Chapter 1

At the foot of Qiyun Mountain, there was a chaotic military camp.

Amidst the groans of the wounded soldiers being treated by the military doctors, all the high-ranking generals had gathered in the main tent, deliberating for three days and nights.

At this moment, a middle-aged, thin man, holding a golden seal, knelt anxiously outside the main tent with a group of attendants.

The middle-aged man occasionally turned to look at the distant Shenmu Mountain Range, which was now completely enveloped by a giant tornado, swirling with endless yellow sand, forming a massive sandstorm barrier.

"The first-class steward of Dongfang Manor, Wang Zhongquan, carrying the golden seal of Dongfang Manor, requests an audience with the young lady of Southern Manor, Zhou Tianyin! Please inform her again!" the middle-aged man shouted loudly.

Outside the main tent, a guard stepped forward and said, "Steward Wang, you have been reporting for three consecutive days, but Young Lady Zhou does not wish to see you!"

Wang Zhongquan glared at him, "With the golden seal here, you should report it. Whether Young Lady Zhou sees us or not is not for you to decide!"

The guard's face stiffened, glanced at the golden seal, and did not dare to contradict him. He respectfully bowed to the golden seal and stepped into the main tent to report again.

While Wang Zhongquan waited patiently, the servants behind him, who had been kneeling for three days, were growing impatient.

One of them looked at Wang Zhongquan and said, "Chief Steward, the young master is already gone. We should prepare for his funeral as soon as possible!"

"Ridiculous!" Wang Zhongquan glared.

"Chief Steward, the returning servants have already said that the army is trapped in Tianlang Valley, and the young master has been killed by an arrow. The divine wind came too quickly, and the servants didn't even have a chance to retrieve his body. Chief Steward, don't persist. Prepare for the young master's funeral as soon as possible!" the man said with a tone of sorrow.

"Why did I execute those servants? Because they not only failed to protect the young master but also abandoned him in the wilderness, which is punishable by death! The young master's fate is unknown. If you dare to spread rumors, you will be punished according to the family law!" A cold light flashed in Wang Zhongquan's eyes.

The man's face stiffened, hesitated for a moment, and then mustered the courage to speak, "Chief Steward, don't deceive yourself. In Tianlang Valley, surrounded by wolves, I fear the young master's body and the bodies of the five hundred soldiers have already been devoured by the wolves. With the young master's death, the manor will surely be in turmoil. We must return to the manor and support Young Master Tiance. The manor cannot be without a master for a day, and Young Master Tiance holds you in high regard!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Zhongquan looked at him with a fierce expression, "The young master is the legitimate heir. Even if Wang Tiance is a prodigy, he is still a collateral branch and not worthy to carry the young master's shoes. How dare he think of seizing the main family's power? Whether the young master is dead or not is not for a servant to decide. We must see him alive or dead. With the young master in peril, you think of his death instead of his life, spreading rumors and disrupting the manor. You deserve death!"

As soon as the words "deserve death" were spoken, a servant stood up and drew his sword, stepping forward.

"Execute him on the spot!" A fierce look flashed in Wang Zhongquan's eyes.

"No, Chief Steward, I have served you for ten years, loyally and diligently, and have accomplished many feats. I am a second-class servant and have contributed to the manor. You cannot kill me!" The man's face changed, and he cried out in fear.

"Contributions? Contributions are not for you to decide. The young master says you have contributions, then you have contributions! In the young master's time of need, instead of thinking of ways to help, you think of supporting others and seizing the manor. Your death is not a pity. Kill!" Wang Zhongquan glared.

"No!"

"Swish!"

As the man cried out, the servant behind him raised his sword and beheaded him, blood spurting three feet into the air. The man's eyes flashed with fear even in death.

Wang Zhongquan turned and looked at the other subordinates behind him, "From now on, anyone who dares to say the young master is dead and spread rumors will meet the same fate!"

"Yes!" The servants trembled and respectfully replied.

