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

The night was as thick as ink. In the deep courtyards of the eastern part of the prefectural city, only the faint light of lanterns swaying in the wind and the long, drowsy sound of the night watchman's clapper could be heard.

Like a shadow blending into the night, Lin Feng silently swept across the shadow of a high wall. His toes lightly touched the damp moss on the top of the wall, and he drifted like a fallen leaf into the abandoned backyard inside the wall.

This was once the confiscated residence of a disgraced official, abandoned for many years. It was separated from the Zhou residence by only a wall, with branches of several old trees even brazenly reaching towards the Zhou residence from the top of the wall. It was an excellent vantage point.

Lin Feng lay hidden behind a clump of waist-high withered grass, his gaze like that of a hawk piercing the night, directed towards the area in the Zhou family's inner courtyard that was under special "attention." The distance was too great to see clearly, but the window with its dim yellow light and the two dark shadows outside, nailed like wooden stakes, made his heart sink.

"Judging by this, even a fly wouldn't be able to get in," he muttered to himself, his brows slightly furrowed.

Forcing his way in to rescue them would be the stupidest idea; that old fox Zhou Wenyuan would love for him to walk right into his trap.

But watching from afar only made me anxious.

They shouldn't have been dragged into this mess, much less trapped here like caged birds, their lives in the hands of others.

He needs to see more clearly and hear more accurately.

His gaze swept across the area, landing on a centuries-old locust tree, its branches gnarled and twisted, almost stretching horizontally over the wall, standing atop the high wall separating the two residences. Its canopy was dense; if only he could climb to the top of its branches…

The risk is considerable. That tree is right next to the inner wall of the Zhou residence, too close to the patrol team and guards.

He took a deep breath, and the night wind, carrying the chill of late autumn, filled his lungs, which invigorated him.

It's done!

Like a black panther poised to pounce, his muscles tensed and relaxed in an instant, his figure darting out from the shadows of the wall, reaching its base in a few leaps. Spotting a dent in the tree trunk, he lightly touched the ground with his toes, his hands like hooks gripping the rough bark, and with a burst of power from his waist and abdomen, he nimbly flipped over the wall. Using the slight leverage of the wall, he climbed like a monkey onto the thickest horizontal branch of the old locust tree.

The movements were fluid and almost silent.

He steadied himself, brushed aside a few obstructing leaves, and stared intently into the distance.

The distance suddenly closed. He could even make out the pattern of the newly pasted paper on the lit window, and on the paper were the silhouettes of three familiar figures—one slightly turned to the side, seemingly doing needlework, was Liu Yun. Another small shadow rested on someone's shoulder, its little head nodding, as if it were sleepy but still trying to stay awake, was Shi Xiu and Cao'er. They were still alive, still able to do ordinary things under the lamp, which eased Lin Feng's anxiety a little.

But the two men in tight-fitting clothes standing at the door with their hands on their knives, and the other figures vaguely moving outside the moon gate of the courtyard, were like cold iron locks, firmly locking away that faint warmth.

Just then, light flickered at the moon gate, and a figure carrying a lantern and dressed in a respectable silk robe walked in. The lantern's glow illuminated a familiar face—Zhou An, the head steward of the Zhou family.

Lin Feng's eyes turned cold. This old dog was Zhou Wenyuan's most loyal henchman.

Zhou An walked to the door of the side room, nodded slightly to the guard, and then raised his voice, which was not loud but carried a condescending indifference: "Aunt Liu, the master asked this old servant to pass on a message."

The silhouette on the window paused for a moment. Liu Yun seemed to stand up, walk to the door, and the door opened a crack, revealing half of her pale and haggard face.

"Uncle An, what are your orders, sir?" Liu Yun's voice came faintly from a distance, carrying a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.

"Master said," Zhou An straightened his back, his tone stern, "that you can stay here in peace. If you need anything, just tell the people outside. Master values ​​our past relationship and won't mistreat you. But there's one thing you must remember—don't think about things you shouldn't think about, don't ask questions you shouldn't ask, and most importantly, don't have any wicked thoughts or collude with outsiders in private. Otherwise…" He sneered, his tone laced with threat, "You know Master's temper. There are more than just one or two people who have quietly disappeared from this mansion."

Liu Yun's body visibly swayed, her fingers gripping the door frame tightly until her knuckles turned white.

She lowered her head, her voice even softer: "Yes...I understand, thank you for your kindness, sir, and for your guidance, Uncle An."

