Feng Jiu’er, Qiao Mu, and Jian Yi followed the Fortress Master past a row of stone caves before finally stopping at one of them.

“Miss Feng, this is one of my residences—I rarely stay here normally. Take a look and see if it suits you.”

The Fortress Master looked at Feng Jiu’er, smile brimming, and waved a hand.

“If you like it, I’ll have people bring in everyday necessities for you.”

Feng Jiu’er merely glanced inside before turning back and nodding. “There’s no need for such ceremony, Fortress Master—whatever you’ve chosen, I’m sure I’ll be satisfied with it.”

“A woman of such national beauty as Miss Feng cannot be treated carelessly. This Jia shall now—”

Before the Fortress Master could finish speaking, Jian Yi took Feng Jiu’er’s hand and led her inside.

“Miss Feng.” The Fortress Master reached out a hand, his voice suddenly shifting in tone.

“My apologies, Fortress Master! My elder brother is just like this—he’s been taught since childhood not to speak too much with strangers.”

Feng Jiu’er tried to shake free of Jian Yi’s grip but found herself unable to. Not wanting to upset him, she simply let him lead her inside.

“Fortress Master, if you have other matters to attend to, please go ahead—when I come out later, I’ll be sure to seek your guidance first.”

Qiao Mu glanced between Jian Yi and Feng Jiu’er, then turned back and bowed with clasped hands.

“Farewell!”

It was no wonder Jian Yi was upset—this Fortress Master kept eyeing Jiu’er with that leering look, and Jian Yi had already reached his limit just holding back this long.

Just as the Fortress Master seemed about to ask something, Qiao Mu stepped into the cave and shut the heavy door firmly behind her.

This entire row of dwellings consisted of individual stone caves; once the door was closed, it nearly sealed out every sound from outside.

Feng Jiu’er glanced back, let out a sigh, and pulled her hand free from Jian Yi’s grip.

“Jian Yi, what was that about?”

Jian Yi reached up with one hand, tore off the black cloth covering his face, and looked at Feng Jiu’er coldly.

Feng Jiu’er shot him a glance, then turned her attention elsewhere.

She looked around the room for a while, then walked over and touched the stone walls, nodding. “Qiao Mu, this place isn’t bad.”

“Living in a room like this, it must stay cool in summer and warm in winter.”

“It’s not as if we’re staying here permanently—what does it matter which place we live in?” Jian Yi gave a cold snort and sat down on a stone stool by the stone table.

Feng Jiu’er walked a circle around the chamber, then came back to Jian Yi’s side.

“Jian Yi, what’s really going on with you? People are willing to let us stay, and you can’t even manage a decent expression about it?”

She reached out, touching the remaining scars on Jian Yi’s face, and pulled a jar of ointment from her sleeve.

“Your wound is healing faster than I expected—with a skilled personal physician like me tending to you, you should be grateful.”

Feng Jiu’er squeezed out some of the ointment, dabbed a bit with her long finger, and carefully applied it to Jian Yi’s face, gently massaging it in.

Under her care, Jian Yi’s breathing gradually softened, losing the coldness from before.

“Jiu’er, you can’t really blame Jian Yi for this—that so-called Fortress Master was practically drooling looking at you. I’ve wanted to punch him for a while now too.”

As Qiao Mu spoke, she was still inspecting the room, checking the surroundings.

After knocking on several walls, she walked into the inner chamber.

A while later, when Qiao Mu came back out, Feng Jiu’er had already finished applying the ointment to Jian Yi.

“How is it?” Feng Jiu’er asked, looking at her.

“No hidden passages, no secret compartments. That’s a relief.”

No sooner had Qiao Mu finished speaking than a knock sounded from outside. Qiao Mu raised an eyebrow and walked over to answer it.

“Who is it?”

“Miss Feng, greetings! I’m a servant sent by the Fortress Master to attend to all of you. May I come in?” a woman’s voice called from outside.

Qiao Mu reached out and pulled the door open.

The woman standing outside bowed to Qiao Mu, her movements very much like those of a palace maid.

“The Fortress Master has ordered me to bring in some bedding. May I ask if it’s convenient now?” the woman asked softly, looking up at Qiao Mu.

“Come in.” Qiao Mu tossed off the words and turned back inside.

Outside the door, several women filed in one after another, carrying bedding and various other daily necessities in their hands.

Everything one could need, they had brought.

One woman entered carrying a tray and set it down on the stone table beside Feng Jiu’er.

The servant from before, along with this woman, took the pastries and tea from the tray and poured three cups of tea.

The servant approached Feng Jiu’er, bowed, and said, “Miss Feng, the Fortress Master says there are only two rooms here, while there are three of you.”

“He has already had a nearby chamber cleared out for this young master to stay in.”

“No need.” Before Jian Yi could speak, Feng Jiu’er’s voice rang out first.

If Jian Yi spoke now, whatever came out of his mouth was bound to be shocking—Feng Jiu’er still felt it best to keep him from talking as much as possible.

Feng Jiu’er glanced once at the two inner room doors, then pulled her gaze back and said evenly, “Qiao Mu and I will share one room, and my elder brother can take the other.”

“This…” the servant looked troubled.

Feng Jiu’er stood and waved a hand.

“You needn’t wait on us here either. We haven’t come for leisure—we’re about to head out and look around.”

“If the Fortress Master needs to send people to watch over us, he can send them now.”

The servant seemed about to say something, but in the end only bowed. “Yes, Miss Feng.”

With that, the servant waved a hand, and all the women who had entered followed her out.

Once the last person had closed the door behind them, Qiao Mu turned and looked at Feng Jiu’er.

“Jiu’er, do you think this Fortress Master really intends to let us stay in good faith?”

Feng Jiu’er sat back down, picked up a silver needle, and tested the pastries and tea on the table for poison before lifting a cup and drinking it down in one go.

“Of course not.”

She set the words aside, poured another cup of tea, and rinsed the chopsticks beside her in it.

Qiao Mu watched Feng Jiu’er place the silver needle into the tea used to rinse the chopsticks, then sat down beside her.

“You think this Fortress Master is no simple character?” Otherwise, Jiu’er wouldn’t be so cautious.

“Not ‘think’—certain.” Feng Jiu’er picked up a piece of pastry and put it in her mouth. “After being tossed about all night, I’m starving.”

“Go ahead and eat too, there’s no poison in this.”

Seeing that Jian Yi still wore a dark expression, Feng Jiu’er grabbed a piece of fruit and tossed it straight at him.

The distance between them was short and Feng Jiu’er’s throw was fast, but Jian Yi still caught the flying fruit with ease.

He didn’t even glance at the fruit, his gaze still fixed on Feng Jiu’er. “Why did you say I’m your elder brother?”

“What did you want me to say?” Feng Jiu’er swallowed the pastry in her mouth. “Brother-in-law?”

“That’s right—I should have said brother-in-law just now. Brother-in-law and elder sister share a room, and I take one alone—that arrangement would actually make sense.”

“Brother-in-law my foot!” Qiao Mu walked over and rapped Feng Jiu’er on the head.

“At a time like this, must you two keep bickering? Hurry and eat your fill, we have real business to attend to.”

“Such a huge place, and it’s just the three of us—who knows how many years it’ll take to find anything?”