Just as Wang Zhongquan was setting an example, a stern voice came from inside the main tent.

"Who dares to be so insolent outside my tent?" A man's voice, filled with anger, echoed.

As soon as the angry voice sounded, the entire camp fell silent, and all the wounded soldiers stopped groaning. Only the sound of the wind and the gurgling of blood from the decapitated corpse's neck could be heard.

A glimmer of hope flashed in Wang Zhongquan's eyes.

Inside the main tent, a group of soldiers escorted a man in a purple dragon robe out.

The man in the purple dragon robe was tall and imposing, with a commanding presence that made all the servants bow their heads.

Wang Zhongquan withstood the pressure, his eyes filled with resentment, "The first-class steward of Dongfang Manor, Wang Zhongquan, pays respects to the Fourth Prince!"

The man in the purple dragon robe, the Fourth Prince, glanced at the decapitated corpse and then turned his cold gaze to Wang Zhongquan, "The steward of Dongfang Manor? Do you know where you are? In front of my main tent, is this a place for you to act so recklessly?"

"Today, I used the golden seal of Dongfang Manor to execute a traitorous servant, staining the Fourth Prince's tent. I will have the young master apologize to the Fourth Prince for any disrespect. However, the golden seal of Dongfang Manor cannot enter the Fourth Prince's tent, and I hope the Fourth Prince will give an explanation to Dongfang Manor and the Four Directions Manor!" Wang Zhongquan held up the golden seal and said solemnly.

"Bold!" "Insolent!" ...

The soldiers behind the Fourth Prince glared and shouted.

Wang Zhongquan, however, held up the golden seal, unafraid.

The Fourth Prince looked at the golden seal and his face darkened, "The golden seal of Dongfang Manor can only be held by the descendants of the Dongfang family. You, a mere servant, who was granted the Wang surname, dare to use the golden seal so recklessly? You are truly audacious!"

"Whether I am audacious or not is for Dongfang Manor to decide, not for the Fourth Prince to punish. I am not a descendant of the Wang family, but I was authorized by the old lord to protect the golden seal, and I have the right to defend it. The Fourth Prince's desecration of the golden seal will not be forgotten by me and Dongfang Manor. Three days ago, the disaster that befell my young master, I have also recorded in my heart!" Wang Zhongquan said with a look of hatred.

"Ha, do you think I was the one who killed Wang Xiong?" The Fourth Prince's eyes turned cold.

"My young master is not dead, and I do not wish to argue with the Fourth Prince now. This time, I have come to seek an audience with the young lady of Southern Manor, Zhou Tianyin!" Wang Zhongquan looked at a woman in the crowd.

The woman wore a loose white silk dress, with a thin waist belt accentuating her slender waist and her extremely graceful and well-proportioned figure. She wore a white silk hat, obscuring her face, but from the faintly visible white silk, one could see her general facial features. Even through the silk, she still had a radiant presence.

"Are you looking for me?" The woman seemed to frown in confusion.

The woman's voice was very clear, and just hearing it gave one a sense of amazement, like a beauty from a dream, untouchable.

Beside the woman stood a man in a green robe.

The man in the green robe looked at Wang Zhongquan with great disdain, "A servant of Dongfang Manor? What do you want with my sister? Wang Xiong, that effeminate weakling, is like a chicken, and you think he can eat a swan? He overestimated himself and died in Tianlang Valley. Do you still want my sister to avenge him?"

Wang Zhongquan glanced at the man in the green robe, his face darkening slightly, and bowed slightly, "This is Zhou Chi, the son-in-law of the young master. Your insults to our young master will be addressed by the young master in the future. As for your claim that the young master is a toad trying to eat a swan, ha, the young master and Young Lady Zhou have a marriage contract, though the wedding rites have not been performed, it was witnessed by the Emperor and the Four Directional Lords, and no one can deny it. With the young master in peril, I cannot go to anyone else but the young lady."

