I started out with seven husbands, and I worked hard to support my family while crying.

After walking for about half an hour, the two finally reached the depths of the mine.

This place is surrounded by trees on all sides, a world apart from the mine entrance we were just at.

Fang Xiaoxiao followed behind He Jinnian. She looked around but did not find anything unusual.

On the way here, He Jinnian had told me that the purpose of coming to the mine was to search for the missing persons who had been missing recently.

Based on the intelligence obtained by his subordinates, He Jinnian roughly deduced that the missing persons were most likely hidden in this area.

As for the exact location, he himself did not know it.

To save time, He Jinnian suggested that the two of them split up to investigate, and once they found the target, they would ignite the signal flare in their hands.

Fang Xiaoxiao took the bamboo tube he handed her.

The bamboo tube was about the thickness of my wrist, with a hemp thread at one end and a red paper covering the other.

It looks similar to the latte art we played with as kids.

The wisdom of the ancients was truly unfathomable.

She couldn't help but admire it in her heart. You have to know that firearms had not been invented at this time, and gunpowder was only used for making fireworks and firecrackers.

Thinking about this, Fang Xiaoxiao suddenly had a bold idea: if she could develop some cutting-edge technology based on the formula, wouldn't she be able to dominate the market?

It sounds wonderful, but I'll pass. I'll just keep a low profile and live a high-profile life.

He tucked the signal tube into his waistband, slung the bamboo basket over his shoulder, greeted He Jinnian, and headed towards the depths of the woods on his right.

He Jinnian stood there watching Fang Xiaoxiao gradually disappear into the woods, lost in thought.

Could it be that I guessed wrong?

He shook his head, dismissing the idea, and turned to run towards the woods on his left.

……

In the old courtyard of the Fang family.

Pei Yan remained seated at the stone table, a book in his hand.

He looked up at the wooden gate of the courtyard.

Strange, it's already late afternoon, the sun is gradually setting, why haven't I gone home yet?

"Young Master Pei, are you wondering why your wife has not returned yet?"

Murong Changqing walked to the stone table with a bowl of noodle soup in his hand.

He blew on the steam rising from the bowl, took a sip, and slowly began to speak.

Pei Yan glanced at the other person but did not reply.

Murong Changqing was not upset and took another sip of noodle soup.

"No need to wait! My wife is currently having a secret rendezvous with Mr. He. Although we are not less handsome than Mr. He, we are still very much together."

"But you should know that Mr. He is so eloquent that he can always make Madam Fang's eyebrows light up with joy."

"This is something neither you nor I can accomplish, let alone Young Master Pei Yan. I know you also intend to kill Madam Fang."

Pei Yan didn't care what Fang Xiaoxiao and He Jinnian were doing, but he heard the last sentence he said.

Judging from his words, he must have discovered some of his own secrets.

Without saying a word, Pei Yan took out a dagger from his waist, intending to stab Murong Changqing in the throat.

"Ouch, Jin Yan, save me!"

Seeing this, Long Jinyan, who was chopping wood, quickly jumped behind the two of them, grabbed Murong Changqing, and threw him behind him.

He then picked up the porcelain bowl that Murong Changqing had just been holding to block the dagger that was aimed at his chest.

"Snapped!"

Pei Yan felt a tingling sensation in his hand and realized that the dagger had been taken away by the other party.

Long Jinyan held the dagger and examined it carefully.

This dagger is exquisitely crafted. The handle is made of ebony, and the body is carved with delicate dragon patterns that are hard to spot without close inspection.

The blade is made of high-quality black iron, giving it a considerable weight in the hand.

As the nation's great general, he naturally possessed extraordinary items.

But why is it in the hands of this person who can't carry anything and is injured?

Could the other party be...?

Thinking of this, he was somewhat surprised, but he couldn't be 100% sure, so he could only force a smile.

"Brother Pei, your attack was far too ruthless; every move was potentially fatal."

"I wonder what Brother Murong said wrong to make you so upset?"

Pei Yan remained silent with a cold expression. He only felt that the other party's skill was quite profound, and even he himself in his prime would not be a match for him.

If the other party had tried to kill him after just snatching the dagger from his hand, he would have had a hard time escaping.

Murong Changqing, who had been thrown to the ground, cried out in pain.

He just felt like a kite with a broken string, drifting in the wind.

As a young marquis, this was the first time he had ever felt like he was about to lose his life.

However, Pei Yan's actions further confirmed his suspicions: the other party's identity was definitely not simple.

What intrigued him even more was Long Jinyan, wondering what kind of monster he was, not only possessing immense strength but also an astonishingly fast reaction speed.

If Long Jinyan had stabbed him just now, he definitely wouldn't have been able to dodge it so easily.

Everything that just happened was within his plan, but he was still very curious about Pei Yan's true identity.

Judging from both his demeanor and the dagger he pulled out, it was by no means an ordinary item, and it might even be related to the imperial palace.

In addition, he vaguely heard something about an assassination attempt when he passed by the other party's room last night.

Currently, besides a general, only one other person remains who was assassinated while on the run...

Murong Changqing dusted himself off, lay on the ground with a pained expression, and stared at the broken rice bowl in front of him.

"My bowl, how could you leave me like this? We spent a total of three days and three nights together, and you were with me throughout those long days."

"We promised that if we don't leave each other, I won't abandon you either."

He cried so heart-wrenchingly that it was almost moving.

Even the most hard-hearted general would be moved in the slightest at this moment.

However, Pei Yan didn't have time to play along with the other party's act.

On the contrary, Long Jinyan felt a deep sense of empathy for what he saw.

He squatted down and patted Murong Changqing on the shoulder.

"Don't cry, let's get another one! The bowl is broken, we can't glue it back together."

"No, I don't want to believe this is true!"

Murong Changqing's acting was phenomenal; he practically made the bowl sound like his own son. His fair face was covered in tears, and his eyes were moist and bloodshot.

Pei Yan stood up and walked up to him, tossing out a tael of silver from his pocket.

"Take this and buy a new one!"

"You are insulting my character."

"Three ounces, no more than that!"

"Thank you for insulting me a few more times."

Murong Changqing immediately picked up the silver ingot in front of him and quickly put it in his pocket, afraid that if he hesitated for even a second, the other party would take it back.

"..."

Only Long Jinyan was still unable to react; he was still thinking about how to comfort him.

"Brother Murong, what's going on?"

Murong Changqing dusted off his trousers, changed his expression, and glanced disdainfully at Long Jinyan, who was squatting on the ground in a daze.

"I'll go buy a bowl. You keep chopping wood, and I'll cook you noodles in a bit."

As he spoke, he strode towards the door, completely unlike his previous pitiful appearance.

Pei Yan chuckled lightly, a hint of ruthlessness in his eyes that was hard to detect.