Chapter 158
Chapter 158
At the steward’s words, Xiao Che deliberately glanced at the small mound on the heated platform, then turned and walked outside.
He reached the door and found the steward waiting with a bow.
“Valley Master Xiao, please forgive us for disturbing you so late. Our family head has an urgent matter to discuss with you and Miss Xiao.”
Xiao Che’s heart lurched. He could understand why the Lushan Qi Family head might summon him, but why Jin Bao?
His daughter’s behavior that night had been unusually strange.
Had she caused trouble outside before returning?
Xiao Che nodded slightly to the steward. “My daughter has already fallen asleep. Can this matter wait until tomorrow? Or I can go with you to see your family head alone.”
The steward did not understand why the family head insisted on seeing Miss Xiao either. What could such a small child possibly have done?
But the family head’s face had looked terrible, as if Miss Xiao had enraged him.
“Valley Master Xiao, this servant cannot disobey the family head’s order. Please forgive the inconvenience.”
With no other choice, Xiao Che lifted Jin Bao from the heated platform.
By now, she really was asleep, and quiet snores escaped her.
Xiao Che knew his daughter could sleep anywhere. Her eyes closed the instant she touched a bed.
“Lead the way, Steward.”
Xiao Che wrapped Jin Bao directly in the quilt and carried her to the main residence.
The Lushan Qi Family head dismissed everyone else and looked at the person in Xiao Che’s arms.
He wanted to lose his temper, but had nowhere to vent his rage.
Only the three adults involved and Jin Bao knew what had happened.
“Family Head Qi, what is so urgent?”
Qi Sihai’s expression was ugly. He wanted to take his anger out on Jin Bao, but could find no excuse.
“Valley Master Xiao, Qi Family Fort will hold a funeral tomorrow. We may not have time to attend to you. Do you have any other business here?”
Since Qi Sihai had asked directly, Xiao Che did not conceal his purpose.
“To tell the truth, I came to discuss business with the Lushan Qi Family. Black Pine Valley produces a kind of fuel called coal. It burns for a long time, gives off excellent heat, and takes up little space. Would you be interested in a partnership?”
Black Pine Valley’s mine had already produced a substantial stockpile of coal, far more than the valley itself required. Xiao Che wanted to sell the surplus. War demanded money, after all.
They controlled such a large mine. They could not allow it to earn them nothing.
Qi Sihai had never heard of coal or anything resembling it. Qi Family Fort stood halfway up a mountain, and its annual supply of firewood was prepared well in advance. They had no shortage of fuel.
Besides, Xiao Che’s daughter had just offended him. Why would he do business with the Xiao Family?
Not a chance.
“Valley Master Xiao, the Lushan Qi Family has no plans to expand its businesses for now. Qi Family Fort has no interest in this coal you describe. If you have no other business, I will have the steward escort you out tomorrow morning.”
Xiao Che had not expected such an answer. Qi Sihai’s attitude was also strange. He had not behaved this way when they arrived that afternoon.
Xiao Che was not the sort to pester someone who had refused him. He was no merchant and had no experience negotiating. This business would be much better suited to his younger son.
It seemed he needed to summon Xiao Jinghao from Black Pine Valley if they wanted to conduct trade.
Holding Jin Bao, Xiao Che stood directly.
“Then we have imposed upon you, Family Head Qi. We will trouble you no further and take our leave now.”
It appeared the Lushan Qi Family could not be won over.
Qi Sihai did not ask them to stay. His face remained cold.
Xiao Che did not belong to a prestigious family and probably wielded no meaningful power. Offending him meant nothing.
Xiao Che returned to the guest courtyard, gathered his few belongings, secured Jin Bao against his chest, and left Qi Family Fort in the middle of the night.
Soon after Xiao Che left, he encountered Ye Yi outside Qi Family Fort.
“Valley Master.”
Xiao Che reined in his horse.
“Ye Yi, why are you here? Didn’t I send you to gather intelligence? Did you learn something?”
Ye Yi nodded.
“Yes. I confirmed that everything Hongying said was true. Tieshan City has fallen and is now controlled by Prince Cheng’s men. The Murong Family’s cavalry appears to have retreated north, but no one knows where the family is hiding. They seem to have broken into smaller units and scattered.”
Xiao Che frowned slightly and immediately urged his horse into a gallop.
“Return to the Xie Family estate at once.”
In the main hall of Qi Family Fort, the steward led a man inside.
“Family Head, the man we sent to investigate has returned.”
After sending Xiao Che and his daughter away, Qi Sihai finally felt somewhat at ease. No one should know his secret now. Once he found a way to eliminate Zhou Wanting and her two servants, the Lushan Qi Family would belong to him and the woman he loved.
In an excellent mood, he sat at the head of the hall and took a sip of tea.
“What did you find?”
By now, Xiao Che’s background scarcely mattered to Qi Sihai. He was a nameless nobody, while the Lushan Qi Family was one of the Eight Great Families of the Northern Frontier. Destroying such an insignificant man would be as easy as crushing an ant.
But the scout delivered earthshaking news.
“Family Head, this subordinate has investigated thoroughly. That Xiao Che is the War God. He came to the Northern Frontier after being exiled. The little girl with him is his daughter. They say she is the Star Maiden Prince Cheng has been searching for, the same divine maiden spoken of throughout the Northern Frontier. She is said to possess immense supernatural power.”
Crash!
The teacup fell from Qi Sihai’s hand and shattered on the floor.
He shot to his feet in terror.
“What did you say? That little girl is the Star Maiden? Impossible. I’ve seen her portrait. It couldn’t be her.”
“Family Head, the portrait has been updated. This is the new one.”
The portrait of Jin Bao that Xie Chengyan had drawn was more than half a year old. A child changed every day. Jin Bao now ate well, dressed well, and had grown fair and plump, so naturally her appearance had changed greatly.
It was perfectly normal that Qi Sihai had failed to recognize her.
He snatched the portrait and stared, then froze. The little girl painted on it was clearly the same child.
Outside the hall, Zhou Wanting tightened her grip on the doorframe.
So that little girl was the Star Maiden. No wonder she could kick open a door. Zhou Wanting had held the Star Maiden in her arms.
She lowered her gaze to her own hands, her eyes shining with excitement.
For a moment, she even forgot that she had come to report a death.
A servant had informed her that the Eldest Madam had hanged herself.
Zhou Wanting’s eyes shifted as she turned and left the hall.
She had changed her mind. The Lushan Qi Family had offended the Star Maiden and clearly offered no lasting security.
She had to hurry back to the Zhou Family and warn them.
Xiao Che did not know that people from Qi Family Fort had already begun pursuing him. The other great families would soon receive the news as well. The Star Maiden’s emergence was certain to draw throngs of followers and visitors.
At the first light of dawn, an exhausted Xiao Che returned to the Xie Family estate.
An entire convoy of ox carts stood ready outside its gates.
They were about to depart for Jintang Valley.
Two thousand Dragon Tiger Guards remained at the estate, just enough to escort the convoy to Jintang Valley.
With this departure, every important supply at the Xie Family estate had been transferred.
The estate was now an empty shell.
Three days later, Zhou Family head Zhou Sheng arrived with Zhou Wanting to visit the Xie Family estate, only to find it deserted.