Not far from the tavern was a lake.
Feng Mingran sat down on a lounge chair by the water. A cool breeze stirred, making the moment rather pleasant.
“Young Miss.”
A man stopped in front of her.
Feng Mingran looked up.
He appeared to be in his thirties, handsome and dignified, with an air of refinement. He looked mature and capable.
“I’m your steward, Wang Xuanzheng. I’ve come to pick you up.”
“Uncle Wang?”
Feng Mingran was a little surprised.
So this was the steward Uncle Wang Fifth Master had mentioned?! She’d imagined a little old man.
Well, if there could be a stewardess in her twenties called Nanny Wang, then there was no reason there couldn’t be a steward in his thirties called Uncle Wang.
Just then, as if it had been timed perfectly, Feng Mingran’s phone rang.
It was Fifth Master calling.
As for getting a signal deep in the mountains and forests, that had never been a problem for any of her masters.
“Ranran, Uncle Wang found you, right? I knew you wouldn’t take care of yourself. If we’d waited for you to get in touch with Uncle Wang, who knows how long that would’ve taken…”
“Oh, and Fifth Master forgot to show you a picture of Uncle Wang earlier. I’ll send one now, so you don’t mistake someone else for him…”
On and on he went.
For the first time, Feng Mingran realized that her Fifth Master had the makings of a Tang Monk.
Then the other masters took turns chiming in with their own reminders…
Every word of nagging was full of concern, with a touch of that old saying: “When a child travels far, the parents worry.”
Warmth spread through Feng Mingran’s heart.
“Uncle Wang has found me. You masters take good care of yourselves, too.”
After thinking for a moment, she added,
“Use less salt when you cook. It’s healthier.”
…
Feng Mingran hung up. Uncle Wang waited quietly beside her.
“You’re good at fighting?”
“Miss, I know a little kung fu.”
Feng Mingran gave a slight nod. From Uncle Wang’s posture and a certain quality about him, it was easy to tell he was trained.
“Thank you for coming, Uncle Wang. Let’s go.”
Uncle Wang led the way. Before long, they stopped beside a blue supercar.
Feng Mingran raised an eyebrow.
A Pagani Huayra.
He’d brought the “Wind God” especially to pick her up? Uncle Wang had a sense of humor.
“Young Miss, Sir has bought several properties over the past few years, all in your name. The ones nearby include Tianqing Bay, Triumph Residence, and Cangyue Qionglou… Where would you like to stay tonight?”
“If you’d rather return to Yunlu Manor…”
Uncle Wang trailed off.
“Let’s go to the closest one,” Feng Mingran said softly.
One day, she would return to Yunlu Manor with her parents and brothers, all together, just as they should be.
“Yes.”
Uncle Wang secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
*
Fifteen minutes later.
Uncle Wang drove into Tianqing Bay.
Located in the city center, Tianqing Bay was one of Kyoto’s top luxury developments.
There was one residence per floor, and the elevator opened directly into each unit.
After completing the biometric registration, Feng Mingran went up to the 66th floor with Uncle Wang.
Floors 66 through 68 were a three-story penthouse spanning a full 1,000 square meters.
“Young Miss, these might be useful to you.”
Uncle Wang handed her a document envelope.
Feng Mingran took it and opened it, quickly flipping through the papers. A chilling look entered her eyes.
“Get some rest. Contact me anytime if you need anything. When you have time, I’ll take you to Tan Palace. There are more than a dozen nice cars there for you to choose from.”
“Okay.”
Feng Mingran nodded slightly.
Uncle Wang left the keys to the Pagani Huayra and departed respectfully.
*
MG3 Bar.
“Yiheng, I’ve only seen you drink one glass all night.”
Ming Wanci burst out laughing, relishing the joke.
“I know the answer to this one. Some drinks leave a lingering fragrance on the lips and teeth, worth savoring. Others are so harsh they turn your stomach…”
Yun Zhiyin drew out his words, delivering his assessment of the drinks with such solemnity that it was hard not to read into it.
“I finally understand what ‘fine wine’ really means. It has to be a drink bought for you by a beautiful woman.”
Ming Wanci winked at Yun Zhiyin.
“An ordinary beauty wouldn’t catch our Master Jing’s eye. She’d have to be the sister-in-law I’ve personally certified with my discerning eye!”
Yun Zhiyin hurried to correct him, his expression so exaggerated he could have performed onstage.
Jing Yiheng chuckled, genuinely amused. In an unusually “kind” mood, he let the two attention-seekers off the hook.
“You two take your time drinking. I’m heading out.”
With that, he took the coat Mo Ke handed him and put it on. He nodded to Ming Wanci and Yun Zhiyin, then left the bar ahead of them.
“Master, are you going back to Jingting?” Mo Ke asked.
“I’m going to Tianqing Bay tonight. There’s a document stored there.”
“Got it, Master.”
Mo Ke started the car and drove toward Tianqing Bay…
*
Elsewhere.
After bathing, Feng Mingran went out onto the terrace.
It was exceptionally spacious, with a temperature-controlled swimming pool and a comfortable lounge area.
She sat down on a recliner, going over the information Uncle Wang had given her.
It was exactly what she needed: information related to the Feng family’s case from fifteen years ago.
The steward Fifth Master had arranged for her was certainly impressive.
The investigation showed that several different forces had been involved in the Feng family’s catastrophe: some from Kyoto, some from Jiangnan, and even some from overseas.
As for the Kyoto side, though she couldn’t be certain yet, the Li family was very likely involved.
Even more surprising, the upstart Leng family had apparently been involved too. The clues all pointed that way.
“The Leng family? Looks like I should’ve crippled Leng Lingwei tonight!”
Feng Mingran’s gaze was as cold as the depths of winter.
At that very moment, Leng Lingwei shuddered violently in the Leng family home. Every breath brought the agonizing pain of someone on the verge of death. It hurt so badly she felt as though her soul were being wrenched from her body!
She lay collapsed on the bed, already only a hair’s breadth away from being crippled.
The famous doctor they’d hired at great expense couldn’t figure out what was wrong. The Leng family was at their wits’ end and was even considering hiring a shaman to perform an exorcism on Leng Lingwei…