Chapter 86◇

◎Onsen Koyanagi Whip◎

No more footsteps of wolves were heard in the mountains, and the five or six wolves did not approach. As if sensing danger, they each hid themselves in the forest and refused to show their faces.

As soon as Duan Jingchuan saw Xiong Qi appear, he knew they were alright. He tenderly rubbed Feng Ran's hand, which he had pinched until it was red, and said, "Don't worry, Madam, they can't hurt us."

Feng Ran wasn't exactly scared, just a little surprised. She hadn't sensed any hostility from those beasts, yet the wolves were staring intently at them and wouldn't leave. Why was that?

Xiong Qi assessed the situation and found that there were indeed only these six wolves around, with no other reinforcements. He breathed a sigh of relief. If they had encountered a pack of wolves, no matter how many arrows they had, it would have been useless. A few wolves were still manageable. "Young Master, shall we shoot some arrows?"

Just as Duan Jingchuan was about to shake his head, he suddenly heard an old but powerful voice shouting from the mountain: "Young master, please have mercy! That's not a wolf!"

An old man came tumbling down a low hill not far away. The six wolves heard the old man's voice and retreated in unison, wagging their tails as they ran toward him.

Wait, wagging its tail?

"A dog?" Duan Jingchuan asked, puzzled.

Unsure whether the old man was good or evil, the crowd remained vigilant, raising their arrows and aiming them at him. At the slightest sign of trouble, they were ready to unleash a barrage of arrows.

The disheveled old man finally came down the mountain, knelt down with a thud, and hurriedly explained, "Young master, madam, these are my few wolfhounds, which accompany me when I hunt in the mountains. They frightened you for a moment, please forgive me."

The old man did indeed come alone. Looking at his frail appearance and thin body that trembled in the wind, it was heartbreaking to see, and one didn't want to blame him.

After these six creatures behind us revealed their true forms, anyone with common sense would not mistake them for wolves. Wolves would never wag their tails so enthusiastically, much less make such a silly face.

After the alarm was lifted, Fang Yuan and Huang Que arrived. When the old man saw that there were women and children in the group, he knew that they were a caravan or important people passing by. They were probably not unreasonable bandits, and he breathed a sigh of relief.

The six wolfhounds seemed to know they had caused trouble, and they tucked their tails between their legs and sat obediently behind the old man. But upon closer inspection, it could be seen that the six wolfhounds were in a protective posture, using their strong bodies to shield their master.

Since it was a misunderstanding, Duan Jingchuan wasn't an unreasonable person. He simply warned him not to let the wolfhound out freely next time, as it would be bad if it scared someone or got accidentally injured.

To make amends, the old man specifically pointed out a cave not far from the mountain, with a natural hot spring deep inside. If they liked, they could go there to relax.

"Hot spring!" Feng Ran's eyes lit up. She shook the ripped clothes that Duan Jingchuan was still holding, and then flicked her small leather whip, making the implication very obvious.

Duan Jingchuan was at his wit's end. Even his initial fear and desire to teach Feng Ran a lesson had vanished in anger. How could she be so straightforward during the day, but wilted when it came to the real thing! He pushed away Feng Ran's drooling face with his large hand, shoved the ripped clothes back into her hands, and said in a stiff voice, "Let's go."

Having learned what kind of person Feng Ran was, he didn't dare linger his hand on her face for even a moment longer. He pushed her away and withdrew his hand, afraid that if he lingered even a moment longer, he would find his hand holding her soft warmth.

Sure enough, Feng Ran's pouting lips were too slow, and she didn't get the kiss she wanted.

The crowd could hardly bear to look; the Crown Princess's arrogance was utterly humiliating, and they feared that if they looked at her even once more, they would face the Crown Prince's retaliation.

Huang Que was small and didn't quite see Feng Ran's actions clearly. She also didn't understand the meaning of the ripped clothes, green hat, and willow whip that Feng Ran was holding. She thought they were toys that Feng Ran had made and innocently asked, "Sister, is this a straw hat that you've woven?"