"Insolent, my sister is the first beauty of the Great Qin, and she has been taught by immortals. How can she be compared to Wang Xiong, that waste of a man? He is as stupid as a pig, and a man with a peach blossom mark on his forehead. My sister will never look at him. This time, my sister received a holy command to ask the Fourth Prince to lead the army to find the Shenmu flower for her. Wang Xiong, overestimating himself, ventured deep into the chaotic land to impress my sister, and he met his end. It was his own fault. What do you want with my sister? He is dead, what marriage contract?" Zhou Chi glared.

Wang Zhongquan did not argue with Zhou Chi but looked at Zhou Tianyin, "Young Lady, the young master is in peril. Please lend a hand!"

Zhou Tianyin shook her head, "Steward Wang, I know you are loyal to your master, but I have never met Wang Xiong, and we have not performed the wedding rites, so I cannot be called a young lady. As for the marriage contract, it was just a joke among the elders. Please do not mention it again!"

Wang Zhongquan's face turned grim, but he still bowed respectfully to Zhou Tianyin, "If Young Lady does not want me to call you that, I will call you Young Lady Zhou. Whether the marriage contract is a joke or not is not for me to decide. When the old lord was still alive, our Dongfang family was not in decline. It was your father who asked the other two lords to act as matchmakers and requested the Emperor to grant the marriage to our young master. The validity of this marriage contract is witnessed by the Emperor and the Four Directional Lords."

"Insolent! A toad thinking of eating a swan, you must be out of your mind! How can Wang Xiong, that waste of a man, match my sister? Dream on!" Zhou Chi glared angrily.

Wang Zhongquan ignored Zhou Chi and said again, "I know that mentioning the marriage contract now might seem like taking advantage of the situation, but I have no other options. The young master's fate is unknown, and at this moment, only Young Lady Zhou can save him. I beg Young Lady to help!"

"Sister, ignore him. Wang Xiong is already dead. The guards saw him hit by an arrow in the forehead. How could he have survived? Besides, it has been three days. In Tianlang Valley, surrounded by wolves, Wang Xiong is probably nothing but bones by now!" Zhou Chi called out.

"Live to see a person, dead to see a body. Young Lady, for the sake of the marriage contract, I beg you to save the young master!" Wang Zhongquan said with a sad tone.

Zhou Tianyin fell silent for a moment, "Wang Xiong joined the army to pick the Shenmu flower for me by hand, and I am grateful. However, Steward Wang, I believe your Dongfang Manor has already sent many strong warriors into Tianlang Valley these days. With the resources of Dongfang Manor, they could not enter. How can I, a mere woman, help you?"

Beside her, the Fourth Prince nodded, "That's right. The Shenmu Mountain Range is covered by a divine wind every so often. We were forced to retreat hastily because of this divine wind. Who can enter now? We must wait for the divine wind to stop. This divine wind can last from two months to half a year. When it stops, I will definitely help Dongfang Manor find Wang Xiong's remains!"

Wang Zhongquan smiled coldly, "The Fourth Prince is truly devoted to the young master! When the Fourth Prince knew the young master's identity, he did not take him with him when retreating from Tianlang Valley. Ha, I do not need the Fourth Prince's promise!"

"Are you saying I did it on purpose?" The Fourth Prince glared.

Wang Zhongquan ignored him and looked at Zhou Tianyin, "Young Lady, the divine wind forms a sandstorm barrier, and we indeed cannot enter. However, the divine eye can penetrate everything and reach the inside. I beg Young Lady to use the Ninth Rank Divine Eye of Southern Manor to shine into Tianlang Valley to search for and rescue the young master. I beg Young Lady to help!"

"Ninth Rank Divine Eye?" Zhou Tianyin's voice paused.

"Our Zhou family's Ninth Rank Divine Eye, how can you use it just because you say so? A dead waste of a man, what right does he have to use our Zhou family's Ninth Rank Divine Eye? You are asking for death!" Zhou Chi glared.

