Many children, many blessings; a stunningly beautiful wife is given to you right from the start.

Wenruo's smile finally froze.

He sighed helplessly, knowing that any verbal exchange with this spoiled little princess would be futile.

So he turned around and turned his gaze back to the man who had been watching the show from the sidelines the whole time—Lin Mo.

"Young Master Lin."

Wenruo straightened her slightly wrinkled robes, cupped her hands to Lin Mo again, and her posture was impeccable.

"The princess is young and her actions are inevitably impulsive, driven by momentary whims."

"But the young master is a man of great understanding and reason, and he must be aware of the advantages and disadvantages involved."

As he spoke, Wenruo took out the secret letter from the capital from his bosom, but did not unfold it.

He simply held it between two fingers and gave it a half-hearted wave at Lin Mo.

"King Qi Xia Yuan's West Wind Heavy Armor Battalion has already assembled in the western border and will soon be at the city gates. This place will soon be reduced to scorched earth."

"The princess is of inestimable value; if she were to suffer even the slightest mishap here..."

He paused for a moment, his tone still earnest, but his eyes became sharp.

"At that time, Young Master Lin will probably have to face more than just Prince Qi."

"Therefore, for the sake of peace in the North and to prevent further bloodshed, I implore you, young master, to persuade the princess to return to the manor. Wenruo, I am deeply grateful."

Is it finally my turn?

Lin Mo, with his hands tucked in his pockets, met Wen Ruo's cunning eyes and slowly began to speak.

"Mr. Wenruo, you jest."

He stepped forward, completely shielding Xia Man'er, who was still peeking out, behind him.

"The princess is now an adult, has her own thoughts, and has the right to decide her own life."

"Where she wants to go and what she wants to do is entirely her freedom."

Lin Mo twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing an expression of complete entitlement.

"As an outsider, it's not appropriate for me to interfere."

outsider?

You lured that young girl to your home and accepted nine boxes of her "local specialties."

Now you're telling the messenger sent by someone's father that you're an "outsider"?

Standing to the side, Liu Yiyi could no longer hold back and burst out laughing.

She quickly covered her mouth with a handkerchief, her peach blossom eyes curving into crescent moons.

Even Chu Mengyao, whose face was usually cold and aloof, showed a hint of helplessness as she looked at Lin Mo, as if to say, "Is your face made of a city wall?"

The last trace of refined pretense on Wenruo's face vanished completely.

He looked at Lin Mo, whose calm and expressionless face made it impossible for him to see through him.

Since all the nice words have been ineffective, then we can only let our strength speak for itself.

"it is good."

Wenruo nodded, and said no more unnecessary words.

He slowly turned around, put his hands behind his back,

That respectful demeanor vanished, replaced by an aura of authority that held the power of life and death.

"Someone come here!"

"Bring the princess home!"

Wenruo's powerful voice resounded throughout the entire city lord's mansion.

The sound roared and echoed in the courtyard.

Qin Ruxue tightened her grip on the sword hilt and looked around warily.

Feng Niang also took half a step forward, standing side by side with Qin Ruxue, her aura surging.

however……

Take a breath.

Two breaths.

Ten breaths passed.

The courtyard was quiet.

There was only the rustling of leaves in the wind; outside the courtyard, there was no movement.

Wenruo frowned.

What happened?

Was he not shouting loud enough?

The 103 elite members of the Baiyue tribe he brought should be lurking within a hundred meters of the city lord's mansion at this moment.

Each and every one of them is a top expert who can play hide-and-seek with wild beasts and poisonous insects in the miasma and poisonous forests of the Ten Thousand Mountains.

A keen ear is their most basic skill.

It's impossible that they couldn't hear it.

Wenruo took another deep breath, her voice even louder than before, almost a shout.

"Guards! Escort the princess home!"

The sound penetrated the walls of the mansion and traveled very, very far.

But the result was still the same.

Dead silence.

