Feng Jiu’er looked up at the moonlight, letting out a faint sigh.

“Mother, don’t worry. I will definitely find Father.”

Qiao Mu looked up too, gazing at the bright moon hanging high in the sky. “Let’s keep thinking. If it really doesn’t work out, we’ll just go around the Feng clan’s territory.”

“Building an underwater city wall isn’t simple at all—I refuse to believe the entire Feng clan territory is surrounded by walls.”

“What’s more, the Feng clan still needs to interact with the outside world. A nation this large must have some place without a wall.”

“Right, I plan to search the surrounding area again.” Feng Jiu’er nodded. “Qiangu Prefecture has a ferry crossing—the Feng clan is surrounded by sea on all sides, so there must be one here too.”

“But places with ferry crossings tend to be prosperous areas, and their guards would surely be very strict.”

“Why not go back to Yue City?” Qiao Mu suddenly turned her head to look at Feng Jiu’er. “I remember the place we left from before—the terrain was quite rugged, mostly mountains.”

“A place like that has few people living there. Feng Qiongcang wouldn’t spend that much manpower and resources building an underwater wall there, would he?”

“We still can’t be certain it was Feng Qiongcang who took my father. The person was short in stature, definitely not Feng Qiongcang himself—but this matter can’t be entirely separated from him either.”

Feng Jiu’er took a deep breath, withdrew her gaze, and glanced at Qiao Mu.

“I asked Xing Zizhou. He said if we go back to Yue City’s Black Land, it would take at least ten days, and our food supplies aren’t enough.”

Qiao Mu met Feng Jiu’er’s gaze, brows furrowing slightly. “So you’d already considered this option too.”

“After all, we left from there before, so we’re relatively familiar with the place. Docking from that location wouldn’t be a bad choice.”

“Unfortunately, even though it’s only a difference of five or six days’ worth of rations, for as many brothers as we have, that’s still a fairly serious shortfall.”

“There really isn’t much time left. By the time Yu Jingfeng comes back, we’ll likely need to set out.” Feng Jiu’er looked back, her moon-shaped brows knitting slightly.

“Did Jian Yi really go ashore? That man left without saying a word.”

Feng Jiu’er felt a little anxious, patting the railing.

“I know that if I leave without him, he’ll be upset. But I have to find my father, and with Ninth Imperial Uncle there, I can’t very well bring him along too.”

“You know his temperament—once he says something, there’s no changing his mind, he doesn’t even put Ninth Imperial Uncle in his eyes.”

“Jian Yi’s internal energy isn’t a match for Ninth Imperial Uncle’s, but his swordsmanship is truly formidable. If the two of them fought every now and then, I wouldn’t have enough houses to rebuild.”

“No, once things settle down, I really must find him a wife. Once he has his own little family, he won’t feel like I’m the only family he has.”

Feng Jiu’er gripped the railing, let out a faint sigh, released her grip, and walked forward.

Qiao Mu glanced over and stepped forward to follow.

“You mean we should take all the ships along the coastline to search for an entrance?”

“If Yu Jingfeng can’t find a way, then we’ll leave, move far from the coastline, and slowly search from there.” Feng Jiu’er’s voice carried back to her.

“Worst case, we’ll just go back and dock at the city we left before. We can’t keep staying within their line of sight.”

Qiao Mu looked at the confident woman before her, and the furrow that had lingered on her brow finally smoothed out.

With Feng Jiu’er and the prince here, she truly had no need to worry.

She followed Feng Jiu’er for a good while before asking softly, “Where are we headed?”

“To help look for Jian Yi. If he doesn’t come back tonight, and we have to leave, what then?” Feng Jiu’er kept walking forward, still glancing around in every direction.

“You worry too much about this. No matter where in the world you end up, if Great Hero Jian Yi wants to find you, he will.” Qiao Mu raised an eyebrow.

“Hurry and help me look, this isn’t the time for jokes.” Feng Jiu’er murmured.

“I’m not joking. Don’t you believe in Jian Yi’s abilities?” Qiao Mu remained behind Feng Jiu’er, neither leaving nor catching up.

“That’s not the issue. If I leave him behind again this time, won’t you roast me alive over it?” Feng Jiu’er shook her head.

Feng Jiu’er left the cabin and came onto the deck, glancing left and right. “Jian Yi, where on earth have you gone?”

“Looking for me?” Suddenly, a pleasant voice sounded from above.

When Feng Jiu’er turned and looked up, she saw a striking, handsome man standing atop the ship.

In the night, though there was little light, she could still tell with certainty that the man above, his dark hair and robes stirred by the wind, was Jian Yi.

“Jian Yi, why are you up there? Didn’t they say you’d left?” Feng Jiu’er looked at him, frowning slightly.

“Come down. Don’t stand somewhere so high. From now on, if you want to go anywhere, tell me first, so I don’t…”

Before Feng Jiu’er could finish her complaint, Jian Yi—just as she said “come down”—leapt lightly and landed steadily right before her in an instant.

It was only then that Feng Jiu’er noticed Jian Yi was carrying a large cloth sack.

She looked at the sack, frowning. “What’s this?”

Jian Yi held the mouth of the sack in his hand, but his gaze stayed fixed on Feng Jiu’er.

After she asked, he lowered his head to look at the sack he’d set down on the ground.

“Today is Mid-Autumn Festival. I went to get you something to eat.”

“Something to eat?” Feng Jiu’er went over and took the sack from Jian Yi’s hands.

If he hadn’t said so, she wouldn’t have remembered it was Mid-Autumn Festival at all.

Adrift on Black Pool Lake, with no idea when they’d be able to dock, who would remember such holidays?

And yet, Jian Yi had remembered, and had even gone to bring her food.

Feng Jiu’er opened the sack and, by the moonlight, peered inside, crouching down to spread the opening wider.

“What are these boxes, one after another?”

When Xiao Yingtao heard there was food, she came running over right away.

Even Qiao Mu, usually composed, found herself drawn closer by the prospect of food.

On the night of Mid-Autumn Festival, a night that should have been full of feasting, who wouldn’t be tempted at the mention of food?

Feng Jiu’er pulled a box out of the sack, her face lighting up with delight. “Grapes?”

“There are grapes? Jian Yi brought grapes back?” Xiao Yingtao was thrilled.

She pulled the sack open too, taking out a box. “Jiu’er, these really are grapes, and they look quite fresh too.”

Qiao Mu stood off to the side, not crouching down with them.

“It’s pitch black out here—should we bring this into the cabin so we can properly see what Jian Yi brought back for Jiu’er?”

“Good idea.” Xiao Yingtao looked at Feng Jiu’er, beaming with joy, and stood up.

Feng Jiu’er put the box back into the sack and stood as well. “Jian Yi, did you bring this back from the city today?”

“Mm.” Jian Yi nodded, saying nothing more.

Feng Jiu’er smiled faintly, came up to him, reached out, and patted his shoulder.

“It was wrong of me to leave without telling you. From now on, I promise I won’t do that again. Don’t be angry with me anymore, alright?”

“Alright.” Jian Yi met her gaze and nodded earnestly.

Looking at him like this, Feng Jiu’er truly couldn’t bear to deceive him.

This man was so easy to fool—otherwise, how could she have gotten Beimu’s number one assassin to risk so much, going through such trouble just to bring her food?