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

It was completely silent outside the window.

A moment later, a clear, calm, and slightly magnetic female voice seemed to whisper in my ear, yet remained ethereal: "Captain Lin, an old friend has come to visit. May I see him?"

It was Ye Qingli! She bypassed all the visible and hidden sentries on the perimeter and went straight to the study window! This unpredictable skill made Lin Feng and Liu Sandao's hearts skip a beat.

Lin Feng gave Liu Sandao a wink, signaling him to calm down, then walked to the window and opened it.

The moonlight outside the window was like water. In the shadows of the courtyard, a slender figure in black stood quietly, her face covered with a black cloth, revealing only a pair of eyes that were as clear as cold stars in the moonlight, calmly looking at him.

It was Ye Qingli.

"Miss Ye, I apologize for not welcoming you properly at this late hour. Please come in." Lin Feng stepped aside and gestured for her to enter.

Ye Qingli didn't stand on ceremony. With a slight movement, she floated into the study like a falling leaf, landing in the room without disturbing a speck of dust.

Her gaze swept across the room, pausing briefly on Liu Sandao, before she said to Lin Feng, "Commander Lin, you have quite the skills. In such a short time, you have built such a large foundation in this 'muddy land.' It seems that my meager assistance was unnecessary."

"I will forever remember Miss Ye's kindness in helping me." Lin Feng clasped his hands in a fist salute, signaling Liu Sandao to close the doors and windows, and then asked, "Miss Ye, did you come here to deliver a message for me?"

"I suppose so." Ye Qingli walked to the table, her gaze falling on the sketch, a glint of surprise in her eyes. "It seems that Commandant Lin has a clear understanding of the situation in the prefecture. The red circle represents the canal gang, the blue circle represents Zhou Wenyuan, the yellow circle represents Prince Qi... and this green square represents the prefectural government? Commandant Lin has quite the ambition."

"The situation forced me to do this." Lin Feng sat down opposite her and got straight to the point. "Miss Ye, let's not beat around the bush. I am deeply grateful for the care you have given to the two young ladies from Black Wind Valley. How are they doing? When can I bring them out?"

Ye Qingli looked at him, her eyes above the black cloth curving slightly, seemingly with a hint of a smile: "Miss Chen Xi and Miss A Yue are both well; their food, clothing, and daily necessities are all taken care of, so Lieutenant Lin need not worry. As for bringing them out..."

She paused, "I'm afraid now is not the time. Zhou Wenyuan's spies are all over the prefecture, and the Qi Prince's Mansion is also secretly investigating. They are safest in Black Wind Valley for the time being. If Lieutenant Lin really wants to protect them, he should think about how to deal with the trouble at hand first."

"Trouble?" Lin Feng's eyes flashed. "Is Miss Ye referring to Huang San of the Grand Canal Gang, Zhou Wenyuan, or... Prince Qi?"

"Both." Ye Qingli walked to the window, gazing at the deep night outside. "Huang San of the Canal Gang is just a frontman; the real trouble lies behind him. Zhou Wenyuan lost Zhang Biao, and now you have leverage over him. Given his vengeful nature, he'll never let this go. As for Prince Qi…" She turned to Lin Feng, "That batch of 'goods' at Black Stone Beach, do you really think it's just ordinary smuggled goods?"

Lin Feng's heart stirred, but his face remained expressionless: "I would like to hear the details."

Ye Qingli sighed softly, sat down at the table, and unconsciously tapped her fingers on the surface. "Now that things have come to this, there are some things you should know. Commander Lin, have you ever heard of the 'Jingnan Relics'?"

A relic of the Jingnan Rebellion?! Lin Feng's pupils suddenly contracted!

He'd heard those four words countless times! The Golden Dragon Token was inextricably linked to this! Did Ye Qingli know about it too? Just who was she? Was she friend or foe?

