An elderly man was seated on an ironwood chair ahead, garbed in a navy blue silk robe. This should be Ye Wencheng, the head of the Ye family—one of the Twelve Great Families—and the Marquis of Jing. Xiuying had met him before, but had rarely spoken with him. His curious gaze lingered on her mask, and the slight change in his expression suggested that he was familiar with that certain tribe. He gave a small nod to the two guards at her side, who then retreated in silence.

Xiuying clasped her hands in front of her and bowed. "Greetings to Old Marquis Jing."

"Are you the hunter who saved my granddaughter?" Wencheng asked.

"Yes," Xiuying answered.

Yunxi raised her head and looked at Xiuying as if finally realizing that she was there. Her mother turned abruptly, looking at Xiuying with gratitude and tears shining in her eyes. The father's features seemed composed, but his eyes had a touch of admiration and respect as he looked at her. Xiuying stifled the urge to smile. The parents seemed to dote on Yunxi, which made gaining their trust as easy as saving their daughter.

Wencheng held up a hand, forbearing any of them from moving from their spot. Xiuying fought the twitching in her lips as her gaze landed on the only servant in the room. Thankfully, the servant couldn't see the face behind her mask.

How amusing that the assassin, the victim, and the culprit were all in the same room, and only Xiuying was aware of it.

Wencheng was silent for a moment as he studied her. "You must be from the Shadow Mask Tribe. I know of your tribe. You are skilled and valiant hunters who are not afraid to venture into deep forests and face any beast. No wonder you were so bold and strong to take on an assassin."

Xiuying presented her most humble smile. "Old Marquis thinks too highly of me."

"However, I must ask you this," Wencheng continued, his expression turning serious. "Why did you save my granddaughter? I know it's wrong of me to doubt you when I should be grateful for protecting Xi'er from such harm. But as the head of this family, I must be careful and vigilant against outsiders. I can't put my residence in any further danger."

As expected from the Old Marquis, he was sharp and perceptive. But Xiuying came prepared.

"I'm just a lowly hunter who happened to witness an assassination attempt," Xiuying started in a calm and polite voice, head still bowed. "I am not without conscience to stand by and watch a lady get slain without doing something. I understand Old Marquis's doubt and it's good to be wary."

The capital is filled with people who plot and scheme all for the sake of power and benefits. Doing things out of pure kindness tended to create suspicions rather than win someone's favor. The Old Marquis wouldn't be easily fooled.

Let me add flavor to my story.

She raised her head just a little to look at him. "To be honest, I did it partly for myself. My relationship with my tribe isn't the best right now, so I decided to look for another place to stay for the meantime. However, I do not have any money with me. So when I learned that the victim is a young lady from a renowned family, I believe that encouraged me even more to save her, hoping to get a reward I could use for food and temporary lodging."

Wencheng gave her a calculating look. "So you saved my granddaughter to get a reward from me?"

"Yes. But it is also true when I said that I saved the Young Lady to keep my conscience clear. To prove my words to Old Marquis, once I get my reward, I promise to never cross paths with anyone from this residence again. I possess no token, so I won't be able to enter the capital again. The Young Lady was too kind to...let me borrow her bodyguard's token."

Wencheng laughed, then his eyes softened a little. "You remind me of someone. He was a kind and great general, one of the best in his generation. Unfortunately, he was no longer here. He was so young." He paused and then said in a quiet voice, "I wonder if General Ruwen survived that day, would the last descendant of the Yuan Clan be sitting at the throne at this moment?"

A tremor of pain went through Xiuying as though she was stabbed by a newly sharpened blade. She almost lost her composure, but she managed to keep her expression neutral. She was only wearing a half mask, so she needed to be careful not to let any emotions show on her face. However, what Wencheng said was something she had always wondered about. If Ruwen hadn't left that day, would the three of them still be together? Would she and Jin Ge never have to end up this way?

"What's your name?" Wencheng asked, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"It's Feiyu," Xiuying said.

"Feiyu, I am deeply grateful to you for saving my granddaughter. If you hadn't been there, who knows what could have happened. Xi'er might not be here with us right now."

