In the flames, Shen Miao's eyes were more fierce than the burning sparks, yet the determination within was like a boulder, unshakeable.

  "What's the point of having a future if everyone is dead?" Xie Jinghang said sternly: "It's too risky."

  Shen Miao smiled and looked at him sarcastically: "I'm different from Young Master Hou, he can get whatever he wants without much effort. But I'm not the same, if I don't fight for my life, I'll end up worse than dead. I'm not even afraid of death, how could I be afraid of fire?" She paused and said: "You can leave now."

  Xie Jinghang furrowed his brow, gazing at her with a pair of beautiful peach blossom eyes that flashed with deep thought. He was not a good person and did not intend to play the role of a hero who lends a helping hand; just now it was only an accidental move on impulse. Now that he had come back to himself, he couldn't help but mock his own lack of composure. Thinking this, Xie Jinghang jumped onto the unburned beam with his arms crossed, saying with great interest: "I forgot, you are a clever person from the Shen family, of course you have the ability to retreat wholeheartedly. However, I also want to see what kind of abilities you actually possess."

  His purple clothes in the firelight actually showed some flowing gold, and more dazzling than his clothes was the smile on his lips. The young man's expression was proud and beautiful as a painting, but at this moment, he seemed like a romantic prince from an opera, yet his eyes revealed a coldness and cruelty that made his carefree appearance seem somewhat desolate.

  In the eastern courtyard, after hearing that Shen Xin and his wife had returned to their mansion, Ren Yuanyun was in a state of panic. She still held onto a glimmer of hope in her heart, thinking that it must be some mischievous servant who had said such a thing. But before she could think of a good plan, she saw the servants outside leading a group of people rushing in, covered in dust. The leader of the group laughed loudly from afar and said: "Mother, your son has returned to Beijing to celebrate your birthday! I'm late, please forgive me!"

  Everyone's eyes were on the group of people, and at the front was Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan, with a big bearded man and a beautiful woman, while behind them was a young man with a warm smile, who was Shen Qiu.

  If it were in the past, at this moment, there would definitely be laughter and joy. With Ren Yuanyun's eight-sided cleverness, she could have coaxed Shen Xin and his wife into a state of delight. But today, things happened suddenly. The water didn't flow in the morning or evening, but just as Shen Xin returned to the mansion, the water flowed, and Shen Miao was trapped in the ancestral hall. Ren Yuanyun was at a loss for what to do, and could only stand there stupidly.

  Madam Shen was even more so, she was originally a person without a main idea, and would only show off in the backyard, and even when dealing with Shen Miao, she used some unscrupulous means. In this way, in front of a large crowd, she couldn't even pretend to be flustered.

  Chen Ruoqiu felt a little anxious in her heart, although she also wanted the second and third rooms to suffer together. But now that she was also at this banquet, if Shen Xin hadn't returned today, it would be fine if Shen Miao died in the big fire, there would be no evidence, they could say whatever they wanted. But Shen Xin came back, he had eyes to see, people with discerning eyes could all see what was going on, what should she do?

  Shen Qing and Shen Yue were both somewhat afraid of their uncle, as Shen Xin was a military general after all, and his body always carried an air of sharpness and decisiveness that made them feel uneasy. These delicate little girls would often feel inexplicably intimidated by him, and seeing their mother's cautious demeanor only made them more flustered.

  Shen Gui and Shen Wan exchanged a glance, both of their eyes were extremely solemn. For so many years, they had concealed it well, so there had never been any mistakes, let alone seeing this big brother lose his temper. But if Shen Miao really met with an accident today, what would Shen Xin do? The thought sent shivers down their spines.

  As they pondered, Shen Xin and his wife, as well as Shen Qiu, had already walked to the front of Old Lady Shen's banquet table. Seeing that none of the guests were making a sound, but instead staring at them with somewhat strange expressions, Luo Xueyan furrowed her brow, sensitively sensing that something was amiss, yet not knowing where things had gone wrong.

  Still Shenqiu looked at the table, then carefully scanned it again, and asked in confusion: "Hey, grandma, why isn't my sister on this table?"

