The Defense Clan's Hidden Pain

"Qianye, Tieyi, come with me."

Jiang Tieyi nearly spat out the bun in his mouth, scattering crumbs all over the table.

"To Stonehold Fortress? To smash the place up?"

"To discuss business."

"Then I'll go back and change clothes—"

"No need. What you're wearing is fine."

Jiang Tieyi lowered his head and looked himself over.

His rough cloth shirt was covered in bun crumbs. Both arms were thicker than an ordinary man's waist, exposed and gleaming under the sun.

He scratched the back of his head. "Is this really presentable?"

Mo Qianye stepped out from the shadows without even raising his eyelids.

"If you stand there, you're the most presentable thing around."

Jiang Tieyi did not understand.

But he felt as though he had been complimented, so he grinned, revealing a row of white teeth.

A voice came from by the window.

"I'm coming too."

Qian Renxue did not rise. Her tone was as even as if she were commenting on the pleasant weather.

Su Chen did not turn around.

"We have enough people."

"We don't." Qian Renxue raised her eyes. "No one here understands the ins and outs of Heaven Dou City's noble circles better than I do. Stonehold Fortress holds a royal warrant. The web of connections behind it is more than just a line to the Tang Sect. The three of you can barge in all you want, but at best, you'll only scare a few miners."

She paused.

"If you truly want to close this deal, you need someone who knows how the cards beneath the table are played."

The instant she finished speaking, she realized that she had revealed too much.

An exile should not have known the workings of the royal family so well.

But she did not take it back.

Because the young