Too many female prisoners, a special forces soldier transmigrates and marries wildly.

The front courtyard of the Prince's mansion was brightly lit, as bright as day. Hundreds of servants, maids, guards, retainers, and staff members of the mansion had been driven together by the state soldiers, forming a large, dark mass, their faces filled with fear, confusion, and unease. Cries, whispers, and pleas mingled together.

Feng Zhen sat high on a hastily brought-in armchair, with Lin Feng, Wang Shuli, and others standing on either side. Yang Dingbian, accompanied by his soldiers, stood in a circle, swords drawn, exuding a murderous aura.

"Listen up, everyone!" Feng Zhen's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority. "Prince Qi, Zhu Hong, is suspected of treason and has already been executed. Among you, some may have been coerced, and some may have been deceived. I'm giving you a chance. If anyone knows the whereabouts of the traitor Xiahou Ying, also known as 'Falcon,' or can identify his disguise, step forward! I may consider reducing your sentence! If you know but fail to report, or dare to harbor or conceal, once discovered, you will be treated as accomplices and executed without mercy!"

A commotion arose in the crowd, but no one dared to utter a sound. Many people looked at each other, their eyes filled with fear, clearly unaware of anything about "Xiahou Ying" or "hawk."

Feng Zhen's gaze swept slowly across the crowd, sharp as lightning.

Wang, the clerk, took the roster and began calling out names one by one to verify identities. Lin Feng stood beside Feng Zhen, his sharp eyes observing each person whose name was called and who stepped forward to answer. He paid particular attention to those who were relatively thin but had steady eyes or a gloomy temperament.

The roll call proceeded slowly, the atmosphere oppressively suffocating. Those whose names were called stepped forward tremblingly, answering with their name, position, and place of origin, before being led aside and placed under the supervision of designated personnel.

Suddenly, when the name of "Station Steward Zhao Si" was called, a short, stocky, dark-skinned middle-aged man dressed in coarse cloth and short jacket stepped forward timidly, head bowed, and replied in a hoarse voice, "I...I am Zhao Si, the...steward of the station..."

His voice was hoarse and unpleasant, as if it had been sanded. Lin Feng's heart skipped a beat. Zhou An described the "hawk" as having a hoarse voice! He looked closely and saw that although Zhao Si had his head down, the skin on his neck was slightly different from the skin color on his face, and his steps were steady, unlike the unsteady steps of ordinary servants.

"Zhao Si, raise your head," Feng Zhen suddenly said.

Zhao Si's body stiffened slightly, and he slowly raised his head. It was an extremely ordinary, even somewhat ugly face, with rough skin, small eyes, a flat nose, thick lips, and a timid gaze; there was nothing particularly special about it.

"How long have you been in the Prince's mansion?" Feng Zhen asked.

"Reporting to...Reporting to Your Excellency, I have been in the Prince's Palace for thirteen years..." Zhao Si's voice was still hoarse.

"Have you ever seen a person named Xiahou Ying? Or a mysterious person who always wears a mask and has a hoarse voice?" Feng Zhen stared into his eyes.

A barely perceptible flicker of emotion flashed across Zhao Si's eyes, then he shook his head vigorously: "No...no! I've never heard of that! I...I only feed the horses, I never concern myself with matters of the household..."

Feng Zhen looked at Lin Feng. Lin Feng shook his head slightly. This Zhao Si was indeed suspicious; his voice was hoarse, and his build matched, but based on these alone, it was impossible to be certain. Moreover, if he were truly Xiahou Ying, having disguised himself for thirteen years, his mental fortitude was terrifying, and he would never have revealed a flaw so easily.

"Take him away." Feng Zhen waved his hand.

Zhao Si felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He quickly bowed and stepped back, returning to the crowd with his head down, saying nothing more.

The roll call continued. About half an hour later, the roll call of the hundreds of people in the Prince's residence was basically complete, and no obvious abnormalities were found. Although "Zhao Si" was suspicious, there was no conclusive evidence.

"Could it be... that Xiahou Ying has really escaped? Or is he not even among these people?" Wang Shuli whispered to Feng Zhen.

Feng Zhen frowned, also feeling that things were getting a bit tricky.

If Xiahou Ying had truly disguised himself and fled, he would probably have already escaped far away. If he is still hiding in the mansion, where could he possibly be hiding?