He suppressed his shock and slowly shook his head: "I've heard a little about it. It's said to be a fortune left behind by the defeated Prince Jing of the previous dynasty, enough to bring down a country. However, it's just a rumor."

"Rumors from the martial arts world?" Ye Qingli chuckled lightly, a hint of mockery and an inexplicable heaviness in her voice. "If it were merely rumors, how could it have caused such a stir, drawing in the court, feudal lords, the martial arts world, and even remnants of the previous dynasty, with all these forces vying for power and creating such chaos?"

She looked at Lin Feng with a deep gaze: "The 'rice' stolen from Black Stone Beach wasn't new rice at all. Hidden inside were finely crafted armor, crossbows, and other weapons. Prince Qi, under the guise of smuggling, was secretly accumulating military equipment; his motives are self-evident. And Zhou Wenyuan, while ostensibly impeaching Prince Qi, was also secretly collecting relics from the previous dynasty, searching for clues to the 'Jingnan Rebellion Treasures.' The weapons in his west wing are probably no ordinary items either. The 'special goods' mentioned in Zhang Biao's confession are most likely related to this."

A storm raged in Lin Feng's heart!

Was the King of Qi secretly stockpiling weapons in an attempt to rebel?

Is Zhou Wenyuan also searching for relics from the previous dynasty?

Who was the third-party force that impersonated government officials and soldiers to plunder the Qi King's "goods"? Was it also for the "treasures left behind by the Jingnan Rebellion"?

And then there's Ye Qingli. She knows so much; which side does she represent? The imperial court? Or…?

"Miss Ye, what is your purpose in telling me all this?" Lin Feng asked in a deep voice, his gaze sharp as a knife as he stared directly at Ye Qingli.

Ye Qingli met his gaze without backing down: "My intention is simple. I have high hopes for you, Lin Feng. You are not someone to be trifled with; this small 'muddy pool' cannot hold you back. You cannot escape this chaos in the prefecture either. Rather than being passively drawn in, you should take the initiative and fight for a real future for yourself and for those you care about."

"Enter the game? How do I enter?" Lin Feng asked.

"Cooperate with me," Ye Qingli said, enunciating each word clearly. "I guarantee Miss Chen tide and the others' absolute safety in Black Wind Valley. I can even help you gradually move them to a more secure location. I can also provide you with the information you need and offer necessary support at certain times. What you need to do is continue to expand the 'Three Harmonies' here in the prefecture, restrain the Canal Gang, create trouble for Zhou Wenyuan and Prince Qi, and at the same time... keep an eye out for any clues related to the 'Jingnan Relics' and that snake-shaped token."

"A snake-shaped token?" Lin Feng was shocked again. It was the ebony token that had been seized from Black Stone Beach!

"Yes, the snake-shaped token." A cold glint flashed in Ye Qingli's eyes. "That's the token of an extremely secretive organization loyal to the former dynasty's royal family—the 'Xuanlin Guard.' This organization didn't disappear after Prince Jing's defeat; instead, it went underground, operating in secret, constantly searching for lost treasures and plotting to restore the kingdom. The Black Stone Beach robbery, the impersonation of government soldiers, and the 'Listening Rain Pavilion's' cover-up are all very likely related to them. They are the real venomous snakes hiding behind Zhou Wenyuan and Prince Qi."

Xuanlin Guard! Remnants of the previous dynasty! Impersonating government soldiers! Looting military equipment! Lin Feng instantly connected many clues in his mind.

No wonder those men in black were so well-trained, no wonder they had standard crossbows, no wonder they wanted to silence Manager Qian! If what Ye Qingli said was true, then the situation in this prefecture was a hundred times more dangerous than he had imagined! It was not just a struggle between a local vassal king and a capable official, but a huge vortex involving remnants of the previous dynasty and a conspiracy to restore the country!

"Miss Ye, who exactly are you?" Lin Feng stared at her, asking the most crucial question, "Are you from the imperial court? Or...?"