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

He had lost track of time, drifting in the icy river for an unknown amount of time. Just as he felt his body about to freeze and his consciousness beginning to fade, a dark, irregular shadow appeared on the right bank of the river ahead, thicker than the surrounding area. He could also faintly hear the hollow "thump-thump" sound of the water hitting the wooden structure.

It's a waterwheel workshop! Although abandoned, the huge outline of the waterwheel is still discernible under the starlight!

Lin Feng's spirits lifted, and with his last ounce of strength, he paddled desperately towards the shadows, using both hands and feet. The water flow seemed to be hindered here by the wreckage of the waterwheel, forming a small eddy and slowing down slightly. He seized an opportunity, reaching out sharply and grabbing a half-rotten wooden stake that extended into the water from the bank. The force of the impact nearly caused him to lose his grip, but he gritted his teeth, his fingers clamping down tightly like iron pincers.

After regaining his balance, he used the buoyancy of the current to slowly drag himself towards the shore. Finally, his feet touched the slippery mud and pebbles at the bottom of the river. He staggered, almost crawling, and finally broke free from the icy water, collapsing onto the damp grass on the bank.

He took out a tinderbox from his pocket, which was wrapped in layers of oilcloth and was luckily not completely soaked. After several attempts, he managed to blow a faint flame that illuminated a small area around him.

This was indeed an abandoned waterwheel workshop. Most of the massive wooden waterwheel had collapsed, leaving only its broken skeleton standing in the river, like the remains of a colossal beast. Several similarly dilapidated mud-brick houses stood on the bank, their roofs mostly collapsed and their doors and windows askew. The air was thick with the stench of mold, water, and dust. A deathly silence reigned, broken only by the rushing sound of the river washing over the remains.

"A-Yue?" Lin Feng called tentatively in a low voice, while warily scanning the surrounding darkness. There was no response.

His heart sank slightly. Had A-Yue not arrived safely? Or had she encountered some other danger? Or... was she hiding deeper within?

He spurred his weak body to his feet, gripping a knife in one hand and holding a meager tinderbox in the other, cautiously approaching the dilapidated huts. The first hut was empty, covered only in thick dust and cobwebs. The second was the same. Just as he was about to despair, from the third, the innermost and relatively better-preserved mud-brick hut, came an extremely faint rustling sound, almost drowned out by the wind and water, like a small animal scratching.

Lin Feng stopped abruptly, his muscles tensing, and moved the light from the tinderbox away, listening intently.

"It's...it's me..." A low, hoarse, trembling, and weak voice came from the shadows inside the room. It was Ah Yue!

A huge weight lifted from Lin Feng's heart. He strode forward and pushed open the half-closed, almost collapsing wooden door. By the light of the newly lit tinderbox, he saw A-Yue huddled in a relatively dry corner of the room, leaning against the earthen wall, tightly holding the unconscious worker in her arms. Her face was covered in mud and sweat, and her lips were also purple from the cold, but her eyes, illuminated by the firelight, remained alert and bright. When she saw it was Lin Feng, a look of relief flashed in her eyes, which quickly turned into deeper worry as she looked at Lin Feng's soaked and disheveled appearance and the bleeding wound on his arm.

"Are you... alright?" The two spoke almost simultaneously, their voices hoarse and exhausted.

"It's nothing, just a superficial wound." Lin Feng knelt down beside A Yue, first checking the man's breathing. Although weak, it was relatively steady. A Yue had re-bandaged the arrow wound on his leg with a torn piece of her clothing, and the bleeding seemed to have stopped. "How is he?"

"He hasn't woken up, but he's still breathing," A-Yue whispered, wrapping her half-dry, still-warm old coat around the waiter. She herself, wearing only a thin undershirt, shivered slightly from the cold. "The pursuers... didn't find this place. But on the way, I saw another group of people..."

"Another group?" Lin Feng's eyes narrowed.

"Yes, about five or six people, dressed in black, without torches, searching less than a mile downstream. They were quick and professional, unlike the group from before," A-Yue recalled, her brow furrowing slightly. "They seemed to be... looking for something, or... looking for us too? I hid in a crevice in the rocks by the water, waiting for them to pass before taking a detour to come up."

Two groups of people? Alarm bells rang in Lin Feng's mind. The first group was the masked men who attacked the warehouse and chased them (most likely Di Rong people or "Third Master's" men). Who were the second group? Were they people sent by Zhou Wenyuan to meet them? Or... another force? For example, the mysterious "Prince's" men? Or perhaps, other Di Rong spies that Ye Qingli had been tracking?

