By the time Xi Qingyue returned to the Xinzhou docks, it was already dusk.
Their speedboat stopped as it approached the yacht. The group flew onto the yacht, and Xi Qingyue immediately put the speedboat away.
“Commandery Princess, you’re back.” Nanxing was overjoyed to see them.
Xi Qingyue smiled and nodded at them. “Yes. Did anything happen over the past two days? How are Nan Yun and the others at the provincial governor’s residence?”
“Commandery Princess, a lot has happened these past two days. After you left, the Ninth Prince came here with a guard…”
Nanxing gave her a detailed account of everything that had happened. She also shared the things she found strange and the suspicions she had.
“Commandery Princess, there have been clashes in many parts of Xinzhou over the past two days. One or two incidents might be understandable, but there have been far too many, and every one of them involved fighting. Most importantly, people died—and the ones who died were members of prominent clans. I suspect someone is manipulating things from the shadows.”
After hearing this, Xi Qingyue immediately thought of someone.
She let out a cold laugh. “The Ninth Prince. Who else could it be? The members of those prominent clans are extremely domineering and protective of their own. Since their people died, they would naturally take out their anger on someone else. They’re definitely going to pin the blame on me. The Ninth Prince has certainly made a good plan.”
Nanxing immediately looked regretful. “Commandery Princess, it’s my fault. If I had killed him the moment he arrived, none of this would have happened.”
Xi Qingyue waved her hand dismissively. “It’s fine. Those clan heirs died because they hated me and cursed me as vicious, which was why someone attacked them. Anyone who could think that way wasn’t a good person anyway. So what if they died?”
She had dealt with the Xinzhou governor, that scoundrel. The only people who would resent her were those like him. Even if they had not taken part in abducting children, they must have often bullied the common people. Otherwise, who would curse her for no reason?
She smiled and tried to pat Nanxing on the shoulder, but halfway there, she realized she could not reach. Nanxing hurriedly crouched down, allowing Xi Qingyue to place her hand on her shoulder and pat it a few times.
Xi Qingyue smiled in satisfaction. The people under Lu Qianning were truly considerate. They were skilled, clever, usually quiet, and incredibly easy to have around.
She smiled at Nanxing. “You did well. There were so many people watching at the docks that killing the Ninth Prince in public really wouldn’t have been appropriate. He announced his identity, and whether you believed him or not was one thing. But if he hadn’t made a move and you had shot him anyway, it would have been difficult to justify. We’re reasonable people, after all. Next time, find a chance to kill him.”
Just then, Xi Weilan placed several small packages on the table and opened them, revealing pastries wrapped in oiled paper.
She happily pointed at the pastries and said, “Sister Nanxing, these are the delicious treats we brought back. Have some, everyone. They’re really tasty.”
Nanxing and the others did not stand on ceremony. After thanking her, they each picked up a piece and began eating.
Standing on the yacht, Xi Qingyue used her ability to sense the surroundings. Only after confirming that no one was watching them did she leave with Mu Jin and the others.
Taking advantage of the cover of night, they quietly returned to the provincial governor’s residence. Meanwhile, the Gao family and a large group of allies were also moving stealthily through the darkness.
When Xi Qingyue returned, she spotted the guards from those clans. After giving them a brief glance, she led her people away.
Inside the provincial governor’s residence, Nan Yun was lying on the roof, gazing at the stars. A Gatling gun rested beside her. The others had each found a place to wait as well, with their weapons within reach, as though they were ready for someone to come knocking at any moment.
When Xi Qingyue landed in front of her with Xi Weilan in her arms, Nan Yun was startled and abruptly sat up. She had thought an expert with peerless lightness skills had come, only realizing who it was when they were already right in front of her.
When she saw that it was Xi Qingyue, she finally relaxed, and delight immediately followed. “Commandery Princess, you’re back! I thought those prominent clans had hired some formidable experts.”
Xi Qingyue gave a light laugh. “So you’ve been waiting for them? Don’t worry. The people they brought are no match for you. There are just more of them. Tell me, which families are coming tonight? I’ll wipe them out later. That will count as eliminating a few more pests from Xinzhou.”
