Learning that Qin Huaiyuan was still alive, Cao Yuqing’s violent mindset suddenly became peaceful, like red-hot iron being plunged into cold water. All her anger extinguished at once – the sky turned blue, the world regained its colors, and even the scent of burning paper money in the air no longer made her feel suffocated.

Cao Yuqing’s eyes filled with spirit again, making Qin Yining feel she was once more filled with hope.

“Tell me, what do you need my help with?”

Qin Yining smiled and took Cao Yuqing’s hand: “Aunt Cao, I’m entrusting Steward Zhong’s safety to you. Although I’ve left people beside Steward Zhong, having you follow him gives me more peace of mind. All my wealth and finances are managed by Steward Zhong. Both the Prince’s mansion and Qin family going south are counting on Steward Zhong’s money – the old gentleman is too important. Can you help with this?”

Cao Yuqing looked at Qin Yining hesitantly, involuntarily glancing toward the noisy mourning hall: “This is a small matter, but I’m still worried about you.”

Qin Yining smiled: “Young Master Mu was arranged by the Prince to protect me. Moreover, you know my plan – having too many people staying would actually be unfavorable for implementing the plan. This really is the most appropriate arrangement.”

Cao Yuqing hesitantly bit her lower lip: “Alright, I’ll listen to you. However, after I escort Steward Zhong, I want to make a trip to Xiyue. With him in a strange place, I can’t feel at ease.”

Qin Yining nodded: “Aunt Cao’s actions are free – I naturally won’t obstruct you. But going to Xiyue requires crossing the desert, and it’s dangerous without a guide. When the time comes, you should still contact the Azure Sky Alliance people to see if you can use tracking insects – that would put minds at ease.”

“Good, don’t worry.” Cao Yuqing smiled through her tears.

Qin Yining also nodded with a smile. The oppressive melancholy that had accumulated in her heart for days finally dispersed, as if this one piece of good news could erase all the setbacks she had endured.

Cao Yuqing also quietly left to escort Steward Zhong.

At this point, what remained in the entire Qin mansion, besides Qin Yining and Mu Jinghu, along with some servants they didn’t plan to take south who would return to their homes after they left, were all temporarily hired “idle gangs” to fill out the proceedings.

The next day, Qin Yining went to cry before the altar again, then brought two old nannies to find the leader of the idle gang.

“Tomorrow is the proper day for the coffin escort. I’m afraid the scene won’t be lively enough, and this time going south, I also need to transport quite a bit of luggage and need manpower. Can you see about hiring some more people to help?”

This man was named Bao Hu. He appeared to be around forty, with a stocky build and hunched back – looking like an honest farmer, but he was actually the chief of Phoenix Mountain, known in the martial world as Second Master Bao.

Facing Qin Yining’s delicate face that had just been crying and appeared even more pitifully charming, Bao Hu was dizzy with infatuation. If not for thinking about this urgent collaboration between nearly a hundred brothers from two nearby strongholds to do this business, he would have already taken this beauty back to be his mountain wife.

Planning that he would definitely win the beauty in the end, Bao Hu was extremely patient, smiling honestly and nodding repeatedly: “The employer need not worry. Leave this matter to me. I guarantee tomorrow’s affair will be magnificent and lively, definitely not letting anyone look down on us.”

Qin Yining nodded: “That’s good. Don’t worry – when the time comes, everyone’s reward money won’t be lacking.”

“Oh my, then I thank the employer on behalf of the brothers.”

Qin Yining wiped her tears with a handkerchief, nodded casually, then turned and walked toward the moon gate.

Bao Hu watched the direction Qin Yining left, slowly straightening his constantly hunched back. The corner of his mouth raised in a mocking yet confident smile. He turned back to instruct the crowd helping with the mourning: “Brothers, the employer says to perform well and be lively – don’t lose face. Everyone cry louder!”

With this instruction, the front courtyard, which was already thunderously loud with crying, became even more earth-shaking.

Qin Yining arranged for the remaining servants in the mansion to pack the luggage and trunks, then quietly instructed them: “After we leave tomorrow, everyone can disperse. When we return to the capital, I’ll contact you all again. Thank you all for your hard work at the Qin family during this time.”

“Not hard at all. The masters treated us extremely well. With such things happening, no one could help it.”

“Yes, Princess, if you have any instructions after returning, just seek us out again.”

The servants spoke in a babble of voices, finally all bowing to Qin Yining together.

Qin Yining returned their bows, gave each reward money, and dismissed them.

Early in the morning, when the sky was still dark, the area in front of the Qin mansion became lively.

Although these bandits had done every evil deed, they had been deceiving people with this method for a long time, so the ceremony was conducted magnificently – they had even prepared a yin-yang master in advance.

But Qin Yining was somewhat anxious at this moment.

Because after getting up today, she couldn’t find Mu Jinghu!

The auspicious time had arrived and couldn’t wait. The procession was about to set off immediately. She couldn’t possibly halt the entire ceremony to wait for Mu Jinghu alone. But everyone around were bandits – if Mu Jinghu wasn’t by her side, she didn’t know what to do.

This sudden development truly caught Qin Yining off guard. Having sent everyone away, she didn’t even have anyone to consult with.