  As soon as this was said, Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan also noticed. Shen Yue and Shen Qing were both there, even the concubine-born daughter of the first wife, Shen Dongling, was present, but among the young ladies, not a single one had seen Shen Miao's shadow. Shen Xin's smile paused for a moment, asking: "Mother, where did Jiao Jiao go?"

  Mrs. Shen was speechless, she wanted to say something, but Ren Yuanyun kept shouting at the guards, her movements slow and sluggish, clearly not taking this matter seriously. They hadn't even moved from their seats yet.

  "General Shen!" But it was Feng Anning who suddenly stood up, she exclaimed loudly: "You've come back just in time! The ancestral hall caught fire just now, and Miss Shen Wu is currently trapped in the flames!"

  She deliberately said something that would make people indignant, but in fact, it was also to give Shen Miao a bad time. Feng An Ning herself was favored in the Feng family, let alone encountering today's situation, even if she tripped and fell in the mansion, everyone would come to comfort her. Now looking at Shen Miao in danger, these people in Shen Mansion were not panicked, but sympathetic to Shen Miao. Since Shen Xin returned so coincidentally, it was better to report to him together with Shen Miao.

  As soon as this was said, Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan were both stunned. The temple goods were on fire, and Shen Miao was trapped in the flames. Everything had been fine, so why did Shen Miao go to the temple? And more importantly, why was Shen Miao in a dangerous situation, yet these relatives of the Shen family could still be drinking and having fun at the banquet?

  Ran Wanyun came back to her senses and hastily explained: "Big brother, big sister-in-law, I was just about to go look for Hu Wei when you both arrived..."

  She hadn't finished speaking when Shen Xin strode past her without a word, and the glance he gave Ren Yuanyun made her feel like she was falling into an icy pit, it was truly too terrifying, too ruthless.

  Luo Xueyan and Shen Qiu also suddenly came back to their senses, and without saying a word, they rushed towards the ancestral hall.

  In the ancestral hall, the fire was getting more and more fierce, almost becoming a huge fireball. Among them, Shen Miao covered his mouth and nose with a wet handkerchief he had prepared in advance, while Xie Jinghang frowned at him. Even in this choking smoke, he seemed to be very relaxed, without any signs of panic, and said to Shen Miao: "If you don't get out now, you will really only die here."

  "If you don't go out now, you can only be buried with me." Shen Miao retorted.

  "Sharp tongue and quick wit." Xie Jinghang smiled carelessly: "What are you waiting for?"

  He hadn't finished speaking when a loud shout came from outside: "Jiao Jiao!"

  Xie Jingxing suddenly rushed to the window and, taking advantage of a small gap in the flames, was able to see clearly that the people outside were none other than Shen Xin, his wife, and Shen Qiu.

  Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan had previously thought of escaping through the water, but they hadn't expected the fire to be so fierce. Suddenly, their eyes were wide with fear. Outside the temple, a group of guards surrounded them, yet not one person went in to rescue anyone, only fetching some buckets to pour water on the fire. However, this was like trying to put out a fire with a cup of water, and if they waited for the flames to subside, Shen Miao would have lost her life by then.

  Shen Qiu gritted his teeth: "I'm going to save my sister!" As soon as he finished speaking, he wanted to rush in, but before he could take two steps, the weighing scale outside suddenly fell down in front of him with a loud "bang", and the burning fire made a crackling sound, blocking his path completely.

  "Jiaojiao!"

  "Sister!"

  In the house, Xie Jing raised an eyebrow and said: "It turns out that your nickname is Jiao Jiao, but it doesn't match you at all."

  "The people we've been waiting for have arrived, Young Master Shen can think of a way to leave by himself." Shen Miao's eyes were filled with a fierce aura. Now that she had arranged this play herself, it was all to let Shen Xin see clearly the true nature of the seemingly harmonious and loving Shen household, what kind of situation it really was, and what kind of evil intentions those relatives who claimed to love her were hiding. Military leaders value loyalty and righteousness, they are not foolish, they just don't want to use the most vicious thoughts to guess people's hearts. But she didn't have much time to let Shen Xin slowly understand, so she had to use the most direct and violent method to make them see clearly.