She was familiar with wiping out prominent clans. It was not as though she had never done it before. Few of Xinzhou’s clans were clean. If she did not take the initiative to deal with them, they should be thanking heaven. Yet they had actually dared to launch a sneak attack. They were simply asking to die.
Nanxing’s eyes lit up. “Commandery Princess, it’s the Gao family, the Zhong family, the Zhou family, and the Guo family. Wouldn’t it be a bit excessive to wipe them all out at once?”
Xi Qingyue shook her head. “They were the ones who came looking for death. They have no one to blame but themselves. It wasn’t me who killed their sons. Besides, let’s finish dealing with this place quickly so we can leave.”
Recently, she had been killing her way through every place she passed, and she was getting a little tired of it. The sooner they reached Xin’an City, the sooner she and her sister could enjoy a peaceful life for a while.
With that, she carried Xi Weilan, with Mu Jin following beside her, and the three of them flew toward the Gao family and the other prominent clans. As for the people who had come to attack them, Nan Yun and the others were more than capable of handling them.
Xi Qingyue did not feel comfortable leaving Xi Weilan with anyone else. She brought the girl along even when she was killing and setting fires. Mu Jin had long since grown accustomed to it.
Xi Weilan was even less bothered. She had followed Xi Qingyue through countless killings and seen more corpses than she could count. She felt no fear toward killing at all. She only knew that these people intended to harm the sisters.
At that moment, nestled in Xi Qingyue’s arms, she asked curiously, “Big Sister, when we go to Xin’an City, will we be the most powerful there? Will those people listen to us?”
“Yes. It’s Big Sister Lu’s fief, so she’s the most powerful person there. Since she’s told us to manage it, we’ll be the ones in charge. When we arrive, we’ll clear out all the pests. Then we can do whatever we want and won’t have to deal with all sorts of troublesome people anymore.”
Mu Jin fell into thought upon hearing this. She did not know the exact situation in Xin’an City either. Lu Qianning herself was unfamiliar with her fief. She had received the imperial decree not long before being sent away for a political marriage and had never returned to visit. However, she had brought the decree, seals, and other official documents with her. At worst, they would simply reorganize the city from the ground up. It would not be difficult.
As for how that reorganization proceeded, it would depend on whether the officials of Xin’an City had committed any wrongdoing.
When Xi Qingyue arrived above the Gao residence, the entire estate was brightly lit. Inside a room, Patriarch Gao was raising a cup of wine, a smug smile on his face.
In his view, with the dead soldiers and guards of several prominent clans joining forces, Xi Qingyue would not be able to deal with so many people, no matter how powerful her concealed weapons were. This was especially true since it was nighttime and they would be launching a surprise attack.
Just as a triumphant smile appeared on his face, a mocking laugh rang out. Patriarch Gao instantly went pale with shock.
The next moment, the door to his room slowly opened. Xi Qingyue walked in, holding Xi Weilan by the hand, with Mu Jin following behind her, a gun in her hands.
Staring at the two small figures entering the room, Patriarch Gao’s pupils contracted. His eyes filled with disbelief. “How did you get here?”
Xi Qingyue gave Patriarch Gao a strange smile. “Patriarch Gao, you sent people to the provincial governor’s residence to kill my sister and me. Isn’t it more convenient for us to come to you ourselves? It saves us a lot of trouble.”
Patriarch Gao had already sent the servants away from the room. At present, only two hidden guards remained inside. After taking in the situation, he felt a deep sense of foreboding.
Two hidden guards stood in front of Patriarch Gao with their swords drawn, but their hands trembled around the hilts. They had not noticed Xi Qingyue’s approach at all, and now cold sweat covered their foreheads as panic seized their hearts.
One of the guards moved closer to Patriarch Gao. He wanted to quietly urge him to find a way to negotiate a truce, but before he could speak, he heard that familiar voice behind him.
“Commandery Princess, this is a misunderstanding—this is all a misunderstanding! The people our Gao family sent were there to protect you. We were acting as inside agents. The ones who truly wanted to kill you are someone else!”