“This is the pot the master used over there. The employer should use as much strength as possible and break it thoroughly, otherwise it won’t be convenient for the master to carry below.” Since Qin Huaiyuan only had Qin Yining as his daughter and his son-in-law wasn’t beside him, Qin Yining also had to break the mourning bowl.

Qin Yining suppressed her anxious emotions. With an unpleasant expression, she followed the yin-yang master’s instructions, kneeling before the hearse and raising high the tile bowl used for burning paper money these days, then smashing it hard on the ground.

A crisp sound rang out as the tile bowl shattered completely, startling the yin-yang master, Bao Hu, and the crowd.

They hadn’t expected a woman to have such great strength.

Bao Hu waved his hands as a reminder while crying out loudly. The coffin escort procession once again cried like a tsunami, setting off livelily.

Bao Hu said to Qin Yining: “Employer, please board the carriage. We’re leaving now.”

Qin Yining wiped the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief soaked in ginger juice, immediately causing tears to stream down. She nodded weakly and slowly walked toward the carriage, while her peripheral vision searched everywhere.

Where was Mu Jinghu? Why hadn’t Mu Jinghu come yet!

No matter how much she delayed, she ultimately had to board the carriage. This matter had reached the point of no return.

Qin Yining’s carriage was in the middle of the entire convoy, with carts carrying trunks both in front and behind. Bao Hu’s people, having been hired, naturally surrounded the entire procession from left, right, front, and back.

A clever fellow discovered that the Qin mansion’s servants hadn’t followed and reported to Bao Hu: “Second Master, this family is a bit strange. That delicate lady doesn’t have a single maid or old woman beside her, and none of the mansion’s servants are here today.”

Bao Hu led his horse walking at the rear of the procession. He looked back at the Qin mansion with its gates closed: “Don’t worry about them. How much money could a bunch of servants have? Just look at how many carriages are in this procession! This dead Master Qin used to be Minister of Revenue and served as an official for many years in Great Yan. Now that he’s dead and his family is returning to their hometown, naturally they’re taking all their wealth with them. If we brothers can take these things back, this trip won’t be in vain.”

“But there might still be treasures in that house.”

“Damn it, are you stupid? Are you stupid? Can’t you tell which is the watermelon and which is the sesame seed! Besides, where is this? This is the capital! Could we really rob by force? Do you want to go to prison?”

Bao Hu glared with round eyes. If not for fearing exposure, he would have slapped the man long ago.

“Yes, yes, yes, Second Master is right. I was thinking wrongly.”

…

Qin Yining looked out through the carriage window gap – now there were bandits on all sides.

If Mu Jinghu were right beside her, Qin Yining certainly wouldn’t be nervous at all. But Mu Jinghu had suddenly disappeared.

The most important element of Qin Yining’s plan to evacuate her family was based on Mu Jinghu following to protect her and taking her away in critical moments. Whether the bandits struck first or the Qiu family or Li Qitian’s people struck first, as long as Mu Jinghu was there, she could escape unharmed.

What should she do now?

Qin Yining looked left and right, then felt around under the seat. This carriage didn’t even have a handy weapon. If Mu Jinghu couldn’t arrive in time and she wanted to protect herself, would she really have to rely on hairpins?

Qin Yining took several deep breaths, touching the small paper packet Bingtang had given her in her sleeve pocket before calming down.

Outside the carriage was still lively. The mighty coffin escort procession hadn’t left the city yet. These bandits probably weren’t crazy – they wouldn’t act within the capital’s territory. If they were going to act, they would go farther away to some desolate wilderness. On the other hand, if the Qiu family or Li Qitian’s people wanted to ambush them, they would definitely choose a place away from the capital with few people around.

So for now, she was still safe.

After several more deep breaths, Qin Yining completely calmed down. She didn’t know if Mu Jinghu had betrayed Pang Xiao. Things had reached this point – it wasn’t time to assign blame. Her urgent priority was to find a way to protect herself. There were about a hundred people in the coffin escort around her – how could she escape under so many watchful eyes before they acted?

Qin Yining closed her eyes, her mind spinning rapidly.

Precisely because Qin Yining had closed her eyes, she didn’t see that among the people watching the excitement along the route as the carriage left the city, there were several groups of familiar faces.

Tianji Zi wore a deep blue Taoist robe with a round cap on his head, hands behind his plump back, smiling as he watched the Qin family’s coffin escort procession walk away. Only then did he say to Mu Jinghu beside him: “What, you’re not at ease?”

“Master Uncle, I’m really not at ease. Why don’t you let me escort her back? I’ll hand her over to Pang Zhixi and immediately return to find you.”

“Mm. That’s fine too.” Tianji Zi clicked his tongue: “When the time comes, buy more paper money to burn for this old man, lest I be impoverished and destitute down below.”

Mu Jinghu was choked speechless.

Tianji Zi walked toward their lodging with hands behind his back: “I calculated that I have a death calamity today. Usually you go wherever you want – when have I ever stopped you? Forget it, forget it. If you don’t want to stay here protecting me, naturally I won’t stop you either. Just go – just remember to burn paper money for me later.”