Throughout the entire process, Feng Jiu’er stood beside Mao Linye.

Mao Linye showed no impatience either, personally seeing to everything before leading everyone back to the main hall.

As they walked back, the white decorations around the estate were being taken down, and everything was returning to normal.

The change came as quickly as it went — as if losing one person was really no great matter.

Then again, the person they’d lost was a thoroughly wicked man; by rights, firecrackers should have been set off in celebration — what was there to mourn?

Back in the main hall, Mao Zhongcai’s family began arguing, growing more heated by the moment.

Mao Linye still repeated the same thing — that he hadn’t killed him, and that if they kept making a scene, they would only be playing into the hands of whoever had actually killed their father.

Eventually, led by Liao Mushan, the group split up and took seats on either side of the hall.

Those with a decent appetite began drinking tea and eating pastries and fruit.

Only those seated closest to the back kept staring fixedly at Mao Linye.

“Things have come to this point — there’s no point in arguing further,” said Liao Mushan, still the one speaking.

Feng Jiu’er had already seen it clearly: now that Mao Zhongcai was gone, the right to speak in this family had fallen to Liao Mushan.

The Mao family clearly still had two young masters, both grown men, yet the right to speak rested in the hands of a man with a different surname — rather pitiable indeed!

“Uncle,” Liao Mushan said softly, “tell us your plan.”

Liao Mushan’s use of “uncle” caught everyone present off guard.

Did this mean they had all stopped arguing and now trusted Mao Linye?

Those dozen-odd pairs of eyes, utterly lacking any opinion of their own, looked almost ironic in that moment.

Mao Linye looked at Liao Mushan, raising an eyebrow slightly.

“Reorganizing the Mao family army and repelling the invading forces is the most urgent matter.”

“Before that, I am the city lord of Plains City. Does anyone here have an objection?”

“By the way…” Just as the people in the hall were about to speak, Mao Linye’s voice rose again.

“I spread this news yesterday. I’m telling you now, not asking for your opinion.”

“Mao Yi, Mao Gang, Mao Lin.” He glanced at the three siblings in turn.

“Uncle has no son, not even a daughter. What ulterior motive could I possibly have?”

“If I really wanted to kill your father, I wouldn’t have waited until now, would I?”

“Your father and I already had an understanding — all I want is my Fenggang Town. I have little interest in anywhere else.”

“If you trust me, I’ll take charge of arranging what comes next.”

There was no denying it — Mao Linye’s words had the three Mao siblings completely at his mercy.

It was true that their uncle had no children. Plains City belonged to the Mao family, and behind closed doors, they were still one family.

Moreover, with their only support now gone, they had long since lost any sense of direction.

“Let’s… let’s listen to uncle,” the eldest, Mao Yi, said, turning to look at Liao Mushan.

The second brother, Mao Gang, looked at his elder brother, then at Liao Mushan, and nodded as well. “Since uncle has said so, we trust you.”

“Uncle, please make the arrangements,” said Liao Mushan’s wife, Mao Lin, looking at Mao Linye and nodding slightly.

Feng Jiu’er had thought there might be more conflict here today that could help her cause, but she hadn’t expected these people to compromise so quickly.

Had she come here for nothing?

“Good.” Mao Linye nodded, satisfied.

“I won’t hide it from you — on the day your father was killed, the token he carried was also stolen.”

“Right now, the Mao family army isn’t willing to follow my command. Your arrival is timely.”

“What I mean is, we should launch a counterattack immediately. With my forces combined with the Mao family army, our chances of repelling the enemy are still good.”

“Of course, if I didn’t care and simply left with my own people, I wouldn’t worry about finding somewhere else to settle.”

“But you are the descendants of the Mao family. With my second brother gone, I can’t just turn a blind eye.”

As Mao Linye spoke, the mood of those below shifted from anger, to calm, to gratitude.

Such a change of face was faster than the weather itself!

“Uncle, you’re saying father’s city lord token is lost?” Mao Lin’s brow furrowed tightly.

“Mm.” Mao Linye nodded after a moment’s thought.

“Then what do we do?” Mao Lin grew even more anxious. “When grandfather was alive, he said — to see the token is to see the city lord.”

“Grandfather said that if father couldn’t even protect the token, he had no right to be city lord, so…”

“If the token falls into enemy hands, whoever holds it and stands before the Mao family army becomes the city lord.”

Feng Jiu’er raised an eyebrow slightly, not expecting the token to carry so much weight.

She wondered what plans Ninth Imperial Uncle had by now, and how the battle preparations were coming along.

“I know about this matter,” Mao Linye said, nodding.

“That’s exactly why we must first stabilize morale.”

“Winning over the generals’ loyalty matters more than anything else — understand?”

“These generals simply won’t listen to us,” the eldest, Mao Yi, was the first to lose his nerve.

“Elder brother is right,” the second brother, Mao Gang, added, lowering his head.

The son-in-law, Liao Mushan, suddenly slammed his hand on the table. “If you won’t go, I will.”

“With the token missing now, we have no choice but to gamble everything. Who knows when the enemy might break through.”

“Bad news, bad news,” a soldier came running in from outside.

“City lord, the enemy is attacking — our western defenses are about to be breached.”

“City lord, General Mao says the enemy soldiers stationed there were only pretending to be poisoned — they were never actually poisoned.”

“City lord, they may have already broken through our defenses. What should we do now?”

“Let’s go.” Mao Linye stood up. “Deploy the troops immediately!”

“Right.” Liao Mushan also stood.

Then Mao Zhongcai’s family members all stood as well.

Feng Jiu’er did not stay behind — she had been waiting all along, waiting for Mao Linye to grow desperate enough to act rashly.

The secret formula for the dark medicine mattered so much to him that once he grew anxious, he would surely try to retrieve it.

The attack on Fenggang Town was being led by Ninth Imperial Uncle and Third Brother; her own task was to destroy the dark medicine, so it could never harm the common people again.

As battle was about to break out, Mao Linye paid Feng Jiu’er no mind, so she followed him closely no matter what.

Not only her — even Qiao Mu and Gong Xinyue followed along as well.

Mao Linye did not go to the front lines; he stayed occupied arranging tasks.

Feng Jiu’er followed him, and he made no effort to avoid her presence.

Half a day passed quickly, and early the next morning, the troops personally led by Di Wu Ya had occupied half of Fenggang Town’s territory.

Mao Linye led his own forces in retreat, back to where the Mao family army was stationed.

At dawn, Mao Linye summoned Mao Yi, Mao Gang, Mao Lin, and Liao Mushan, along with several generals of the Mao family army.

The group sat on the open grass, discussing plans.

Unexpectedly, a large group of soldiers suddenly poured in from outside.

In the blink of an eye, several thousand soldiers had surrounded the place completely.

Mao Gang and Mao Yi were so frightened they collapsed to the ground; only Mao Linye and Liao Mushan managed to remain composed and standing.

—