Meanwhile, inside the City Lord's estate in Tianfeng City, the atmosphere in a refined, luxurious, yet secluded courtyard was exceptionally tense.
A middle-aged man dressed in brocade robes paced back and forth inside the room, his expression anxious and impatient.
A middle-aged woman sitting nearby held a cup of hot tea. Watching him pace in circles, she sighed softly and spoke helplessly.
“Stop pacing back and forth. You're making my head spin.”
The middle-aged man abruptly stopped in his tracks. His brow was furrowed, his face filled with anxiety.
“Zhou Jinyun should have sent word back by now based on her travel schedule, yet there hasn't been a single peep of news!”
“I don't know if that Wang Wu succeeded or not. We need some sort of confirmation.”
The woman gently rubbed the warm surface of her teacup with her fingertips. Taking a light sip of the clear tea, she said calmly.
“Pacing around won't help. In another day or two, we'll see if Zhou Jinyun returns to the city safely. Then, we'll naturally know the outcome.”
Pausing for a moment, her gaze darkened as she warned him in a low voice.
“But when the time comes, regardless of whether it succeeded or failed, you must control your emotions and hide your thoughts as her uncle.”
“You absolutely cannot let your brother and sister-in-law sense anything unusual or show even the slightest flaw.”
Hearing this, the middle-aged man nodded heavily. Suppressing the restlessness in his eyes, he slowly sat down and murmured in a low voice.
“Indeed. We have endured and waited for this day for far too long, planning for years. We absolutely cannot make a mistake now.”
...
At noon the next day, the group finally arrived outside Tianfeng City.
Nestled in an open plain surrounded by mountains, Tianfeng City was vast and grand, its city walls towering and sturdy.
The streets and alleys were laid out in an orderly grid, with a continuous flow of people and bustling trade.
Compared to Baiyun City, it was much larger, exuding the prosperous and stable atmosphere of a major city.
Ye Ling sat atop her Green Scale Horse, her gaze sweeping over the entire city.
Riding beside her, Zhou Jinyun spoke with a face full of pride, introducing her city.
“Our Tianfeng City easily ranks among the top ten in the entire Yun'an Commandery!”
“Under my parents' governance, the citizens live and work in peace, the markets are stable, and it has always been peaceful.”
Ye Ling nodded slightly. Judging by the city's appearance alone, it was clear that the Tianfeng City Lord was indeed capable and governed well.
Before long, the carriages and horses arrived at the main gate of the City Lord's estate.
The guards stationed at the entrance were sharp-eyed. Spotting their young lady's ceremonial carriage from afar, their expressions instantly turned solemn, and they quickly sent word inside.
Just as the convoy came to a halt at the gate, two figures hurriedly walked out of the estate.
“Jinyun, you're finally back! Your mother and I missed you to death.”
The newcomers were none other than the Tianfeng City Lord, Zhou Wen, and his wife, Ye Ruoqing.
The couple was highly emotional, nearly stepping forward to pull their daughter into a tight embrace.
Zhou Jinyun's cheeks flushed red, and she shyly shifted her body aside.
Normally, she wouldn't mind how much her parents doted on or hugged her at home, but with Sister Fuyue right beside her, she felt rather embarrassed.
Seeing their daughter so bashful, Zhou Wen and Ye Ruoqing smiled understandingly and stopped. Their gazes naturally fell upon Ye Ling, who was standing quietly beside her.
Noticing that his daughter had subconsciously leaned closer to Ye Ling, Zhou Wen felt a bit puzzled and asked warmly.
“Jinyun, who is this?”
Before Zhou Jinyun could reply, Aunt Lin stepped forward with a grave expression and immediately reported the news.
“City Lord, Madam, our return journey was fraught with extreme danger. We were ambushed and attacked by bandits along the way.”
“This is a matter of grave importance. Please let us move to the main hall so I can report the details of the incident.”
“An ambush?”
Zhou Wen and Ye Ruoqing's expressions changed dramatically. It felt as though a massive boulder had suddenly been suspended over their hearts, and their bodies instantly tensed up.
The two of them hurriedly inspected Zhou Jinyun. Seeing that she was safe and sound without a single scratch, their racing hearts finally settled slightly, though they were still filled with lingering dread.
