The night breeze ruffled Tian Miaowen's clothes. The stars shone brightly in the sky, twinkling. Raising their heads, it seemed like the starry sky above them was the unfurled river, while the river beneath their feet was pitch-black like the ground.
Tian Miaowen had already completed the handover with her return this time. Back then, she had hurried to the Crouching Ox Mountains to watch over Ye Xiaotian's home, so she did not even go through the process of preparing her dowry. When the Tian Clan married off a daughter, the dowry would obviously be extremely plentiful. However, it was rather inappropriate to take away so much dowry at a time like this, so she basically left with nothing this time.
Money, property, land deeds, shops, and so on, she did not take anything with her. She only took away a few people she was used to using. These people were very capable, but no matter how capable they were, the new leader would not be able to take over and entrust them with heavy responsibilities without any qualms.
This had nothing to do with loyalty. So-called trusted aides would always have an additional layer of relationship, such as personally nurturing them. Without this layer of relationship, they would always be a step away from being close. Tian Miaowen supported her fourteenth brother completely. She did not want to make things difficult for him at all, so she took away all these people.
Actually, not all of these people knew each other, or in other words, they were all familiar with each other, as they were Tian Miaowen's trusted aides who had been selected from various places. Dang Yanming was the person in charge of the Tian family's spy agency, Wu Daniu was in charge of the estate, Li Bojin was the chief accountant of the Tian family's shops, while Zong Hua and Xu Sheng were the leaders of Tian Miaowen's sacrificial soldiers, but now, they were all gathered together.
This also meant that Tian Miaowen wanted to end things with the Tian family with the greatest sincerity. In the Tian Clan, the era of their branch had come to an end.
A figure walked over from the side of the ship, arriving beside Tian Miaowen and placing a cloak on Tian Miaowen's shoulder. "Young miss, the wind is strong at the bow of the ship. Don't stand for too long."
Tian Miaowen nodded and took in a deep breath against the wind. She said, "Walk with me!"
The person said nothing. He only strolled along the deck with Tian Miaowen silently. When they arrived under the shadow of the lantern hanging from the mast, Dang Yanming, who had been sitting at the cabin door the entire time, saw his appearance. He was dressed in Sulo Daoist robes and had a slender figure. He was handsome and carried a blade on his waist.
His name was Xu Sheng, and he was the person whom Dang Yanming had only met after Tian Miaowen had brought with her this time..
"It seems that Miss is closer to him than to me," Dang Yanming thought sourly.
"Father …"
"Father …"
"Yah …"
"Yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. His chubby legs were like lotus roots, and he looked like he was about to jump into his grandfather's arms.
The father was called Daheng, and the son was called Xiaoheng. They sounded like brothers no matter how you looked at it. For this reason, Hong Baichuan had protested angrily, but Daheng liked to name his son this way. In his words, "My father's surname is Hong, and my surname is Luo. Why is it so out of tune?"
Hong Baichuan held his grandson in his arms, and the little guy immediately went to pull his grandfather's beard. It seemed that this was one of his favorite toys. Hong Baichuan let his grandson twist his beard into a mess. He only asked his son, "Where's Hua Yunfei? Did you get in touch with him? "
Law Tycoon said, "I did. Yunfei said that he'll come immediately whenever you want to see him. Father, you're not familiar with Yunfei. Why are you looking for him all of a sudden? He's acting so mysterious. "
Hong Baichuan said, "Get him here immediately. I have something important to say. You can listen to it when the time comes."
"Father …"
"Go quickly!"
Law Tycoon didn't dare to say anything more. He hurriedly took his robe and walked out. Hong Baichuan lowered his head and made a face at his grandson while blowing his beard, making the little guy giggle.
Hua Yunfei came very quickly. Raising a group of death soldiers was a long and drawn-out task. It was very difficult to recruit a group of adult men and train them into a group of steel soldiers who would obey the orders of one person.
An army could be loyal to a brave general, but above the general was the imperial court. If the imperial court wanted to kill the general or if the general wanted to rebel, there would definitely be people who would still be loyal to him. But you couldn't guarantee that everyone would have other considerations, and these people would not be a small number.
Ye Xiaotian was the Venerable of the Gu God Sect. Everyone who worshiped the Gu God Sect was willing to die for him, but this was based on the fact that he was the Venerable of the Gu God Sect. No one could guarantee that if he didn't have this status, or if the elders of the Gu God Sect were to oppose him, these people would still be unmoved.
The so-called death soldiers were built on the belief of a single person, so it was best to raise them from a young age. It was best for these people to live in seclusion and have less contact with their families and the outside world. Only then would it be easier for them to have a firm belief.
For this reason, the group of death soldiers that Hua Yunfei was in charge of were all youths, chosen from the children of the mountain people. Their base was built on the Six Dragon Mountain. It wasn't too far from the city, and it was relatively isolated and quiet.
Law Tycoon sent a messenger to inform him that Hua Yunfei would arrive soon.
