Chapter 492 - 499: Discovery Made

Qi Yun felt a shock run through him as he heard his subordinate’s report and immediately stepped forward to take the embroidered shoe from the secret guard. Under normal circumstances, Qi Yun wouldn’t have paid much attention to such details, since focusing on the Mistress’s personal items would be a disrespectful act. However, the scene from yesterday was imprinted deeply in his memory, vividly recalling every detail, even though he had been somewhat far away and hadn’t seen it clearly. But he remembered that the colors of the Madam’s shoes were exactly like this one.

“This is indeed the Madam’s shoe,” Qi Yun affirmed the moment he took the embroidered shoe, for the needlework on it was done by embroiderers trained by Su Wenyue. Though he, a man, didn’t know much about needle and thread, their usual attire came from the Han Family’s embroidery room, where similar stitching was common. For secret guards like them, keen eyesight was essential. Moreover, finding such a shoe in this deserted place at the bottom of the cliff, Qi Yun almost immediately concluded its owner.

Having confirmed that the embroidered shoe belonged to Su Wenyue, it was evident that she had indeed fallen into the lake. Qi Yun promptly sent a few brothers who were proficient swimmers to search the lake’s depths, while the others began a thorough search around the area where the shoe had been found.

Regrettably, despite searching for half a day, they found nothing aside from that initial shoe. The secret guards skilled in water searched the lake several times over to no avail.

“Captain, your subordinates have thoroughly searched the bottom of the lake several times and are certain there’s no trace of the Madam,” they reported.

Qi Yun was unsure whether to take this news as good or bad. It might be good news, since she hadn’t sunk to the bottom of the lake. Perhaps the Madam really could swim and had made her way to shore and left, or perhaps…

“Captain, could the Madam still be alive? She’s so kind and such a chaste and virtuous woman — maybe Heaven couldn’t bear to take her and gave her a way to survive.” No one wanted to entertain dark thoughts. As long as there was no body, there was hope.

“Perhaps,” Qi Yun voiced, sharing the same hope. After surveying the nearby terrain, he traced the lake’s outlet to a river. If the Madam did not know how to swim and had lost consciousness, could she have drifted away with the river?

This was the most plausible guess, and having thought of it, Qi Yun immediately led his subordinates to follow the river, searching not just along the riverbank but considering the possibility that Su Wenyue might know how to swim. They searched nearby villages and forests, taking care not to overlook anything.

“We must search meticulously, not overlooking any trace or clue!” Qi Yun admonished again. The team he led consisted of ten people, himself included, making eleven in total. Given the vast range surrounding the river, finding one person was indeed no simple task, which was why Qi Yun was so concerned.

“Master, someone is coming?”

As Qi Yun was arranging the scope of their search, he saw a group of people approaching from a distance. It was unclear whether they were friend or foe. Qi Yun tightened his grip on his sword, leading his subordinates to swiftly hide in the forest to observe the developments.

“It’s our own people.” As the group drew closer, they could make out their faces; two of them were indeed their fellow secret guards, previously accompanying Qi Shen.

Out of caution, Qi Yun sent one of his men to negotiate. After learning that they were reinforcements from the Feng family, he led his subordinates out, feeling a wave of relief. With the Feng family’s help, his earlier worries lessened significantly, and since they were now within the Feng family’s sphere of influence, those familiar with the area could make the search easier.

The one leading the Feng family team was Master Feng’s eldest son, Feng Ruolin’s big brother, Feng Jianling. His martial arts skills were formidable, and he commanded respect and influence in this region, with a significant reputation in Jianghu. Qi Yun didn’t dare to act presumptuously before Feng Jianling and went to greet him with his men.

Qi Yun briefly explained the situation to Feng Jianling, who nodded in response, “Miss Yue jumping from such a high cliff had slim chances of survival to begin with. Considering the current situation, it’s actually good news. Not finding her is positive news. Although I recall Miss Yue seemingly doesn’t know how to swim, she’s always been fortunate; perhaps she miraculously escaped death. We of the Feng family are quite familiar with this area. We’ll cooperate, combining the forces from both our sides, doubling our efficiency. If Miss Yue really is alive, she must be seriously injured, and we need to find her quickly, otherwise, it’s still very dangerous.”

The danger implicit in Feng Jianling’s words was profound, as beyond Su Wenyue’s injuries, the situation of a delicate young woman alone in the wilderness was surely dire. Moreover, they had made some discoveries along the way.

Apart from Qi Yun and his team, there were others searching for Su Wenyue. Although these individuals were skulking about without revealing themselves, who was Feng Jianling to miss any hint of their presence? He swiftly detected them. At such a time, one could guess without question who had sent those people searching. If they found her first, it would be disastrous.

Feng Jianling also shared this information with Qi Yun, whose expression turned fiercely grim as he spoke, noting the treacherous scheme that drove the Madam to jump from the cliff and the relentless pursuit that followed. It was despicable! He promised retribution, vowing to make them pay dearly should he encounter them, decapitating them to avenge the Madam.

Qi Yun could surmise why those people were acting this way, boiling down to two main reasons: to verify whether the Madam was dead and to use her corpse to provoke the Master for a certain purpose.

“Now isn’t the time for rash action. When I noticed their traces earlier, I avoided conflict considering it wasn’t the right moment. Our urgent priority is to find Miss Yue, putting all else aside. Those despicable figures will be dealt with after we find her; none shall escape. I’ve already sent a message back, and we’ll have people settle the score with them soon enough. Since they’ve dared to cross into the Feng family’s territory, they won’t be leaving easily!”

As the heir to the Feng Family Manor, Feng Jianling was neither sentimental nor lenient in his methods, showing no mercy to his opponents.

In light of Su Wenyue’s predicament, Feng Jianling was quite affected, despite her not being his biological younger sister. The Feng and Su families were related by marriage and interacted closely. Su Wenyue had even stayed with her brother and sister-in-law at the Feng Family Manor for a while. Feng Jianling held a fondness for this younger sister, recalling the lively character she was, sneaking out of the manor without Su Hengyi’s knowledge, only to be caught by Feng Jianling. He remembered how the young girl begged him to keep her secret, her eyes pleading and pitiful, making it difficult to refuse.