The situation is more complicated than anticipated. We cannot linger here. We must return to the prefectural capital immediately and bring the news and this survivor back to Zhou Wenyuan.

"We have to leave immediately," Lin Feng said in a deep voice, glancing at the still-dark night outside. "There's still some time before dawn; the pursuers are probably still searching nearby, and the identities of the second group are unknown. But we have to risk going back. Can you still make it?"

A-Yue nodded vigorously, struggling to stand up, but her legs gave way and she almost fell again. Clearly, carrying someone on her back for a long journey and being soaked in the river had greatly depleted her strength. Lin Feng quickly supported her, feeling the coldness of her body and her slight trembling.

"I'll carry him. You conserve your energy and stay close to me." Without further ado, Lin Feng took the unconscious man from A Yue's arms and secured him to his back with strips of cloth. The weight of over 100 pounds pressed down on his equally exhausted body, causing him to groan, but his steps did not falter. He picked up A Yue's hunting fork from the ground and handed it to her, then handed her his own machete: "Here, for self-defense."

A-Yue took the hunting fork and machete without refusing, and simply followed him silently and closely.

After traveling for an unknown amount of time, when they were less than five miles from the city wall of the prefecture and could even vaguely see the flags fluttering on the city tower, a series of rapid and chaotic hoofbeats and faint, suppressed shouts suddenly came from a sparse poplar grove ahead!

There are people! And quite a few of them, they're approaching rapidly!

The thunderous sound of hooves drew ever closer. Soon, a troop of about twenty cavalrymen emerged from the poplar grove and galloped along the official road! They carried torches (though it was still dark, the firelight was still conspicuous), wore the standard leather armor of the Qingzhou army, had swords at their waists and bows and arrows on their backs, and their expressions were grim—they were the Qingzhou army's night scouts! The officer at the head, about thirty years old, with a stern face and piercing eyes, constantly scanned both sides of the road; he was none other than Zhao Tieying, the deputy captain who had ordered a thorough search in the military camp the day before!

It's the state army! Judging from their direction, they seem to be on a mission outside the city, or... searching for something?

Lin Feng's mind raced. Was he friend or foe? Was Zhao Tieying Zhou Wenyuan's man, or that mysterious "prince's"? Or perhaps a loyal third party kept in the dark? He dared not reveal himself rashly. Zhou Wenyuan had instructed that this matter must be carried out in secrecy. If he were intercepted by the state army now, with a seriously wounded warehouse clerk, carrying Zhou Wenyuan's token and clues brought back from the warehouse, he would be unable to explain himself and might even immediately put Zhou Wenyuan in danger.

The sound of horses' hooves grew closer, and the torchlight illuminated the edge of the ditch where they were hiding. Lin Feng could even see the hideous old scar on Zhao Tieying's face, and his sharp, hawk-like gaze sweeping across the area.

A-Yue gripped the hunting fork tightly, her body slightly arched, like a mother leopard poised to pounce. Lin Feng also tightened his grip on the hilt of his knife, preparing for the worst.

However, Zhao Tieying's gaze only lingered briefly in the direction of the ditch, seemingly oblivious to anything amiss. He then shouted sternly, "Speed ​​up! We must reach Laoyadu before dawn! Lord Zhou has ordered the area sealed off; no unauthorized personnel are permitted to approach! Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy!"

Lord Zhou? It's Zhou Wenyuan! He's already received the news? And he acted so quickly, immediately dispatching the state army? Is it to take over the scene, or... to clean up the traces? Lin Feng's doubts deepened.

The cavalry swept past without stopping, raising a cloud of dust as they sped towards Laoyadu, quickly disappearing into the pre-dawn darkness.

"Let's go back to the city first," Lin Feng said in a low voice, picking up his companion again. Zhou Wenyuan had already dispatched troops, which meant that the power struggle within the prefecture might have already begun. They had to get back as soon as possible and personally deliver firsthand, more detailed intelligence to Zhou Wenyuan.

When Lin Feng and A Yue, dragging their nearly exhausted bodies, finally saw the familiar west-side door they had quietly entered and exited the previous night, the eastern sky was already tinged with a faint golden hue.

The side door remained tightly closed, but there seemed to be someone behind the crack. Lin Feng stepped forward and gently knocked three times in a specific rhythm.

The door immediately opened a crack, revealing the old butler Zhou Fu's tired and worried face. Seeing Lin Feng and A Yue in such a disheveled state, and with an unconscious stranger in tow, a hint of surprise flashed in Zhou Fu's eyes, but he didn't ask anything. He quickly pulled the door open, gesturing for them to come in.

