"General, what do we do about this?" Chen Qi asked, referring, naturally, to Mu Tianhu... "Kill..." Ye Jingyu spoke plainly. Whether it was coincidence or conspiracy, since he had wounded the man this badly, there was no room for reconciliation. Why keep any witnesses alive?

Upon hearing the single word from Ye Jingyu, no one present showed the slightest surprise. Even Mu Tianhu wore an expression of utter composure, seemingly unconcerned about his impending death...

A muffled grunt echoed across the courtyard, and a thick scent of blood saturated the air. Ye Jingyu frowned, musing that in such a grand Zhenguo Residence, to murder and silence someone right under the bright moon and starry sky without even a proper dungeon for interrogation—perhaps he was the only one in all of Yunjing to do such a thing?

Had he known this would be the outcome, why bother bringing the man back at all?

Shaking his head, he dismissed thoughts of burying the corpse and turned toward his own rooms. As for the hidden hand behind everything, he paid it little mind. He had always firmly believed that as long as his own power was sufficiently immense, any conspiracy was meaningless. So long as the strength in his hands continued to grow, he feared no one...

The night was always so still, yet heavy, dark clouds hung over Yunjing, seemingly concealing something profound?

Mu Tianhu’s disappearance caused a massive stir in the Mu family. After all, the Mu family only had four visible Grandmasters, and while Mu Tianhu was ugly in appearance, his status within the family was exceedingly high. How could he simply vanish without a trace?

However, no one immediately linked Mu Tianhu’s demise to Ye Jingyu. Firstly, they currently had no overlapping interests with Ye Jingyu, so why would he bother Mu Tianhu? Secondly, Mu Tianhu was a distinguished Grandmaster; even if he couldn't win, surely he could escape?

The Mu family members didn't even truly believe Mu Tianhu was dead, let alone that he died so ignominiously. After all, nobody would suspect that the fond drinker Mu Tianhu had been shamelessly finished off by Ye Jingyu after seeking out someone for a sparring match while drunk...

The very next morning, as soon as Ye Jingyu awoke, before he could enjoy the beautiful morning, he saw Lin Xiaoyi rushing in from outside. This struck him as odd; what could have happened so early in the day?

"Young Master, your letter..." Lin Xiaoyi hurried to Ye Jingyu’s side, pausing when he saw his master brushing his teeth with a toothbrush he had crafted himself. He respectfully presented a sealed letter...

"Can't you see I'm brushing my teeth? Read it aloud," Ye Jingyu shot Lin Xiaoyi a weary glance, unwilling to spare any thought for who might be writing to him...

"Oh..." Lin Xiaoyi hastily tore open the envelope, pulled out a slip of white paper, and began reading aloud, shaking his head with the demeanor of a scholar...

"To save your fiancée, bring three thousand taels of silver to the Poplar Grove in the South City to meet..." At this point, Lin Xiaoyi froze, bewildered...

"Young Master, where did you get a fiancée?" Ye Jingyu had not yet informed anyone about the marriage decree granted by the Sovereign...

"How should I know?" Ye Jingyu rolled his eyes and continued brushing his teeth. He thought these Yunjing thugs were truly outrageous, extorting money right up to his own residence. If they were going to extort, shouldn't they at least verify the background of their target? Where on earth did he get a fiancée?

Fiancée...

The thought of the marriage decree granted by the Sovereign only yesterday, before the official edict had even been issued, made Ye Jingyu snatch the letter from Lin Xiaoyi’s hand, the toothbrush still hanging from his mouth, as he stared at the handwriting...

Tucked inside the envelope was a small piece of light green, tattered fabric—the same material as the gauze skirt Qin Yuting had worn yesterday...

Could Qin Yuting have been kidnapped? But so few people knew she was his fiancée? Besides Qin Yan, perhaps only that person in the palace? Could Qin Yan be trying to frame him? Was this his method? But such a crude tactic was hardly in his style...

"What is it, Young Master?" Seeing his master’s sudden change in expression, Little Linzi was startled as well...

"Find someone and deliver this letter to the Baiyun Marquis Estate..." Unsure if this was a trap set by Qin Yan or if others had ulterior motives, Ye Jingyu handed the envelope, along with the scrap of cloth, directly to Lin Xiaoyi...

"The Baiyun Marquis Estate? Young Master..." Hearing those words, Lin Xiaoyi's eyes instantly reddened. He hadn't forgotten how everyone in the Ye Family Manor had met their end...

"Go where I tell you, and stop the endless chatter!" Ye Jingyu let out a heavy, cold snort...

Seeing his young master enraged, despite a hundred points of reluctance, Lin Xiaoyi turned and departed...

Ye Jingyu's brow was tightly furrowed. If this wasn't a setup orchestrated by Qin Yan beforehand, then the kidnapper was likely the same party that had attempted to assassinate him last night. But how could that group possibly know Qin Yuting was his fiancée? So few people knew that fact even now? And even if they did know, they shouldn't have made such a glaring mistake, should they?

Was this entire affair directed by Qin Yan? But what possible benefit could he gain from this? Could Qin Yan really use Qin Yuting's disappearance to pin some crime on him? Even an idiot wouldn't believe such an accusation...

Ye Jingyu was deeply frustrated; his greatest agony was the lack of an intelligence network in Yunjing. No matter what was happening outside, he felt like a man blindfolded and deafened—unable to see or hear anything...

Because of this, and in his state of vexation, Ye Jingyu couldn't even spare time for breakfast. He rushed toward the Third Young Master's residence. In all of Yunjing, the only person who could help him gather intelligence and analyze the problem was the Third Young Master...

Ye Jingyu was a distinguished guest of the Third Young Master. Although he hadn't visited the residence often since receiving the Zhenguo title from the Emperor, the guards knew the relationship between the man before them and their master. They dared not impede his path and ushered him in with warm smiles...

When he finally saw the Third Young Master, he noticed him clad in a white martial arts uniform, practicing his boxing forms in his courtyard...

Seeing Ye Jingyu arrive, Luo Ruofeng smiled faintly: "Jingyu, you finally have time to visit me. Come, come, spar with me for a bit..."

"Young Master, I have an urgent matter to request..."

"Are you referring to the matter of Qin Yuting, daughter of the Baiyun Marquis?" Before Ye Jingyu could finish speaking, the Third Young Master, Luo Ruofeng, said with a smile. At hearing this, Ye Jingyu froze completely...