Lin Feng's gaze swept across the dark mass of people again, finally settling on a few individuals at the back of the crowd, dressed in the attire of low-ranking servants of the Prince's mansion, their heads bowed and almost huddled in the shadows. Those individuals seemed terrified, their bodies trembling slightly.

"Mr. Wang," Lin Feng said in a low voice to Wang the clerk, "are there any people on the roster who haven't been called yet?"

Wang, the clerk, flipped through the roster and nodded: "There are a few more, who are rough servants responsible for sweeping and washing in the back garden. When we were taking roll call just now, someone said that they might still be working in the back garden and hadn't had time to come."

"The back garden?" Lin Feng's eyes flashed. The discovery of Han Lu's body and Xiahou Ying's hiding place in the stone chamber was made in the secret chamber of Chengyun Hall near the back garden! Those people…

"My lord, please send someone immediately to the back garden to find those missing servants! Be quick!" Lin Feng urged Feng Zhen.

Feng Zhen realized what was happening and immediately said to Yang Dingbian, "Captain Yang, you personally lead the men there!"

"yes!"

Yang Dingbian selected a group of men and rushed to the back garden of the Prince's Mansion. Lin Feng, Feng Zhen, and the others also got up and followed.

The back garden was quite large, with pavilions, terraces, rockeries, ponds, and lush flowers and trees. At this time, the night was deep, with only a few lanterns lit, making it seem even more secluded.

"Search! Search carefully! Especially places where people can hide, such as artificial hills, waterside pavilions, and flower bushes!" Yang Dingbian shouted the order.

The soldiers dispersed, holding torches as they searched carefully.

Lin Feng headed straight toward the direction where he had previously discovered the artificial hill, the secret passage, and the small lake in the back garden. He remembered that between the artificial hill and the small lake, there was a dense bamboo forest, and next to the bamboo forest were several low huts used to store gardening tools and miscellaneous items.

He led a few of his personal guards to the bamboo grove. The bamboo rustled in the night wind, giving it a somewhat eerie feel. The few small houses were dark and their doors were tightly shut.

"Open the door," Lin Feng gestured.

A soldier stepped forward and kicked open the wooden door. Torchlight shone inside, revealing a small hut filled with hoes, shovels, brooms, and other odds and ends, but no one was there.

Lin Feng entered the house, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings. The furnishings were simple; the floor was compacted earth, and some old burlap sacks were piled in the corner. He walked to the corner and kicked the sacks. The sacks were light, seemingly empty.

But when he kicked the innermost sack, he felt something different. He crouched down and touched it; there seemed to be something inside, and… it was warm?

A chill ran through him, and he abruptly ripped open the sack!

Beneath the sack, a person was huddled up! A person dressed in the rough clothes of a servant of the Prince's mansion, thin, with a face covered in dirt, making it impossible to see their features! The person's eyes were closed, seemingly unconscious, but their chest was rising and falling slightly, indicating they were still breathing.

"There's someone here!" Lin Feng shouted.

The guards immediately surrounded him. Lin Feng reached out, wanting to check the man's breath and wipe the dirt off his face to see his appearance.

However, just as his fingers were about to touch the man's cheek, something unexpected happened!

The servant, who had been "unconscious," suddenly opened his eyes! His eyes flashed with a cold light, showing no sign of unconsciousness whatsoever! At the same time, his right hand, hidden beneath him, shot out with lightning speed, holding a slender dagger with a ghostly blue sheen, and lunged like a venomous snake towards Lin Feng's throat! Fast! Accurate! Ruthless!

The change happened so suddenly, and the distance was so close, that Lin Feng seemed to have no way to avoid it!

But Lin Feng seemed to have anticipated this. The moment the servant opened his eyes, he suddenly leaned back, simultaneously raising his left hand to parry the servant's wrist holding the knife! His right hand, with fingers like a knife, thrust straight at the servant's armpit!

"Ding!"

With a soft click, Lin Feng's fingers grazed the dagger, sending sparks flying. His wrist jerked, sensing the immense force of the blow, and the eerie blue sheen of the dagger clearly indicated it was poisoned!

The servant, having missed his first attack, did not linger. He slid to the side like an eel, dodging Lin Feng's subsequent attacks. At the same time, he raised his left hand, showering Lin Feng and the approaching guards with a cloud of gray powder!

"Watch out for the poison powder!" Lin Feng shouted sharply, holding his breath and retreating rapidly.

Several guards reacted a little slower, inhaled a small amount of powder, and immediately felt dizzy, weak in the hands and feet, and staggered backward.

