Zhao Yusheng was stopped in his tracks by Feng Jiu’er’s question.

But he quickly brushed it aside: “Trying to coax me into accompanying you to find someone among the Feng Clan? I’d advise you to give up that idea entirely.”

He sat down in the chair and fixed his gaze on her. “They deceived you. Did you actually believe that after marrying me, I would go along with you and leave the stronghold?”

“Your martial arts are ordinary. Your wits are ordinary. What use would you be to me if you came along?”

Feng Jiu’er received every word of this with complete indifference, and when she replied, her tone was even one of contempt.

Zhao Yusheng was about to fire back when Jiu’er spoke in a calm, unhurried voice: “The Feng Clan is an extraordinarily dangerous place. Someone like you — undisciplined and incapable of taking direction — would go there only to drag the others down. You would be of no use whatsoever.”

“What nonsense are you spouting? I would drag people down?”

Zhao Yusheng was so furious his face had gone green. She was a little girl without even the slightest martial skill — and she dared speak to him in that tone?

Jiu’er could not be bothered to argue with him. She sat on the bed, tilted her head, and looked up at the ceiling above.

Then she lowered her gaze and fixed it on Zhan Yuheng.

“I hear you’ve been to Phoenix City?”

Zhao Yusheng glanced at her indifferently. “And what of it?”

“I’ve just come from Phoenix City.”

“Someone from Bei Mu?” A shadow of something murky flickered through Zhao Yusheng’s eyes.

Feng Jiu’er studied his face for a long moment before finally speaking: “And if I said yes — what would you do?”

“Nothing in particular.” Some things had already passed many years ago, and Bei Mu had long since changed hands under a new dynasty. What had happened back then had no real connection to the name Bei Mu anymore.

Jiu’er watched his face with careful attention. Only after a prolonged look, when she saw no hatred in his eyes, did she release a quiet breath.

“Truthfully — staying here all this time, do you truly not feel a single moment of regret?”

He said nothing. Feng Jiu’er continued: “Have you never thought of leading your brothers out of this place and guiding them toward a better life?”

“The mountain ranges in this area are thick with strongholds, and ours is the most stable of them all. Do you think our brothers are not living well enough already?”

She simply did not understand the situation. The people of other strongholds were constantly brawling with one another, all of it over territorial disputes. Women were frequently seized; men were frequently killed. Every account was a bloody tragedy.

Their own stronghold, on the other hand, because of the peculiar nature of the stone forest, faced only occasional provocations from rival strongholds — never anything too frequent.

By any measure, the Zhao Family Stronghold enjoyed the most stable existence of all the strongholds in the area.

And yet Feng Jiu’er remained unconvinced: “Do you truly believe that living in stability is enough?”

Zhao Yusheng said nothing. Speaking of such things to a woman was no better than playing music to an ox.

What could a young woman understand of a man’s ambitions?

Everything she was saying was simply a ploy to persuade him to let her go.

He had not originally planned to keep her here permanently, but now that the wedding rites had been performed and the marriage was complete, he needed to think about the future.

Thinking about what lay ahead only made Zhao Yusheng feel more and more burdened.

For no good reason at all, a wife had suddenly appeared at his side. How utterly pointless.

But the vows before heaven had been spoken, and she was his burden now.

Truly — what a nuisance.

“You seem quite dismissive of talking through any of this with me.”

Feng Jiu’er looked up at the ceiling again before pulling her gaze back to him.

“Since you’ve been to Phoenix City, you must know how vibrant it is there — how full the lives of ordinary people are.”

“Yet look at this place. People can scrape by, yes, but when the seasons turn harsh, hunger becomes a constant companion.”

“How can you…” Zhao Yusheng faltered. How could she know that?

After all, this was currently the most favorable season — everyone had been eating reasonably well of late.

“Take one look at the brothers in this stronghold and it’s obvious — most of them are gaunt and sallow. Anyone can see they go from full stomachs to empty ones.”

“That’s simply how life is up in the mountains. The other strongholds have it worse.”

“Why must you always compare yourselves to those worse off? Think of it this way — why compare yourselves to other strongholds at all? Must you truly resign yourselves, for the rest of your lives, to the title of ‘mountain bandits’?”

Zhao Yusheng glared fiercely at her. “You think we wanted to become bandits?”

“If you don’t want to be bandits, why not pledge yourselves to the master of Phoenix City?”

“What did you say?” Feng Jiu’er’s words made Zhao Yusheng’s eyes instantly flood red.

He crossed the room in a single stride and seized her by the throat. “Say that again!”

On the roof above, it seemed as though a wind had passed through.

Jiu’er glanced upward and gave a slight shake of her head.

Mu Mu had arrived. Yes — she had sensed his presence when she had been tidying up the pastries.

Just a moment ago she had been worrying, wondering when she and Mu Mu would find each other again after he and Jian Yi had become separated from the group.

And yet — there he was already.

But it was not yet the right moment to act, so Jiu’er blinked her eyes deliberately to signal him not to come down.

The grip Zhao Yusheng had around her throat was not actually very firm. One look made it clear he had no true intention of killing her.

He was only trying to frighten her.

“Why can’t I say it? What is it that can’t be said?” She blinked, looking entirely unafraid. “The words ‘pledge yourselves’?”

“If you don’t want to die, shut your mouth!” Zhao Yusheng instinctively tightened his fingers.

So it was indeed those words.

Feng Jiu’er looked down at his hand. He was trying to frighten her, and he was not even being convincing about it.

His fingers had tightened, yes — but she could still breathe normally. What kind of threat was this supposed to be?

And so, with even less regard for her own safety than before, she pressed on: “Zhao Yusheng — that name is rather unusual, is it not? Zhao Yu, Zhao Yu — you are the son of Zhao Yu’s legacy, a descendant of Zhao Yu.”

“You… are you trying to get yourself killed?” Zhao Yusheng was seized by alarm.

The phrase ‘descendant of Zhao Yu’ was a forbidden utterance in this place — it could not be spoken aloud.

Not only did this wild girl dare to say it, she said it with complete openness and clarity. Was she truly not afraid that he would fly into a rage and choke the life out of her on the spot?

“I have no desire to die, obviously. It is you who seems to want to kill me.”

“Then close your mouth.”

“I know the master of Phoenix City — that great figure you have long admired. The Warshen Ninth Prince, Zhan Qingcheng.”

“You…” Feng Jiu’er’s words bore absolutely no connection to what they had just been discussing, and Zhao Yusheng was left completely at a loss.

Her thinking leapt too fast — it was enough to drive him mad, and his mind simply could not keep up.

“It’s true. I know the Ninth Prince, and quite well at that.”

Jiu’er smiled at him and laid her hand over his at his wrist, gently pushing away the hand that gripped her throat.

“You are a kind person, really. You wouldn’t truly harm a woman who couldn’t even wring a chicken’s neck — would you?”

“Care to test that?” She wanted to provoke him?

“Never mind. Let’s not. Let’s speak of something serious.”

Feng Jiu’er drew a calm breath before looking at him again. “You admire the Ninth Prince greatly — don’t you?”

It was his mother who had mentioned it — that he had visited Phoenix City and had a hero he deeply admired.

She had only been guessing, really. The most towering figure in Phoenix City could only be the Ninth Imperial Uncle.

She had not expected to guess correctly on the first try.