Early the next morning, Madam Chen handed the copied Buddhist scriptures to a young monk in the temple and devoutly knelt before the Buddha.

“I pray to the Buddha to bless my son with peace and smooth fortune.”

As usual, Jiang Yuanxi crawled under the incense table.

These past few days, whenever Madam Chen recited Buddhist scriptures, she would sneak in here to steal some food.

Just as she crawled in, she saw someone inside.

Curious, Jiang Yuanxi squatted in front of him.

“Brother, why… here?”

She stammered, but the other party understood.

Jun Molin slowly opened his eyes.

Her fluffy little head brushed against his face, and he instinctively moved back, feeling uncomfortable.

“Brother said… only here can I regain clarity.”

Jiang Yuanxi took a few steps forward and grabbed his hand.

“So that’s how it is.”

Jun Molin quickly withdrew his hand. “Men and women should not touch each other.” His ears gradually turned red.

Aside from his older brother and mother, this was the first time someone else had dared to touch him.

Jiang Yuanxi squatted in front of him and said seriously, “Not afraid, I… help you.”

Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything decent around; otherwise, she would have at least made a protective charm for him.

She paused for a moment and added, “I… not a girl.” She was still a child.

“If you need me, just call my name—Jiang Yuanxi.”

Jun Molin didn’t take her words seriously and continued knocking on the wooden fish.

Usually, this would help him calm his mind, but today, with someone beside him, the effect seemed even better.

Not long after, Madam Chen called for Jiang Yuanxi.

She glanced at the little brother, then took out a piece of dried meat from her pocket, placed it in front of him, and ran out without looking back.

Jun Molin opened his eyes and stared at the small piece of dried meat, a strange emotion surfacing in his heart.

..

In the afternoon, Madam Chen and Jiang Fengyuan prepared to return home.

Jiang Fengyuan had made all necessary arrangements, instructing his subordinates to remain vigilant. Jiang Yuanran and Jiang Yuancheng were each equipped with a sword, sharp enough to cut through iron.

“Yuan’er, Yuancheng, stay close to your mother and Yuanxi. Do not leave their side,” Jiang Fengyuan instructed.

“Don’t worry, Father. We will definitely catch them today,” Jiang Yuancheng promised.

Jiang Yuanran gripped his sword tightly. “I will not let Mother or Yuanxi get hurt.”

They had been preparing for this moment for a long time. This time, their enemies would not leave alive!

..

Three miles away, Boss Mo and his men were lying in wait.

“Boss, we’ve confirmed it. The Jiang family has left the temple and is heading our way.” Just as Boss Mo predicted, they had taken the small road.

“Good. Take a group and wait in ambush. Leave no survivors!” A cruel glint flashed in Boss Mo’s eyes.

The Jiang family had made him suffer before, and he would not let them escape this time.

“For our fallen brother!”

..

Jiang Fengyuan rode his horse beside the carriage, a large saber strapped to his back, looking imposing.

“Mother,” Jiang Yuanxi pointed outside, “Father… so cool!”

Madam Chen gazed at Jiang Fengyuan through the carriage window, her eyes softening with love.

Back then, it was this very silhouette that made her marry him without hesitation.

Even now, she still felt the same way.

“Mother is blushing while looking at Father… Hehe.” Jiang Yuanxi secretly giggled.

Madam Chen quickly looked away, lowered the curtain, and took out a piece of candy from her pocket, stuffing it into Jiang Yuanxi’s mouth.

“Oh! Candy! I love it!” Jiang Yuanxi immediately forgot about teasing her mother and focused on eating.

Madam Chen sighed in relief.

Jiang Yuanran secretly chuckled.

Their mother had just used candy to keep Yuanxi quiet.

Kids were so easy to fool—he’d have to try it next time.

As the carriage advanced three miles, only one more mile remained to reach Shengjing.

Jiang Yuanxi was fast asleep in her mother’s arms when a commotion erupted outside.

Over fifty masked men surrounded them, their faces obscured.

First, there were forty attackers; now there were even more. That old hag clearly never intended for them to return home alive!

Jiang Fengyuan spoke in a deep voice. “Protect your mother and Yuanxi!” Then, he drew his saber and charged forward.

Jiang Yuanran and Jiang Yuancheng, being weaker fighters, could only stay beside their mother and sister to guard them.

“Brothers, avenge our fallen!” The assassins outnumbered them more than two to one. Even though Jiang Fengyuan was skilled, he could not fight so many alone.

The black-clad men swarmed forward. Jiang Fengyuan dismounted, raised his large saber, and beheaded one enemy in a single strike.

“Damn it! If I don’t capture you all today, I’ll take that old hag’s surname!”

Jiang Fengyuan cut down four men in succession. The assassins began to avoid him—no one wanted to die.

Time was passing. Yuan Sheng should be arriving soon. Encouraged, Jiang Fengyuan fought even harder.

Just as the assassins believed they had the upper hand, reinforcements arrived from the east, surrounding them completely.

Jiang Yuansheng had brought the Han family army in time.

“Father, are you alright? How are Mother and Yuanxi?”

“They’re safe. Capture these men alive and interrogate them!”

A chaotic battle erupted.

Meanwhile, Boss Mo realized that the Jiang family had planned a counterattack.

He decided to join forces with the unknown faction attacking the Jiang family.

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”

Now, the battlefield was evenly matched.

However, Jiang Fengyuan alone could fight ten men at once, putting the assassins at a disadvantage.

Boss Mo gritted his teeth. “Damn it! We risked everything and still lost!”

Knowing he was outmatched, he attempted to flee.

“Scoundrel! Where do you think you’re going?!” Jiang Fengyuan leaped after him, slicing his saber toward Boss Mo’s neck.

Boss Mo tried to resist but was overpowered and captured.

“Father, leave him alive!” Jiang Yuansheng shouted. “We need to interrogate them!”

Jiang Fengyuan withdrew his killing strike at the last second, striking Boss Mo’s chest with the blunt side of his blade instead. The force sent him flying several meters.

Guards rushed forward, tied him up, and threw him to the ground.

The battle ended with ten prisoners; the rest of the assassins were dead.

Thanks to careful planning, their side suffered minimal casualties.

Jiang Fengyuan sheathed his sword. “Give extra silver to the families of our fallen and wounded men.”

Jiang Yuansheng nodded. “I’ve already made arrangements, Father.”

Once the sound of battle faded, Madam Chen stepped out with her children.

The strong scent of blood made her frown.

Jiang Fengyuan immediately shielded her. “Xin Niang, get back in the carriage!” He didn’t want her to be frightened.

Madam Chen shook her head. Seeing her husband and sons unharmed, she sighed in relief.

Jiang Yuanxi stirred awake, finding herself alone in the carriage. She climbed down.

The scene before her—bodies strewn across the ground, the thick stench of blood—felt eerily familiar.

It was as if she had seen this before.

So familiar.

Where had she seen it?

The more she thought, the more her forehead throbbed with pain.

“So painful!”

Jiang Yuanxi clutched her head, her vision blurring.

Fragments of memories flashed through her mind, but she couldn’t grasp them.

She collapsed, clutching the grass beneath her fingers.

Before losing consciousness, she caught a glimpse of her mother’s panicked face and her brothers’ anxious expressions.

Then, everything went black.