"Uncle Feng, what were you thinking, letting Xian Mei go see such a fierce criminal?" A young man with striking, sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes, his handsome face marred by a deep frown, stared at Duke Feng, Feng Yu.
His name was Nalan You. He and Feng Yaxian had been childhood sweethearts. Despite their difference in status, Feng Yu, as Duke Feng, held him in high regard.
Nalan You’s character and abilities were both respectable, and the Duke had considered making him his son-in-law in the future. Thus, he had intentionally tried to bring the two together.
Nalan You was a diligent person. He later left to study under a master, painstakingly learning military strategy and tactics. Now, having completed his studies, he had returned, planning to put his knowledge to the test.
But he had only just returned when he heard the terrible news of Feng Yaxian’s death.
Feng Yu was also filled with endless regret. He had doted on Feng Yaxian, his Legitimate Eldest Daughter.
"This matter... I am also to blame." Feng Yu sighed. "I thought it was just a matter of handling some nameless nobody, which is why I intercepted the matter before His Majesty."
"I never imagined this fiend would be so audacious as to kill my Xian’er, and on top of that, kill everyone sent to make contact."
"He’s completely lawless!"
Nalan You actually understood Feng Yu’s thinking. It was supposed to be a sure thing—a simple task that would earn her some merit, a perfect opportunity to gild her reputation.
And then... things spun out of his control, leading to this moment of irreversible regret.
"Uncle Feng, rest assured. I will find a way to retrieve Xian Mei’s body and take this fiend’s head to appease Xian Mei’s spirit in the heavens," Nalan You said coldly.
He was genuinely furious. After all, they had grown up as childhood sweethearts. Even though they had been apart for quite some time, he would still avenge her for the sake of their past feelings.
Furthermore, Duke Feng’s Mansion had supported him during his apprenticeship. Otherwise, with his family background—while not so poor that he couldn’t afford to eat—he never would have been able to study military strategy and tactics.
Learning such things was a privilege reserved for the rich or the noble.
It was solely through his connection to Duke Feng, Feng Yu, that he had gotten to where he was today.
"Good. I’ll leave everything to you, Little You." Feng Yu just felt bone-weary.
His future son-in-law had been cultivated, and reviving the glory of Duke Feng’s Mansion would not have been a problem. However, his Legitimate Eldest Daughter was dead.
Tying Nalan You to his Duke Feng’s Mansion would now be impossible.
He had other daughters, of course, but none could compare to Feng Yaxian.
Feng Yu could see that Nalan You was proud; he would never deign to look at the Duke’s second daughter, born of a concubine.
Even if he proposed it, the young man would only refuse.
As for forcing the issue? That would only burn away all the goodwill he had built.
He could certainly control and suppress Nalan You, but what would be the point?
It was better to maintain this bond of gratitude. If Nalan You soared to great heights in the future, he could still look out for Duke Feng’s Mansion.
And if he never made a name for himself, it didn’t matter. It would just be a failed investment. For the vast Duke Feng’s Mansion, such a loss was insignificant, merely a drop in the ocean.
"I must also ask Uncle Feng to help track that fiend with a sacred object, so that I may take action," Nalan You stated his request.
’Given my family background and status, the biggest difficulty I face is simply finding the man.’
He knew this was a difficult task, but Nalan You needed to send a signal to the world: that he, Nalan You, was a man who repaid his debts of gratitude.
Later on, when climbing the ladder, having such a good reputation would pave the way and make many things much more convenient.
After all, he wasn’t just thinking about repaying a favor.
Repaying his debt was certainly one of Nalan You’s motivations, but it wasn’t the only one.
He knew that with Feng Yaxian dead, he could no longer use the resources and network of Duke Feng’s Mansion to pave his own way, so he decided to make the most of what was left.
Even though he knew he could still ask to marry the second daughter born of a concubine, her potential was far less valuable than that of Feng Yaxian, the Legitimate Eldest Daughter.
Marrying her might even become an obstacle to his climb in the future. For the sake of his own prospects, he had to take this gamble.
The enemy was dangerous, but he was supremely confident in himself.
"Leave this matter to me."
"But the fiend is brutal. With you alone, my worthy nephew, I fear you will have a difficult time."
"I will dispatch some men from the mansion to assist you in slaying this fiend." Duke Feng, Feng Yu, had changed his form of address, no longer using an intimate term.
"Your Grace, you absolutely mustn’t! This matter is a token of my personal sentiment. How could I disturb the experts of the mansion?" Nalan You refused without hesitation.
His goal was to build a reputation for repaying his debts, not to actually clash head-on with the enemy.
Nalan You was not some sheltered scholar who knew nothing of the outside world.
He was crystal clear on the intelligence from the outside.
He knew, of course, that Qi Suian had killed Sharp, the Chief Judge of the Seventh Execution Chamber, a secret unit of the Eternal United States. He knew even more that this man alone had the power to wreak havoc across the entire Eternal United States.
’With my own strength, I’m no match at all. If we really met, I would be the one to die, without a doubt.’
’If Duke Feng’s forces don’t get involved, all I need to do is build up my own prestige.’
’Once they intervene, I’ll be forced to get swept up in it.’
’And then, a confrontation with the enemy would be unavoidable.’
