Seeing the peach wood axe, Grand Marshal Luo’s eyes suddenly contracted.

Luo Sheng placed the peach wood axe on the desk and asked Grand Marshal Luo: “Father, the matter you went to investigate earlier—have you made any progress?”

Grand Marshal Luo’s first instinct was to conceal it, but meeting the young woman’s calm, profound gaze, he changed his mind.

He couldn’t treat Sheng’er completely as a child anymore.

This matter was something Sheng’er had experienced herself, and it was because of her that he’d investigated it. With progress made, there was no need to hide it from her.

“Currently, I’ve traced the peach wood axe to being an identifying token of a mysterious organization. Other details are still under investigation.”

“An assassin organization?”

Grand Marshal Luo froze: “Sheng’er knows about it too?”

Luo Sheng smiled: “I learned it from questioning the person who abducted Xiao Qi. He said he was once an assassin, but eight years ago he was injured during a mission and left the organization.”

“If that’s the case, why did he kidnap Xiao Qi?”

“Well, he later became a stable hand at Duke Anguo’s manor. Duke Anguo’s Second Miss has always been at odds with your daughter and ordered him to kill Youjian Tavern’s head chef to create trouble for me.”

“I see.” Grand Marshal Luo’s expression turned cold.

Duke Anguo’s manor was truly remarkable. It seemed Elder Chen’s family’s ordeal wasn’t enough to serve as a warning.

Daring to create trouble for his daughter—did they really think his position as Commander of the Jinlin Guard was merely decorative?

“Father, you needn’t worry too much about this matter. Prince Kaiyang will handle it.”

Grand Marshal Luo narrowed his eyes, saying meaningfully: “I didn’t expect Prince Kaiyang to be so eager to help others.”

“He considers your daughter a friend.” Luo Sheng casually offered an explanation.

“Is that what Sheng’er thinks?” Grand Marshal Luo couldn’t help raising an eyebrow.

This didn’t make sense. Sheng’er understood how to compete for male companions at twelve or thirteen. With Prince Kaiyang being so proactive, how could she mistake him for considering her just a friend?

Luo Sheng smiled: “That’s what Prince Kaiyang said.”

Grand Marshal Luo suddenly erupted in coughing, coughing until his eyes teared up.

He could see it now—Prince Kaiyang was either especially foolish or especially cunning.

Which was it?

And regardless of which, he felt uneasy about entrusting his daughter to him.

“Father, actually Second Miss Zhu isn’t important. What your daughter wants to discuss isn’t that.”

Grand Marshal Luo took a sip of tea: “Go ahead.”

“Following the location that person revealed, we found only bloodstains but no person. Later we learned someone else had attempted to kill Xiao Qi. Fortunately, Xiao Qi was clever and escaped…”

Grand Marshal Luo listened with furrowed brows: “The person who tried to kill Xiao Qi and the person who abducted him weren’t the same group?”

And each batch was worse than the last.

The person who abducted Xiao Qi being controlled by Sheng’er was one thing—after all, Prince Kaiyang had helped. But for the person trying to kill Xiao Qi to actually let a child escape?

With that level of competence, if they were in the Jinlin Guard, they’d only be fit for scrubbing chamber pots.

Having produced the peach wood axe, Luo Sheng had no intention of concealing anything, so she nodded: “Not accomplices. The person trying to kill Xiao Qi was Fifth Brother’s subordinate.”

Grand Marshal Luo shot to his feet, unable to hide his shock.

Luo Sheng silently waited for Grand Marshal Luo to digest this fact.

Grand Marshal Luo walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, then paced back to sit down. He grabbed his teacup and took several gulps, his tone recovering its calm: “How does Sheng’er know this?”

Luo Sheng said calmly: “Several months ago, Father dispatched Fifth Brother to coordinate with local government soldiers in suppressing bandits. The bandit troubles along the route from Jinsha to the capital were resolved, but two mountain bandits escaped and eventually made their way to the capital to hide. One of those bandits was Xiao Qi…”

Grand Marshal Luo’s eyebrows twitched as he listened gravely to Luo Sheng continue.