"Good that you understand." Zhou An seemed satisfied, then glanced at the room again. "It's late, get some rest."

After saying that, he didn't linger. He picked up the lantern, turned around, and left. His figure quickly disappeared outside the moon gate.

The door to the side room was gently closed. Through the window, Liu Yun's silhouette slowly sat back down at the table, and Shi Xiu seemed to be embracing the sleeping Cao'er. The shadows of the two sisters nestled together, trembling slightly, as if they were crying silently.

Lin Feng, perched in the tree, clenched his fist tightly, his nails digging deep into his palm, causing a sharp pain.

Anger surged within him like magma, threatening to burst forth! Zhou Wenyuan! Zhou An! These hypocritical beasts! How dare they threaten and intimidate him like this!

He almost couldn't contain himself, wanting to rush down immediately, snap Zhou An's neck, smash open the door, and elope with them. But his remaining rationality, like ice water, extinguished this momentary rage. No! Rushing down now would not only fail to save them, but would also push them into an even more dangerous situation, completely exposing himself and ruining everything.

We must be patient, we must plan, and we must have enough power to overturn this game!

Just as his heart was churning and he was forcibly suppressing his murderous intent, a very faint rustling sound, almost indistinguishable from the night wind, suddenly came from the branches and leaves not far away beside him.

someone!

Lin Feng's hair stood on end instantly. His right hand flashed to the hilt of the short sword at his waist, his body tensed like a bow, and his sharp, knife-like gaze shot towards the source of the sound!

Just a few feet away, in the shadow of another thick branch, a slender figure had quietly appeared!

The person was also dressed in black, a form-fitting outfit suitable for nighttime movement. Tall and slender, their face was covered with a black cloth, revealing only a pair of eyes that, even in the dim moonlight, remained clear and captivating. At this moment, those eyes were quietly watching him, without surprise, without hostility, and even… carrying a faint, almost imperceptible, playful glint?

Ye Qingli! She's here too! And she seems to have arrived even earlier and hidden herself even more secretly than I have!

Lin Feng was shocked, but he showed no sign of it on his face. He slowly released his grip on the hilt of the knife and calmly looked back at them. The four pairs of eyes met silently in the dim light, as if tiny sparks of electricity were crackling among the branches and leaves.

"Commander Lin, what a refined hobby! Climbing a tree to enjoy the scenery in the middle of the night?" A low, slightly aloof, and teasing female voice drifted over. It was Ye Qingli. She seemed to have deliberately changed her voice, but its unique charm was still undeniable.

Lin Feng's lips twitched almost imperceptibly. He lowered his voice as well, his tone flat: "Isn't Miss Ye the same? Perhaps the moonlight at the Zhou residence is exceptionally different?"

A hint of a smile flashed in Ye Qingli's eyes, as if she found his retort somewhat amusing.

She tilted her head slightly, gesturing towards the side room in the inner courtyard of the Zhou residence: "It seems that Commandant Lin came for this reason? He is indeed a man of great loyalty and righteousness."

"They are my responsibility." Lin Feng said succinctly, his gaze returning to the window, his tone low. "Miss Ye must have seen Zhou Wenyuan's methods."

"I saw it." Ye Qingli's voice turned cold, tinged with sarcasm. "Lord Zhou's 'benevolence and morality' is truly eye-opening. However..." She changed the subject, looking at Lin Feng, "What does Lieutenant Lin intend to do? Go down there with a surge of passion and kill to his heart's content? Then lead them on a desperate escape, only to be chased to the ends of the earth by Zhou Wenyuan and Prince Qi's men, with nowhere to run and nowhere to hide?"

These words hit the nail on the head and highlighted Lin Feng's current predicament.

Lin Feng paused for a moment, then asked instead, "Miss Ye, what brings you here? Surely you're not really here to admire the moon?"

Ye Qingli chuckled softly, her laughter carrying a strange, captivating magnetism in the night: "As for me... naturally, I'm here to watch the show. To see just how many monsters and demons are hiding beneath this prefectural government's stage. And by the way..." She paused, her gaze sweeping over Lin Feng's face with an ambiguous meaning, "...to see if there are any...potential stocks worth betting on."

A potential stock? A bet?

Lin Feng's heart skipped a beat. Ye Qingli's words seemed to have a hidden meaning. Was she really observing him? Assessing whether he was worth "investing" in?

