TNIBFT -Chapter 316 The Wife Strikes

Qin Fengyi’s eyes grew cold, but she said nothing.

Qiushui’s gaze swept up and down her, pausing for a moment in thought before sneering, “Sent by Ye Tian?”

“I should have expected it. Ye Tian is cunning and treacherous. Now that he knows someone in the east of the city is poisoning people, how could he possibly let us off so easily? I just didn’t expect him to move so quickly.”

Qiushui’s eyes were full of disdain. Calm and composed, she slowly drew the sword at her waist.

Qin Fengyi glanced at the people in the courtyard and, without answering directly, asked, “Is everyone here?”

What does she mean?

The members of the Goddess Palace exchanged glances.

Qiushui snorted coldly. This woman’s appearance was icy and aloof; clearly she had an inflated sense of self, disregarding everyone.

If Sun Wuji were here today, they might have reason to fear, but an unknown woman dared to provoke the authority of the Goddess Palace?

With a sharp “swish!”, Qiushui drew her sword in a flash.

Her movements were lightning fast as she lunged at Qin Fengyi. Expressionless, Qin Fengyi slightly sidestepped, her body like a coiled dragon. After a single exchange, the long sword in Qiushui’s hand was now in Qin Fengyi’s grasp.

Qiushui’s face twisted with embarrassment, her eyes full of unwillingness.

Qin Fengyi casually flicked the sword; it hummed in her hand, gleaming with cold light like a divine weapon.

“The sword is not for someone like you!”

Her voice was calm and cold, devoid of any warmth.

Everyone stared at Qin Fengyi in horror, instinctively taking a step back. Qiushui’s eyes burned with resentment, gasping for breath as she stared at Qin Fengyi, searching for a chance to strike a fatal blow.

“My five-year-old daughter uses a sword better than you,” Qin Fengyi continued.

Everyone was baffled.

Was it necessary to humiliate her like this now? Who exactly was she?

Qiushui refused to admit defeat and gritted her teeth, charging again. Qin Fengyi showed no mercy. After two exchanges, Qiushui was gravely wounded, bloodied across her abdomen, lying on the ground struggling.

“Qiushui sister?”

“Qiushui sister!”

The others were terrified, their eyes fixed on Qin Fengyi with fear.

After all, Qiushui was the strongest among them, and in her hands, she had been like a plaything, utterly powerless. Could the rest even hope to fight back?

Clearly, the woman before them had no intention of letting them live.

“Scrrr!”

“Scrrr!”

The blades scraped the ground, sparks flying. Qin Fengyi’s gaze was indifferent as she held the sword, advancing step by step toward the members of the Goddess Palace. “You all die today!”

“You poisoned the city, indiscriminately harming men, women, and children—utterly inhuman. Today, I am ridding the people of your evil!”

“No!”

“Stop!”

A sword thrust forward, immediately sending someone spewing blood, lifeless on the ground.

Qin Fengyi remained expressionless. At this moment, she seemed like a wrathful spirit from hell. Her sword moved like a life-harvesting machine. The remaining members panicked.

Someone cried, “It wasn’t our fault! It was the young master, it was Qiushui sister…”

“They made us do it!”

“Don’t kill me, don’t kill me…”

The sword danced, and in moments, the courtyard was littered with corpses and blood.

“Clang!” With a crisp sound, Qin Fengyi casually threw the sword to the ground. From behind, faint struggling could be heard, then silence.

Qin Fengyi turned her gaze to Qiushui lying on the ground.

Realizing her discovery was useless, Qiushui gave up pretending. She propped herself up with her hands, her eyes full of mockery. “So you think you’ve won?”

“You are skilled, but you chose the wrong master. Xiao Tianchen has received the emperor’s orders and has already positioned his troops at the outskirts of Sifang City. Once his army recovers, the city will fall within a single day!”

“Hahaha…”

“How long can someone survive if the emperor wants them dead?”

Qiushui laughed wildly, tears brimming as she thought of Xiao Tianchen, the young general. Despite several encounters in battle, even at death, she still wished to see him.

Even if he wanted her life!

Better to die at his hands than this woman’s. Perhaps Xiao Tianchen would never forget her.

Regrettably, he had never truly looked at her once.

“Even if I die at your hands first, I believe we will meet again in a few days. Hahaha…”

Qiushui laughed crazily.

Qin Fengyi kicked her squarely in the chest. The impact sent Qiushui flying like a rag doll, several meters away. Looking at her lifeless body, Qin Fengyi’s voice was cold: “Meet me again?”

“Do you deserve it?”

“My children nearly got poisoned because of you. Killing you to vent my anger is already a mercy from heaven—you ungrateful fools!”

Without glancing back at the carnage, Qin Fengyi stepped out of the courtyard briskly.