Taking advantage of the moment, the servant darted out of the hut like a ghost and disappeared into the dark bamboo forest outside! His speed and the strangeness of his movements far surpassed those of ordinary martial artists!

"Xiahou Ying! Don't run!" Lin Feng roared, and without hesitation, he rushed into the bamboo forest! He finally confirmed that the person disguised as a servant was "Falcon" Xiahou Ying! His sharp assassination, strange movements, and use of poison all confirmed this!

Hearing the commotion, Feng Zhen, Yang Dingbian, and others also rushed over with a large group of men. When they saw Lin Feng chasing into the bamboo forest and then saw his personal guards lying on the ground poisoned, they immediately understood what had happened.

"Chase him! Don't let him get away! Fire arrows! Block off the bamboo forest!" Feng Zhen shouted urgently.

Arrows rained down on the bamboo forest like locusts, but the dense bamboo made them ineffective. Yang Dingbian led dozens of skilled men and rushed in after them.

Lin Feng chased into the bamboo forest, only to see a dark figure flash ahead, leaping and bounding through the bamboo grove, almost reaching its edge. That was the back wall of the Prince's mansion, nearly two zhang high, but for a master like Xiahou Ying, it was probably no obstacle.

"We can't let him climb over the wall!" Lin Feng was anxious. He pushed off with his feet and increased his speed to the maximum. At the same time, he took out two copper coins from his pocket (the only "hidden weapons" he had left), poured his inner strength into them, and flicked his wrist to shoot them out!

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

The copper coin pierced the night with a sharp whistling sound, heading straight for Xiahou Ying's back!

As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Xiahou Ying twisted his body incredibly the instant the copper coins were about to hit him, as if he had no bones, allowing the two copper coins to fly past his ribs and embed themselves deeply into the bamboo pole behind him! But his movements were also momentarily halted.

In that brief moment of hesitation, Lin Feng had already caught up, let out a low roar, and punched him in the back! The fist whistled through the air, its force heavy and powerful—a true combat technique used in the military!

Helpless, Xiahou Ying had no choice but to turn around, his right hand slashing with his dagger at Lin Feng's wrist, while his left hand formed a claw, aiming for Lin Feng's throat! The moves were ruthless and cunning, a fight to the death!

Lin Feng neither dodged nor evaded, but turned his fist into a palm and struck at the opponent's dagger. At the same time, he sidestepped to avoid the opponent's throat and used his shoulder to take the opponent's claw head-on!

"Bang!"

"laugh!"

Fist, palm, and dagger clashed, producing a dull thud. Lin Feng's clothes tore at the shoulder, revealing several bloody marks, but the opponent's dagger was also knocked aside by the impact. Xiahou Ying's left claw also gripped Lin Feng's shoulder firmly, but it was as if it had gripped iron, leaving only a few white marks and failing to penetrate deeply—Lin Feng had already activated his hard qigong to protect his body!

"Hard-body kung fu?" Xiahou Ying's hoarse voice carried a hint of surprise, but his movements didn't stop. He flipped the dagger and slashed at Lin Feng's neck again.

The two exchanged over ten blows in the blink of an eye at the edge of the bamboo grove. Xiahou Ying's moves were unpredictable and his movements elusive; his dagger was poisoned, and every strike was deadly. Lin Feng, on the other hand, fought steadily, relying on his military skills and combat techniques. Although his moves were not as refined as his opponent's, he had the advantage of greater strength and momentum, as well as rich experience, and for a time, the two were evenly matched.

But Lin Feng knew that his internal strength was inferior to his opponent's, and a prolonged battle would inevitably lead to defeat. Moreover, his opponent's poison was difficult to defend against, so he had to finish the fight quickly!

"Take this!" Lin Feng seized an opportunity, risking a bloody gash on his left arm from the dagger, and slammed his right fist into Xiahou Ying's chest!

"puff!"

Xiahou Ying groaned, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, and staggered backward. Lin Feng, however, also felt a tingling, itchy sensation at the wound on his left arm, and a chill ran down his spine; he knew the poison on the dagger was beginning to take effect!

"Traitor, die!" Just then, Yang Dingbian arrived with his men. Seeing this, he roared and thrust his spear! The soldiers behind him surrounded him, raising their swords and spears, and attacked Xiahou Ying.