"So, Miss Ye, do you think this 'stock' of mine has potential?" Lin Feng simply followed her lead and asked, wanting to probe her opinion.

Ye Qingli did not answer immediately. She leaned against the tree trunk, her posture seemingly lazy, but in reality, every part of her body was in the best state of exertion, which was an instinct possessed only by top experts.

She scrutinized Lin Feng, from his steady, mountain-like figure to his sharp, eagle-like eyes in the darkness, and then to his clean, efficient, and almost perfect stealthy climb just now.

After a long pause, she slowly spoke, her voice less playful and more serious: "Her skills and courage are both top-notch. To have crawled out of the mountains of corpses and seas of blood from the border army, to have managed to navigate between Zhou Wenyuan and the Prince of Qi until now, and even to have dared to venture alone into the Dragon's Den at night... her potential is undeniable."

She then changed the subject: "However, potential is just potential. Without a foundation, without power, relying solely on one's courage, one cannot make much of a splash in this quagmire of the prefecture. At most, one will get splashed with mud, or... sink."

This was a blunt statement, but it was the truth. Lin Feng was indeed all alone at the moment, possessing great skills but having no power to use them.

"So, what does Miss Ye mean?" Lin Feng looked at her intently.

"What I mean?" Ye Qingli chuckled, a sly glint in her eyes. "What I mean is, watching a show requires patience, and placing bets requires the right timing. If Lieutenant Lin really wants to accomplish something, he can't just climb trees by himself. He needs his own people, his own territory, his own... chips."

After she finished speaking, she seemed to have no intention of saying anything more, and with a slight movement, she was about to leave.

"Wait a minute," Lin Feng suddenly called out to her.

Ye Qingli stopped and turned to look at him, her eyes above the black cloth gleaming with curiosity in the moonlight.

"Miss Ye has helped me twice and enlightened me here. I will remember this kindness." Lin Feng clasped his hands and said solemnly, "No matter what your purpose is, if you ever need my help in the future, as long as it does not violate morality, I will not refuse."

He was expressing his stance, and also testing the waters.

Ye Qingli is too mysterious for him to understand, but at least for now, she seems to have no ill intentions towards him, and may even be "investing" in him.

He had to acknowledge the favor, but he also needed to see how the other party would accept it.

Ye Qingli seemed surprised that he would thank her so solemnly and make such a promise. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, which then turned into a deeper smile. That smile made her cool eyes come alive instantly, like a delicate orchid blooming under the moonlight.

"I'll remember what Lieutenant Lin said." A hint of genuine pleasure lingered in her voice. "I hope that one day we won't be enemies. As for helping..." She winked mischievously, "When I get tired of watching the show and want to play my part, I might really come looking for you. Until we meet again, Lieutenant Lin. I wish you... a speedy journey to finding your own chessboard and pieces."

Before she finished speaking, she swayed and glided down from the treetop like a ghost. In a few leaps, she disappeared behind the rooftops, leaving only a faint, almost imperceptible fragrance that drifted slowly in the night breeze.

Lin Feng remained alone in the tree, pondering her last words.

Chessboard, chess pieces... Yes, he could no longer be content to be just a chess piece manipulated by others. He wanted to be the one wielding the pieces, even if initially there was only a simple chessboard and a few insignificant pieces.

He took one last, deep look at the window that radiated a faint warmth and endless sorrow, etching their images firmly into his heart. Then, without further hesitation, like a nimble monkey, he silently slid down the tree, scaled the high wall, and disappeared completely into the deep night of the prefecture.

That night, he witnessed the cold-bloodedness of the Zhou family, confirmed the perilous situation of his loved ones, encountered the mysterious Ye Qingli, and became even more determined in his heart to take a desperate gamble.

Leaving the protection of the military camp and shaking off all constraints, in the most chaotic and darkest shadow of this state, he started from scratch in his own way, building a force that obeyed only him and was powerful enough to shake up the game!

The first step was to start in the dirtiest "muddy puddles" in the state capital.

Those forgotten veterans of the border army, those desperate fugitives struggling at the bottom, those local bullies who are well-informed but can't see the light of day... will all become the first and sharpest pieces on his chessboard!

The moonlight struggled to pierce through the clouds, casting its light on Lin Feng's tall, receding figure, turning the path beneath his feet into a silvery white, and illuminating the ever-brighter, burning flame in his eyes—a flame called ambition.

The night in the prefectural capital was still long. But Lin Feng's game of chess had only just begun.