Outside the courtyard, it looked like an abandoned ghost town.

"Hehe, Grandpa Wen, nobody's paying attention to you!"

Xia Man'er peeked out from behind Lin Mo and made a big face at Wen Ruo's back.

"Grandpa Wen, are you getting old? Is your speech not working properly anymore?"

Wenruo's face finally darkened completely.

He ignored Xia Man'er's teasing, a strong sense of unease rising in his heart.

problem occurs.

Something must have happened!

The 103 men he brought were no ordinary guards.

That was the sharpest hidden blade in the hands of the Miao King, a "Baiyue Death Warrior" that could make all the villains in the southern border tremble with fear!

Each of them possesses unique skills, specializing in stealth, assassination, and coordinated attacks.

One hundred and three men joined forces and silently infiltrated a heavily guarded military camp. Taking the general's head was as easy as taking candy from a baby.

But now, they seem to have vanished into thin air, without sending back a single signal.

Just what kind of den of dragons and tigers is this Zhenbei City?!

"Sir, please stop shouting."

A lazy voice broke the awkward silence.

Lin Mo walked over to Wen Ruo with his hands in his pockets and patted him on the shoulder affectionately.

"Look at you, you're so old, and you're still shouting so loudly, it's really bad for your voice."

Wen Ruo suddenly turned her head, her eyes fixed on Lin Mo.

"Young Master Lin, what do you mean?"

"It doesn't mean anything."

Lin Mo grinned, revealing a set of white teeth.

"I just wanted to let you know that your people are probably having tea right now."

"The tea in my city lord's mansion is this year's new tea, called 'Mentougun'. I don't know if they'll like it."

Wenruo's pupils suddenly contracted.

"impossible!"

He instinctively retorted.

"The person I brought is...is..."

He was about to explain the formidable nature of the Baiyue assassins when the bizarre scene before him choked him back down.

In the center of the courtyard, the shadow of a pillar twisted unexpectedly.

The dark shadow seemed to come alive, as if it had been "torn" off the flat ground, then coalesced and stretched.

To Wenruo's horrified gaze, the shadow transformed into a person entirely black, with only a pair of emotionless eyes visible.

He appeared out of thin air, as if he had been standing there from the very beginning.

The entire process was silent and eerily strange.

"Ghost...ghostly magic!?"

Even though Wenruo was very knowledgeable, he was so frightened that he took a step back, his face drained of color.

He had traveled the world for decades and had never seen such a bizarre scene.

This is not martial arts at all, it's sorcery!

However, the shadowy figure didn't even glance at him.

He approached Lin Mo silently, knelt on one knee, and bowed with utmost respect.

"My lord."

The shadowy figure's voice was like two stones rubbing together, dry and cold.

"One hundred and three suspicious persons were found outside the mansion, suspected of plotting something sinister."

"They have all been knocked unconscious; none have escaped."

The shadowy figure paused, then added.

"Shadow Guards, zero losses."

boom!

Something seemed to explode in Wenruo's mind.

One hundred and three Baiyue warriors were taken down just like that... without a sound?

Not even the slightest ripple was stirred up?

How is that possible?!

He looked at the shadowy figure kneeling on the ground, then at Lin Mo, who looked completely calm and collected, and a terrifying thought surfaced in his mind.

He seemed to understand a little better what kind of monster he was facing.

No wonder……

No wonder they were able to swallow up the entire Northern Territory in such a short time...

After listening to the report, Lin Mo nodded in satisfaction.

"Where is he? Did you manage to kill him?"

"Reporting to my lord, they are all alive, but their joints have been dislocated and they have been thrown into the woodshed."

The shadow guard's voice remained steady. He looked up, his emotionless eyes fixed on Lin Mo, and asked for instructions.

"Please decide, my lord, how to handle this matter."

"Should we bury them alive on the spot as per the old custom to eliminate future troubles, or send them to the mines in the Western Hills to contribute to the road infrastructure project in the North?"