“It’s not me who wants to make a fuss, it’s my brother-in-law here.” Feng Jiu’er glanced at Jian Yi, her expression turning somewhat serious.

“If you want to end up thrown out like Zhao Yusheng, by all means, keep throwing your temper.”

“If I don’t want to be thrown out, who could possibly manage it?” Jian Yi frowned, his voice cold.

“Jiu’er, I’ve already told you, don’t blame Jian Yi—it’s all for your sake, he’s afraid you’ll be taken advantage of.” Qiao Mu picked up her teacup and took a light sip.

“This is good tea, though that Fortress Master’s appearance is truly something else!”

“Jiu’er, do you know, when he looked at me just now, I nearly couldn’t stop myself from striking him! I don’t know how you managed to hold back.”

“It’s good that you held yourself back.” Feng Jiu’er glanced up at Qiao Mu and smiled faintly.

“Whether we can cooperate with the people here is one matter—right now, while spending the least manpower and resources possible, we should simply cover every inch of the Black Canyon.”

“What does it matter if someone looks at you a few times? You’re the one who’s good-looking—are you not going to let people look?”

“I won’t allow it!” Jian Yi’s voice was even heavier than before.

Feng Jiu’er turned to look at him and let out a soft sigh.

“I know, I know you’re both worried I’ll be taken advantage of—but I’m hardly some old fox who’d let myself suffer a loss, am I?”

“Jian Yi, your emotional intelligence is too low. From now on, when we’re out there, you need to listen to me.”

“Emotional intelligence?” Qiao Mu looked at Feng Jiu’er, her crescent brows knitting.

“Emotional intelligence is emotional intelligence, nothing complicated about it.” Feng Jiu’er answered lightly. “It just means Jian Yi doesn’t understand much about how the world works.”

“Making one’s way in the world like that only invites more trouble. Zhao Yusheng is a perfect example—he really didn’t need to reveal his identity.”

“He told the Fortress Master here that he’s the young master of the Zhao Family Stronghold?” Qiao Mu’s brow furrowed as she asked.

“Mm.” Feng Jiu’er nodded. “We’d agreed he wouldn’t say anything, but he still acted on impulse. Still, with that identity of his out in the open, things should be a bit more convenient for what I need to do.”

“It’s just a pity the Fortress Master said he doesn’t like him and won’t allow him to move about his territory—nothing I can do about that.”

Her gaze returned to Jian Yi, and Feng Jiu’er reached out, patting his shoulder lightly.

“Jian Yi, I know you’re devoted to protecting me, but I have my own plans.”

“Now that we have the chance to stay, we should find a way to search as quickly as possible. For the sake of our brothers, we absolutely cannot afford any complications—understand?”

Qiao Mu looked at Jian Yi and shook her head gently. “He understands. He just can’t help himself sometimes.”

“Anyway, back to the matter at hand—Jiu’er, what do you make of this Fortress Master?”

“Hard to say.” Feng Jiu’er set down her chopsticks and stood up. “The Southern Barbarian Fortress has stood for so many years—its Fortress Master must have abilities beyond the ordinary.”

“Do you really believe a Fortress Master would put his own clan at risk for a woman he’s meeting for the first time?”

“And besides, this man’s martial skill is unfathomable. When we were hiding up on the rafters earlier, he must have sensed us—he simply chose not to expose it.”

Feng Jiu’er suspected that at the very least, Zhao Yusheng’s presence couldn’t have escaped that Fortress Master’s notice.

“Let’s go.” She composed herself, stood, and turned to look at the other two. “Let’s go speak with Mother first and give her some instructions—we should be on our way too.”

“As for savoring the tea, there’ll be time enough for that once we’re back on our own ground.”

“All right.” Qiao Mu stood up as well. “No matter what, we won’t fall into the hands of a man like that. Let’s go.”

Jian Yi watched the two women leave and rose to his feet as well.

“Jiu’er.” He called out softly.

Feng Jiu’er stopped and turned to look at him.

“What is it?”

Looking at Jian Yi’s unexpectedly endearing expression, she couldn’t help wanting to laugh, but seeing how serious he was, she had to suppress her smile.

Jian Yi blinked and said quietly, “I’ll… do my best to control myself.”

“Not ‘do your best’—you must!” Feng Jiu’er glared at him with some severity.

Suddenly, sensing a familiar presence drawing near, she turned her head toward the door, brow lightly furrowed.

“No one can make me, Feng Jiu’er, compromise myself—let alone the Fortress Master of some mountain stronghold.”

After that low remark, Feng Jiu’er’s lips curved up slightly, and she stepped forward.

Before opening the door, Qiao Mu glanced back as well.

Feng Jiu’er gave her a smile, and Qiao Mu turned and pulled open the heavy door.

Sure enough, the tall, broad, and stout Fortress Master appeared before them once again.

“Fortress Master, why have you come in person?” Feng Jiu’er smiled faintly and stepped forward to greet him.

But she stopped at a distance of about a few feet from him.

In the blink of an eye, Jian Yi and Qiao Mu had once again taken their places flanking her, just as before.

“It’s nothing, I simply happened to have some free time,” the Fortress Master said, still beaming. “I heard Miss Feng couldn’t wait to look around my territory, so I came.”

“Does the Fortress Master mean to personally show me around?” Feng Jiu’er asked, lips curving in a faint smile.

But anyone could see that her smile didn’t quite match her age.

“Indeed!” The Fortress Master, unbothered, waved a hand. “Miss Feng, please, this way!”

“All right.” Feng Jiu’er nodded and stepped forward to follow. “Qiao Mu, didn’t you have something to arrange? Go on, and come back quickly.”

“Yes.” Qiao Mu bowed with clasped hands and strode off.

The Fortress Master led the way, with Jian Yi walking beside Feng Jiu’er; behind the three of them were only two sword-bearing brothers, and no one else.

The group left the stone caves and came out onto an open stretch of flat ground.

On the grass were horses, stables, and archery targets—clearly a place for raising horses and practicing archery.

Seeing the Fortress Master, everyone stopped what they were doing and bowed in greeting.

The Fortress Master occasionally waved a hand back, every bit the affable leader.

“Miss Feng, there is one thing I truly cannot understand,” the Fortress Master said after they had walked a while, turning his head toward the woman beside him.

“Please, go ahead.” Feng Jiu’er looked off toward the distant mountains, answering somewhat absently.

The Fortress Master didn’t seem the least bit offended by Feng Jiu’er’s casualness.

He smiled slightly and said softly, “Miss Feng, did you truly come here simply to look at the surroundings of my Southern Barbarian Fortress?”

Feng Jiu’er had already known he would ask this. She pulled her gaze back from the distance and looked at him.

“If that answer isn’t enough to convince the Fortress Master, then I have no other answer to give.”

“Without an answer, would the Fortress Master still be willing to let me stay and look around?”

The Fortress Master held her gaze for a long moment, then suddenly burst into laughter.

“Interesting, how interesting! This Jia has never met such an interesting woman before—and one so strikingly beautiful at that.”

After his laughter died down, his eyes returned once more to Feng Jiu’er.

“Since I’ve already agreed to let you stay, then stay you shall. However long you like, I won’t mind in the least.”

“What could matter more than the company of a beauty? Hahaha…” Across the grassland, the Fortress Master’s hearty yet faintly sinister laughter rang out.

Feng Jiu’er had no intention of paying him any mind, her gaze continuing to drift across her surroundings.

That stretch of mountains and its outline had long since been etched into her memory—she was certain she would recognize it the moment she encountered it again.