She had no idea how much hatred simmered in the heart of the maid named Liu Yue as she watched the woman sitting leisurely in the courtyard. Liu Yue had heard that her own mistress intended to avenge that woman, which had led to the demise of Wu Yue.
They were both orphans, adopted by the former master. They practiced martial arts and lived together daily. Although they had no blood ties, they were closer than sisters. The thought of Wu Yue’s care for her since childhood made Liu Yue’s heart bleed. If she knew where Wu Yue was imprisoned, she would risk her own life to rescue her. Su Dan Novel Network
Regarding their mistress's intentions, they knew them well. Originally, they thought their mistress was simply cold-blooded and unfeeling, devoid of emotion. But unexpectedly, she had taken a liking to the woman before her. They couldn't fathom what was so special about her.
If possible, she truly wished to inflict such suffering upon the woman that she would be unable to live or die. But remembering her mistress's instructions, despite her deep resentment, she could only endure. Facing the woman daily was a torment.
Mu Fei was unaware of these thoughts. She assumed this maid was simply aloof and unresponsive to her commands. However, she had heard that capable individuals often possessed a sense of pride. Though displeased, she had to tolerate it. As long as this maid was by her side, she could live safely in the capital.
She might have told Qiu Bai that she had come to terms with things, but in reality, how could that be? Her lifelong obsession was Mu Yan. She had left the Xu family because she was confined to a small courtyard, her every move monitored by Xu Minghui. She was unable to do anything. By leaving the Xu family, she gained room to maneuver.
The two families searched for so long without finding her, assuming Mu Fei had already left. Though unwilling, they could only recall their men. Their recent activities had alerted the higher authorities; perhaps even the Emperor was aware.
Seeing that they had given up on her, Mu Fei took Liu Yue and walked onto the street, heading to a small alley opposite the largest inn in the capital, watching the passersby.
Liu Yue looked at her suspiciously, sensing her intentions were not simple. Indeed, when she saw a richly dressed middle-aged man arrive at the inn with several people, a flicker of excitement appeared on Mu Fei's face.
Then, at Mu Fei's signal, they also entered the inn and requested a room adjacent to the gentleman's.
As soon as they entered the room, Mu Fei looked at her with eager eyes. Liu Yue crossed her arms and waited quietly for her instructions.
She did not want to obey Mu Fei's commands, but when their master left, he had introduced her to Mu Fei as someone skilled in both martial arts and medicine. He instructed her to follow any direct orders and protect Mu Fei's safety, holding her accountable for any harm.
"The gentleman next door has a connection with me. I know his purpose in coming to the capital this time, and he carries a large sum of money. If we can get his money, we'll be rich. Qiu Bai mentioned you are skilled in martial arts; you will surely help me achieve this, won't you?" Mu Fei habitually used a taunting tactic, staring intently at Liu Yue.
Liu Yue's lips twitched involuntarily. She never imagined that she, a renowned assassin in the martial world, would be ordered by Mu Fei to steal someone's money. If others knew, they would surely laugh their heads off.
However, this task was a piece of cake for her. After a moment's hesitation, she nodded.
That night, the middle-aged gentleman next door slept exceptionally soundly, unaware that his money had been stolen even in his dreams. However, Liu Yue had a skirmish with someone when she left.
The opponent's martial arts were not bad, but she hadn't trained for years in vain. She quickly lost them. If not for knowing the opponent's unusual identity, which might attract the attention of the authorities and expose her own, causing trouble for her master, she would have truly wanted to eliminate them both.
Mu Fei was too excited to sleep all night. Hearing the sounds of fighting on the rooftop, she quickly pulled the quilt over her head, trembling, afraid that Liu Yue would not be a match for the opponents and would betray her.
After an unknown period, she cautiously peeked from under the quilt, listening carefully to the sounds outside. She found the surroundings quiet as before. Pinching her arm, if not for the pain, she would have believed it was all a dream.
Although Liu Yue did not return to hand over the money, the sounds from outside suggested she had escaped. She had not expected her to be so careless, not only alerting others but also engaging in a fight. Couldn't she have used some sleeping powder?
She really regretted that Qiu Bai had specifically introduced her. If not for her mastery of disguise, which could deceive many, Mu Fei would have truly wanted to dismiss her.
She was unaware that that night, Wu Caiwei received the news. She did not expect her uncle to encounter such misfortune as soon as he arrived in the capital. It seemed he had been targeted long ago.
Yes, that middle-aged man was indeed Master Liu. Every year at this time, he would come to the capital and stay at that inn, carrying a hundred thousand taels of silver. The reason she knew this amount was that Madam Mu had secretly told Mu Fei. This silver was what he gave to Master Mu for the household expenses and bribes.
Since her father was unrighteous, she would not be virtuous. Mu Fei felt no guilt about intercepting his silver. Having finally escaped the Xu family and needing to accomplish her goals, she naturally required funds. Why not prey on a fat sheep that was readily available?
If her guess was correct, Master Liu, a man of such shrewdness, would not only be giving money to her father this trip to the capital but also sending some to the Fifth Prince's manor. The thought of silver that was meant to reach Wu Caiwei ending up in her own hands, without anyone knowing, filled her with immense satisfaction.
At this moment, Wu Caiwei had already ordered people to investigate the identities of everyone who entered the inn that day, looking for anything suspicious. Mu Fei, residing next door to him, naturally became a focal point of their investigation.
Although two women had checked in, appearing harmless, Wu Caiwei never dared to underestimate anyone. As expected, the investigation into Mu Fei's identity revealed inconsistencies. She clearly lived in the capital and owned a courtyard not far from the inn, so why would she specifically request to stay next to Master Liu on the day of his arrival? It seemed too coincidental.
Although Mu Fei appeared to have no connection to her uncle and no apparent motive for action, Wu Caiwei decided to visit personally. She changed into civilian clothes and secretly left through a side door. Looking at that small courtyard, she fell into deep thought.
Just then, Mu Fei and Liu Yue emerged again and approached a palanquin in front of the courtyard. Liu Yue seemed to sense something and glanced towards a small alley not far away. She found no one there and felt perplexed. She distinctly felt someone watching them, yet she couldn't see anyone.
As she followed Mu Fei into the alley, she couldn't help but look inside. The alley was now completely empty. Only then did she relax, attributing her unease to the immense sum of money stolen the previous night, making her overly vigilant.