Outside the courtyard, there were messy footsteps, and someone with a torch came to knock on the door, “Master Cheng? Madam Cheng? Just now, I heard screams coming from your courtyard. Are you all right?”

With that, she stepped back, allowing everyone to enter the courtyard.

She deliberately didn’t mention who was behind the scenes.

The relationship between the East and West camps was delicate.

If the mastermind truly was the second master’s son, revealing the truth would only completely expose the facade of peace between the East and West camps.

Lin Zhao was Lin Yao’s own sister.

She had fallen into the hands of water bandits due to the interference of the West Camp, yet Lin Yao still invited people from the West Camp to join the celebration.

Obviously, Lin Yao currently hoped to maintain the facade of peace.

Staying with a family in the mountain stronghold, they were, to put it bluntly, dependent on others.

Naturally, they still needed to assess the situation. So, revealing the mastermind should not come from them, but rather, Lin Yao and his people should uncover it themselves.

The prince deliberately left one person alive, presumably with this intention.

After the group entered the courtyard, they immediately saw three people from the West Camp lying in the main house, and there was indeed a bamboo tube used to blow smoke near the door, which could be considered solid evidence.

However, what made them feel the most pressured was the severely injured man brought back by the master of the stronghold.

He sat at the table, his untied long hair scattered, a plain white undershirt draped over a large dark robe.

His slender fingers pressed on the exquisite long sword sheath on the table. Half of his face was hidden in the darkness, and he looked like a primordial beast restraining its temper but ready to devour at any moment.

Lin Zhao glanced at the prince but quickly looked away.

She had a violent temper.

After seeing the three dead men from the West Camp, she took off the whip around her waist and aggressively moved to leave.

Magpie knew her mistress best and quickly stopped her, “Miss, don’t go to the West Camp first. Let’s wait for the master…”

Before she could finish her sentence, someone outside exclaimed, “The master is here! The master is here!”

The men who had come to watch automatically made way, and Lin Yao strode into the courtyard.

Apparently, he had already been informed of the matter on his way here.

There was no trace of mischief on his face; instead, he looked rather grim.

Seeing Lin Zhao holding a whip as if she was going to fight someone, he scolded, “What are you doing?”

Lin Zhao glared fiercely, “If they plotted against me, I could endure it, but now they’re plotting against my benefactor? I can’t swallow this! If you still regard me as your sister, don’t stop me!”

With that, she shook off Magpie’s hand forcefully and walked out aggressively.

Qin Zheng deliberately didn’t mention the mastermind behind the scenes to avoid escalating the situation.

Seeing this, she quickly called out to Lin Zhao, “Azhou, people have already died, don’t go.”

Lin Zhao’s eyes were slightly reddened, and after glancing at Qin Zheng, she gritted her teeth and disappeared into the darkness.

“Miss!” Magpie hurriedly chased after her.

Lin Yao seemed somewhat troubled.

He instructed the burly man with sideburns who had come with him, “Biaozi, you go too. Don’t let Azhou suffer.”

“Got it!” The burly man with sideburns also felt aggrieved.

With Lin Yao’s words, he immediately picked up his hefty iron hammer, weighing a hundred and sixty catties, and headed towards the West Camp.

Only then did Lin Yao bow to Qin Zheng and the prince, apologizing, “It was meant as a kindness to have you both rest in our stronghold. Unexpectedly, such a thing happened, causing you both distress. I apologize on behalf of our stronghold.”

The prince, who had been silent all along, finally lifted his eyelids to glance at Lin Yao, “The master is too kind.”

Although his words were modest, there was no hint of humility in his tone.

Wherever his gaze fell, it always seemed to bring substantial pressure to people.

Lin Yao had been wandering in the greenwoods for many years and had seen countless people.

But it was the first time he felt the urge to avoid someone’s scrutinizing gaze subconsciously.

In his mind, the man in front of him still looked young, but there was no youthful vigor or sharpness about him.

Instead, he seemed like a sword that had been tempered a thousand times and sheathed.

While still in its sheath, it appeared harmless, but once drawn, it would spill blood.

