Chapter Sixty: A Mere Trifle

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“Could it be that she recognized me? That can’t be—it’s too dark with only the candlelight, and my face is covered.”
Zuo Jincheng carefully calculated in his mind.
This wasn’t just a simple two-birds-with-one-stone plan. He intended to ambush Xu Feng and kill him, then personally rescue Feng Yumian.
With such a feat under his belt, the assets of the Feng estate would be as easy to seize as plucking fruit from a basket.
The idea was beautiful, but reality was harsh—he had no idea that Feng Yumian had recognized him the moment he came near.
“Hurry up and leave the city; everything at the city gate has been arranged, right?”
“Don’t worry, Young Master. The city gate is taken care of. There’s an open path for us to exit directly, and a courtyard has been arranged outside.”
Zuo Jincheng was thoroughly pleased with his plan, nodding in satisfaction.
For safety’s sake, the courtyard outside was a place he had just bought temporarily, unrelated to Swordwind Mountain. Even if an investigation were launched, it wouldn’t trace back to him.
Everything was ready—just waiting for the right moment.
Along the way, Feng Yumian faintly stirred awake. She sensed that these people were taking her away, but she was utterly powerless to resist.
It wasn’t until she was settled in the courtyard that she fully realized her predicament.
“Keep a close watch on her. Don’t let anyone get near. If she wakes, drug her with a sedative. And without my permission, if anyone dares to act recklessly, I’ll cut off their hands.”
Before leaving, Zuo Jincheng gave strict orders.
He knew exactly what kind of people these were. He wanted the entire Feng estate, but he didn’t want any mishaps over a minor issue.
“Rest assured, Young Master, we won’t cause trouble.”
Early the next morning, Feng Yumian did not rise to practice swordsmanship as usual. The maid attending her was puzzled but did not think much of it, for Feng Yumian often slept in.
Approaching noon, the maid entered her room to wake her, only to find it empty.
Most bewildering was that Feng Yumian’s shoes were still neatly placed by the door.
Besides that, the candle had burned out. Realizing something was wrong, the maid cried and rushed out. Soon, the entire Feng household knew that Feng Yumian was missing.
Chaos erupted throughout the Feng estate, with servants dispatched everywhere to search.

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“What on earth happened? She was fine last night when she returned, so why is she gone today?”
Feng Yuzhi asked sternly, while the maids around her trembled, unsure how to respond.
“Miss, we don’t know either. The Second Miss didn’t leave her room after she returned last night. When I entered this morning, it was already like this.”
“Ask the gatekeepers—they said they didn’t see the Second Miss leave last night.”
…
None of the maids knew Feng Yumian’s whereabouts, so Feng Yuzhi ordered more people to search.
At the same time, someone was sent to report to the magistrate’s office. A grown person cannot simply vanish without reason; something must have happened.
“What are you all standing around for? Hurry up and look for her!”
Feng Yuzhi had wanted to ask Zuo Jincheng for help, but even he was not at the estate.
She could only direct the maids and servants to search the city. When Master Feng heard the news, he rushed over immediately. He doted greatly on his second daughter.
“How could something like this happen? Didn’t anyone notice anything last night?”
Master Feng stared sternly at the servants who had stood watch overnight, clearly disappointed.
“Master, I did hear some noise last night when I got up. A tile fell from the southern courtyard wall. At first, I thought it was just a stray cat.”
One of the servants provided a useful clue, and the group quickly went to the southern courtyard wall.
Sure enough, broken tiles lay on the ground, and the garden was littered with chaotic footprints.
“This is bad. She was definitely abducted by villains. Notify the magistrate immediately—any delay could be disastrous. We don’t even know if they want to ransom the Feng family or have other intentions.”
The situation grew worse by the minute; the Feng estate was in utter chaos, and even Master Feng could not calm the turmoil.
At that moment, Zuo Jincheng strolled in from outside, fanning himself casually. He feigned confusion as he looked at everyone.
“Father-in-law, what’s going on? Why is the estate in such disorder?”
“Jincheng, you’re finally back. Something terrible has happened: my second daughter was abducted by villains last night, and there’s still no news. You have to think of a way to find her.”
Zuo Jincheng’s acting was superb; no one suspected a thing. First, he looked shocked, then immediately promised to handle it.

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“I thought it was nothing. Father-in-law, rest assured—I will find her within a day. Leave it to me. I want to see who has the audacity to cross me.”
Since Zuo Jincheng’s return, Feng Yuzhi and Master Feng felt they had found their anchor. Hearing these words, they were immensely relieved, harboring no doubts.
Together, they were no match for Feng Yumian alone.
The matriarch still didn’t know about this. Had she known, she would never have let Zuo Jincheng take charge.
“You’re the only reliable one.”
Zuo Jincheng put on a show, sending disciples from Swordwind Mountain to search, but in truth, he was gathering intelligence on Xu Feng’s whereabouts. Xu Feng had to learn about this immediately.
At that moment, Xu Feng was eating noodles on a street. Lately, he had been living quite freely, practicing his skills with no other concerns.
He had delegated the task of raiding gambling dens and opium dens to his subordinates—no need for his personal involvement.
“Did you hear? The Feng family’s second miss has been abducted, and still hasn’t been found.”
“Who’s got the guts to kidnap someone from the Feng family? They must be courting death.”
“I don’t know, but let’s finish eating quickly and go see the commotion.”
…
Before Xu Feng’s noodles even arrived, he overheard the two men behind him whispering.
Feigning casual interest, he glanced over.
These two were no ordinary people. Though their attire seemed plain, the jade pendants at their waists and the high-quality shoes they wore betrayed their true status.
Looking at their hands, their fingertips bore calluses—a clear sign they were long-time weapon users.
“Such a boring trick. I thought you might bring me some surprise. Using petty schemes against me? What a fool’s dream.”
From just this brief encounter, Xu Feng made his judgment. He knew clearly this matter was directed at him. Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence?
The moment the Swordwind Mountain’s casino was raided, the Feng family’s second miss vanished. Apart from Zuo Jincheng, Xu Feng could think of no one else capable of such a deed.