The moonlight was cool and clear, the clouds and fog were sparse, and the ground was covered with a layer of silver frost.
Ji Xiaoxiao turned her head, fully alert, ready to strike at the slightest sign of trouble.
"Rustle, rustle..."
The sound grew louder and closer.
Ji Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth and propped herself up, focusing her eyes on the spot where the grass was swaying.
With a "woof," a majestic dog's head popped out.
"Mao Mao?" Ji Xiaoxiao asked tentatively.
"Woof woof." That's right, human, you do have some sense.
Mao Mao darted through the grass, its body covered in withered yellow leaves. Its fluffy tail swayed from side to side, and its long, pink tongue lolled out of its mouth, giving it a silly, tired look.
Ji Xiaoxiao waved her hand, and Mao Mao immediately pressed down on her, licking her cheeks wildly with his tongue, his enthusiasm bordering on eroticism.
"Alright, alright." Ji Xiaoxiao pushed Mao Mao away, pulling its ear and ordering it to stay still. Mao Mao was usually silly and domineering, but when needed, its intelligence could occasionally be revealed.
"Woof." Mao Mao obediently lay down, its blue eyes flashing as it intently watched over Ji Xiaoxiao.
Ji Xiaoxiao sat cross-legged with peace of mind and closed her eyes to heal her injuries.
Three months have passed in the blink of an eye.
"Failed again," Ji Xiaoxiao said angrily.
After recovering from her injuries, Ji Xiaoxiao repeatedly sneaked into the Gu family mansion, attempting to kidnap Jin Yahui. However, the Gu family mansion was heavily guarded, and Ji Xiaoxiao returned empty-handed this time.
“This can’t go on. I’ve alerted them too many times. Maybe I should go to the Gu family mansion again. They’ll be in deep trouble.”
Ji Xiaoxiao leaned against the wall, catching her breath.
What should we do?
Ji Xiaoxiao racked her brains and thought hard before finally deciding to serve the Gu family's mortal enemy—Li Jia, who also came from a military and political family and held great power.
After years of fighting with the Gu family, they maintained a facade of harmony to save face, but beneath the surface, undercurrents surged and conflicts raged.
Twenty years ago, Gu Jing's father, Gu Yun, and Li Ruo were on a mission together. Li Ruo was surrounded by the enemy, and Gu Jing's father refused to come to her aid, leading to her death. From then on, the Gu and Li families completely broke off relations, each harboring resentment and doing everything in their power to trip the other up.
Since she and the Gu family have become mortal enemies, why not pledge allegiance to the enemy of the enemy?
Late the next night, Ji Xiaoxiao quietly sneaked into the study of the current head of the Li family.
"Lord Li."
Ji Xiaoxiao's sudden appearance startled Li Fei, but he quickly regained his composure.
"Who are you?" Li Fei sat upright, facing a large desk piled high with documents. He ran his hand under the desk, feeling around haphazardly. The smooth, polished surface dipped, silently summoning assistance.
"I am Xuanwen," Ji Xiaoxiao said, revealing her real name.
"Xuanwen?" Li Fei murmured to himself, then asked, "What brings you here?"
Ji Xiaoxiao pulled out a chair, sat down, and let out a comfortable sigh.
“Lord Li, given the extent of your hatred for the Gu family, you must be well aware of the reasons behind their recent major moves,” Ji Xiaoxiao said, crossing her legs. “I’m here to cooperate with you.”
Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory in every battle. The Gu family has been on edge lately, seeing threats everywhere, and has mobilized a large number of martial arts masters. Li Fei knows the reason behind this.
"Cooperation?" Li Fei smiled, he didn't believe it. The woman in front of him seemed to be at odds with the Gu family, but who could know the truth except for those involved?
Ji Xiaoxiao knew Li Fei's concerns. He was worried that she was only pretending to be loyal to him, but was actually secretly passing on internal information about the Li family.
“Lord Li, you need not be so wary of me. I am Xuanwen. My family was ruined by a woman. My brother was brutally murdered and torn to pieces. My teacher died a terrible death. My parents died with their eyes wide open in their old age. My whole family did not have a good end.”
Ji Xiaoxiao clenched her fists, and the frost-like aura froze the surrounding decorations.
“I once made a deal with Gu Guo. He helped me find the murderer, and I helped him cure his chronic illness. It was a simple exchange of money for goods, and we were even. But three months ago, the female culprit who killed my family suddenly appeared. She is Gu Jing’s fiancée and is five months pregnant. Gu Guo couldn’t bear to lose his great-grandson, so he broke his promise and went back on his word. He joined forces with many experts from his Gu family to try to kill me. I escaped with all my might.”
"Oh, I see!" Li Fei remained silent.
Ji Xiaoxiao remained calm and said, "You can send someone to investigate. I'm leaving now."
After he finished speaking, a cold wind blew by, and the chair was empty.
Click, the door opened.
"Master, are you alright?"
Li Fei shook his head. "It's nothing."
After a pause, Li Fei said, "Uncle Yuan, I have something I need you to personally select a few people to do."
"Please give your orders, Master." Uncle Yuan bowed and said.
Uncle Yuan left as ordered, and three days and three nights passed in the blink of an eye.
"Master, the woman beside Gu Jing is indeed Jin Ya Hui. Xuan Wen and Jin Ya Hui have an irreconcilable feud, and Xuan Wen's entire family died because of Jin Ya Hui." Uncle Yuan reported the results of the investigation word by word without any concealment.
That night, Ji Xiaoxiao visited again.
"They're here." Li Fei replied, as if it were nothing out of the ordinary.
Ji Xiaoxiao hummed in agreement. "How was it?"
"You need to prove your worth."
Li Fei got up from the chair and led Ji Xiaoxiao deeper into the underground of the Li family mansion.
The tunnel was deep and long, with bright wall lamps, and the end could not be seen.
The sound of footsteps echoed, and Ji Xiaoxiao and Li Fei were speechless.
Suddenly, Li Fei spoke.
"Both the Gu and Li families are prestigious clans in Z country, with histories spanning hundreds of years. Our two families have fought for many years, resulting in the tragic deaths of too many of our bloodline members, nearly jeopardizing the continuation of our clans. Since then, the two families have agreed to hold a secret martial arts competition every five years on the fifteenth of August. The winner can run for president, while the loser can only seek another position. For the past twenty years, our Li family has been fighting and losing, gradually drifting away from the top circles of power. The Li family is no longer as prosperous as it once was. If this continues, the Li family will inevitably fall into ruin and disintegrate."
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