Without wasting any more time, everyone stepped into the main hall of the City Lord's estate.
Meanwhile, in the secluded courtyard deep within the City Lord's estate.
Zhou Wen's younger brother and Zhou Jinyun's uncle, Zhou Wu, had just received a secret report from his subordinate.
Zhou Jinyun and her group had actually returned alive.
Zhou Wu's face turned pale instantly, and his mind fell into complete disarray.
Beside him, his wife, Lin Yue, was also momentarily stunned, a trace of panic appearing in her eyes.
However, she was a deeply calculating woman. Suppressing her composure in an instant, she quickly warned him.
“Husband, quickly pull yourself together. We must head to the front hall immediately.”
“We have always shown great affection and kindness toward Jinyun in public.”
“If we avoid meeting them now, it will definitely arouse suspicion. We cannot show even the slightest flaw.”
Zhou Wu snapped back to his senses and nodded hastily. The couple quickly adjusted their clothes and rushed toward the front hall.
Inside the main hall, Aunt Lin had already reported the entire event in detail, without missing a single word.
Upon hearing this, a cold shiver ran down the spines of Zhou Wen and Ye Ruoqing. Filled with immense rage, they quickly stood up and bowed deeply to Ye Ling.
“Thank you, young friend, for stepping in to save my daughter's life. I, Zhou, will never forget this life-saving kindness!”
Ye Ling accepted the bow calmly, her expression indifferent. “City Lord, Madam, there is no need for this.”
“Jinyun and I met by chance on the road. She has a pure and kind nature, a truly rare and good girl.”
“Moreover, I was also caught in the encirclement at the time. Helping her was simply the natural thing to do.”
As they were speaking, two hurried voices echoed from outside the hall, and Zhou Wu and Lin Yue rushed inside.
“Jinyun, we heard you were ambushed on the way! Are you injured? Are you alright?”
The moment those words left his mouth, Lin Yue was horrified, cursing him in her heart for being incredibly foolish.
The ambush was extremely confidential and had not yet spread through the estate.
Furthermore, they lived in a secluded private courtyard and should have had absolutely no way of knowing about it.
Lin Yue's mind raced, and she immediately tried to smooth things over in a panic. “On our way here just now, we happened to hear some servants whispering about it.”
“Only then did we learn of your danger. We truly broke into a cold sweat for you.”
Zhou Wu also realized his blunder and quickly added.
“Yes, yes, indeed.”
Ye Ling's gaze darkened slightly, and she understood. As it turned out, this ambush was entirely an internal family feud within the Zhou family.
Zhou Wen and Ye Ruoqing exchanged a subtle look, a deep chill hidden in their eyes.
They had not leaked a word of this matter to the outside, and the servants knew nothing of it. Zhou Wu and his wife had absolutely no channel to obtain this information. How could they possibly have known about Jinyun's ambush?
Beside them, Zhou Jinyun also felt a trace of suspicion. Looking at her pot-bellied uncle, her thoughts churned.
The brothers Zhou Wen and Zhou Wu came from a peasant family, and their parents had passed away early.
Zhou Wen was ten years older than Zhou Wu. He had relied on his martial talent to join the military and raise Zhou Wu.
Over the years, out of brotherly affection, Zhou Wen had poured the resources of the City Lord's estate into cultivating his younger brother.
He had forcefully raised the mediocre Zhou Wu to the Houtian Twelfth Layer.
Meanwhile, Zhou Wu and his wife had lived in the City Lord's estate for years, completely relying on Zhou Wen for their food, clothing, shelter, and cultivation resources.
Others could see their greedy and selfish nature clearly, yet her father, clinging to past sentimentality, blindly indulged them.
Since childhood, Zhou Jinyun had felt that her uncle and aunt were hypocritical, and being around them always felt inexplicably awkward.
Seeing this play out today, all the discrepancies in her heart instantly coalesced into a heavy suspicion.
Suppressing her thoughts, she merely replied politely, “Uncle, Aunt, please rest assured. I have returned safely and am perfectly fine.”
She then fell silent, and the others followed suit. The atmosphere in the main hall instantly became awkward.
Seeing this, Zhou Wu and his wife could not stay any longer. Making a random excuse, they hurriedly took their leave and returned to their own courtyard.
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