Beside him, the Fourth Prince also looked puzzled.

"Young Lady, please save our young master!" Wang Zhongquan bowed again.

Zhou Tianyin shook her head, "The divine eye can only be controlled by the head of the family. How can I mobilize the Ninth Rank Divine Eye? You are looking for the wrong person!"

"No, when the old lord was still alive, he once told me that Young Lady has been recognized to use the Zhou family's divine eye. If Young Lady is willing, you can use the divine eye to rescue the young master!" Wang Zhongquan shook his head, his eyes determined.

"Nonsense! When did my sister receive recognition for the divine eye? What is the Dongfang Lord talking about?" Zhou Chi glared.

Zhou Tianyin, however, fell silent.

"Young Lady, whether you acknowledge it or not, you and the young master have a marriage contract witnessed by the Emperor and the Four Directional Lords. You are the future young lady of Dongfang Manor. In recent years, Dongfang Manor has suffered many misfortunes, and the direct line has been lost one after another. The young master is now the last direct descendant. If the young master dies, regardless of Dongfang Manor's future, Young Lady must go to Dongfang Manor to mourn for the young master for three years." Wang Zhongquan said solemnly.

"Insolent, do you want my sister to mourn for that waste?" Zhou Chi glared angrily.

Zhou Tianyin also seemed angry, staring at Wang Zhongquan through her veil.

Although there is a marriage contract, Zhou Tianyin has never met Wang Xiong. Even though Wang Xiong died for her, asking her to mourn for him for three years is impossible.

"This is the law of our Great Qin, and no one can break it!" Wang Zhongquan said coldly.

"What if I refuse?" Zhou Tianyin said coldly.

"Young Lady, this is also the reason I came to seek your help. Before the young master left, he left a letter that can dissolve the marriage contract. This way, Young Lady will not be in a difficult position!" Wang Zhongquan said solemnly.

"Really? Dissolve the marriage contract?" Zhou Tianyin showed a hint of surprise.

Wang Zhongquan carefully took out a letter from his chest and respectfully handed it over.

Zhou Tianyin opened it with curiosity.

"A divorce letter?" Zhou Tianyin said coldly.

"Let me see!"

Beside her, Zhou Chi immediately snatched the letter and read it, "It's really a divorce letter? Insolent, how dare Wang Xiong insult my sister?"

"That's not Wang Xiong's handwriting. Is it yours, old servant?" The Fourth Prince's eyes narrowed.

Everyone looked at Wang Zhongquan.

"Who wrote it is not important. Who wrote it is not important. I hold the Dongfang seal, and once I stamp it, this divorce letter will be valid!" Wang Zhongquan said solemnly.

"Did you really write this divorce letter on behalf of Wang Xiong? Acting on behalf of the master and using the seal is a capital offense. How dare you use the golden seal?" Zhou Chi glared in surprise.

"As long as I can save the young master, I am willing to die. However, even if I die, I must maintain the last dignity of Dongfang Manor. Dissolving the marriage contract is the only way. Young Lady, do you want to go to Dongfang Manor to mourn for the young master for three years, or do you want to do everything to save the young master and gain your freedom?" Wang Zhongquan bowed solemnly.

The Fourth Prince and Zhou Chi's faces turned grim. Using the golden seal without permission is a capital offense, a rule of the Great Qin. Wang Zhongquan dared to use the golden seal privately, risking his life for the last hope of Wang Xiong's survival. Such loyalty was extremely shocking.

"Please, Young Lady, help!" Wang Zhongquan bowed, his forehead hitting the ground with a thud.

The surroundings were silent, and the divorce letter returned to Zhou Tianyin's hands.

Zhou Tianyin looked at the divorce letter, fell silent for a while, and then said solemnly, "Stamp the golden seal, and I will use the divine eye to shine upon the wolves!"

Wang Zhongquan's head snapped up, and his eyes welled up with tears, "Yes, thank you, Young Lady!"