Miaocheng Tian and Xuanjing Tian

The crisis that had threatened to wipe out the Wang clan was over. Wang Shifan immediately hosted a banquet for the thousand soldiers of the Longxiang Army.

Zhu Youning readily agreed, and the thousand soldiers were just as happy to attend.

Although they had spent ten days on the road and encountered Tongwen Hall assassins along the way, they had suffered no losses. Now they had a free feast of fine food and wine. Who would turn that down?

The banquet was lavish, naturally.

Though Wang Shifan had handed over his military and financial authority to Zhu Liang, he was still from a great clan and had money to spare. Hosting a banquet for a thousand people was no hardship for the Wang clan.

Most soldiers could hold their liquor, and the accompanying civil officials were no less capable. The soldiers toasted one another, swapping tales of the good times they'd enjoyed, clapping each other on the back and laughing as they drank to their hearts' content.

Zhu Youning naturally sat at the same table as the five Wang brothers.

There were five brothers in the Wang family. The eldest was Wang Shiyue, the second Wang Shifan, the third Wang Shihui, the fourth Wang Shilu, and the youngest Wang Shike. Of the five, Wang Shifan was the most virtuous and decisive, so he had taken over the family's affairs.

The men at their table drank less boisterously, sipping their wine with refined elegance as they chatted about one thing and another. After all, everyone but Zhu Youning had a lot on their minds.

Though Zhu Youning had told them they would live, no one knew whether Zhu Wen might change his mind again.

The banquet offered an endless array of dishes, but Zhu Youning's attention had shifted elsewhere.

He had spotted two women.

One was tall and slender, with a well-proportioned, graceful figure. The other was every bit as alluring, with a faintly seductive air about her.

Zhu Youning only glanced at them once, but they immediately caught his attention.

It wasn't just their figures. It was their bearing and their martial arts.

They wore ordinary maidservants' clothes, and had deliberately painted their faces a waxy yellow, but there was no hiding their natural bearing.

When they served the dishes, their steps were light and steady, and their breathing was calm and measured. They were clearly martial artists.

These two were definitely no ordinary women!

Zhu Youning focused on them, and, drawing on his memories from his previous life, managed to identify them!

Xuanjing Tian, one of the Nine Heavens Holy Concubines of the Huan Yin Workshop! And Miaocheng Tian, another of the Nine Heavens Holy Concubines!

So it was them?

What were people from the Huan Yin Workshop doing here?

The Huan Yin Workshop was no harmless place.

Its name might sound like a place of song and dance, but in truth, it was an organization of assassins.

And one backed by the Qi State government.

Located in Fengxiang, Qi State, the Huan Yin Workshop answered to the mysterious Empress. Its experts were all beautiful, talented young women who used their charms to extract intelligence or assassinate their targets.

Besides the Empress, the Huan Yin Workshop had the Nine Heavens Holy Concubines: Fanyin Tian, Miaocheng Tian, Xuanjing Tian, Duowen Tian, Guangmu Tian, Yangyan Tian, Suoluo Tian, Yanmo Tian, and Zizai Tian...

The Nine Heavens Holy Concubines were all peerless beauties and formidable martial artists, the Empress's most capable subordinates.

Now two of the Workshop's Holy Concubines had appeared here. That meant Qi State had set its sights on Wang Shifan.

It was unclear whether they had already been in contact behind the scenes.

Zhu Youning immediately looked at Wang Shifan and said in a casual tone, "General Wang, the climate in Luoyang really does seem to bring out the best in people. I never imagined that even two maids serving tea and water in your residence would be so lovely."

At the sound of Zhu Youning's voice, Wang Shifan followed his gaze. His heart lurched, and he frowned slightly.

He didn't know these two maids at all.

Zhu Youning noticed Wang Shifan's expression and asked, "General Wang, do you not recognize these two?"

Wang Shihui broke out in a cold sweat. He had no choice but to stand and explain.

"Your Highness, I only just hired these two maids. Second Brother had no way of knowing about them."

From his third brother's reaction, Wang Shifan immediately guessed what was going on. Wang Shihui had previously told him that he'd been in contact with the Huan Yin Workshop of Qi State.

Could those two maids be the Nine Heavens Holy Concubines from the Huan Yin Workshop that his younger brother had mentioned?

At the thought, Wang Shifan rose at once and said decisively, "Third Brother, how can you hire people into the residence without knowing their backgrounds? Guards! Seize them!"

Zhu Youning didn't stop them. He let the servants in Wang Shifan's residence take the women into custody, then added a reminder: "Tie them up tightly!"

For some reason, Xuanjing Tian and Miaocheng Tian didn't resist. Instead, they deliberately acted dazed and flustered, as if they had no idea what was happening.

They looked just like two maids scared out of their wits.

But even if they had fought back, it might not have helped. They could perhaps have broken free of the servants, but there were also a thousand Longxiang Army soldiers Zhu Youning had brought with him inside the estate!

When the Longxiang Army was on a mission, its soldiers never took off their armor, whether they were eating, sleeping, or traveling. Even now, with Wang Shifan providing them with fine food and wine, they remained fully armed, weapons at their sides.

Of the Nine Heavens Holy Concubines, Xuanjing Tian was especially skilled with a bow. Her weapon of choice was a bow and arrows, while Miaocheng Tian wielded an umbrella.

Since they were disguised as ordinary maids, they hadn't brought their weapons with them, and their fighting strength was greatly reduced.

If they truly turned hostile and started fighting, there was no way they could break through the encirclement of more than a thousand soldiers!

"Have mercy, Master! I—I haven't done anything!"

Perhaps realizing that brute force would be useless, Miaocheng Tian put on the look of someone weak, helpless, and terrified.

Tears streamed down her face; she looked so pitiful one couldn't help but feel for her.

But Wang Shifan remained unmoved. He had no intention of sparing a thought for her beauty. Instead, he ordered someone to fetch rope and bind Xuanjing Tian and Miaocheng Tian tightly.

Then Wang Shifan cupped his hands toward Zhu Youning. "Your Highness, I'll leave these two to you."

"Mm."

Just as Zhu Youning was about to interrogate them, an unexpected turn of events occurred. A burly man with a livid face hurried over.

He was one of the household guards in Wang Shifan's residence. Sweat poured down his face as he came running. Before he had even reached Wang Shifan, he stumbled and nearly fell. Fortunately, Wang Shifan caught him and demanded sternly, "What is it? Why all the panic?"

"Your Highness, Master, something terrible has happened! The brothers guarding the warhorses are all dead! Your Highness's horse is missing, too!"

In an instant, nearly everyone in the Wang family who heard those words went deathly pale.

They had never expected Zhu Youning's horse to be dead. They feared that he would take his anger out on the Wang family.

Wang Shifan had ordered his men to give Zhu Youning's horse special care, feeding it only the finest fodder.

The stable wasn't far away. It was a small courtyard surrounded by buildings. Zhu Youning first ordered the soldiers to keep a close watch on Miaocheng Tian and Xuanjing Tian, then went with Wang Shifan and the others to the stables.

Ever since Zhu Youning's horse had been brought there, more than twenty men had stood watch outside. Now, however, not one of them had survived. Every last one lay cold in death, and Zhu Youning's horse had vanished.