The second eldest, Yuan Mu, frowned upon hearing this. "Have you seen the wife that the sixth brother cherishes like his own eyeballs?"
"Yes, I have. Didn't we, along with Lord Xu, go to the sixth brother's home for a housewarming banquet when he moved out? Didn't we see the sixth brother's wife then?"
Hearing Cao Yuanliang, the fifth eldest, Meng Hanzhou, the fourth eldest, spoke in a drawn-out tone, "Back then, citing his wife's poor health, the sixth brother only had his wife offer a distant bow. Are you sure you clearly saw the sixth brother's wife's appearance?"
"It was a hasty glance, rather blurry indeed," replied Cao Yuanliang, the fifth eldest, as if recalling something. "Besides that time, on one occasion I was delivering something for the teacher to the sixth brother. He must have been out on business and not home, so his wife opened the door. After opening the door, the sixth brother's wife first peered behind me before inquiring about my purpose. What's more, although the sixth brother's wife appeared somewhat cold, she didn't seem unwell. Keep in mind, the stack of books the Master entrusted me to deliver to the sixth brother was heavy, barely manageable with both my hands. Yet, the sixth brother's wife took it directly with one hand. Her effortless demeanor made me, a son of Great Xia, deeply question myself. Later, I specifically asked the sixth brother about it, and only after learning he couldn't even lift it myself did I feel relieved."
Du Xunhe, the third eldest, who had somehow woken up again, propped his chin with his palm and inquired nosily, "What did the sixth brother's wife look like?"
"She wasn't beautiful, nor was she ugly. All in all, she seemed a bit of a mismatch for our sixth brother, who is so delicate he can't manage himself. But, what can you do when the sixth brother likes her?" Cao Yuanliang, the fifth eldest, shrugged helplessly as he said this.
Xie Lingyun, the eldest, who had been unusually quiet throughout, raised his head and downed the wine in his cup. Yuan Mu, the second eldest, and Meng Hanzhou, the fourth eldest, exchanged glances. Du Xunhe, the third eldest, perhaps still a bit tipsy, gazed into the distance with hazy eyes.
Meanwhile.
Lin Qingge, clad in moonlight, returned to the Lin Manor and first checked on Murong Bai's courtyard. However, she did not see Leng Ningyue. According to Leng Shuang, Leng Ningyue had taken Lin Zimo to rest early.
At the same time.
In the desolate woods outside the capital.
Two black figures flashed past. In an instant, they had exchanged over twenty moves. The wind rustled the treetops, but the two figures confronted each other silently. After a long while, one of the black figures spoke with a playful tone, "Little Moon Moon, you've been pursuing me so relentlessly after not seeing me for a few days. Could it be that since our last parting, Little Moon Moon has been thinking of me day and night, unable to forget me?"
The other black figure remained silent, but the sharp blade in her hand shot out like lightning towards the annoying noise. Although she dodged to the side, avoiding a fatal blow, her shoulder was still pierced by the blade. Even as blood trickled down her arm, the black figure wore an expression of enjoyment. "Ah, this is the feeling. Only Little Moon Moon can make me tremble like this, make me feel as if I'm on the verge of ecstasy and death~"
Hearing those familiar, sickening words, Leng Ningyue, who should have been resting with Lin Zimo but had appeared here, spoke coldly, "Fu Xun, you must die!"
"Little Moon Moon, it's been a while since you've called me by my full name. I'm so excited, so thrilled~ But— I have important matters to attend to in the capital this time, and I cannot be killed by you yet~"
"I don't care what you do, but you shouldn't be appearing around the Lin Manor."
"Little Moon Moon, you're truly unusually kind to this Lord Lin~ So kind that I'm starting to feel jealous~ You know me too well, Little Moon Moon. How can I tolerate my most beloved Little Moon Moon smiling at just any stray cat or dog? Little Moon Moon, you are mine! Therefore, I won't be leaving the capital as early as last time. If I get the chance, I will definitely meet this Lord Lin. I want to see what's so remarkable about him that he's fortunate enough to gain Little Moon Moon's favor and protection~"
"You won't have that chance."
With that, Leng Ningyue moved like a phantom, appearing before the man named 'Fu Xun,' and lunged to stab him. As Fu Xun dodged, he brought his thumb and index finger to his lips and whistled. In the next moment, several black-clad figures in tight-fitting attire emerged from all directions.
Watching the graceful figure surrounded by the group of black-clad men, Fu Xun tidied his slightly disheveled attire and said with a smile, "Little Moon Moon, do you know why, despite being more powerful than me, you can never kill me? It's because Little Moon Moon is too arrogant. I admit, Little Moon Moon, you are indeed peerlessly powerful, but what good is it if you are powerful alone? As the saying goes, a single arrow is easily broken, but ten arrows are difficult to snap. As long as I have these helpers, even you, Little Moon Moon, cannot easily kill me~ Moreover, you, Little Moon Moon, are no longer the cold-hearted, fearsome person you once were. You can protect yourself, but can you protect everyone?"
Two black-clad figures were kicked by Leng Ningyue and landed at his feet. He feigned exaggeratedly patting his chest, "Oh my, Little Moon Moon is truly showing no mercy! It seems these fools won't be able to hold you back for long, so I'd better make a move~"
After dealing with everyone, the entire forest returned to silence. The man named Fu Xun had also vanished without a trace. Leng Ningyue flicked the blood from her dagger and glanced at a black figure in the distant shade of the trees. Her lips parted slightly, and she uttered two words as cold as frost: "Come out."
In the next moment, a figure clad in dark purple, fanning themselves, slowly emerged from the shadows, speaking with a smiling demeanor, "Madam Lin, no need for such a fiery temper~"
"Are you following me?" Although Leng Ningyue's words were a question, her tone was extremely certain, and her gaze towards the approaching person turned unfriendly.
"Madam Lin, this student means no offense. I just happened to pass by the Lin Manor and saw Madam Lin walking in a hurry. Fearing that Madam Lin might encounter some accident on this dark and windy night, I followed all along, providing protection from the shadows."
"So you heard everything just now?" Meeting those cold eyes, which glinted in the darkness, Hua Jinrong swallowed hard and asked with a forced smile, "This student heard nothing, Madam Lin. Do you believe me?"
Seeing the other party gripping her dagger again, Hua Jinrong, her scalp tingling, took several steps back and quickly made a promise: "Madam Lin, please rest assured. This student saw nothing and heard nothing! I certainly won't reveal a single word to the Lord!"
"Take me to him." Leng Ningyue suddenly uttered this sentence. Hua Jinrong ran through it in her mind. Although she understood, she found it somewhat unbelievable.