A flicker of resentment and bitterness flashed in Xiahou Ying's eyes; he knew there was no escape today. He hurled the dagger at Lin Feng, and at the same time pulled a dark, round ball from his pocket, slamming it hard onto the ground!

"boom!"

With a muffled thud, the sphere exploded, instantly billowing thick smoke and a pungent odor that filled the air and obscured visibility!

"Watch out for the poisonous smoke! Hold your breath!" Lin Feng shouted urgently, holding his breath as he lunged toward the direction Xiahou Ying was in, as he remembered.

But amidst the thick smoke, only the faint rustling of clothes and soldiers' exclamations could be heard. When the smoke cleared, Xiahou Ying was nowhere to be seen. Only a pool of blood and a few torn pieces of black clothing remained on the ground.

"He got away again!" Yang Dingbian stomped his foot in anger.

Lin Feng looked at the pool of blood and the hem of his clothing on the ground, then at the wound on his left arm that was beginning to turn black and numb, and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air. Although he hadn't managed to capture Xiahou Ying, he had at least severely injured him and forced him to flee in panic, not even having time to completely remove his disguise. And those few pieces of clothing…

He walked over and picked up a large piece of black fabric. It felt smooth and cool to the touch, clearly not ordinary cloth. By the firelight, he examined it closely and saw that along the edge of the fabric, embroidered with the same color thread, was an extremely tiny, almost imperceptible pattern—an eagle with outstretched wings, poised for flight!

"It really is 'Falcon'." Lin Feng handed the corner of his clothes to Feng Zhen, who had rushed over.

Feng Zhen stared grimly at the eagle insignia on his clothes: "This scoundrel is as cunning as a fox and as vicious as a snake. He escaped again today; the consequences will be dire! Captain Yang!"

"Your subordinate is here!"

"Immediately impose a city-wide curfew and conduct a house-to-house search! He was punched by Lin Dongjia and left bloodstains, so he can't have gone far! Focus your search on clinics, pharmacies, and any places where the injured might be hiding! Also, notify the four gates to conduct thorough checks and ensure that no suspicious injured person is allowed to escape!"

"yes!"

Yang Dingbian accepted the order and hurriedly left.

Feng Zhen then looked at Lin Feng and noticed that the wound on his left arm had turned black. His expression changed slightly: "Master Lin, have you been poisoned?"

"It's just a superficial wound; the poison doesn't seem too potent." Lin Feng tore off a piece of his clothing and tightly bound it above the wound to slow the spread of the toxicity. "The most urgent task is to find Xiahou Ying. He suffered a severe internal injury from my punch, and was also wounded by a weapon. He definitely needs treatment and an antidote. If we can find where he's healing, we might be able to follow the trail and find his final hideout."

"You're right." Feng Zhen nodded, a cold glint in his eyes. "King Qi is down, Xiahou Ying is seriously injured and on the run, Mo Sangeng is in custody, and Zhou An and the others have all been captured. Most of the evil spirits in Qingzhou have been eliminated. Now is the final moment to close the net! We absolutely cannot let Xiahou Ying, the biggest viper, slip back into the darkness!"

He turned to Wang, the clerk, and said, "Wang, immediately interrogate Mo Sangeng! Ask him where Xiahou Ying might be hiding in Qingzhou, besides the Qi Prince's mansion and Ciyun Nunnery, especially secret locations where he could treat wounds and prepare medicine! At the same time, intensify the interrogation of Han Lu, Zhou An, and others to see if they are hiding anything else!"

"yes!"

Wang, the clerk, also left in a hurry.

Feng Zhen looked at Lin Feng and said solemnly, "Lin San, you have made a great contribution in cracking the case of the Prince of Qi's rebellion and forcing Xiahou Ying to confess. I will have the best doctor treat the poison in your body. Until you are fully recovered and Xiahou Ying is brought to justice, you can rest here for now. You can also assist me in tracking down this villain. Once this matter is settled, I will definitely recommend you for commendation by the court!"

"Thank you, sir." Lin Feng bowed.

He knew that although the most dangerous moment had passed, there was still a long and arduous road ahead in the pursuit of Xiahou Ying and the complete eradication of the Northern Extremists. His poisoned wound on his left arm also needed to be treated as soon as possible.

He looked up at the pitch-black night sky. Xiahou Ying, you can't escape. The accounts in the North, the accounts in Qingzhou, and my accounts, Lin Feng's accounts—sooner or later, I'll settle them all with you!

The night was deep, but dawn was not far off.