Outside, Nanfeng and the others had been waiting.

“Creak!”

Hearing the door open, everyone tensed, eyes sharp.

If remnants of the Goddess Palace appeared, no life would be spared.

Seeing it was Qin Fengyi, they quietly lowered their swords.

“Boss!”

“Leader!”

They rushed forward, and Qin Fengyi nodded slightly. “Everyone inside is dead. Set fire to clean up completely!”

“Yes!”

Nanfeng acknowledged calmly. Their sovereign was terrifyingly powerful—it was nothing new.

In less than a minute, smoke and fire engulfed the alley. Citizens scattered in panic as soldiers tried to maintain order.

The people only saw the fire; they did not know what had happened.

Qin Fengyi rode a black horse at the front of the group.

She had told Ye Tian she was going to gather medicinal herbs—returning so soon might be premature.

And Qiu Feibai was still at the hotpot shop; rushing back now could be troublesome.

Qin Fengyi frowned slightly.

Nanfeng rode forward. “Boss, we’ve traced those behind the Goddess Palace.”

“Oh?” Qin Fengyi raised an eyebrow.

“The spies report that the Palace Master, Shen Wei, is currently in the capital,” Nanfeng continued.

“Shen Wei… interesting. The Shen family originally lived in the same village as Ye Tian and had considerable conflict with him. Perhaps that’s the reason,” he speculated.

Shen Wei?

Qin Fengyi’s expression remained cold. That wasn’t the most urgent matter. The woman earlier had said Xiao Tianchen was already outside Sifang City with his army, ready to attack at any moment.

“Nanfeng!”

Qin Fengyi commanded.

Nanfeng saluted. “At your service!”

“Count our forces. In fifteen minutes, we leave the city to meet Xiao Tianchen.”

“Yes!”

…

Meanwhile, a carriage sped across the snow-covered plains.

The wheels crushed the snow, spraying slush in all directions.

“Go!”

Lin Xianzhong lashed the horse with his whip. The animal, stung, snorted and ran faster. “Erniu, where are you going?”

Feng Jiaojiao lifted the curtain, revealing half her face.

Her eyes narrowed as she surveyed the desolate snowfield. This didn’t look like the way home.

Lin Xianzhong tilted his head slightly, unsure how to explain, his eyes darting nervously.

The empress had sent him back to Lindong City with a mission for her to handle.

But on the surface, he was surrendering to Ye Tian, so he had to come up with an excuse—claiming that he hadn’t returned to his hometown in over a decade and wanted to pay respects to his parents.

Ye Tian readily agreed.

Lin Xianzhong packed his things overnight and left Sifang City.

At that moment, seeing his wife’s suspicious gaze, Lin Xianzhong hesitated and stammered, “Actually… actually, this time, I’m heading to Lindong City.”

Lindong City?

Feng Jiaojiao suddenly realized something. Her eyes turned icy, and she shook her head, glaring at Lin Xianzhong, her voice filled with heartbreak and fury: “So that’s it!”

“To think Master trusted you so much, and yet you would deceive him?”

“Not returning to your hometown, but going to Lindong City… are you… are you planning to betray us again?”

As she spoke, her eyes reddened and she pounded Lin Xianzhong on the back.

Lin Xianzhong grimaced, dodging her blows.

It didn’t hurt, but he played along obediently.

Feng Jiaojiao scolded, “Don’t forget, it was Master who spared your life! Surrendering was your choice. Going back on your word… are you even a man?”

“And you keep acting like this, wavering and indecisive—I’m embarrassed for you!”

Lin Xianzhong’s face flushed bright red.

Feng Jiaojiao’s chest heaved with anger. She believed he was returning to Lindong City to regroup and attack Ye Tian.

She would absolutely not allow it!

How could she face Ye Tian and Ye Shuangxue if that happened?

“I’m not!”

“My wife, I really am not!”

Lin Xianzhong pleaded repeatedly, his expression awkward, too afraid to anger Feng Jiaojiao.

The dozen or so subordinates following him had blank expressions. The city lord was finished in this life!

Not only did he lack vision, he was completely controlled by this woman!

“City Lord, look ahead, it seems like a large troop!”

One subordinate spoke up in time.

Lin Xianzhong finally had a way out. Feng Jiaojiao flicked the carriage curtain and sat back inside. He frowned, looking into the distance—troops were setting up camp in significant numbers. It had to be a formal army.

“Could it be the Daliang army?”

Someone continued.

Lin Xianzhong decided to go around them; with so few men, confronting the army would be risky.

Upon hearing “Daliang army,” Feng Jiaojiao immediately lifted the curtain: “Daliang people?”

“They must be here to attack Sifang City. No, we have to return immediately and report this to Ye Tian. Erniu, did you hear me?”

