Chapter 33

Following Bei Qiao's reminder, everyone went to check the tunnel except Yu Qian who was too timid to go alone.

After the inspection, everyone reported their findings in the group. Only Xishi and Beiqiao caught snakes. As for the others, while no snakes were found, they did find a ton of leaks.

"The rain before wasn't heavy, so how come it's leaking?" Li Qingqing muttered to herself as she took out materials from the corner of the wall and started mixing cement to paste the wall.

"A demon has entered the country." Wu Chaochao, who was hunting in the enclosure outside the capital, raised an eyebrow: "Have the demon tribe sent us an entry application?"

"It seems not." The guard who reported on the side watched Wu Chaochao drawing the bow while talking. After the arrow was shot, it accurately trapped a small animal that wanted to escape in the distance. The animal was unable to move but was almost unharmed. The guard couldn't help but sigh in his heart: The Duke's archery skills have improved again.

"So they're planning to go through the immigration formalities now?"

"It seems not. Also, our spies have learned that the demon tribe has sent elite personnel responsible for capturing wanted criminals into our country, but the imperial court still hasn't received any entry applications."

"Oh, none of them?" Wu Chaochao narrowed his eyes. "It seems another demon tribe is causing trouble."

To ordinary people, this was an unfortunate accident. But to Wu Chaochao, it was a test from the demon race. At least two forces were involved in this incident.

Even if the demon ran away from home on impulse without thinking too much, there would be evil demons in the demon clan who would turn this escape into a test with ulterior motives. They might even commit a murder in the name of the runaway demon to stimulate the already panicked people and deal with the questions from the human court.

"Ordinary people really can't defeat the demon tribe. Even with martial arts skills, they can only fight for a chance to escape." Wu Chaochao waved his hand, signaling the guards to bring back the prey. "I'd like to find an opportunity to see what these so-called demon elites are capable of."

"The demon tribe is indeed very annoying. Every generation of demon kings is a kind of guy who won't behave unless they are beaten, and won't behave even if they are beaten." A noble man in soft armor rode out from behind the bushes not far away, holding a motionless prey with its head down in his hand.

"Greetings, Prince Gong." Wu Chaochao put down his bow and arrow and saluted.

"Greetings to Prince Gong." The young sisters who were riding horses beside Wu Chaochao and had been quietly watching Wu Chaochao talking with the guards also followed suit and saluted.

"Yes, time and time again, generation after generation, it's really annoying." A woman in heavy armor appeared from behind a tree on the other side. She was riding a chestnut horse, looking tired and dusty. There was gentleness in her eyes, but her aura was even more powerful than that of the previous Prince Gong.

"It's my elder sister!" Prince Gong bowed.

"Princess Zhao'an!" Seeing the figure riding a chestnut horse and holding a crescent bow, Wu Chaochao's eyes lit up and she quickly bowed on the horse. The hand raised in front of her did not hide her excited eyes at all: I didn't expect to meet Princess Zhao'an today!

The sisters who were also following Wu Chaochao to salute on horseback looked at each other knowingly. The one closest to Wu Chaochao secretly raised her hand and patted Wu Chaochao on the back: Wow, you met your idol!

Wu Chaochao glanced at her speechlessly: Do you think the princess won’t see you taking pictures of me while you hide behind me?

Princess Zhao'an, who did notice the other party's little movements, said: Well, young people are really lively.

"It's so hard to get a demon here, sister, please don't eat all the food alone." Not only Prince Gong and Princess Shao An came to the enclosure. As the topic about the demon tribe started, more and more people gathered around.

"It seems that everyone is interested in those monsters?"

"What else? This isn't more interesting than going to the border to fight. All we have to do is rush through."

"Some people are just so reckless. Tsk tsk... If the demon clan's affairs were so easy to deal with, we would have led our army over and incorporated the demon world into our territory long ago. Why would we have to wait until now?"

"You are scolding me in a roundabout way."

"I'm not beating around the bush! I was very direct and clear!"

"you!"

Huh... The sisters couldn't help but pull Wu Chaochao back: These are people we can't afford to offend. We haven't encountered such a big scene in previous Chinese Valentine's Day.

"They're arguing again. Let's go." Faced with so many people of higher status, the sisters and Wu Chaochao skillfully took their leave with the most inconspicuous gesture, and then quickly rode away on horseback, with no intention of getting involved at all.

Other matters were fine, but if it involved arguments about strength or intelligence, it would eventually turn into a duel. A duel itself wasn't a big deal, but a duel required a referee. If they were accidentally dragged in to judge someone they couldn't afford to offend... then anything they said would easily offend them.