  She picked up a piece of wood on the ground that was stained with fire, and suddenly touched it to her arm. Xie Jinghang was stunned for a moment, Shen Miao gritted her teeth, and big drops of sweat flowed down from her forehead. She threw away the wooden plank, and a scorching scar appeared on her white arm.

  Xie Jinghang couldn't hide the shock in his heart. He hadn't never met women who were ruthless to him before, those female assassins would also treat themselves like this without hesitation. But Shen Miao was not an assassin, she was just a delicate little girl from a noble family, her life should be like those of the noble ladies in Dingjing City, soft and gentle like her small words, not furrowing her brow to scald herself with hot water.

  He saw Shen Miao pounce on some sparks on her body, and then she got up and ran out. She was running erratically, as if she was about to fall, but her movements were incredibly precise. And the path she took had no sparks. Xie Jing narrowed his eyes and looked closely, that narrow road was where the burning temple had left a small opening. It seemed someone had prepared ahead of time, pouring something on it that wouldn't catch fire, just for a smooth escape from within.

  Everything was arranged by Shen Miao, and she really used her own life to gamble on a career, and she won the bet. Then, it should be others who are unlucky.

  Xie Jingxuan smiled slightly, gazing deeply at the figure that had vanished into the flames, but he darted towards another exit, which was the back door of the temple. His movements were light and agile, like a swallow's, with each punch and kick, this extremely dangerous fiery cage seemed no different from flat ground to him, and in the blink of an eye, he had already dashed out.

  The person who was responding on the other end had long since seen him come out and they all let out a sigh of relief: "Master."

  "Things are not in the temple, Shen Xin has returned, let's go." He said quickly, turning around and disappearing into the woods behind the temple.

  Outside, Shen Miao rushed out in a flurry.

  Saw Shen Miao's figure, Shen Qiu suddenly jumped up: "Sister!"

  Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan were also overjoyed to the point of tears, they had tried to rush in despite the fire, but couldn't get in, now seeing Shen Miao run out by herself was simply beyond their expectations.

  "Jiaojiao!"

  Shen Miao rushed out, but her legs went soft and she fainted. Shen Qiu hurriedly caught her and saw a shocking burn scar on Shen Miao's left arm. Shen Qiu's eyes reddened as Shen Miao shrank into his arms, closing her eyes and murmuring: "Let me go, I won't marry..."

  Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan, who had rushed over, were immediately stunned on the spot.

  The west wing of the house was filled with a strong medicinal scent, and all the servants inside and outside seemed to have become busy. In this lazy and somewhat desolate courtyard, it seemed that several levels had been added abruptly. At this moment, the house was also bustling with activity.

  "I was going to leave Jiao Jiao with my two sisters, thinking that they would definitely take good care of her. But now it seems that's not the case. If I hadn't returned today just in time, I'm afraid Jiao Jiao might have died in this big fire without anyone knowing." Luo Xueyan said coldly, hugging her chest. She was naturally not someone who got along well with others, and on the battlefield, she was known as "Luo the Female Butcher". Usually, she treated the people of Shen Manor politely, but that was only because they had raised Shen Miao. Who knew that today, it seemed like she had torn off her usual mask, and her anger was extreme, so her words were naturally merciless.

  "Eldest sister, it's not like that." Ren Yuanyun explained with a smile: "Just now I have already asked the guards to put out the fire. I regard Jiao Jiao as my own daughter, how can I just watch her fall into danger? Eldest sister, all these years I have treated Jiao Jiao well, you know very clearly, otherwise why would Jiao Jiao be so close to us?" She was also anxious in her heart, Luo Xueyan had never quarreled with anyone before, probably because she didn't understand these things about women in the inner courtyard. In the past, it was easy to coax her, but when she really got angry, her momentum was also very astonishing.