Her voice was cold and sharp.

Lin Xianzhong ducked his head, silent.

The subordinates behind him were speechless. They had barely escaped Sifang City, and now they were being asked to go back to die. If Lin Xianzhong agreed, it would prove he was beyond saving.

“Erniu!”

Feng Jiaojiao raised her voice further.

Lin Xianzhong felt hopeless. Without women around, life had been smooth for him.

Ever since encountering the empress, and then Feng Jiaojiao, every day had been a torment—he felt like his head was hanging by his belt. Life had become sheer agony.

“It might not even be the Daliang army. What if it’s a false report? Wouldn’t that put Ye Tian in danger?”

Lin Xianzhong thought quickly, a plan forming in his mind.

His subordinates quietly praised him for finally being clever.

Feng Jiaojiao considered his words reasonable and immediately decided, “Then we’ll first send someone to check. If it is indeed the Daliang army, we’ll report back!”

Everyone fell silent.

The city lord and his wife were not on the same page.

The crucial point: the city lord’s wife was aligned with their arch-enemy, and the city lord dared not argue. This was…

…

Evening fell at the hotpot restaurant.

The sky darkened, streets shrouded in gloom, and the restaurant had already lit its candles.

In the main hall, Ye Shuangxue was still eating.

The little girl held her chopsticks in one hand, picking at her rice bite by bite, her large black eyes occasionally glancing at Ye Tian.

At the table were Ye Tian, and a bashful Tao Ling’er.

“My father just returned from the government office, and I only then realized that something happened at the Apothecary Hall.” Tao Ling’er’s face was terrified, hands clutched to her chest, eyes wide with fear as she looked at Ye Shuangxue. “Luckily, the children are all safe.”

“Brother Ye Tian, who would do such a thing? It’s insane, poisoning people in the city—old, weak, sick, or disabled, no one is spared.”

Ye Tian slowly put down his teacup and looked at Tao Ling’er: “We’ll handle this matter properly. This will never happen again.”

“You don’t need to worry anymore.”

Tao Ling’er nodded.

The candlelight flickered.

Tao Ling’er’s delicate face glowed in the light. The young girl’s eyes were shy, avoiding Ye Tian’s gaze.

The atmosphere was awkward.

Her small hands were clenched over her chest, eyes darting nervously.

Ye Shuangxue kept her head down, eating quickly, her eyes constantly watching Ye Tian and Tao Ling’er.

“Ye Shuangxue, haven’t you finished eating yet?”

“Isn’t the food in your bowl cold?”

Ye Tian frowned, looking at his daughter.

Hearing this, Ye Shuangxue’s little hands moved faster:

“Scrape! Scrape!”

Her small hands held the big porcelain bowl, chopsticks moving like little motors, unstoppable.

Ye Tian was speechless.

Tao Ling’er smiled: “A few days apart, and Shuangxue seems taller, not just taller, but prettier too.”

Ye Tian nodded.

The hall fell silent again. Everyone was quiet; Tao Ling’er grew more embarrassed.

Her small hands rested on her knees, fingers intertwined, glancing at Ye Tian but hesitating to speak. Seeing the red “Double Happiness” characters on the window, she felt anxious. If Ye Tian married, she would have no chance.

Who is Ye Tian marrying?

Is the woman beautiful?

Better than her? Better for the three children?

Tao Ling’er couldn’t give up. Tao Lichun had told her that love cannot be forced; using tricks to be together only creates resentment.

Tao Lichun had taught her to let go.

But from the moment Ye Tian entered her life, replacing Shen Jie, she knew it would be hard to let go—unless Ye Tian was as shameless as Shen Jie.

Obviously, Ye Tian was not such a man.

“I…”

Tao Ling’er hesitated. Ye Tian glanced at his daughter, then at Tao Ling’er: “Let’s go to the backyard to talk.”

“All right!”

Tao Ling’er agreed.

“Bang!” Ye Shuangxue slammed the big porcelain bowl onto the table, casually wiping her mouth. “I’m full, I’m going to play now.”

With that, she ran off like a little whirlwind.

Ye Tian shook his head helplessly.

Tao Ling’er tugged at her mouth corner: “Brother Ye Tian, are you getting married?”

Ye Tian frowned, about to speak.

Tao Ling’er looked down, pressed her lips together, and continued: “The ‘Double Happiness’ characters on the window… must mean a wedding is planned, right? I heard from my father it’s the woman who rode the horse that day?”

“Brother Ye Tian, is she good to you?”

Tao Ling’er looked up, her big eyes misty. Her brows furrowed as if in heartache, yet the corners of her mouth held a small smile, giving her expression a strangely pitiful look.

Ye Tian understood what Tao Ling’er was thinking.

He nodded: “Yes.”