Hearing the two of them talking, Xiao Yingtao finally understood what had happened.

She glanced at the wounds on Qiao Mu’s body for a moment, then immediately reached for the bowl and chopsticks and picked out several pieces of meat for her.

“Here.” Xiao Yingtao held out a bowl of meat to Qiao Mu. “Eat quickly. Once you’re done, we’ll tend to your wounds.”

“It’s just a small injury — nothing to worry about.” Qiao Mu took the bowl and began eating the meat in big mouthfuls, paying no mind at all to the wounds on her body.

“General Qiao is truly remarkable,” said a woman at the table. “I honestly thought those hounds had been following her for a long time, so it never occurred to me that she only tamed them today.”

“Exactly.” Another woman gazed at Qiao Mu with undisguised admiration. “General Qiao, what made you think of taming hunting hounds like those?”

Qiao Mu swallowed the meat in her mouth, took the bowl of thin porridge that Feng Jiu’er passed to her, had a sip, then looked at the woman who had just spoken.

“I kept two of them a few years ago. When I spotted them today, I couldn’t bring myself to just let them go.”

“They may seem fierce, but they have a gentle side too — and they’re extraordinarily loyal.”

“I agree with that.” Feng Jiu’er nodded.

Dogs were loyal — perhaps more so than many people. After all, was there not a reason they were called humanity’s most faithful companions?

“Even so.” Feng Jiu’er tilted her head toward Qiao Mu again. “You should talk less for now. Finish eating first, then go inside and get those wounds looked at.”

“You’ve been with them for half a day already. If they’re willing to come back with you, I’m sure they won’t be leaving again.”

“Jiu’er, are you saying Qiao Mu had already tamed those great beasts long before this, and that’s why she came back so late? She’s clearly injured.”

Xiao Yingtao turned to glance at the hunting hounds, her round eyes going wide.

“I thought she was late coming back because… they were too fierce.”

“Her wounds were already there two hours ago. That tells us the struggle was over two hours ago.” Feng Jiu’er replied.

“I took them for a walk around the area.” Qiao Mu leaned forward and helped herself to another large piece of meat. “To be precise — they took me for a walk around the area.”

“Jiu’er, I found a mountain nearby with lingzhi mushrooms growing on it. They look quite old.”

“I’ll take you up to have a look tomorrow. There’s wild ginseng there too. Have the brothers bring more tools up the mountain — I guarantee tomorrow’s haul won’t be any less than today’s.”

“Such rare and precious medicinal herbs, and you just happened to find them?” Xiao Yingtao’s eyes lit up at the mention of wild treasures.

“They’re there. No need to make a fuss.” Qiao Mu tossed out the words and stuffed another piece of meat into her mouth.

Xiao Yingtao watched her and curled the corners of her mouth. “As Jiu’er said — today we were digging up silver, not wild grass.”

“If there really are lingzhi and ginseng, then tomorrow we’d practically be digging up gold. Who wouldn’t be happy about that?”

“I have something arranged for tomorrow. Xiao Yingtao will be in charge.” Feng Jiu’er said softly.

Something felt different about her energy. Qiao Mu turned her head for a glance.

Feng Jiu’er, however, paid it no mind, and picked out another piece of meat for her.

“Eat. Eat your fill before we talk about anything else. Everyone, eat up — these are fresh ingredients. They lose so much flavour once they go cold, so hurry.”

The few others at the table all nodded together and said yes, and everyone continued with the meal.

As for the five extra hounds that had arrived — once everyone gradually got used to them, they agreed they were a fine addition. With them watching over the camp, the place was bound to be that much safer.

——

The next day, close to midday, two women dressed as ordinary married women — one tall, one short — appeared within the bustling Fenghuang City.

Behind them followed a fierce hunting hound.

Though both women had somewhat darker skin tones and faces dotted with blemishes, their figures were by no means lacking.

The prosperity of Fenghuang City would not change simply because someone had left. After the battle, the common people’s lives quickly returned to normal.

The two well-figured women entered an inn and, on the second floor, requested a private room facing the road.

A small table, a few modest dishes, a pot of tea — simple and understated.

Before long, a waiter brought in a plate of meat and set it on the floor to the side. He watched the hunting hound come over, then immediately straightened up and stumbled back two steps in alarm.

The taller of the two women produced a small piece of broken silver and held it out. The waiter stepped forward to receive it and clasped his hands in a bow.

“Two ladies, please enjoy your meal at your leisure!”

The shorter woman waved her hand dismissively, and the waiter retreated several steps before turning to leave, pulling the door shut behind him.

“Are you certain he hasn’t left yet?” Qiao Mu looked at Feng Jiu’er — that face she couldn’t quite get used to no matter how long she stared at it — and asked quietly.

“Without any news from me, he would never leave on his own.” Feng Jiu’er continued looking out the window without turning her head. “I arranged to meet him at this place. Let’s wait a little longer — he may well still come.”

“It seems that’s all we can do for now.” Qiao Mu picked up her bowl and chopsticks, shot Feng Jiu’er another glance, and said, “Let’s eat while we wait. The food is going cold.”

Suddenly, the woman sitting across from her stood up. Qiao Mu rose at the same time.

Down below, a tall figure in white robes and a veiled hat walked into the inn.

“It’s him — it must be him.” Feng Jiu’er turned and hurried out.

Qiao Mu watched her retreating figure and was momentarily stunned.

“She recognized him from this far away? Could this truly be what they call the bond of blood?”

Sure enough, before long, Feng Jiu’er returned, bringing with her the man in the veiled hat.

The door of the private room was shut. Feng Jiu’er turned around and pulled Long Buqu into a tight embrace.

Long Buqu — that was the name of the manor lord of Tiānxià First Manor, known by the alias Lanyue, and he was Long Feiyan’s own younger brother.

“Uncle.” Feng Jiu’er called out softly, tilting her head up to look at Long Buqu.

Long Buqu hadn’t even had time to remove his veiled hat. He reached out a palm and gently traced it over the little face before him — “ugly as it could be,” by any standard.

“I heard the news that you had fallen off a cliff. After so many days went by, I really thought that…”

The matter of Feng Jiu’er had been suppressed as much as possible by Ye Luosha, yet Long Buqu had still managed to find out.

“Uncle.” Feng Jiu’er rose on her tiptoes and pulled off Long Buqu’s veiled hat. “Your face has recovered so much. I always knew my uncle was handsome.”

“Now that I see you in person, you’re even more handsome than I imagined.”

Feng Jiu’er held the veiled hat in one hand and took Long Buqu’s hand in the other, leading him toward Qiao Mu.

“Uncle, come over here. Let me introduce you to someone.”

She had Long Buqu take the seat in the middle, then settled herself into her own chair.

“Uncle, her name is Qiao Mu. She is my most capable deputy general, and also my dearest sister.”

Feng Jiu’er glanced up at Qiao Mu with a slight smile.

“Of course — she doesn’t normally look this ugly. This complexion is something I put on her myself.”

Staring at the handsome Long Buqu from behind this face, Qiao Mu could not help but feel rather self-conscious.

“So the manor lord of Tiānxià First Manor is this young and distinguished in person. I am deeply honoured to make your acquaintance.” Qiao Mu looked at Long Buqu and clasped her hands in a bow.

Long Buqu gave her no more than a polite nod before his gaze returned to Feng Jiu’er.

“Jiu’er, your internal injuries are not yet healed. What exactly happened?”