  "Biological daughter?" Luo Xueyan sneered: "Our Jiao can't be the mother of such a vicious person like you." She faced Ren Yuanyun, step by step forcing her to back down, her tone carrying a cold and harsh intent: "I also want to ask my sister, since it's the old lady's birthday, why is Jiao alone in the ancestral hall?"

  "Wu Jie, Wu Jie wants to go to the ancestral temple to offer incense to our ancestors..." Under Luo Xueyan's piercing gaze, Ren Yuanyun's heart skipped a beat, and she came up with a clumsy excuse.

  "Ran Wanyun!" Luo Xueyan shouted sternly: "You use these excuses to deceive me, do you think I'm a fool? What's with being locked in the ancestral hall, what's with being forced into marriage, this account, I will settle it one by one, this matter won't be so easily settled. Ran Wanyun," Luo Xueyan was originally fierce and overbearing, when she got angry, she had a kind of domineering majesty: "If my Jiao Jiao has even a bit of trouble, you see how I'll settle accounts with you!"

  She finished speaking in one breath, and the people in the house were so shocked that they trembled with fear. Luo Xueyan had not been to Shenfu for many years, and the servants in the house no longer took her as a serious mistress. Even more people were informants of Ren Yuanyun. And every time Luo Xueyan came back, she was all smiles, with an open heart and a straightforward personality, not nitpicking over trivial matters, so everyone just thought she was easy to talk to, who had ever seen her so stern? She made Ren Yuanyun unable to utter a single word, her face turning purple from being choked.

  Shen Miao turned over in the inner room, her eyes wide open. She had gone to great lengths to put on this act, even going so far as to leave scars on herself, all in order to eliminate any possibility of Ran Yun being forgiven. The Shen family were all skilled at acting, and now they would put on a few more acts, say some nice words, but it was likely that someone's heart would soften. Unless the harm had already been done, no parent could tolerate anyone harming their own child, just like her Yu and Fu Ming.

  Now, Luo Xueyan no longer trusts Ren Yuanyun and Chen Ruoqiu as she used to. She treats the people of the second and third branches with an attitude similar to that towards her enemies. At least this way, her burns won't be in vain. This is for the better.

  Shen Xin of the Outer Court was now facing Shen Gui and Shen Wan alongside Shen Qiu.

  "Big brother, this is a misunderstanding." Shen Gui was somewhat at his wit's end. He didn't know that Ren Yuanyun wanted to let Shen Miao and Shen Qing sisters get married off easily, and Shen Miao was locked in the ancestral hall because she had made a mistake before. Shen Gui still held a grudge against Shen Miao for offending him at Rong Jing Tang that day, so he naturally didn't object to locking her up in the ancestral hall. Who knew something would happen at this critical moment?

  "Second Uncle, this can't be considered a misunderstanding." Shen Qiu took a step forward, his fists tightly clenched as he struggled to control the urge to rush over and overturn both of them. "At Grandmother's birthday banquet, only my sister was locked in the ancestral hall. I'd like to ask, what crime did she commit? Why were there so many guards standing at the door, not going to rescue her but just watching from outside? Second Uncle, Third Uncle, can't I understand it as: these guards weren't here to save anyone, but to block someone's path and find ways to take my sister's life?"

  Shen Qiu, being young and vigorous, spoke without thinking ahead, saying whatever came to mind. He didn't disappoint Shen Miao's expectations, and his words were even more severe than what Shen Miao had thought. As soon as he said this, Shen Xin's face turned deathly pale, while Shen Gui and Shen Wan were shocked. Shen Wan quickly advised, "Big nephew, how can you say such a thing? Wu Niang is our niece, how could we harm her?" He looked at Shen Xin: "Big brother, today's events are all an accident. Big brother has lived with us for so many years, if we wanted to harm Wu Niang, why would we have raised her to be so big and strong? Doesn't big brother trust us?"

  Shen Wanben was a bookworm, putting on an air of integrity and righteousness, which could easily deceive people's hearts, as if he were the only upright person in this world. However, Shen Xin didn't fall for it. If it were before, he might have thought it was just a misunderstanding, after all, they had raised Shen Miao so well over the years, and even Shen Miao was willing to get close to them. But with today's events exposed, when he looked at these people again, he only saw some cultured hypocrites with wolfish hearts revealed under their polished surface.

