In a simply furnished yet spotless room within Qinglong Stronghold, Xiao Yu slowly regained consciousness, his head pounding as though it were about to split apart.
His eyes flew open.
Instantly alert, he swept his gaze across his surroundings.
An unfamiliar room.
Rough wooden furniture. Plain-colored curtains. The faint scent of herbs lingered in the air, completely unlike the imperial palace or military camps he was accustomed to.
His first instinct was to check himself.
He quickly realized that someone had changed his clothes.
His heart tightened.
Immediately, he reached into his robes.
Only when his fingers brushed against the half of the dragon jade pendant that he always kept close to his body did the tension in his chest ease slightly.
Thankfully…
The jade was still there.
The events of the previous night came flooding back.
He had entered the mountains alone to search for Ali.
Then he had caught the scent of a strange fragrance.
After that…
Everything had gone black.
“Drugged…”
He understood at once.
Immediately, he attempted to circulate his inner energy.
But his dantian felt sluggish, his meridians seemed tightly sealed, and not a trace of his internal power could be summoned.
Shock and anger surged through him.
He had fallen for such a simple trap…
And had been brought all the way into the bandits’ lair.
Where was Ali?
What about the Shadow Guards?
Just then, the door creaked open.
A tall, broad-shouldered man with the unmistakable air of an outlaw entered.
It was Qing Ren.
Behind him followed two lackeys carrying a simple breakfast.
Xiao Yu immediately sat upright, every muscle tense, his icy gaze fixed on the newcomers.
“Who are you?”
“Where is this?”
“And where is Ali?”
Meeting those eyes—which bore an uncanny resemblance to his chieftain’s—Qing Ren felt an inexplicable shiver run down his spine.
Still remembering Ali’s instructions, he forced himself to remain composed and gestured for his men to set the food on the table.
“This is Qinglong Stronghold.”
“I’m Qing Ren, the Second Chief.”
Avoiding Xiao Yu’s piercing stare, he spoke gruffly,
“Our Chieftain said you’re an honored guest.”
“As long as you don’t try to escape, you’re free to walk anywhere within the stronghold. No one will make things difficult for you.”
“But if you try to leave…”
“…don’t blame us for what happens.”
“An honored guest?”
Xiao Yu let out a cold laugh.
“So this is how you treat your honored guests?”
“Drugging them.”
“Sealing their internal energy.”
Awkwardness flickered across Qing Ren’s face.
But he dared not explain.
“The Chieftain has her own arrangements.”
“You should simply stay here peacefully.”
“I want to meet your Chieftain.”
Xiao Yu’s voice was firm.
“The Chieftain isn’t available.”
Qing Ren rejected him without hesitation.
“Then what about Ali?”
“Where is she?”
“Is she safe?”
Her safety was what concerned Xiao Yu most.
Qing Ren’s eyes shifted briefly before he answered stiffly,
“That’s none of your concern.”
He said nothing more.
With a wave of his hand, he led his men out, leaving Xiao Yu alone with the untouched breakfast.
Xiao Yu frowned deeply.
Everything about Qinglong Stronghold felt profoundly strange.
They hadn’t killed him.
They hadn’t tortured him.
Instead, they treated him as an “honored guest.”
Yet they refused to let him meet the Chieftain, and they wouldn’t tell him anything about Ali.
After a moment of contemplation, he decided to remain patient.
Since they clearly had no intention of harming him immediately, this was his opportunity to gather information.
After carefully confirming the food wasn’t poisoned, he ate a small portion to recover his strength.
Then he opened the door and stepped outside.
As expected, two men carrying sabers immediately fell in behind him.
They maintained a respectful distance.
Officially they were protecting him.
In reality, they were watching his every move.
Without showing any reaction, Xiao Yu began strolling through the stronghold, quietly observing everything around him.
Qinglong Stronghold was nothing like the savage bandit den he had imagined.
The village had been built into the mountainside.
Patrols could be seen everywhere.
Their discipline was surprisingly strict.
There were also many women, children, and elderly people.
Their clothing was simple.
There wasn’t the slightest trace of brutality in their eyes.
Instead, they looked like ordinary people simply living their lives.
As Xiao Yu passed, curious gazes followed him.
Whispers drifted through the air.
With his exceptionally sharp hearing, he caught fragments of the conversations.
“Look… that’s him, isn’t it?”
“My… he’s even more handsome than the portrait…”
“I heard the Chieftain personally brought him back last night…”
“And put him in her own room…”
“Could it be…”
“…that he’s the Chieftain’s captive husband?”
“Shh! Keep your voice down!”
“But… it really does seem possible…”
A captive husband?!
Xiao Yu stumbled mid-step.
For a moment, he nearly lost his composure.
Suppressing the overwhelming urge to storm off, he forced himself to continue walking, his face dark with embarrassment.
Yet everywhere he went, people looked at him with the same mixture of curiosity and teasing amusement.
Their whispered speculations hardly differed at all.
Finally unable to endure another moment, he abruptly turned around, strode back to the room, and slammed the door shut behind him.
After calming himself, he began examining the room carefully.
This was very likely the Chieftain’s personal chamber.
The furnishings were simple…
Yet remarkably clean.
One could even say…
There was a certain understated elegance to them.
His attention settled on the bookshelf against the wall.
Walking over, he ran his fingers across the neatly arranged volumes.
Military strategy.
Treatises on warfare.
Local gazetteers.
Medical texts.
Agricultural manuals.
The collection was surprisingly diverse.
Every book had been meticulously cared for, and many showed clear signs of frequent reading.
A bandit leader…
Who devoted herself to studying?
He searched carefully for anything that might reveal the owner’s identity or intentions.
But found nothing.
Every personal belonging that might have offered a clue had either been deliberately removed…
…or destroyed.
Xiao Yu’s heart slowly sank.
Everything about Qinglong Stronghold was shrouded in mystery.
From the Chieftain to the lowest bandit, nothing fit his expectations.
They had kidnapped him…
Yet treated him with exceptional courtesy.
They looked like bandits…
Yet maintained discipline worthy of an army.
Their Chieftain was a woman who loved reading…
Yet remained utterly enigmatic.
Just what was she planning?