Lost in thought, the prince spoke slowly, “It’s just that my wife was frightened. I wonder if the doctor in the stronghold is available to check her pulse.”

Lin Yao hurriedly said, “With such a commotion, Uncle Zhao should be awake. I’ll send someone to fetch him.”

Qin Zheng was about to decline but suddenly realized that the prince might want to have a private conversation with Lin Yao, so she didn’t say anything and followed the servant called by Lin Yao downstairs.

Her clothes were stained with blood, and her face was also bloodied.

The servant led her to wash her face and asked if she wanted to bathe.

After arriving at the stronghold, Qin Zheng had been busy taking care of the prince, almost to the point of exhaustion, and hadn’t had time to tidy herself up.

Upon hearing this, she nodded.

After enjoying a comfortable hot bath, the old doctor was finally called over, who checked Qin Zheng’s pulse and prescribed a tonic to replenish her Qi and blood.

Qin Zheng remembered that the prince had secretly altered the prescription.

She tentatively asked the old doctor, “Doctor, what would happen if the dose of Baiji were reduced by one qian while the dose of Xianhe grass were increased by three qian?”

The old doctor stroked his goatee and said, “Both of these herbs are used to treat bleeding and internal injuries. Baiji promotes tissue regeneration, while Xianhe grass is used to treat internal injuries and malarial fever, replenishing Qi to prevent fatigue.

However, both herbs are toxic.

If you intensify their effects, you may see rapid results in the short term.

However, in the long run, it can severely damage the body. By then, it will be too late to seek replenishment…”

At this point, the doctor suddenly paused and asked Qin Zheng, “Madam, why do you ask about this?”

Qin Zheng waved it off, “Just curious, just asking.”

After the servant saw off the old doctor, Qin Zheng walked out of the room and glanced at the lamp still lit in the main house across.

She knew that the prince and Lin Yao were still discussing matters, but her heart felt heavy.

Listening to the doctor’s explanation of the medication, she naturally understood the reason behind the prince’s sudden high fever during the night.

Throughout their escape, the prince often remained so composed that she forgot he was an exiled prince.

However, the confession of those few men from the West Camp made Qin Zheng contemplate.

Since Lin Yao valued the prince’s martial arts and wanted to recruit him, would the prince also be considering leveraging the power of Liangyan Mountain to make a comeback and reclaim Bianjing?

---

The three men from the West Camp who died in the main house had already been dragged away, and the bloodstains had been cleaned up.

As for the infuriated one, he was personally killed by Lin Yao after interrogation.

Looking at the prince sitting opposite him, Lin Yao eventually revealed his own bargaining chip, “I know that Brother Cheng is not an ordinary person. If Brother Cheng is willing to join our Qi Yun stronghold, then Qi Yun stronghold will have one more third master!”

The prince took a sip of warm tea and remained silent.

At this moment, he had restrained all his hostility, appearing noble and cold once again, like a son of a noble family in troubled times.

Seeing that he was unmoved, Lin Yao continued, “Although Qi Yun stronghold is currently divided into East and West camps, given time, I will surely merge the West Camp back.

I can’t touch He Laozei and his son for the time being. If Brother Cheng is willing to help me, then I will leave Wu Xiao to Brother Cheng when the time comes!”

Afraid that the prince would worry about being surrounded by the government, he added, “Within the territory of Qingzhou, although the bandits are dominated by the water bandits of Panlong Gou, Liangyan Mountain has treacherous terrain. Even if the imperial army comes, they won’t be able to attack Qi Yun stronghold!”

After saying so much, Lin Yao finally put down his teacup.

The prince raised his slender eyes slightly, “The master wants to recruit Cheng into the stronghold?”

He chuckled, “Then Cheng must know what the master’s intentions are.”

Under Lin Yao’s puzzled gaze, he dipped his index finger into the tea water and drew two circles on the table, one large and one small.

His eyes, dark and captivating under the candlelight, rolled with the storms brewing in the entire Chu Dynasty night, “Is it just a small West Camp, or the leader of Qingzhou bandits, or… a marquis worshiped by history?”