"Uncle!"
"Yunfei, sit!"
Hong Baichuan's face was completely sunken. He slowly paced around the room with his hands behind his back, considering how he should speak. Hua Yunfei looked at Law Tycoon in surprise. Law Tycoon shook his head, and his chin immediately trembled. He was also puzzled by his father's strange actions.
Hong Baichuan sucked in a deep breath and suddenly turned around. He faced Hua Yunfei and said sternly, "Yunfei, keep your composure. This is no small matter!"
Hua Yunfei widened his eyes. Hong Baichuan sucked in another deep breath. "Your elder brother, Ye Xiaotian, is probably done for!"
Hua Yunfei's expression suddenly changed. He leapt to his feet and said in shock, "Uncle, what did you say?"
Hong Baichuan said word by word, "The one watching over the Crouching Bull Ridge right now isn't Ye Xiaotian, but his twin brother, Ye Xiao 'an!"
"How is that possible?" Hua Yunfei and Law Tycoon exclaimed at the same time. They could not help but cry out.
Hong Baichuan said, "Why is it not possible? Do you think I'm someone who talks nonsense? I have concrete evidence! "
Law Tycoon said excitedly, "Father, what concrete evidence do you have? Tell me, didn't you go to Guiyang to do business? How is it that even Yunfei doesn't know about this, but you do? "
Hong Baichuan turned to his son and said sternly, "It's a long story! I originally planned on keeping it from you for the rest of my life, but it looks like I can only tell you now. "
Law Tycoon's expression immediately changed again. "Father, aren't you my biological father?"
Hong Baichuan's face darkened. He said angrily, "What nonsense are you talking about? If I'm not your biological father, did you jump out from a crack in a rock? Father wants to tell you … "
Hong Baichuan reached into his waist and pulled out a token that was neither made of copper nor iron. He showed it to Law Tycoon.
"Ah! Father, where did you find this? "Law Tycoon was shocked!
Hong Baichuan's body swayed and he almost kicked him. He gritted his teeth and said word by word, "Father is a member of the Imperial Secret Service! Hidden Dragon Spy No. 7! "
Law Tycoon continued to be shocked. "Imperial Secret Service? Father, you're a member of the Imperial Secret Service? "
Hong Baichuan said proudly, "That's right! The Soaring Dragon in the Sky and the Hidden Dragon in the Abyss, the two strongest forces in the Imperial Secret Service are the Soaring Dragon Spy and the Hidden Dragon Spy. They were personally established by Lord Xia Xun during the Yongle era! Back then … "
Hua Yunfei interrupted Hong Baichuan's "talking about the past". "Uncle Hong, let's talk about what happened back then later. Quickly tell me what happened to my eldest brother. Why did you say that the one watching over Crouching Bull Ridge isn't my eldest brother, but my eldest brother's eldest brother? "
Hong Baichuan said, "This matter starts from the Seven Stars Monastery. Mingyue, come in!"
Little Daoist Mingyue answered and walked in. She clasped her hands together and bowed to Hua Yunfei and Law Tycoon.
… …
The Agarwood Pavilion was lush with flowers and trees and winding corridors. In this winter, it was dyed with a sense of desolation. This was the rear residence of the Yu estate. It was a place for the owner to relax and enjoy the scenery. There were many strange rocks and peaks, and the floor was paved with green bricks. It was very different from the grand, elegant, and luxurious buildings of the previous owner.
A graceful and delicate girl around thirteen walked quickly on the green brick path. Her movements were graceful and her steps were light. Very soon, she entered a small reception hall.
"Sister Junting, you've returned!"
When the girl saw Yu Junting drinking tea, she immediately went up to her happily. Although her appearance was still rather immature, she already possessed some of the bright beauty of a young girl.
The girl was Yaoyao. Originally, Yaoyao lived in the Ye estate at the foot of the eastern mountain. Afterwards, Ye Xiaotian became the chieftain of Crouching Bull Ridge, so Yaoyao went with him to Crouching Bull Ridge and stayed there for a while.
However, if Yaoyao went to Crouching Bull Ridge to stay there, she would not be able to continue with her studies. Although Ye Xiaotian was willing to spend money, the teacher might not be willing to move out of Tongren city for the sake of some money.
Back then, Ye Xiaotian had yet to gain a stable footing. Not only was the Crouching Bull Ridge crude, but it was constantly embroiled in war as well. As a result, Ye Xiaotian settled her down in Tongren city, leaving her in Yu Junting's care.
Under the influence of the Yu family, Yaoyao, who had gradually grown up, became more and more like the daughter of a noble family. She was well-educated and polite, gentle and refined. Compared to the pure, lively, clever, and eccentric young girl she was, she was like a completely different person. However, Yu Junting, who had grown closer with her, knew that this girl's words and actions were all just on the surface. She had not changed at all on the inside.
"Yaoyao, you've come. Sit!"
