Chapter 15: 015 Surprise, Not Just Ordinary Affection

Mu Qi nodded and walked over. Because it had snowed yesterday, there was accumulated snow on the wall, and the footprints of the men in black had naturally been left upon it. However, it was not one person as she had imagined, but two. Judging by the footprints, these two men had feet at least a modern size 44, and based on the depth of the prints, Mu Qi could judge that they were both over 1.8 meters tall and weighed between sixty to seventy-five kilograms.

Looking further out from the Marquis's manor, there was a small stream below. Considering the height of the perimeter wall and the drop from the ground to the stream, the height was at least twenty meters. The fact that the men in black had been able to make a clean escape after being discovered by her just now showed just how high their martial arts skills were.

Mu Qi knit her brows. "I just saw a man in black descend from here."

Mu Sang was greatly alarmed. "This... this... I clearly rearranged the defenses in the manor."

Mu Qi looked at the branches blocking the front and realized this was indeed a prime location; it was high up and shielded by trees, making it nearly impossible to see what was happening above unless one looked intentionally. "Let's go back. I fear these two possess martial arts skills superior to yours."

Returning to her courtyard, Mu Qi dismissed Qiaoyu and sat alone before her dressing table, resting her chin on her hand. Just who was monitoring the Marquis's manor? One had to realize that the manor now only had her, an orphaned girl, left. Mu Mingchong was merely a low-ranking official of the sixth rank; Mu Qi could not guess at all what the opponent's intentions were.

If it were an ordinary person, they might simply stop guessing if they couldn't find the answer, but Mu Qi happened to possess the professional sensitivity of her past life. These potential dangers lurking in the shadows were often fatal.

As Mu Qi thought and thought, she eventually found she truly could not figure it out, so she temporarily cast the thought aside and turned instead to look at the unfamiliar woman in the bronze mirror. The woman had willow-like brows, bright and large eyes, a well-defined nose, and a delicate, charming appearance. Her cherry-red lips, which required no rouge, complemented her fair skin, making her exceptionally moving.

This was not the first time Mu Qi had looked at her current appearance, but every time she did, she felt herself being captivated by her own reflection. This body was currently a bit thin and had not yet fully matured; her face was only palm-sized, lacking a bit of a woman's charm. Mu Qi believed that with more nourishment, she would surely become a world-shaking beauty.

Thinking about it, although she had been a beauty in her past life, she was still far inferior to her current self; her face was not as exquisite and her skin was not as white and delicate. Thinking that she was a woman in her twenties who had suddenly transmigrated into a teenager with such peerless looks, Mu Qi felt she had truly struck it rich.

As Mu Qi continued to look, her eyes drifted back to the tabletop. Just what was Caidie trying to tell her?

Unwilling to give up, Mu Qi pulled open the drawer and searched carefully once more, but she found nothing, just as she had in the morning. Remembering that mechanisms in ancient times were quite advanced, Mu Qi meticulously felt all around the dressing table.

Finally, she discovered a protrusion on the tabletop. Upon pressing it, a long, rectangular box popped out. Overjoyed, Mu Qi impatiently opened the box, only to find a dark, mysterious token and a ring made of jade inside.

Mu Qi was more interested in the token. Taking it out to inspect, she discovered it was actually a military tally, engraved with the traditional character for "Mu," which gave it an air of majesty.

"The... the Mu Family Army." Mu Qi was greatly shocked. Could this be a military tally capable of commanding the Mu Family Army? Heavens, if it truly was the tally of the Mu Family Army, then as long as she didn't commit an unforgivable crime, this token would likely be able to save her life in the future.

Mu Qi felt a small surge of excitement. She caressed the dark token for a long while before putting it back, then took out the jade ring to examine it.

The ring was very unique, finely carved from a single piece of high-quality jade. A phoenix poised for flight was engraved on the small band; the phoenix was not large, less than two fingers wide, yet it was carved so vividly that the feathers and toes were faintly discernible.

The most special part was the phoenix's eyes, which were actually blood-red. It looked very strange, carrying an ominous sense of a "bleeding phoenix." Mu Qi was naturally bold and never believed in such superstitions; in her eyes, the ring was quite exquisite, and the eyes were the most striking feature. The blood-red pupils made the entire piece of jade seem as if it possessed a soul.

Mu Qi fell in love with it at first sight. She tried to slip the ring onto her pinky, but since her finger was too small, she ended up wearing it on her index finger. If that token belonged to General Mu, then this ring must be a relic of his wife.

Mu Qi sighed as she looked at the two items. General Mu and the General's wife must have doted on her, their daughter, immensely; not only did they give her the token that could command the Mu Family Army, but they also left her such a priceless ring. Fifteen years had passed, and Mu Qi was unsure if the token was still valid, but she was certain the ring was priceless. With this in hand, she could truly say her life would be free of want.

At this moment, Mu Qi's gaze shifted back to the box, her eyes stopping on the black leather lining the bottom. She reached out and picked up the leather. It looked very ordinary, no different from the animal skins used to line the bottom of most boxes, though it looked somewhat old and worn at the edges. However, it felt much thinner and softer than usual; even with several layers folded together, there was no bulge at the creases.

Mu Qi believed that whatever could be placed together with the token and the ring could not be an ordinary object. She reached out to unfold the leather, but there were no traces of writing on it. Unwilling to accept this, she dipped her finger in some tea and tried to smear it on, but there was still no change. She couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment; it seemed she had overthought it, and it really was just an ordinary piece of animal skin.

"Miss, Nanny Wu from the Old Madam's quarters has arrived," Qiaoyu said softly from outside the door.

Mu Qi tucked the leather onto her person and placed the box back in its original spot before asking, "What business does she have?" As long as it involved the Old Madam or her eldest uncle's family, Mu Qi's subconscious told her it wouldn't be anything good.

"She says that the Eldest Young Mistress and the Fourth Young Mistress have returned, and they want Miss to come over and chat."

Upon hearing this, the corners of Mu Qi's mouth curled into a cold sneer. Mu Xiaoqing and Mu Xiaochun certainly had fast news; they had returned quite quickly. "I've been busy all morning and am feeling tired. Bring in two more trays of charcoal; I want to rest for a while."

Qiaoyu didn't believe for a second that the Eldest and Fourth Young Mistresses had anything good to chat about with the Miss. She had been worried the Miss would suffer if she went, so hearing her say she wanted to rest made her heart swell with joy. She responded loudly, "Yes, this servant will go immediately."

The charcoal in the room was burning well, making the entire space as warm as a spring day. Before long, Mu Qi fell into a deep sleep. Qiaoyu, who was resting on the low couch in the outer room, also drifted into a daze of sleep, completely forgetting that someone was waiting at the door for a reply.

Nanny Wu hesitated at the entrance of the courtyard, where the white snow was covered in footprints. She had been waiting at the door for a full half-hour, her neck aching from looking around, yet no one had emerged from the courtyard. The cold made her constantly blow on her hands, and she cursed Qiaoyu incessantly in her heart. Once this matter was settled, she would definitely teach that lowly wench a lesson.