  In the astonished gaze of Shen Gui and Shen Wan, Shen Xin scolded loudly: "You dare to deceive me?! You want to harm Jiao Jiao? Locking her in the ancestral hall, forcing her to marry? Shen Gui, Shen Wan, don't think that just because I'm not in the capital, my daughter can be bullied by you! Today, I, Shen Xin, will make a statement here. Let's wait and see what happens when Jiao Jiao wakes up!"

  Shen Gui and Shen Wan were dumbfounded. Although Shen Xin was a rough and unrefined general, over the years he had always restrained his coarse nature in front of them, not as elegant as those literati, but now that they saw him, they realized that Shen Xin was actually a rascal at heart! This remark left Shen Gui and Shen Wan speechless.

  Shen Xin was also furious to the extreme. Originally, seeing his own daughter deeply trapped in a desperate situation, his heart was both angry and painful. Later, Shen Miao's words before she fainted became the last straw that crushed the camel. The simpler she spoke, the more it made people imagine, even making Shen Xin wonder what kind of life Shen Miao had lived in the Shen household. The more he thought about it, the more he detested his two younger brothers; if possible, Shen Xin would have liked to draw his sword and slash these two beasts to death!

  "Shut up!" A loud shout came from behind, and everyone turned their heads to see Fu'er and Xi'er supporting the elderly Mrs. Shen as she walked over.

  Mrs. Shen was also on the verge of a heart attack, she had always been particular about saving face, but today she was humiliated in front of all the dignitaries at her birthday banquet. The guests had all witnessed Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan's confrontation, and it was not a good place to linger, so they hastily departed. Only half of the birthday banquet had been completed. At this moment, all the guests had left, and she also hastened to come and ask for an explanation, but as soon as she arrived, she saw Shen Xin questioning Shen Gui and Shen Wan, and naturally spoke out without hesitation.

  Shen Qiu turned around and saw Old Lady Shen, calling out "Grandmother" but with a somewhat lukewarm attitude. In the past when Shen Kui was still alive, Old Lady Shen had always been more fond of Shen Kui, and everyone said it was because she didn't like the rough and tumble world of martial arts, Shen Kui walked the path of a scholar-official, so Old Lady Shen favored him. But children often have a kind of intuition, Shen Qiu intuitively didn't like to get close to Old Lady Shen, and after returning home less frequently, they became even more estranged.

  This time witnessing Shen Miao falling into the trap, this banquet can still continue, Shen Qiu is not feeling well in his heart and hates to immediately take the lead for his sister.

  "Old Mrs. Shen cast a sideways glance at Shen Qiu, her gaze sweeping over Shen Xin before finally putting on an air of dignity and saying: 'You've just returned to the manor, what kind of attitude did you show your two younger brothers? Are you trying to bring the General's haughtiness into our Shen household?'"

  When Madam Shen was young, although she was a singer by birth, her behind-the-scenes means were not to be trifled with. On the surface, however, she remained perfectly gentle and virtuous, keeping the old general completely under control. Before his death, the old general had told Shen Xin that Shen Gui and Shen Wan would take the path of civil officials, but only Shen Xin had inherited his legacy, and he must support his two younger brothers and keep the family harmonious. During his lifetime, General Shen's relationship with Shen Xin was extremely deep, so Shen Xin always remembered his words. Therefore, over the years, her respect for Madam Shen has not changed in the slightest.

  It's always been the case that people's emotions tend to flow downward. Parents love their children, and children love their own children, but it's rare for someone to love their parents more than they love their own children. Shen Xin is no exception - when faced with a choice between his adoptive mother and his biological child, he wouldn't hesitate to choose the latter. Now, Shen Lao Fu Ren's words have lost all significance in Shen Xin's ears.

