

Zhong Wanchou dazedly opened his eyes and asked in confusion, "Didn't Madam say before that the little creature was quite vicious and unsuitable to be brought to the Central Plains?"

Gan Baobao glanced at him unhappily and said, "Before, Ling'er was studying at Gusu College, and most of her friends were from prominent families. That little thing has a mouth full of poison, and if she's not careful, she could kill someone. Naturally, she's not suitable to be around. But now it's different. Ling'er is married to Murong Fu. As the wife of the Murong family, martial arts skills are a must. Although Ling'er's martial arts skills are passable, how can she compare to the eldest daughter of the Wang family? If she doesn't have any other skills to rely on, it would be a shame."

Zhong Wanchou gradually came to his senses after hearing this. He scratched his head and asked, "What should we do then?"

"The Wang family's daughter is the legal wife, and she's also her son-in-law's childhood sweetheart and cousin. Now she's pregnant, so her status and position are practically unshakable. Ling'er, though she's a concubine, if she doesn't have any children, her status and position might not be comparable to that of the concubine named Ah Zhu. After all, she's pregnant too, and will soon add to the Murong family's ranks." Gan Baobao said, "They all come from the Murong family, so naturally, they're a distinct faction. Ling'er won't be able to compete with them no matter what."

Zhong Wanchou thought about it carefully, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt that this was the case. His wife, Wang Yuyan, was the eldest daughter of Mantuo Villa, and the four concubines were nominally her personal maids. They grew up together in Taihu Lake. Ling'er married into the Murong family alone, and no matter how you looked at it, she was alone and powerless. He couldn't help but say anxiously, "Oh no! If I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have let Ling'er marry this philandering man."

Upon hearing this, Gan Baobao rolled her eyes coquettishly and said, "It is Ling'er's blessing to be able to marry Young Master Murong. Not to mention Dali, even if you look at the entire young generation in the world, there is no one as talented as Young Master Murong. Even one-tenth of his talent is considered an outstanding person. Ling'er marrying into the Murong family as a concubine is beyond our reach no matter how you look at it."

"I'd rather my son-in-law marry above our station," Zhong Wanchou muttered, but he was actually thinking hard with his normally developed brain. Seeing this, Gan Baobao shook his head helplessly and said, "Ling'er has her own advantages. Being his equal wife is one, and her personality is quite appealing to Master Murong. That's the most important thing. Then, she needs to be able to protect herself. That lightning marten is cute and clever, but it won't attract attention, so it's the best choice. Get ready, and we'll catch up and give it to Ling'er tomorrow morning."

"Good baby, my son-in-law said that the four evil men have arrived in Dali Kingdom, and asked us not to go out for the time being, lest we run into them and it would be terrible."

"It's the Dali Duan family that has a grudge against the Four Evils. We in Wanjie Valley have no grudge against them, so I'm sure they won't easily become enemies. Moreover, Yun Zhonghe has already been captured and killed by your son-in-law. What are you worried about? Are you worried that Duan Yanqing will take over your Wanjie Valley as the Valley Master, or are you worried that Ye Erniang will steal your child?"

Zhong Wanchou: I want one too, but you haven't had any children since Ling'er, and our Zhong family is on the verge of extinction. Baby, why don't we try harder and give Ye Erniang some hope?