Fang Yuan's old face turned completely red, his wrinkles so deep it seemed as if one wanted to peel back the layers to see if the redness was evenly distributed. Before Feng Ran could answer, he said coldly, "Young Master, what did you see in this matter just now?"

Having been tested on his knowledge, Huang Que naturally forgot his question. He frowned and thought about it carefully, his brows furrowing more and more as he thought. Finally, he said dejectedly, "I have many questions, but I can't find the answers."

Duan Jingchuan didn't want Feng Ran to continue the previous topic, so he took the initiative to ask, "What's bothering you? Tell me about it."

"I clearly heard the guards say that they had surveyed this area and there were no birds of prey, so how did the wolfhounds appear and why are there no footprints?" With too many questions, Huang Que decided to ask them one by one.

Feng Ran also had her pride. Even if she was heartless, she knew that there were some things she shouldn't say to children. But being silenced and unable to speak was too painful. When she heard Huang Que ask a question, she immediately perked up and said, "I know, I know!"

"When did Madam/Princess Consort become so clever?" The thought in everyone's mind was now unanimous.

However, with numerous precedents to follow, those who could avoid danger shrank back before Feng Ran spoke, lest they be caught out for losing their composure. The audience in the front row gritted their teeth, striving to be the best wooden statue in the entire audience.

But no one wanted to hear Feng Ran's crazy output, after all, they couldn't laugh now, but they could save the laughter for the rest of their lives.

“That old geezer is really wicked. He’s using a few dogs to lure people in and enforce the law. He scared us away when he saw we weren’t easy to mess with. If we were cowards, we would be the ones running away. So, there must be gold in these mountains, which is why he hired a few loyal dogs as the mountain god’s henchmen.” Feng Ran stated her guess in a serious tone.

Everyone was stunned. When did the Crown Princess become so insightful?

Except for the second half of the sentence, "There is gold in the mountains," their guesses basically coincided with those of others!

Duan Jingchuan was also surprised that Feng Ran wasn't deliberately being quirky. Yes, he had already discovered that his wife wasn't stupid, she just had a wicked sense of humor and was always ready to say something shocking.

Feng Ran blinked innocently. "I'm a teacher, so of course I have to be serious when answering a child's question."

Feng Ran's guess was indeed correct. There were several households on the mountain, and no birds of prey. The few wolfhounds were raised by these households together to scare away any bandits that might appear.

Today, the old man discovered that people were coming down the mountain, all of them looking fierce and menacing. Since he didn't see any children or women, he concluded that these people were up to no good. That's why he thought of using the wolfhounds to scare them away. If that didn't work, they would at least have time to escape.

Unexpectedly, these people were no pushovers. They were not only well-trained but also equipped with powerful bows and arrows. Naturally, they were reluctant to harm their wolfhounds, which led to the scene of them tumbling down the mountain to apologize.

Of course, the guards only discovered these things after following the old man up the mountain.

"I have a feeling that the old man has ulterior motives. Those blood-stained wolfhounds don't look like ordinary dogs. If there are fewer of us, or if we get scared and something bad happens, who will be responsible?" Huang Que said indignantly. Even after knowing the reason, he didn't think the old man was a good person.

"Young master, this world is a dog-eat-dog world. If you want to make a living, you have to learn to strike first." Even though Huang Que had experienced so much, he still had a compassionate heart. Fang Yuan both loved and hated him, only wishing that Huang Que could learn ruthless methods and use power to protect himself overnight.

"Sister and brother-in-law, is that really true?" After hearing Fang Yuan's words, Huang Que felt uneasy and couldn't help but ask the person she trusted more.

Feng Ran was powerless to help, so she gestured to Duan Jingchuan with her eyes, asking him to answer her questions.

Duan Jingchuan paused, then said earnestly, "If you are born in an environment surrounded by wolves, you must learn how to fight them. If you are born in a rabbit's den, you must learn how to hide your den. It's not about being cruel, it's about self-preservation. If you don't even have the ability to protect yourself, then you will only bring trouble to the millions of people who love you."