"Quickly, come in! The master has been waiting for you!" Zhou Fu said in a low voice, glancing warily at the door to make sure no one was watching before quickly closing the door and bolting it.

The Zhou residence was eerily quiet; the servants had not yet risen. Zhou Fu led them, not along the main road, but through a secluded corridor, directly to the inner courtyard where Zhou Wenyuan's study was located. The study was brightly lit, and Zhou Wenyuan, clearly having not slept all night, was pacing back and forth, his face more solemn and gloomy than ever before. Hearing footsteps, he abruptly turned around and, seeing Lin Feng and A Yue, especially the unconscious servant on Lin Feng's back, his pupils contracted sharply.

"Zhou Fu, stand guard outside the door. No one is allowed to approach!" Zhou Wenyuan ordered in a deep voice, his voice slightly hoarse from suppressed emotion.

"Yes, sir." Zhou Fu responded and withdrew, closing the door tightly behind him.

Lin Feng carefully placed the unconscious shop assistant on the soft couch in the study. Zhou Wenyuan strode forward, and after just one glance at the shop assistant's injuries and face, his expression darkened further: "It's Li Si, the shop assistant from the warehouse? He's still alive?"

"Yes, he was badly injured, but he was still breathing. He told us what happened at the warehouse himself." Lin Feng quickly recounted the details of their nighttime raid on the warehouse, the clues they discovered, the ambush they encountered, the news brought back by A Yue, and their final encounter with Zhao Tieying leading the state army out of the city. He emphasized the Di Rong people, the mole accountant, the mysterious "Third Master," the conversation that might involve the "Prince," the missing ledger, the special arrow markings, and the second group of unidentified searchers.

Zhou Wenyuan listened quietly, his expression shifting constantly, sometimes ashen, sometimes solemn, and sometimes flashing with a chilling light in his eyes. When he heard the words "Third Master" and "Prince," his hand on the desk clenched tightly, his knuckles turning white. When he heard the arrow mark, his eyes flashed with disbelief, a mixture of shock and murderous intent.

"Arrow marking...Are you sure?" Zhou Wenyuan's voice was terrifyingly low, as if it were being squeezed out from between his teeth.

"Confirmed. It's exactly the same as the mark at the end of the letter that was shot on the pillar of the mansion gate," Lin Feng affirmed, while taking out the carefully preserved, blood-stained scrap of paper from his pocket and handing it to Zhou Wenyuan.

Zhou Wenyuan took the scraps of paper and examined them carefully under the light for a long time. His fingers trembled slightly. Finally, he clenched the scraps tightly in his palm, closed his eyes, took a few deep breaths, and when he opened them again, his eyes had regained their usual depth, but the coldness and determination were more intense than ever before.

"Good, very good." He said "good" twice, but it was filled with a chilling intent. "King Qi... Zhao Yuankai! It really was you who was pulling the strings behind the scenes! Colluding with the Di and Rong tribes, robbing my warehouses, killing my men... and now you want to pin the blame on me? What a clever scheme!"

He turned abruptly to look at Li Si, who lay unconscious on the soft couch, and said to Lin Feng, "Young friend Lin, you have done very well, even better than I expected. This boy is of utmost importance; he must be saved! I will immediately fetch the best doctor and the best medicine! He absolutely cannot die!"

"Prefect Zhou," Lin Feng looked at him and asked the question that had been nagging at him, "what exactly does that 'Third Master' and the arrow marking represent? Why is Prince Qi... targeting you? And those 'black market goods' in the warehouse..."

Zhou Wenyuan raised his hand, interrupting him. He looked at Lin Feng with a complicated expression, remained silent for a moment, and then slowly said, "Young friend Lin, this matter is far more complex than you can imagine. The more you know, the more dangerous it becomes. It's not that I don't trust you, but..." He paused and sighed, "Prince Qi, Zhao Yuankai, is based in Qingzhou. He is nominally a vassal king, but in reality, he intends to oversee the country. He has been cultivating his power in Qingzhou for many years, and his influence is deep-rooted. He is ambitious and has always been dissatisfied with the court's policy of reducing the power of vassal kings and strengthening central authority. He has been secretly accumulating power, befriending powerful figures, and even... secretly colluding with the Di Rong people in the north, exchanging border trade and contraband for their support and horses."

"As an official appointed by the imperial court and the Prefect of Qingzhou, it is my duty to remain silent. Over the years, I have had my share of open and covert struggles with Prince Qi. That warehouse outside the city, ostensibly a fur trade, is actually... a secret channel through which imperial envoys contact me and secretly monitor Prince Qi's dealings with the Di Rong. Those 'smuggled goods' are both bait and evidence." Zhou Wenyuan's voice carried a hint of weariness, yet also a touch of sternness. "I thought I had done it discreetly, but I never expected... that Prince Qi would still discover it. He's trying to cut off my intelligence, destroy my evidence, and even... frame me, accusing me of colluding with the Di Rong and trafficking in weapons!"