They were very familiar with each other, so there was no need for pleasantries. Yu Junting only said one sentence, and Yaoyao sat down gracefully to one side. She first looked around, but she did not see Yu Junting's precious daughter, so she said, "I thought you were going to stay in Crouching Bull Ridge for a few more days. Why did you come back?"
How clever was Yu Junting? She knew that Yaoyao was beating around the bush, but she actually just wanted to know about that person's situation. She glanced at her and said, "Your Brother Xiaotian came back from Guiyang. I went to Tongren to fulfill my filial duty on his behalf and to persuade his parents. Since he's already back, I obviously have to come back as well. It's almost the new year, and there are many things to take care of at home. How can I not be around? "
Yaoyao was immediately overjoyed, but she hurriedly hid her joy and said with slight hesitation, "Oh! Brother Xiaotian … is back. Yeah … I want to go back to Crouching Bull Ridge for the new year this year. Sister, do you think it's okay? "
Yu Junting burst out laughing, and Yaoyao immediately blushed. She said bashfully, "Sister … What … What are you laughing at?"
Yu Junting glanced at her with a smile, but did not expose her little girl's thoughts. She only said, "If you want to go back, then go back. Speaking of which, your Brother Xiaotian entrusted you to me to take care of. If we're talking about distance, of course I'm closer to your Brother Xiaotian!"
Yaoyao's face turned red, "No, no, I … I was thinking … Brother Xiaotian must be in a bad mood right now. If I go back for the new year, it'll be lively with one more person, and Brother Xiaotian will be in a better mood."
Yu Junting smiled, "It seems … That makes sense. Alright, when do you plan on leaving? I'll send someone to send you back."
"Okay, okay. Then today … I'll go back tomorrow, okay?" Yaoyao was overjoyed when she heard that. She wanted to say that she would leave immediately, but she suddenly realized that it was almost dusk, so she hurriedly changed it to tomorrow. However, as soon as she said that, she realized that she had been too hasty. She could not help but feel embarrassed.
Yu Junting had long sensed Yaoyao's thoughts. People in ancient times married early. Since the Song Dynasty, men could get married at fifteen years of age and women at thirteen years of age. Children of rich families married relatively late, but it was the opposite for ordinary families. They would even get married before reaching the legal age.
In the local area, many young girls in their budding years were already married, and some were even mothers. Under such circumstances, how could Yu Junting treat her as a little girl who did not know the ways of the world?
With Ye Xiaotian's power, status, and age, he was a perfect match for any young girl. Not to mention that the number of outstanding young men that Yaoyao could come into contact with had always been very limited. It would be strange if a young girl's poetic feelings were not invested in him.
Yu Junting came from a chieftain's family, so it was common for men to have multiple wives and concubines. She did not have much resistance in the first place, and because of her identity as a chieftain, she could not marry into Crouching Bull Ridge, so she did not care about this at all. Not to mention that she and Yaoyao were like sisters right now. In order to increase her influence in front of Ye Xiaotian, she even wanted to facilitate it. Obviously, she would not purposefully make things difficult for Yaoyao.
Yu Junting smiled, "Alright, tomorrow it is! I'll arrange for someone to send you back to Crouching Bull Ridge tomorrow morning. You can make some preparations today. "
… …
"There's no need to prepare. I'll return to Crouching Bull Ridge immediately!" Hua Yunfei's face was livid as he said to Hong Baichuan. He turned around and left.
"I'll go too!" Law Tycoon's eyes reddened as well. He wanted to follow him angrily.
"If you go, what do you plan on doing if you confirm that the person in charge of Crouching Bull Ridge under Ye Xiaotian's identity is really Ye Xiao 'an? Expose him or kill him? "
Hong Baichuan's words froze Hua Yunfei to the ground. Yeah! If he confirmed that Ye Xiaotian really was not Ye Xiaotian, what would he do? Ye Xiao 'an was not the murderer of his younger brother. He was only a puppet that he had been forced to support after his younger brother's death.
Expose him? The end result would only be pain for those close to him and delight for his enemies.
This hatred obviously did not refer to Yang Yinglong. Although Yang Yinglong relied on the abundant strength he had accumulated over the years, Crouching Bull Ridge was only one of his troops from beyond the realm. It was not his main source of support. However, to Yang Yinglong, who had been preparing for war, it was also "the more troops the better."
If Crouching Bull Ridge collapsed, Yang Yinglong would never be happy. This hatred referred to the people who both feared and hated Crouching Bull Ridge. Shi Qian, the Yang family, the Zhan family, the Zhang family who had already fled to Guiyang to live in a residence, the chieftains who deeply feared Ye Xiaotian, and the elders of the Gu God cult who seemed very obedient right now …
Exposing Ye Xiao 'an's true identity was just killing a few hundred enemies and losing everything. The organisation of Crouching Bull Ridge would immediately disperse. Was this what they wanted to see? Hua Yunfei slowly turned around and said to Hong Baichuan, "Uncle, what do you think I should do?"
