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

The scholar was about forty years old, with a lean face, three long tufts of beard, and a sharp, inner light in his eyes, exuding an air of authority without anger.

"Mr. Su?" Shen Qingyi asked in surprise.

The visitor was none other than Su Wenjing, the headmaster of Yingchuan Academy, who had attended the poetry gathering at Taibai Tower the previous night.

Su Wenjing scanned the room, his gaze lingering on Zhao Dahong's face before he coldly said, "Officer Zhao, what a show of power! Leading troops into an inn in the dead of night, intending to kill the guest I invited—who gave you the audacity?"

Zhao Dahong's expression changed, and he hurriedly bowed, saying, "Lord Su, this humble servant is acting on orders..."

"On whose orders?" Su Wenjing interrupted him.

"Is it on the orders of Prefect Chen of Yingchuan, or... Governor Pei?"

Sweat beaded on Zhao Dahong's forehead as he stammered, "This...this humble servant..."

"Get lost." Su Wenjing uttered only one word.

"Yes, yes, yes! This subordinate takes his leave!"

Zhao Dahong felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He led his men and slunk away downstairs, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

Su Wenjing then walked up to Shen Qingyi and said gently, "Niece Qingyi, you've been frightened. I'm late, please forgive me."

"Mr. Su, you flatter me." Shen Qingyi curtsied.

"If it weren't for your timely arrival, sir, Qingyi might have met with misfortune tonight. But... why are you here, sir?"

"I heard about the fire in the pine forest and knew you were heading to Shuangqiao Town, so I came to find you because I was worried about you." Su Wenjing looked at Lin Feng with admiration in his eyes.

"Young Master Lin, it's nice to see you again. I was impressed by your skills just now; they are indeed remarkable."

"Mr. Su, you flatter me."

Lin Feng returned the greeting, but doubts arose in his heart.

Su Wenjing's arrival was too coincidental.

"This place is not safe to stay any longer," Su Wenjing said solemnly.

"Zhao Dahong is one of Governor Pei's men. Although he has retreated tonight, he will surely be unwilling to give up. I have a secluded courtyard outside the town that is quite quiet. If you two do not mind, you may stay here for a while."

Shen Qingyi looked at Lin Feng.

Lin Feng hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "I'm sorry to bother you, Mr. Su."

The group packed their belongings, helped Zhou Tong, and followed Su Wenjing out of the inn.

Su Wenjing's carriage was parked outside the town; it was an inconspicuous blue-covered carriage. The group boarded the carriage and, under the cover of night, drove out of Shuangqiao Town.

The carriage traveled for about half an hour before stopping in front of a manor nestled against the mountains and beside the water.

The manor was small, but quiet and elegant. Su Wenjing arranged for everyone to stay and invited the manor's physician to treat Zhou Tong.

After settling in, Su Wenjing invited Lin Feng and Shen Qingyi to the study for a chat. The study was simply furnished, but filled with ancient books, and the air was filled with the fragrance of ink.

"I'm sure you two have many questions about what happened tonight," Su Wenjing said slowly as he personally brewed tea.

"I won't hide it from you. Zhao Dahong was indeed acting on Governor Pei's orders to take your lives."

Shen Qingyi's face turned pale: "Uncle Pei...why did he want to kill me?"

"It's not to kill you, it's to kill Young Master Lin." Su Wenjing looked at Lin Feng.

"Prefect Pei, or rather, the person behind him, does not want Young Master Lin to come to Jinling."

"Why?" Lin Feng asked.

"Because Young Master Lin... knows too much." Su Wenjing's gaze was deep.

Lin Feng's heart skipped a beat. Was it still...the matter of Prince Jing?

"What does Mr. Su know?" Lin Feng asked in a deep voice.

"I don't know much, but I can guess the general idea," Su Wenjing sighed.

"Young Master Lin, you come from the North, on your way to Jinling to visit an old friend. Along the way, you've faced constant assassination attempts: last night at Taibai Tower, today a fire in the pine forest, tonight an ambush at the inn… Do you think it's all just a coincidence?"

"Are you saying, sir, that someone doesn't want me to go to Nanjing, and even less does they want me to find the person I'm looking for?"