"When it comes to quarrels between those at the level of a prince or above, we, the common people without any titles, dare not get involved at all, and it is even more impossible for us to mediate." After walking a distance, the two sisters looked back: "Hey, they are really preparing for a duel again. Do the common people who can adjust the atmosphere as written in the storybooks really not exist? Their current posture is so scary just looking at them from afar. I'm really worried that something might happen." If something happened to this group of noble people here, they who were hunting in the enclosure at the same time would definitely be taken away for questioning. It would be really troublesome.

"It's obvious that such stories were written by scholars who were immersed in their own thoughts. It's not impossible to persuade a princess or a prince, but if you want to persuade all of them at the same time...if such a situation really happens in front of me, I will first try to find a way to determine whether I am hallucinating." Wu Chaochao was not worried that these people with higher titles than her would make things worse. The royal enclosure was nearby. When things got out of hand, the subordinates of any of them could go to the mountain to ask for help.

"Should we continue hunting?"

"Forget it, let's go back. Do you want to eat barbecue?"

"Eating barbecue makes you fat...but it's barbecue!"

"So, do you want to eat?"

“Of course I will eat it!”

Everyone reached a consensus, and Wu Chaochao took the results of her morning's work and went home with her sisters.

On the way back, she unexpectedly ran into the captain of her father, Marquis Anle's guard: "Uncle Feng, where did you come from? What are you carrying in your hand?"

"Miss, this is an apology." Uncle Feng handed the thing in his arms to the guard beside Wu Chaochao.

"Whose apology is it?" Wu Chaochao was stunned for a moment, then immediately reacted: "You go find that stupid guy and ask him to pay you." Wu Chaochao had just returned not long ago. If she talked about the people who offended her recently, apart from those imperial censors, there was only a guy who was beaten away.

"Of course he refused, but after we presented the facts and reasoned with him, he started crying and shouting for compensation." Uncle Feng smiled very honestly: shouting to present facts in front of the neighbors, using fists to reason, etc., is a trivial matter, not worth talking about at all!

Marquis Anle, who doesn't appear on screen at all: "Although the storybook doesn't describe a character like me in detail, I'd still like to take this opportunity given by the author to reiterate here that my daughter has real parents and a family! You scumbag, heartless, and Phoenix-like men, get the hell out of here! If you dare to play the game of sadomasochism, I'll risk my dignity and cry directly in front of the Empress and finish your whole family off!"

The wife of the Marquis of Anle, who likes to be addressed as the Princess of Ban Suo County: She hired three waves of temporary workers who were responsible for causing trouble. The boy's relatives, friends, and even strangers around him already knew what a delusional guy he was; she forced him to sign the huge gambling debt, and her daughter's previous investment must not be let off by him, and she must make him pay back the principal and interest; before leaving, she gave the boy acupuncture as compensation for the medical expenses, but the doctor was a novice and accidentally inserted the needle half an inch above the Guan Yuanxue point. Well, she will pay attention next time... Why don't you say you don't want it next time? Just say it, why are you crying? It seems like we are bullying you. It was obviously you who bullied my precious daughter first!

"He was crying and begging you to spare his life." Knowing how protective his parents were of their children, Wu Chaochao smiled knowingly: "Where is my stupid brother?" The Duke's Mansion had never been officially registered, but people like that could come directly to the door. Wu Chaochao couldn't help but wonder if her stupid brother had been deceived by someone again.

"The young master has already told the concierge not to meet with those people again. He has also started to concentrate on his studies. He said that he wants to become the top scholar in the imperial examination so that he can have the confidence to apologize to the young lady in person."

"Well, then I won't be able to wait for his apology in this lifetime." Wu Chaochao held her forehead: "He might as well consider becoming the third place in the imperial examination." Although the stupid brother is stupid, his face is quite pleasing. He will definitely be able to leave a... Oh, the empress seems to hate stupid people, so the stupid brother has no chance.

Originally, there was no overnight grudge between the two. Wu Chaochao looked at the apology she had just received, and in a very good mood, she decided to let Uncle Feng take her brother to her Duke's Mansion for a barbecue, and by the way, test the skills of the guards around him.

With the demon tribe causing such trouble this time, there was no guarantee that some would take advantage of the situation and sneak into the capital. Wu Chaochao was confident in his own martial arts skills, but the same could not be said for his foolish brother. The guards around him also followed their master in his daily life, and who knew how much of their martial arts skills were left. It was really worrying.

"Uncle Feng, there may be demons appearing during this period, please take good care of them."

"Don't worry, Miss. It's my duty."

Wu Chaochao took her sisters back to the Duke's Mansion to prepare a barbecue. As for dealing with the demons, that would take time. If she were at the border, she could have used the terrain to set traps and wait for them to come. But now in the capital, Wu Chaochao had just been promoted to Duke and was being watched by many people. If she did something ostentatiously at this time, it would inevitably cause unnecessary trouble.

"If only we had gotten this news earlier, it would have been much easier to fight at the border..."