So that's how it is! Lin Feng suddenly understood. No wonder Zhou Wenyuan was so nervous, no wonder the attack on the warehouse was so devastating, no wonder it involved the Di Rong people and the mysterious "Third Master" (who was likely a confidant of the Prince of Qi). This was no longer just a business conflict, but a life-or-death struggle between the vassal king and the court, between loyal ministers and treacherous officials!

"That Commandant Zhao led his troops out of the city..." Lin Feng recalled Zhao Tieying, whom he had met before dawn.

"It was I who sent them," Zhou Wenyuan said in a deep voice. "Shortly after you left, my informant near the warehouse sent back an urgent message by carrier pigeon, saying that the warehouse had been attacked and was engulfed in flames. I knew something was wrong, so I immediately ordered Zhao Tieying to lead an elite team out of the city overnight to Laoyadu, ostensibly to seal off the scene and track down the culprits, but in reality, to take control of the area before the Prince of Qi's men completely destroyed it, to see if we could find more evidence, especially... that mole accountant and the ledgers they might have overlooked!"

A fierce glint flashed in his eyes: "It seems that the Prince of Qi has acted even faster. He not only robbed the goods and killed people, but also sent 'Shadow Guards' (he pointed to the arrow mark) to warn me, and may even be searching for you and this survivor. Zhao Tieying's trip may not be very profitable, and may even be dangerous."

"Shadow Guard?" Lin Feng caught this key word.

"The King of Qi has secretly raised a group of elite assassins, skilled in assassination, espionage, and tracking. Each one is highly skilled and moves with uncanny secrecy, using arrowheads as their markers," Zhou Wenyuan explained. "They are the ones who are sending warnings by shooting arrows; the ones searching for you by the river are very likely them. As for the Di Rong people who attacked the warehouse, it's probably also a way for the King of Qi to use someone else to do his dirty work."

Everything connected. The Di Rong people were the knife King Qi brought in; the Shadow Guards were King Qi's henchmen to clean up the scene and silence witnesses; and the traitor, Qian Zhangfang, was a spy planted long ago. King Qi's move was ruthless, precise, and decisive, almost putting Zhou Wenyuan to death.

"So what should we do now?" Lin Feng asked. Getting involved in a struggle at this level means that the slightest misstep could lead to annihilation.

Zhou Wenyuan paced back and forth in the room, pondering, "Now that Prince Qi has taken action, he won't let it go easily. He will definitely try every means to solidify the charge of 'colluding with the Di and Rong tribes and trafficking in military equipment,' and may even use the power of the court to exert pressure. The most urgent tasks are: first, to save Li Si, who is the most direct witness and can identify the mole, the accountant, and may even have met 'Third Master.' Second, to find the real account book that the accountant took away; it records detailed evidence of Prince Qi's transactions with the Di and Rong tribes, which is the key to my reversal! Third… we must find the accountant, or rather, find 'Third Master,' before Prince Qi does!"

He looked at Lin Feng, his gaze intense: "Young friend Lin, this matter is extremely dangerous. Prince Qi's power is immense, and his shadow guards are omnipresent. I am in the open, they are in the shadows. Even those around me may not be entirely clean. Now, the only people I can completely trust, besides Zhou Fu, are you."

This means we're entrusting them with the most dangerous and crucial tasks.

Lin Feng remained silent. He knew that accepting this mission meant officially standing against the Prince of Qi, facing this powerful regional lord and his mysterious and terrifying "Shadow Guards." The risk was greater than ever before.

But did he have a choice? From the moment he escorted Chen tide to the Zhou residence, from the moment he secretly scoured the warehouse for Zhou Wenyuan, he had already been labeled a "Zhou faction member." If the Prince of Qi were to deal with Zhou Wenyuan, he would never let him go. Moreover, the Prince of Qi's collusion with the Di and Rong tribes, causing chaos on the border, crossed his bottom line as a veteran border soldier.

"What do you need me to do?" Lin Feng finally spoke, his voice calm but carrying an undeniable firmness.

Zhou Wenyuan gave him a deep look, a hint of admiration and gratitude flashing in his eyes. He took out a smaller iron box sealed with sealing wax from his desk drawer and handed it to Lin Feng: "This contains some scattered information and suspicious locations that I have secretly collected over the years regarding Prince Qi, his henchmen, and the 'Shadow Guards.' There is also a secret letter in my own handwriting and a special seal. With this seal, you can go to the 'Ink Rhyme Studio' in the east of the city and find a manager surnamed Qin. He was an informant I placed years ago, responsible for intelligence transmission, and he might be able to provide some assistance."

