Feng Jiu walked over to the table and sat down, smiling, "I have good news to tell you, father."
"Tea, Mistress," said Leng Hua who was attending to Feng Xiao as he poured a cup of tea and placed it before her.
"Mm, thank you," she said as she looked up to him and nodded with a smile.
Supping the porridge from his bowl, Feng Xiao wiped his mouth and placed the bowl on the table. "So what's this good news?" he asked as he looked up to her inquiringly.
Pursing her lips to sip from her cup, she said, "Those men are dead."
Shocked, he blinked in surprise as a glimmer seemed to shine from his eyes. Lowering his voice, he asked with interest, "Those two old bastards?"
"Mm, it's been taken care of," Feng Jiu said with a harmless smile. "From now on," she said, casually, "you don't have to worry about them coming around here or sabotaging us anymore. And we've hobbled Murong Bo, for the time being. We've killed two birds with one stone."
As grave as the circumstances they found themselves in were, Feng Jiu seemed to treat the matter almost without a second thought. Hearing her say this and looking at the spirit in her eyes, Feng Xiao couldn't help but whoop with laughter, exclaiming "Great. Excellent. Good! Haha, this is just great!"
In his rejoicing, he had forgotten his internal injuries, and in laughing, he shuddered as his chest pained him.
"Father, you're still unwell!" said Feng Jiu as she rolled her eyes, chagrined by his sudden abandon, forgetting how to conserve his energy.
Rubbing his chest with one hand and catching a breath, he let out a deep sigh. "Aigh!" said Feng Xiao, "If only your grandfather were here, this news would be all the more pleasant to hear!"
"Don't worry, father," said Feng Jiu, softly consoling him, "at this point, no news is still good news." Thinking for a moment, she then said, "Oh! Father, I want to take a look in grandfather's quarters. I feel that grandfather may have known his abductor or perhaps there may be some clues lying around."
Feng Xiao nodded his head and said, "Yes, do as you wish. I'm not back to my old self yet, so I'll leave these matters up to you." See how Feng Jiu dealt with the matter so swiftly and decisively, despite the troubles they were in, Feng Xiao knew that she could bring order back to the Feng Residence, and that was a great comfort to him.
"I'll handle these affairs, father. Just you rest and tend to your injuries," she said with a warm smile. Looking to Leng Hua, she asked, "Is there any more of the ointment left that I had prepared? If not, I can take it and bring some more back."
"Yes," said Leng Hua, "There's still some left, Mistress."
"Good. Then I'll be heading back to my quarters," said Feng Jiu as she got up and left.
Meanwhile, in the Imperial Palace...
"Ruler, Ruler! Bad news! Bad news!" An old man came rushing into the palace, and in his haste, he stumbled over the threshold.
"What's gotten into you?" asked Murong Bo, meticulously enunciating his words with regal dignity.
In his hands, he held a cup of tea up to his lips. Kneeling beside him on both sides were two nimble servant girls pat-patting his legs while two men standing behind him were gently fanning him. Murong Bo indulged in his leisure.
The disappearance of the Old Feng Patriarch and the stupor that beset Feng Xiao played out perfectly for him. Though the Feng Residence had yet to fall, they were no longer the threat to him that they once posed. If he wished to rain utter ruin upon them, he could do so at the flick of a hand.
Even the young lady of the Feng Residence, that Feng Qing Ge, would soon be his to wed off. Soon, he would tie himself to the sixth-grade Green Gallop County. Soon, his Sun Glory Country would outshine the numerous other ninth-grade countries, and with the backing of Green Gallop, none would dare to stand against him!