Chapter 71

While reading the note that his wife had sent, Liu Qingyun twisted it in his hands and pondered for a long time. It seemed like a simple message, but it contained some kind of code, which he had to decipher.

'Does this era send love letters in code?'

He couldn't ask the maids again, claiming he didn't understand the content, as that would be too awkward.

'Today (今日) at midnight (子時), three steps forward (前三步), one step left (左一步), four steps right (右四步). Two steps back (後二步), two steps forward (前二步), one step right (右一步)...'

No matter how many times he read it, nothing came to mind.

'What on earth does this mean?'

Even searching his past life's memories, the only thing that came close was a gag from a comedy-horror show where someone would shout 'I stepped in poop!' after taking a step forward, two steps back, and three steps to the side.

However, the first part, 'Today (今日) at midnight (子時),' was clear—it meant around 11 PM tonight. He decided to go to his wife's quarters at that time, as the first part seemed to be an invitation.

'No, could it be? *Sudden thought*'

On the other hand, the idea of a midnight rendezvous with his wife did bring a slightly naughty thought to mind. The two words 'midnight' and 'wife's quarters' evoked a lot of fantasies, but his wife was a pure and innocent woman. There was no way she would suddenly transform into a succubus. The thought of her blushing and turning red just from holding hands quickly dispelled any inappropriate ideas.

While lying in bed, pondering how to treat his wife's internal energy disorder and whether there was another way, the soft chime of the midnight bell gradually reached his ears.

*Chime*

"Huh? It's already this late?"

He had been so engrossed in his thoughts about how to treat his wife that he hadn't realized how quickly the time had passed. A gentleman should arrive a bit early, so he hurriedly checked his clothes and stepped out of his quarters.

The moon shone brightly in the sky, and the distant hoot of an owl could be heard. Although the moon provided some light, the surroundings were still dark. He wanted to carry a lantern, but moving alone at midnight felt like announcing his destination to everyone, so he waited until his eyes adjusted to the darkness and then set off, relying on the moonlight.

*Crunch Crunch*

The sound of grass underfoot as he stepped out of his quarters. Suddenly, a bark echoed through the darkness.

*Woof!*

[Surprise! It's me, Deokgu!]

"Huff huff huff huff"

Deokgu, sensing someone in the darkness, barked but soon recognized his voice and ran over, clinging to his legs.

"Huff huff"

Deokgu seemed overjoyed to see him, wagging his tail uncontrollably. Deokgu's tail wagged so vigorously that his entire hindquarters jiggled.

"Alright, I'm going to my wife's quarters now, so you need to be quiet, got it?"

*Woof! Huff huff*

Whether Deokgu understood or not, he seemed determined to accompany his master, even at midnight. Deokgu followed him closely, and after a short walk, they arrived at the courtyard where his wife's quarters were located. The gate that usually blocked the courtyard was closed, but when he pushed it, it opened slightly.

It seemed the invitation to come at night was genuine. However, as soon as he stepped inside, a surprising situation unfolded. The pavilion where his wife was supposed to be vanished, and in its place appeared a forest.

'This is...!'

The formation, a secret technique of the Jegal family renowned in the Central Plains martial world, was now unfolding before his eyes.

'Could it be? Three steps forward (前三步), one step left (左一步), four steps right (右四步). Two steps back (後二步), two steps forward (前二步), one step right (右一步)... That's it?'

He finally understood the meaning of the note his wife had left. 'So my father-in-law set up a formation? He said he was preparing to prevent any mistakes... Is he trying to catch his son-in-law?'

He was already inside the formation, and he tried to recall the steps his wife had written, but he couldn't remember them all. As he hesitated, vines suddenly wrapped around his legs.

*Swish*

The vines tightly coiled around his legs. He was startled but couldn't shout, as everything was an illusion. Shouting would only announce his presence in the courtyard to everyone in the Jegal family.

'Will I have to wait until someone comes to help me? Damn...'

As time passed, the situation worsened. How long had he been there? The vines had already wrapped around his legs, and now they started to coil around his arms.

'What kind of formation is this?'

His body was slowly being dragged in one direction.

"No, no. *Gasp*"

As he tried to shout in surprise, the vines coiled around his eyes and mouth, pulling him further.

'Do I need to shout for help?'

He struggled desperately to free himself from the vines, but they only tightened. After being dragged for a while, he suddenly heard a woman's voice in his ear.

"Sir, don't be alarmed. We've taken you out of the formation. You mustn't shout. Do you understand?"

The voices of his wife's closest maids.

'Saved!'

He nodded in relief and opened his eyes. He found himself in front of his wife's quarters, and the vines he thought were entangling him were actually the maids' arms.

Looking down, he saw that Deokgu was still clinging to his legs, moving his hindquarters back and forth.

'Damn, Deokgu!'

The vines he thought were entangling his legs were actually Deokgu, who seemed to be in heat and mounting him.

*Shake* [Deokgu, no! Stop it!]

He tried to shake Deokgu off, but the dog was strong and clung on, dragging him along.

*Shake* [Deokgu, that's enough!]

After a brief struggle in the darkness, he finally managed to shake Deokgu off. The door to his wife's quarters opened, and a sweet fragrance filled the air along with his wife's voice.

"Lord Nogong?"

'What?!'

Her voice was dripping with honey, which was unusual.