Yunxi lowered her head, and the hands that held the necklace trembled slightly.

"Thank you for saving our daughter," the father said.

"I can't say how thankful I am," the mother said, her eyes brightening with tears. "We can't afford to lose another one." Her voice broke and she began sobbing.

The father gently rubbed his wife's back and whispered comforting words to her.

"Yunxi is the precious daughter of my eldest son Jingyu," Wencheng said, looking at Xiuying. "She's also my beloved grandchild, so we are truly grateful to you. I will certainly reward you for your courageous deed."

"Father is right," Jingyu agreed. "The First Household is indebted to you. We will reward you handsomely for what you did."

Being the eldest son of the Old Marquis, Jingyu must be the heir of the Marquis of Jing, making Yunxi a Young Lady of the First Household.

A hint of a smile touched Xiuying, but not because of what they said, but because of the sound of quick footsteps outside.

She kept her humble act. "Old Marquis and Eldest Master are too generous. This lowly man truly appreciates your kindness—"

The door opened, and a servant came rushing inside. She looked young, probably about the same age as Xiuying. Her eyes met Xiuying for a brief second before she cupped her fists and bowed to Wencheng and Yunxi's parents.

"Greetings, Old Marquis, Eldest Master, and Madam Lou."

"What is it, Mingxia?" Wencheng asked.

"Please forgive me for barging in, Old Marquis, but this is related to the matters of the Third Young Lady," the servant named Mingxia said urgently.

Wencheng frowned. "Speak."

"This humble servant found this in the Third Young Lady's room." Mingxia held up an unfolded piece of paper. Xiuying almost smiled when she recognized her own handwriting on it. "Based on the content of the letter, it must have been sent by the assassin which prompted the Third Young Lady to go to that forest."

"Ruyu," Wencheng said, urgency in his voice.

Ruyu, the grim-looking man, took the piece of paper from Mingxia and handed it to the Old Marquis. Wencheng's frown deepened as his eyes scanned the contents of the letter.

"Xi'er, is this the letter you mentioned?" Wencheng asked as he held up his hand, showing the letter to Yunxi.

"Y-yes, Grandfather."

Wencheng directed his gaze back to the letter, then looked at the servant, the culprit who asked for the service of Plum Blossom Pavilion. "How long did you say the necklace had been missing, Yanyan?"

"A week, Old Marquis," Yanyan answered, then she dropped to her knees. "This servant is at fault, Old Marquis. I kept the matters about the necklace hidden. If I informed Old Marquis about it and sought his guidance, the assassin would not have been able to lure the Third Young Lady. Her life would not have been in danger. I should be punished for my lack of urgency."

Xiuying watched in fascination as the servant put on an amazing act. But the fact that she admitted to being the only one who knew about the missing necklace and was even willing to be punished for it proved her cunning.

Yunxi's eyes widened. She kneeled down and bowed her head. "Please don't punish her, Grandfather. I'm the one who asked her not to tell anyone. If she hadn't caught me that time in my room, I wouldn't have told her otherwise."

She's well-prepared, Xiuying thought as she glanced at Yanyan. To flawlessly use the victim to back her up was such a smart move. No wonder the servant wasn't afraid of being punished because the person she planned to get killed would protect her. However, the more Xiuying thought about it, the more she felt that something was amiss.

"Xi'er, you could have told me," Wencheng said. "You know I can always buy you another necklace. If you really like that necklace, I can ask the servants to buy a similar one."

"I'm sorry, Grandfather." Yunxi stared at the necklace in her palm and lowered her voice. "But this is Elder Sister's gift to me. I can't afford to lose it too."

Wecheng's expression softened. "I understand, Xi'er. But if you had told me about this letter, we could have devised a plan. I know how much that necklace meant to you, but you shouldn't be so careless as to act on your own and expose yourself to danger."

"Please forgive me for my recklessness, Grandfather."

Wencheng stared at her for a moment and then nodded.

"Old Marquis, I would like to say something regarding this matter," Mingxia said.