’If I had that kind of power, would I even need to use this matter to build my reputation?’
’It’s all just a part of my own scheme.’
However, Feng Yu saw through his thoughts, which led to his probing remark.
After being rejected, he inevitably felt a bit displeased.
’If Nalan You had accepted, it would have proven he was genuinely seeking revenge for Feng Yaxian. A pity. Nalan You is still too young.’
Feng Yu was, after all, a key minister who had navigated the open and hidden struggles of the Xuan Empire’s imperial court. In his eyes, Nalan You’s machinations were still amateurish.
But he showed no sign of displeasure, merely nodding. "Very well. Since this is your wish, then go."
"As for the tracking, I will arrange for people to assist you."
His attitude didn’t change much, and there was no hint of distance in his tone. Instead, he gave the impression that the thought was all that mattered.
But this matter was far from over.
In his eyes, Nalan You was just an expendable pawn.
’To avenge my daughter, I’ll still have to rely on the power and network of my own Duke Feng’s Mansion.’
’Rely on a scheming, wet-behind-the-ears brat who just stepped into the world?’
’He can’t get anything done.’
"Thank you, Your Grace. I will certainly not fail to meet your expectations in this matter," Nalan You hurriedly declared.
’I’ll say the right words for now. The actual situation will, of course, change depending on the circumstances.’
"It’s what you should do. After all, your intentions are earnest," Feng Yu said, then made some small talk with Nalan You to foster their bond.
After half an hour, he finally let Nalan You leave.
His Legitimate Eldest Daughter was dead, but his son was still alive. In the future, the one who would inherit the title of Duke Feng could only be his son.
As for Nalan You, if he didn’t die this time, there was a very high chance he would soar to greatness one day.
This was how connections were built.
Sending charcoal in a snowstorm always earned deeper gratitude than adding flowers to a brocade.
Don’t be fooled by Nalan You’s belief that he had broken away from Duke Feng’s Mansion. In reality, even if he rose to power later, every faction in the Xuan Empire would only ever see him as a man from the Duke’s camp.
That label was tied to his reputation for repaying gratitude. If he ever tried to break away, his entire persona would collapse.
Therefore, Feng Yu simply couldn’t lose.
It was just that Nalan You was young and hadn’t yet realized he had been tied to Duke Feng long ago.
From the moment he began receiving patronage from Duke Feng’s Mansion, there was no way out.
If he were to break away, he would be the perfect example of a treacherous and ungrateful person. Then, his climb to the top would become even more difficult.
No one is willing to take in a backstabber.
At most, they would only use him and then cast him aside once he had no value left.
Nalan You’s ideas were nothing more than his own wishful thinking.
"What a pity. If only..." Feng Yu sighed. If Feng Yaxian hadn’t died, there wouldn’t be all this trouble.
Feng Yu was truly fond of his Legitimate Eldest Daughter. Beyond the natural factors of family affection and blood ties, it was also because Feng Yaxian possessed political value.
Even if she hadn’t ended up with Nalan You, she could have been married off in a political alliance.
The status of a Duke’s Legitimate Eldest Daughter was a very weighty bargaining chip for a political marriage.
And now, such a bargaining chip had been shattered during a simple reputation-gilding exercise. How could Feng Yu not be furious? He was filled with rage and hatred.
He wished he could skin that Iron Armor Man alive and pull out his tendons.
This was true even though the root cause of the incident was his own insistence on intercepting the matter. If he hadn’t, Feng Yaxian would not have died.
But how could Feng Yu blame himself? Of course, he could only blame the enemy.
-----------------
’Going alone on this matter is tremendously dangerous.’
’I should ask my classmates with influential backgrounds to lend me a hand.’
’I’ll gain a good name, and they, in turn, can win some favor from Duke Feng’s Mansion.’ Nalan You schemed.
He got along very well with his classmates; no one ever gave him a hard time because of his birth or status.
After all, while Nalan You considered himself a commoner, in the eyes of his classmates, he was Duke Feng’s son-in-law.
How else could he have used his connection with Duke Feng’s Mansion to study military strategy and tactics?
Needlessly provoking or mocking Nalan You wasn’t a slap in the face to Nalan You; it was a slap in the face to Duke Feng, Feng Yu.
Those who could attend school with him were all elite scions cultivated by their respective families. They wouldn’t be so brainless in their social interactions and conduct.
Even their rejections would not be so blunt; they would be delivered in a more tactful manner.
Nalan You’s idea was a good one, but now that he no longer had the status of Duke Feng’s son-in-law, his classmates might not necessarily give him that much face.
After all, not everyone needed to curry favor with Duke Feng, especially when the matter was life-threatening. If things went poorly, the worst-case scenario was losing one’s life.
The next-worst outcome was even less desirable: they might end up offending Duke Feng’s Mansion.
So it was better not to get involved at all. With their own status and standing, they naturally had people who could provide them with stepping stones that carried lower risks and fewer future complications.
There was no need to agree to Nalan You’s request, unless they truly shared an extremely deep bond and relationship with him.
Nalan You did not yet understand any of this. After all, during his time at the academy, he had never truly grasped the difference in status between them.
He subconsciously believed that his classmates were not so different from him, that they all needed to rely on their own hard work to succeed.