Night fell once more, and as the bright moon rose, the banquet arranged by Wenren Buxiao officially commenced.
Shangguan Huanxi had long since relinquished control over the affairs of the estate, remaining only a nominal mistress in name. Thus, all matters of this grand feast were orchestrated by Luo Qiaoqiao.
Two rows of pearwood tables stretched out neatly on either side, adorned with meticulously arranged celadon plates and cups. Layers of glistening white pastries, glazed roasted meats, and fine wines filled the tables.
Wenren Buxiao raised his cup first. "Tonight, we gather in fellowship. I thank you all for honoring us with your presence. With malevolent spirits wreaking havoc and unsettling the land, the great task of vanquishing these demons will require our united efforts."
The guests lifted their cups in polite acknowledgment, murmuring, "The Lord of the Province is too kind," before drinking the fine wine.
Su Lingxi frowned, noticing that his cup held plum syrup instead of wine like the others. The fact that they still treated him as a child only deepened his disdain for Wenren Buxiao.
Elsewhere, Heart Knife took a sip of wine and suddenly coughed violently, sputtering as he hastily covered his mouth, looking rather disheveled.
Wenren Buxiao inquired with concern, "What troubles Young Master Knife?"
"Nothing," Heart Knife replied, forcing composure. "I simply haven’t drunk in a while and am unaccustomed." Yet his eyes instinctively avoided Wenren Buxiao’s gaze.
Though it had been an accident when he fell into the bathtub, the fact remained that he had offended Shangguan Huanxi—Wenren Buxiao’s wife. Heart Knife may have been a flirt, but he was no scoundrel, and the sight of Wenren Buxiao filled him with an inexplicable guilt.
Luo Qiaoqiao, seated beside Wenren Buxiao, wore an apologetic expression. "I failed in my arrangements, neglecting to ask whether Young Master Knife drinks. My apologies—I’ll have tea brought for him at once."
Wenren Buxiao nodded. "Thank you for your thoughtfulness, my lady."
Left-hand Knife and Right-hand Knife exchanged glances with Heart Knife, communicating silently.
"You’re the one who can drink anyone under the table—what’s wrong with you today?"
"Exactly! Weren’t you called ‘Unfazed by a Thousand Cups’ back in the frontier?"
Heart Knife replied mentally, "This wine tastes off—it’s unusually salty."
When a maid handed him tea, he took a sip and nearly spat it out again. If the wine had been too salty, this tea was unbearably sour!
Heart Knife shot a glance at Luo Qiaoqiao, wondering inwardly if he had somehow offended her. It seemed as though she was trying to torment him!
Luo Qiaoqiao pretended not to notice his gaze, merely tightening the swaddling cloth around the child in her arms.
She hadn’t forgotten the grudge over that golden koi.
"Junior Sister, try this—it’s delicious. And this one too, it’s also good. Oh, and this..." Murong Meixin sampled each dish before piling portions into Murong Meifei’s bowl.
Originally seated at separate tables, he had stubbornly pushed them together into one.
Murong Meifei glanced around the room and remarked, "Miss Chu and Young Master Ninth are absent. How odd."
"What’s odd about it?" Murong Meixin scoffed. "That Miaojiang fellow is downright uncanny, acting like some courtesan—no doubt he’s off carousing somewhere again. Miss Chu must be chasing after him. I heard he even visited the House of Tender Delights the other day—tsk, a brothel! Junior Sister, a man like that is no good. Not like me—I don’t even know what a brothel is!"
Murong Meifei turned her face away, irritated by his chatter. Were it not for the occasion, she would have kicked him aside.
Su Lingxi tried to snatch the wine cup from Wuya but failed. In his foul mood, his resentment toward Wenren Buxiao only grew. Eager to stir trouble, he blurted, "Last night, the Lord of the Province’s men nearly arrested Miss Shangguan as a demon, yet the real fiend still roams free. Who’s to say tonight’s wine isn’t poisoned?"
By addressing her as "Miss Shangguan" and openly doubting Wenren Buxiao’s competence, Su Lingxi’s words dripped with hostility.
Wenren Buxiao turned his smiling eyes toward him. "Such matters are for us adults to handle. Young Master Su is still young—perfect for the new puzzles and toys recently acquired by the estate. Nine-linked rings, tangram boards—I’ll have them sent to your courtyard. They’re said to temper impatience and sharpen the mind."
Su Lingxi flushed red with anger and slammed the table. "Stop treating me like a child!"
Tonight, the Demon-Suppressing Guards were patrolling outside, leaving the hall guarded by the Spirit Patrol.
Zhou Xian had intended to stay silent, but Su Lingxi’s disrespect toward Wenren Buxiao compelled him to speak. "The world knows the Cloudbarren Immortal City excels in poisons. The Lord of the Province has already stationed guards at all water sources, and every dish is monitored by specialists. There’s no chance for poisoning."
Su Lingxi snorted, as if certain of something. "We’ll see about that."
Just then, a maid accidentally spilled water on the swaddling cloth. Luo Qiaoqiao’s expression darkened, and the maid immediately dropped to her knees.
"My lady, I didn’t mean to!"
Wenren Buxiao’s gaze shifted toward them.
Luo Qiaoqiao suppressed her reaction and smiled. "It’s nothing. I’ll take the child to change clothes."
She left with the child, drawing little attention.
Only Murong Meixin’s voice carried through. "What about the treasure rumors? Why isn’t Lady Shangguan here? I wanted to ask if the Shangguan family’s treasure is real! Since our elders sent us to Canghai Province, it must be true, right?"
Luo Qiaoqiao, anxious that the child might catch a chill, hurried away with a stern face, her maids trailing nervously behind.
A cold wind blew—and suddenly, a black-robed figure stood before them, having appeared without a sound.
Luo Qiaoqiao froze.
A scream shattered the night’s tranquility.
The guests, all sharp-eared, moved instantly toward the sound, finding Luo Qiaoqiao collapsed on the ground.
She pointed frantically at the wall. "My child! My child!"
Atop the wall stood four identically dressed black-clad figures, each holding an identical swaddled bundle. It was impossible to tell which one held the real child.
They seemed to have waited for everyone’s arrival, for as soon as the crowd appeared, the four split off—racing toward the east, south, west, and north.
Murong Meifei dashed toward the east.
"Junior Sister, wait for me!" Murong Meixin stumbled after her with clumsy qinggong.
The three Knife brothers exchanged glances. "We’ll take the south!"
Su Lingxi’s eyes gleamed with some unknown thought before he leaped toward the west, Wuya scrambling to follow.
Zhou Xian, frantic, led a group toward the north.
Only Wenren Buxiao remained unmoved, his expression unchanged, showing no concern for the life of his own flesh and blood.
Luo Qiaoqiao crawled to clutch his robes. "It must be Shangguan Huanxi—it has to be her! How else could intruders slip past such tight security? She’s always wanted to kill my child! My lord... she wants to kill our child!"
"I know you don't like Yan'er, but he is still your own flesh and blood. Can you just stand by and watch him die?"
"Death—what does it matter?"
Wenren Buxiao lowered his gaze, the corners of his eyes curving slightly, yet the smile never reached them. Cold and detached, it carried an uncommonly cruel edge.
He shook off Luo Qiaoqiao and walked away unhurriedly, murmuring under his breath, "If only Shangguan Huanxi truly had the intent to kill—then the one who shouldn’t exist would be gone, and all problems would vanish."
Luo Qiaoqiao suddenly lost the strength to weep, left only with stunned disbelief, as if plunged into an icy abyss.