  He bowed his fist to Old Lady Shen: "Mother, it's not that I'm putting on airs in the mansion, but today's matter is suspicious. As a great general, I couldn't even protect my own daughter's safety, what face do I have to see the ancestors of the Shen family? Wouldn't I be ashamed of my reputation as a fierce warrior outside? This matter I must investigate until the truth comes out. Today should be Mother's birthday celebration, but I'm unfilial and can't just watch Jiao Jiao fall into trouble without doing anything, so I can only apologize to Mother later." His words were full of implicit criticism, Shen Miao was in trouble, yet these people still had the heart to continue the banquet as if nothing was wrong, their hearts are despicable.

  Mrs. Shen stood still, and Shen Xin had always been very obedient to her. When she was young, she also thought of using other means to get rid of Shen Xin, but the old general loved Shen Xin like his own son, so she didn't even have a chance to make a move. As Shen Xin grew older, it became even more impossible. However, Shen Xin treated her with respect, and she was happy to play along. This was the first time Shen Xin had strongly refuted her words, leaving her speechless for a moment.

  Shen Xin turned his head to look at Shen Gui and Shen Wan, his tone gloomy: "This matter will be investigated clearly. Second brother and third brother, I'm leaving." He turned around and left with big strides, not even looking at the others, Shen Qiu hastily following behind him.

  After walking out of the east courtyard, Shen Xin said to Shen Qiu: "The flame mouse fur cloak on the horse carriage, give it to your sister later. I think the dangers in the mansion are no less than those on the battlefield, and your sister needs more than the old lady."

  "Yes." Shen Qiu was overjoyed and immediately thought of something, saying: "Dad, before sister fainted, she mentioned something about a marriage, we should investigate this too. These things, the northwest has never received any news about it."

  "Hmph," Shen Xin said in a deep voice: "I see that the General's residence is full of evil spirits and monsters. This time, your sister almost lost her life. Find out those who are courting death, and I'll deal with them one by one!"

  Lin'an Marquis Manor

  Xie Jinghang just returned to the house and saw that someone was already sitting at the table, wearing white clothes, gently swaying a folding fan, smiling at him.

  "What brings you here?" Xie Jinghang put down the sword in his hand and asked.

  "I heard you went to Shen's residence to look for something, how was it?" Gao Yang asked with a smile.

  "No."

  "I had expected that the thing wouldn't be at the Shen Manor," Gao Yang shook his head, a hint of disappointment flashing across his face: "If the thing isn't at the Shen Manor, what will you do next?"

  "The Eight Immortals cross the sea and show their magical powers." Xie Jinghang sat down opposite him, pouring himself a cup of tea: "What else can be done?"

  "But Shen Xin's return to the capital this time may bring new turmoil to Ming Qi." Gao Yang looked at him, his hand holding a folding fan paused for a moment: "At this time, will the Fu family...?" He put his hand on his neck and made a throat-slitting gesture.

  "Shen's family has been too proud for their own good, and now they're getting burned by the fire they themselves ignited. It was only a matter of time before this day came." Xie Jinghang took a sip of his tea, his tone completely flat and devoid of any sympathy.

  Gao Yang shrugged and suddenly thought of something, taking out a small blue bottle from his bosom: "Last time I heard Tie Yi say you were injured, so I prepared some medicine for you."

  "What medicine is needed for minor injuries?" Xie Jinghang frowned.

  "This medicine won't leave a scar." Gaoyang insisted on shoving the medicine bottle into Xie Jinghang's hand: "If it leaves a scar, then it's not good."

  "I'm not a woman." Xie Jinghang threw the medicine bottle back like he was avoiding a plague: "Take it back!"

  "If you were a woman, you would have come crying and begging to ask me for it." Gao Yang said: "Take it back, this medicine is very precious, one bottle is worth a thousand gold."

  Xie Jinghang glanced at him, his mouth curled up in disdain, but suddenly thought of the scene where the girl had burned her hand with the spirit plate that was on fire in the sea of flames.

  Afraid of leaving scars? Not necessarily.

  He hesitated for a moment, then reached out and put the medicine bottle back into his bosom.