Within half a day, the stronghold had been decked out in festive colors.

The decorations were simple, even crude, but the atmosphere was lively all the same.

At nightfall, Xue Gu and Tuoba Keyan were brought to the main hall.

The rest of their group stayed in the courtyard outside, mingling with the stronghold’s men.

Xue Gu now played the role of Feng Jiu’er’s mother, while Tuoba Keyan had become her elder brother.

The others remained in the courtyard. Though their limbs were weak and they couldn’t fight, they could still manage to walk and eat.

Since their young miss was about to marry the stronghold’s young master, the bandits treated them with a measure of courtesy.

If these people ended up staying at the stronghold for good, perhaps everyone could become brothers in time.

Though they were bandits, none of them were born with cruel hearts.

Every one of them was straightforward and bold, without a trace of pretense.

If the timing and circumstances had been different, perhaps they really could have been friends.

“Come, come, drink well tonight, everyone — no going home sober!”

The stronghold’s men carried jars of homemade wine, refilling any cup the moment it ran dry.

Here in the stronghold, it wasn’t just the men who were warm and generous — the women were just as open-handed with their brothers.

Xue Gu and Tuoba Keyan were led inside and seated just below the Old Patriarch.

“Co-in-law, from now on we’re family. If I’ve offended you in any way before, please forgive an old man.”

Xue Gu said nothing, only nodding vaguely, her eyes drifting toward Elder Feng seated nearby.

“Does the co-in-law know Elder Feng?” the Old Patriarch asked, seeming to notice something, looking between the two of them.

Elder Feng glanced at Xue Gu and shook his head with a smile. “We’ve never met.”

But Xue Gu said, “This Elder Feng looks rather familiar to me. I wonder where we might have crossed paths before?”

“Oh?” Elder Feng raised an eyebrow, smiling. “I don’t believe I’ve ever met Madam before. Perhaps Madam has mistaken me for someone else?”

“Then may I ask where Elder Feng is originally from? Where did he come from?”

Elder Feng was about to answer when the Old Patriarch spoke up with a laugh, “Even I don’t know where this Brother Feng of mine is from.”

A flicker of something dark passed through Elder Feng’s eyes before the smile rose again just as quickly.

“My apologies — I once suffered an injury here, and most things from before have slipped my memory.”

He tapped his own head, his expression remaining light and easy. “Perhaps I really did meet Madam once before, but I have no memory of it at all. My apologies.”

Xue Gu said nothing more. The Patriarch’s wife also raised her cup and began questioning Xue Gu about everything related to Jiu’er.

All anyone knew was that the girl’s name was Jiu’er — they didn’t even know her surname.

Xue Gu offered a few casual lies, chatting idly with her.

Most of the time, though, her attention stayed fixed on Elder Feng.

Perhaps feeling somewhat uneasy under her gaze, Elder Feng suddenly stood. “I’ll go see how the brothers outside are enjoying their drinks.”

He stepped out of the main hall.

Outside, the men sat sprawled about haphazardly — the stronghold’s resources were limited, and they couldn’t gather enough tables and chairs for so many people all at once.

So most of the men simply sat on the ground.

Still, sitting together, laughing and chatting, no one seemed to think the wedding feast was lacking.

After all, with wine to drink and meat to eat, that counted as a good life to them.

Elder Feng soon made his way over to the men from Tianji Hall and the Ninth Prince’s Manor. “Everyone, eat and drink your fill. Tonight is meant to be happy — understand?”

No one paid him any attention. Their young miss had been taken away to become the forced bride of the stronghold’s young master — how could they possibly be happy about that?

To anyone, it was a humiliation.

Elder Feng didn’t mind. Once they’d lived here long enough and grown used to everything in the stronghold, behind closed doors they’d be one family.

There were quite a few skilled martial artists among them, and the stronghold was sorely in need of talented people right now.

Keeping Miss Jiu’er here this time was truly a stroke of double luck.

Not only had it given the young master a fine match, it had also brought new strength to the stronghold. What a good thing indeed!

Elder Feng walked through the crowd, and after scanning the area without spotting anything amiss, he was ready to head back to the main hall to wait for the bride and groom.

But after only a few steps, he suddenly stopped.

Turning back to look at the crowd seated on the ground, he narrowed his eyes. A proud, imposing figure flashed through the depths of his memory.

A man, his face covered in scars, yet unmistakably formidable at a glance — tall, ugly by ordinary standards, yet somehow striking no matter how you looked at him!

“Where did he go?” Elder Feng suddenly bent down and hauled up the most handsome man in the crowd.

Yanu looked at him, his gaze indifferent. “Let go.”

“I’m asking you — where did that young man with the scarred face go?”

There were too many people for Elder Feng to remember every one of them. But that scarred man had left a deep impression.

Not because his face was particularly hideous, but because of the aura that radiated from him.

That was undoubtedly a master among masters — yet his presence was so well controlled that even Elder Feng couldn’t gauge how deep his skill truly ran.

Hadn’t everyone been dosed with the Bone-Softening Powder? No matter how skilled someone was, there was no way to escape the cave under these conditions!

“Speak quickly! Or I’ll have your life!”

His large hand clamped down, seizing Yanu by the throat, fingers tightening.

Yanu immediately found it hard to breathe, but his expression stayed blank, his thin lips pressed shut, refusing to speak.

“Speak — that man—”

“Elder Feng, what are you doing?”

A woman’s voice suddenly cut in.

The girl strode over quickly. The moment she got a clear look at the man whose throat Elder Feng was gripping, her eyes lit up at once, as if she could barely keep from drooling.

“Elder Feng, let him go! What are you doing! Today is Big Brother’s wedding day — are you trying to cause trouble?”

Elder Feng stared at Yanu — this young man showed no trace of fear, as if he weren’t even afraid of death.

It was the young master’s wedding day, after all; he didn’t want to stir up any unpleasantness either.

Still, that scar-faced man was indeed nowhere in the crowd.

“Cough…” Once released, Yanu’s face flushed red, and he began coughing.

Zhao Xiaoxiao quickly reached out, patting his back gently. “Are you alright? Are you okay?”

“None of your business.” Yanu tried to push her away.

But having been dosed with the Bone-Softening Powder, and her strength being considerable, he tried several times and couldn’t budge her at all.

Zhao Xiaoxiao kept staring at him — even angry, he looked breathtakingly handsome, almost otherworldly.

She’d lived at the stronghold all these years, surrounded by countless men, but the best-looking among them had always been her elder brother.

Yet now, the handsome man in front of her was even more striking than her brother!

He was simply gorgeous beyond words — in all her years, she’d never seen a man so beautiful.

Suddenly, Zhao Xiaoxiao’s eyes curved into a smile, and she yanked Yanu toward herself.

“Elder Feng, go tell my father — I want this man! Tonight, I’m getting married too!”