“Perhaps it was fate—when Xiao Qi was evading the government suppression, he happened to see the person who tried to kill him today. At that time, that person was right beside Fifth Brother.”

Grand Marshal Luo clenched his fists tightly, his expression constantly shifting.

“However, there’s one point your daughter can’t understand.”

“Speak.” Grand Marshal Luo slowly exhaled these two words.

“On the journey to the capital, your daughter encountered an assassination attempt. At the time, I suspected there was a mole within the Jinlin Guard. But if this person is Fifth Brother, what benefit could he gain from something happening to me?”

Grand Marshal Luo sneered coldly: “What damned benefit? That lad was originally responsible for matters in the Jinling area. One of his duties was protecting Chen’er and your safety. If something happened to you, I’d skin him alive…”

Luo Sheng frowned: “So it’s rather strange. Could it be that the person who hired the assassins to pursue me is someone else entirely?”

Accepting money to kill, asking no grudges—assassins targeted their marks purely for money, so the ultimate purpose of investigating the assassin organization was to follow the trail to find the person who’d hired them.

Considering the matter of benefit, the likelihood of that person being Yun Dong wasn’t great.

This was also why, even after hearing those words from Xiao Qi’s mouth, she still harbored doubts.

Grand Marshal Luo remained silent for a long while, rubbing his temples: “This matter—let your father think it through carefully. Sheng’er, you’re tired too. Go back, have a bowl of bird’s nest porridge, and rest.”

“Yes.” Luo Sheng nodded.

“Oh right, where is Duke Anguo’s stable hand? Since he was once part of that assassin organization, we can use him as a breakthrough point to reveal that mysterious organization’s true face.”

Such an organization operating in the shadows, engaged in murder and arson yet consistently evading investigation, was truly troublesome.

“He’s in the hands of Prince Kaiyang’s subordinates. Prince Kaiyang said he wants to investigate.”

“Is that so?” Grand Marshal Luo had expected to feel surprised but found he wasn’t particularly shocked. “Then let’s wait for news from Prince Kaiyang.”

Since his side had made no progress, if Prince Kaiyang was willing to help, there was naturally no need to refuse.

Moreover, he’d assigned this matter to Yun Dong to investigate. Now even this lad had been implicated and become untrustworthy—many arrangements would need to be redone.

“Return to your quarters.” Grand Marshal Luo suppressed his myriad thoughts and smiled at Luo Sheng.

Luo Sheng walked out of the study and continued all the way to the moon gate entrance, where she stopped and looked back.

The study lamp still burned bright, showing every intention of continuing through the night.

Luo Sheng turned her head and crossed through the moon gate toward Xianyun Courtyard.

A slender figure stood ahead.

As Luo Sheng approached, she said with some surprise: “The night is deep and the dew heavy—why are you standing here?”

Luo Chen’s expression was somewhat grave: “You returned very late today.”

Since injuring his buttocks, Luo Chen hadn’t visited the tavern.

Actually, the injury on his rear had mostly healed by now—it was mainly that he felt embarrassed.

For a youth this age, matters adults could laugh off always seemed tremendously important.

“Some matters delayed me.”

“Did something happen?”

Luo Sheng looked at the youth, momentarily saying nothing.

“Father treats me like a child, and so do you.” Luo Chen frowned with dissatisfaction.

Luo Sheng was only two years older than him.

She came back late at night dressed for elopement, and wouldn’t let him even ask about it?

“It’s Xiao Qi—something happened to him.”

Luo Chen’s expression shifted slightly as he said stubbornly: “Don’t tell me he climbed a tree again?”

“Someone kidnapped him to threaten Xiu Gu. He was injured and is currently resting at the divine physician’s place.” Luo Sheng raised her hand and patted Luo Chen’s shoulder. “Go see Xiao Qi tomorrow.”

Luo Chen nodded with a complicated expression.

“Also, remember to read more books.”

Luo Chen watched Luo Sheng’s retreating figure somewhat bewildered.

What connection was there between reading more books and Xiao Qi being injured?