"Go ahead and say it." Wencheng encouraged her to continue.

"From the look of it, someone is targeting the Third Young Lady's life," Mingxia began, her voice steady. "The fact that the perpetrator is aware of how much the necklace meant to her and used it as bait suggests they are close to her. Not to mention how the necklace was taken from the Third Young Lady's room without alerting anyone is sufficient proof of this. To put it simply, the Third Young Lady is no longer safe."

"That's a good analysis, Mingxia," Wencheng said thoughtfully.

"Thank you, Old Marquis," Mingxia said politely. "As a servant of the First Household, I'm only concerned about the Third Young Lady. I also suggest hiring a bodyguard for her as soon as possible. "

Jingyu and his wife Lou Bailu looked at Wencheng, their faces anxious.

Wencheng nodded. "I certainly agree with that. Xi'er's safety is important. A skilled and capable warrior must be immediately appointed to guard her."

Ruyu suddenly fell to his knees and clasped his fists. "It's my fault, Old Marquis. I was the one who tested Po Jun's skills and chose him as a bodyguard for the Third Young Lady, yet he was defeated by a single assassin. I should be punished for my poor judgment." Despite his words, the man's features remained as impassive as the first time Xiuying saw him.

"Po Jun was a talented warrior from Yuhan City," Wencheng said. "You're better at judging the talent and skills of a warrior, Ruyu. It's not your fault that Po Jun was killed. It's just unfortunate that the assassin happened to be more powerful and skilled."

"Old Marquis is too polite. This servant doesn't deserve such praise."

"I trust your judgment, Ruyu," Wencheng said, a hint of kindness in his voice. "So I would leave this job to you. Please pick a bodyguard for Xi'er."

"I will, Old Marquis."

"Also, this matter concerns the safety of my third granddaughter," Wencheng added in a sudden tone of pure authority. "So please have this thoroughly investigated. Her situation will continue to be in danger unless we identify the mastermind and put an end to their evil scheme."

"I understand, Old Marquis." Ruyu took the letter from Wencheng and was about to leave the room when Yunxi suddenly spoke.

"Wait, Grandfather. I have a request."

"What is it, Xi'er?" Wencheng asked with a curious frown.

"As you said, I'm no longer safe, so there's not enough time to find and hire a bodyguard for me." Yunxi paused shortly as if to gather her courage. Then her gaze met Xiuying's for a second before she looked back at Wencheng. "Would it be alright with Grandfather if we hire Feiyu as my bodyguard?"

Wencheng's eyes widened in surprise. He glanced at Xiuying then back at Yunxi.

"Feiyu?"

"He fought the assassin and saved me," Yunxi reasoned, her voice clear and determined. "Therefore he's more than capable of ensuring my safety. To convince Grandfather, Ruyu can test his skill right now while Grandfather observes." Yunxi turned to face Xiuying. "I hope that would be okay with Feiyu. But if you don't like it..."

Xiuying could have patted her head right there.

"Young Lady is too kind," Xiuying said like a grateful man. "How can this lowly man refuse such a great offer?"

"So you're agreeing to be my granddaughter's bodyguard?" Wencheng asked.

Xiuying's lips curved into a polite smile. "If the Old Marquis and Eldest Master allow it, I would be honored to be the Young Lady's bodyguard."

Wencheng studied her through narrowed eyes. After a long moment, he finally nodded. "Alright, let's see what you got. Ruyu!"

"Yes, Old Marquis," Ruyu said with a polite bow of his head. He addressed Xiuying. "Come with me outside. I'll determine your worth." With a face as grim as usual, he marched toward the door and stepped out without another glance.

Wencheng and the others followed after him. Yunxi smiled at her before exiting the room, leaving her alone with the other servant named Mingxia. Once Xiuying was certain that everyone had gone out of sight, a faint smile appeared on her lips. She took deliberate steps toward the door, her pace dropping as she passed by Mingxia.

"Good timing, by the way," she said in a quiet voice.

Mingxia smiled. "Yeah?"