"Exactly." Su Wenjing nodded.

"The waters of Nanjing are deep; pulling one hair can affect the whole situation. Some people don't want to see... people who shouldn't be there."

Shen Qingyi was completely confused, but wisely didn't ask any more questions. She just looked at Lin Feng with concern.

"Why did Mr. Su help me?" Lin Feng looked directly at Su Wenjing.

"Because I owe Lord Shen a favor," Su Wenjing said frankly.

"Also because... I can't stand certain people who, for their own selfish reasons, disrupt the court and disregard human life."

He stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the night view outside: "Young Master Lin, the road ahead is fraught with danger. Have you thought it through? Do you really want to wade into these troubled waters?"

"Once the arrow is released, there's no turning back." Lin Feng also stood up, his tone calm.

"Now that we're here, we should at least get to the bottom of this."

"Good ambition." Su Wenjing turned around, took a scroll from the bookshelf, and handed it to Lin Feng.

"This might be useful to you."

Lin Feng unfurled the scroll, revealing a meticulously drawn map of Nanjing's city defenses, complete with street names and important residences.

However, the map had several circles drawn with cinnabar ink, with tiny annotations next to them, all of which were seemingly insignificant shops, residences, and temples.

"This is……"

"The person you're looking for might have appeared in these places," Su Wenjing said in a low voice.

"But remember, there are spies everywhere in Nanjing. You must be extremely careful in your actions."

"Thank you, sir." Lin Feng put away the scroll and solemnly clasped his hands in thanks.

"No need to thank me," Su Wenjing waved his hand.

"This is all I can do. Tomorrow morning, I will send someone to take you across the river. From now on, you will have to rely on yourselves."

It was late at night when I left the study.

Shen Qingyi escorted Lin Feng back to his room and paused on the corridor.

"Young Master Lin," she said softly, "how much of what Mr. Su said... do you believe?"

"Seven points." Lin Feng said.

"So... shall we still go to Nanjing?"

"Go." Lin Feng said without hesitation, "Not only will we go, but we'll go in a grand and impressive way."

Shen Qingyi was taken aback, then understood his meaning: "Young Master, are you trying to... lure the snake out of its hole?"

"Since we can't avoid it, we might as well let them come out on their own." A cold glint flashed in Lin Feng's eyes.

"I want to see just how many demons and monsters are hiding in Nanjing."

Looking at his resolute profile, Shen Qingyi felt a complex mix of emotions welling up inside her.

Is it admiration, worry, or... something else?

"Young master, no matter what lies ahead, Qingyi is willing to go with you." Her voice was soft, but firm.

Lin Feng glanced at her and nodded: "It's late, get some rest."

"Young master, you should rest early as well."

The long night is coming to an end, and dawn is not far away. But the darkness before dawn is often the deepest.

The rain started in the afternoon. Fine as needles, it slanted and wove a gray net, covering the entire city of Nanjing.

Inside the carriage, Shen Qingyi lifted a corner of the curtain and gazed at the hazy rain scene outside the window. The distant city walls and pavilions were hidden behind the rain curtain, revealing only their vague outlines, like an unfinished ink painting.

"Back in Jinling again," she said softly, her tone neither joyful nor sorrowful.

Lin Feng sat opposite him, closing his eyes to rest.

Three days had passed since they left Shuangqiao Town. Su Wenjing had sent reliable people to escort him, and they hadn't spoken a word the entire way. But the calmer things seemed, the more tense he felt.

Governor Pei's men never reappeared, and the man in blue robes vanished without a trace, as if the pursuit of the past few days had been nothing but a dream. But he knew it wasn't a dream.

The carriage turned into a secluded alley.

After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, they stopped in front of an inconspicuous little black lacquered door.

Shen Qingyi got out of the car, took out a brass key from her bosom, and inserted it into the lock. With a "click," the door opened.

The courtyard has three main rooms and two wing rooms on the east and west sides. Although not luxurious, it is clean and elegant.

"This is a villa that my father bought in Jinling many years ago. It is usually only looked after by Uncle Chen." Shen Qingyi led Lin Feng into the house.

"Please rest here for now, young master. There are many eyes and ears in the city, and it's not convenient to go back to the Shen residence for the time being."