"Your mission is to find the accountant or 'Third Master's' trail and retrieve the account books. Li Si will be protected and treated by me. Miss Yue..." He glanced at Yue, who had been silently guarding Lin Feng's side, her face covered in dust and exhaustion, yet her eyes were resolute. "Her injuries are not light, and she needs to rest. She can stay in the manor for the time being, firstly to protect the inner courtyard, and secondly to obtain more details after Li Si wakes up. Young friend Lin, you need to act alone, making you a smaller and more agile target. But remember, Prince Qi is powerful, and his shadow guards are difficult to deal with. Never engage in a direct confrontation; prioritize reconnaissance and self-preservation. If you find anything, you can send a message through 'Moyunzhai' or bring it back when the opportunity arises."

He solemnly handed the iron box and seal to Lin Feng, adding, "I will announce to the outside world that you have been rewarded for your meritorious service in escorting your relatives, and I have secured you a position in the state army and sent you to the camp outside the city for training. This will conceal your whereabouts. As for Miss Yue, she will stay at the mansion temporarily under the pretext of caring for the wounded."

The arrangements were meticulous, but they also placed the greatest pressure and danger entirely on Lin Feng's shoulders.

Lin Feng took the iron box and seal; they felt cold and heavy in his hands. He knew that accepting this meant that the road ahead would be fraught with danger, like walking on thin ice.

"Lin Feng obeys." He didn't say much, but simply replied in a deep voice.

A-Yue suddenly looked up at Lin Feng, her eyes filled with worry and disapproval. Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but in the end she just pursed them tightly, gripped the hunting fork in her hand, and nodded vigorously to Lin Feng.

Just then, Li Si, who was on the soft couch, suddenly let out a painful groan, his eyelids trembled, and he seemed to be waking up.

Zhou Wenyuan and Lin Feng immediately rushed over. Li Si struggled to open his eyes, his gaze initially unfocused and blank. But upon seeing Zhou Wenyuan's face, his eyes instantly flashed with a complex mix of excitement, fear, and grievance. His lips trembled as he hissed, "Master Zhou... Master Zhou... Accountant Qian... he's not human! He... he colluded with Di Rong... killed... killed Steward Wang... the account book... he took the account book... he... he seems to be going... to 'Emerald Willow Lane'... to find... to find a woman named 'Red Maiden'..."

Green Willow Lane? Red Maiden?

Lin Feng and Zhou Wenyuan exchanged a glance, both seeing the glint in each other's eyes. This might be a breakthrough!

"Li Si, don't rush, speak slowly. Where is Cui Liu Lane? Who is Hong Gu?" Zhou Wenyuan leaned down and asked gently.

However, Li Si seemed to have exhausted his last bit of strength. After saying these words, his eyes became unfocused again, his head tilted to the side, and he fainted once more.

"Quick! Go and fetch Doctor Sun! Use the best ginseng soup to keep him alive!" Zhou Wenyuan shouted urgently to Zhou Fu outside the door.

The atmosphere in the study became tense once again. A clue had emerged, but it also meant that action had to begin immediately.

"Green Willow Lane is in the southeast of the city. It's... a rather mixed place, with all sorts of people from all walks of life. 'Red Maiden'... that name sounds like a woman from a brothel, or a madam of a brothel," Zhou Wenyuan said quickly, his brow furrowed. "Where did the accountant go? Was he hiding the ledgers, or going to make contact? Or... was that place actually a secret hideout of the Prince of Qi?"

"I'll go take a look," Lin Feng decided immediately. Whether it was a dragon's den or a tiger's lair, he had to go.

"Be careful. The shadow guards might also be looking for the accountant, or they might have already set a trap," Zhou Wenyuan solemnly warned. "'Moyunzhai' is in the East Market. Manager Qin has a black mole on his left cheek. Remember, safety first."

Lin Feng nodded, glanced at the unconscious Li Si, then at A Yue who was filled with worry, gave her a reassuring look, and whispered, "Take care of yourself, and wait for me to come back."

Having said that, he didn't linger. He carefully put the iron box and seal away, straightened his half-dry, mud-stained clothes, and asked Zhou Fu for a clean, ordinary outer garment to cover his inner armor and weapons. He concealed his short knife in the most convenient place, took a deep breath of the cold, polluted air, and strode resolutely towards the "Moyunzhai" in the east of the city.