Duan Jingchuan's words almost brought tears to Fang Yuan's eyes. When a wolf hunts, who cares about the innocence of its cubs? But how can a wolf, born to prey, choose its own fate?

At this moment, he had to believe that Duan Jingchuan knew something to say those words, but he also couldn't believe it. This was a huge crime. He didn't seem like an ambitious person, so why would he provide shelter for a stranger?

Fang Yuan sighed silently. If he hadn't accidentally seen the young master, he wouldn't have believed that the young master was still alive. He had thought about letting the young master go back, but what would happen if he went back? The young master was still young and had a pure heart. How could he survive back in the wolf's den? It would be better to let him live out his life happily in the Dingbei Marquis's mansion.

But he was unwilling to give up, so he secretly came to serve as an advisor. He thought it would be a long and complicated process, but he didn't expect to get to the young master's side so easily. If Duan Jingchuan knew the truth, what would he want?

Fang Yuan was unsure, but he had no better path, so he could only continue in this muddle. As long as the young master was safe and sound, he had no other desires.

The oriole understood the meaning of those words, and its mood inevitably soured.

Feng Ran patted the poor little boy's head affectionately and encouraged him, "Don't be afraid. Try to learn how to break a boulder with your bare hands from your sister. Next time the wolf comes, tear it apart."

Recalling Feng Ran's imposing aura that made her stand alone against all odds, the others had no doubt that she was telling the truth. Even if they hadn't arrived in time, she would have protected Duan Jingchuan perfectly.

From the moment Feng Ran stood in front of Duan Jingchuan, a fire ignited within him. Seeing Feng Ran's heroic, fearless demeanor only fueled his anger; he felt an urge to pull her into his arms and beat her...

A chill ran down her spine. Feng Ran turned around and saw her husband's flickering gaze, just like the way he looked when he was cornered one night. Her legs went weak and she reached out a finger to hook his. "Husband, where are we going?"

Duan Jingchuan lowered his eyelids, his expression unreadable. "Hot spring."

The cold wind was getting stronger. Feng Ran moved closer to Duan Jingchuan, shivering as she held up the bundles she was carrying in her arms. "What about these..."

Fang Yuan had already gotten off the carriage with Huang Que, leaving only the two of them in the carriage. Duan Jingchuan's gaze became much more unrestrained, pausing in front of Feng Ran's increasingly pert figure, and he said with a wicked smile, "What Madam painstakingly wrote will naturally come in handy."

Feng Ran, belatedly realizing that the air conditioning was turned on by her husband, frowned and said aggrievedly, "You scared me! I want a hug!" She threw down what she was holding and, without thinking twice, stuffed herself into Duan Jingchuan's arms.

Well, Duan Jingchuan's "evil" in "wicked and arrogant" had just been written once, and it had already skewn into "gentle and refined," so he resigned himself to letting Feng Ran's hands keep slipping into his clothes.

They had intended to bypass this mountain road, but they hadn't expected it to have been cleared out long ago, leading directly to a small cave in the hot spring. Everyone understood; it must have been cleared by the villagers themselves to prevent outsiders from disturbing their village, ensuring the carts could pass smoothly and preventing them from spending the night near their homes.

The caves weren't large, but they were numerous. Some looked like they were carved out by hand, and others resembled hunters' dwellings. The cave with the hot spring had a rather rugged entrance, but inside was a hidden paradise. After carefully examining it, Xiong Qi left without saying a word.

What a joke! If they don't leave now, the Crown Princess might just eat the Crown Prince alive on the spot.

As I reached the cave entrance, I suddenly heard a voice from inside, "Are you moved?" followed by a sharp crack of a small leather whip.

Xiong Qi felt a sharp pain in his back, so he quickly quickened his pace and ran out in one breath.

He kept praying in his heart: he hoped that the young master would get through the night safely, and he didn't want the young master to be carried out by the young master's wife tomorrow.

Everyone had left, and Feng Ran flicked her whip, "Husband, come on, let's have some fun."

A note from the author:

Tomorrow I have to go back to work and do manual labor. My happiness, bam, is gone.