The night in Mobei seemed different from the capital.
The capital was bustling, and even with a curfew, it was always brightly lit at night, possessing a unique charm.
But once the sky darkened in Mobei, it became pitch black, as if the firmament was about to crush down, making one breathless, tinged with a sense of danger.
Li Man'er changed into a set of close-fitting attire and blew the sleeping smoke through the gap in the door. The two guards on duty outside were instantly affected and collapsed silently.
Liu Ya heard two thuds, and a gleam flashed in her eyes. Her young lady's sleeping smoke was truly remarkable. If it were used on the battlefield, though the means were somewhat insidious, it would be an excellent way to achieve victory. Of course, this item definitely couldn't be used on a large scale; its greatest effect would be in surprise attacks.
"Young lady, it's dangerous outside. Who knows how many people are hidden in the shadows, on guard against us. Let me go!"
Li Man'er said, "You watch over father. Don't panic if anything happens. I doubt anyone would expect us to stir things up on our very first day. Don't worry, I have life-saving tools; escaping won't be a problem."
Liu Ya could only caution, "You must be careful."
Li Man'er nodded, but said nothing further. She pushed open the window, confirmed no one was around, and quickly left the small courtyard under the cover of darkness.
It was said that the Xiao family all resided in the rear courtyard of the yamen. Their security measures must have been extremely thorough. Let her see just how strong ancient yamen defenses truly were.
Li Man'er nimbly left the small courtyard and headed towards the main courtyard.
Ancient architecture was not built haphazardly. Who lived in the main courtyard, who lived in the side courtyards, and who lived in the rear rooms were all arranged according to status.
Li Man'er, guided by the orientation of the buildings, quickly found her way to the main courtyard. She encountered a patrol team once along the way, but the guards in the patrol team did not seem alert, appearing as if they hadn't woken up, and naturally, they did not spot her.
From this single incident, one could infer some signs. The Xiao family, who were like deities in Mobei, seemed to be heading towards an inevitable decline.
Even the night patrols were so careless, which showed that the Xiao family was not monolithic.
Li Man'er carefully pressed herself against the wall. If one did not look closely, they would hardly notice a person standing there. The cold wind howled, and the guards standing at attention under the corridor seemed to be severely chilled, barely able to hold their weapons.
"This cursed weather is too cold."
"Yes, guarding the night is already a tough job. Who told us brothers we have no backing."
"The old master is not here, and the seventh young lady is in charge of the manor. How could a delicate young lady like her understand the hardships of us guards."
Another person tucked his weapon under his armpit and couldn't help but blow warm air into his palms, "I heard that although it's a bit dangerous on the front lines now, a fight won't break out any time soon."
"If a fight truly broke out, that would be deadly." Then how many more would die under the curved blades of the barbarians.
The two men stood up straight again, seemingly feeling a bit warmer.
Li Man'er, hiding in the shadows, however, gained an important piece of information: the Old Master Xiao was not in the yamen, and the seventh young lady was currently in charge.
In other words, all the decisions regarding Li Shu were made by this Miss Xiao.
What game was the Xiao family playing? She couldn't quite figure it out.
Was it to push the seventh Miss Xiao forward?
Li Man'er shivered and slipped into the space.
It was too cold outside. She was wearing a night-traveling outfit and couldn't wear a cloak, making it difficult to endure the chill. The wind in Mobei was different from other places; it was harsh, cutting at the face like a knife. It was better for her to be careful.
If she caught a cold, it would be a major issue. Even with the Spirit Mist Spring in hand, she would still suffer for a while, wouldn't she?
What was the Xiao family's purpose in pushing the seventh Miss Xiao forward? Was it merely to deal with the Li family?
She vaguely felt that things were not that simple, but she couldn't quite figure it out for the moment.
Just then, within the space, Li Man'er suddenly heard footsteps outside. Upon closer inspection, it was the seventh Miss Xiao, accompanied by two people, walking towards them.
"Seventh young lady."
"Seventh young lady."
The two guards were very nervous. Fortunately, they weren't slacking off like before, or they would have been caught by the seventh young lady.
"Mm." The seventh Miss Xiao entered the room with two people wearing cloaks, and soon the room was lit.
Shadows flickered on the window, but the people were completely wrapped in cloaks, their figures and appearances completely obscured.
Strange, what kind of person would wear a cloak to speak with the seventh Miss Xiao?
These two people's identities should not be simple, but seeing the guards' accustomed expressions, these two people must have come many times.
Li Man'er felt an urge to act. She was too curious, too eager to uncover the seventh Miss Xiao's secret. Moreover, she had a premonition that once this matter was exposed, it would be an earth-shattering secret.
Li Man'er carefully observed her surroundings, making sure no one was paying attention to her hiding spot, and then reappeared from the space.
The cold wind blew, almost making her sneeze.
It wasn't the cold, but rather that something irritating seemed to have blown in with the wind, causing Li Man'er discomfort.
That was...
The gamey smell of mutton?
Her senses had always been sharp; she couldn't possibly smell it wrong. Besides the mutton, there was a pungent aroma of scallions and chili in the air.
Could someone dare to barbecue in the courtyard at this hour?
If not, then it must be the smell from those two people.
Mutton, scallions, and chili.
Li Man'er narrowed her eyes. Could the people the seventh Miss Xiao brought into the house be barbarians?
Only barbarians ate mutton year-round and carried the smell of milk on them. They themselves couldn't smell it and thought a slight masking would suffice, but in reality, they were no match for an expert like Li Man'er.
It was just that she didn't know what they were there to see the seventh Miss Xiao for.
Was it the intention of the entire Xiao family, or just the seventh Miss Xiao's personal decision?
Heh heh, this seventh Miss Xiao was truly audacious!
Li Man'er thought for a moment, then slipped back into the space.
She couldn't act impulsively.
Coincidentally, these two people waited until she moved into the yamen to arrive.
Too coincidental!
Where were there so many coincidences in the world? What if it was a trap specifically set for her by the seventh Miss Xiao!
With this thought, Li Man'er lost her desire to test the waters.
She slowly emerged from the space, hugging the wall, and under the watchful eyes of the two guards, left the main courtyard, preparing to return to her own side room.
Unexpectedly, as she reached the corridor, a sharp whistle suddenly sounded from a courtyard not far away, and soon someone shouted loudly, "Assassin, catch the assassin!"
The entire manor fell into chaos.
Li Man'er's expression turned grim. Holy crap~