"No way! You're not going anywhere!" Yu Tianheng eyed Ye Tian warily and sneered. "Don't even think about leaking any information."
Ye Tian scoffed inwardly.
The entire villa, inside and out, was under his strict surveillance.
Did they really think that just because they were shouting, their voices would only echo within the living room?
Little did they know, every word spoken here was being transmitted clearly to his intelligence network.
Feigning nonchalance, he grinned at Yu Tianheng. "Since I'm not allowed to leave, I'll just stay here in the villa."
"Heh, dream on. You're coming with me—to the Butterfly Farm!"
"No time to waste. Let's head out immediately."
Dai Mubai gestured to Yu Tianheng, signaling him not to dwell on the details.
As long as they rushed over on horseback, there was no chance for any information to be leaked.
Shortly After
A silver-armored officer approached Xue Xing and knelt.
"Your Highness, the troops are assembled and ready to depart."
Prince Xue Xing nodded indifferently and waved his hand. "Good. Move out."
To prevent Ye Tian from sending a message, Prince Xue Xing had specially prepared a carriage for him.
Smiling, he looked at Ye Tian. "I trust that, little brother Ye, you won't lift the carriage curtain along the way."
"Of course, of course." Ye Tian nodded, feigning nervousness.
They were really taking precautions to the extreme!
Originally, Yu Tianheng had intended to ride in the same carriage as Ye Tian.
However, under Qian Renxue's orders, they were forcibly separated—to "ensure Ye Tian's safety."
Instead, Ye Tian was assigned two "bodyguards"—Sea Witch and Xiao Bai.
Inside the Carriage
Sea Witch had been chuckling the entire time.
Using her soul power, she sent a private voice transmission to Ye Tian. "Little brother, you sure are tangled up in quite a mess, huh?"
"That pretty little sister named Bibi Dong… seems to be at the farm."
Ye Tian: "…"
Sea Witch's smile deepened as she casually adjusted her glasses. "Relax, I'm only here to ensure your safety. I won't interfere with anything else."
"Xiao Bai won't say anything either," Xiao Bai added seriously.
"Just let me have some peace and quiet." Ye Tian rubbed his temples helplessly.
"Sure, take all the time you need." Sea Witch smirked.
Arrival at the Butterfly Farm
Perhaps due to his anxious thoughts, Ye Tian felt like only ten minutes had passed, but in reality, they had already arrived at the farm.
"Get off."
Outside, Yu Tianheng's arrogant voice rang out, as if mocking Ye Tian for reaching the end of his good days.
"Don't worry, Ye Tian. I won't torture you. I'll just make sure you die a painful death."
Stepping out of the carriage, Ye Tian ignored the provocation.
Looking ahead, he saw rows of soldiers armed with steel spears marching into the farm.
Ye Tian sighed inwardly. The farm was about to be turned upside down.
Amidst the uniformed soldiers, he spotted a familiar figure—Chen Jian, an elderly man with graying whiskers.
Chen Jian's face was filled with panic as he scanned the crowd, his eyes finally locking onto Ye Tian.
Quickly, he rushed over.
"Oh dear, young master! What's happening? It's the New Year, why are so many soldiers here at the farm?"
Before Ye Tian could respond, Prince Xue Xing strolled over with his hands behind his back.
"You must be the farm manager? No need to panic. It's just a routine inspection."
"Men."
A middle-aged knight in silver-white armor stepped forward and knelt before Xue Xing.
"Your Highness, please give your orders!"
Prince Xue Xing raised a single finger and waved it. "Take some men and gather all farm staff here."
"Yes, sir!" The knight responded respectfully.
Then, Xue Xing turned to Chen Jian with a smile. "Don't forget to bring the young madam along."
"Of course! Rest assured, my lord. Everyone will be gathered here shortly!" Chen Jian bowed humbly.
Watching this, Ye Tian couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.
He was slightly surprised—since when did Chen Jian become such a good actor?
Yu Tianheng strode up to Ye Tian, exuding confidence, and sneered.
"Ye Tian, let's see what you'll have to say soon."
After throwing his insult, he turned and bowed to Prince Xue Xing.
"Your Highness, some time ago, I was imprisoned in the Butterfly Farm's underground grain storage."
"I even carved my name inside. Please, come see for yourself."
Prince Xue Xing glanced at him indifferently. "No need. I believe you… have been to the farm."
This was a blatant jab at Yu Tianheng.
Just because he had "been" to the farm didn't necessarily mean he was "imprisoned" there.
It could very well be that Yu Tianheng was framing Ye Tian.
At this moment, Qian Renxue was pushed forward in a wheelchair by her attendants.
Smiling faintly, she looked at Yu Tianheng. "If you truly have proof, bring someone who looks exactly like Bibi Dong."
"Then, I'll admit you've won."
Yu Tianheng suppressed his anger. "I have never lied. Why would I need to fake anything?"
"Tianheng, enough." Yu Yuanzhen stepped forward, his expression serious.
Deep wrinkles formed on his aging face.
Over the years, he had been too focused on family affairs, neglecting Tianheng's discipline.
Now, his grandson was outright defying him.
If Bibi Dong wasn't at the farm, Tianheng would be in serious trouble.
Thinking of this, Yu Yuanzhen felt a deep sense of unease.
Ten Minutes Later
Under Chen Jian's orders, the farm workers gradually gathered at the main entrance for questioning.
However, after briefly scanning the group, the officer in charge hesitated, then approached Prince Xue Xing with a troubled expression.
"Your Highness, these are all simple farmers. None of them are soul masters. Some don't even know how to write their own names."
"I honestly don't know what to ask them."
Upon hearing this, Ning Rongrong stepped forward, glancing at Ye Tian.
"Did you secretly hide some of the farm staff?"
"These people can't even write. How could they possibly raise the valuable Fire Spirit Chickens?"
She added with a smirk, "Ye Tian, I'm giving you a friendly warning—resisting an inspection will only make things worse for you."
At this, murmurs spread among the farm workers.
"This little girl must've studied herself stupid."
"You need special skills to raise chickens now?"
"Haha! Does she not know that chickens eat wheat?"
"You—!"
Ning Rongrong clenched her fists, unable to retort.
To be fair, she actually had no idea how to raise Fire Spirit Chickens.
Ye Tian shrugged helplessly. "Miss Ning, this is a farm, not a high-tech weapon factory."
"If they didn't know how to farm, would you expect me to hire a powerful soul master like yourself to do it?"
"Hmph."
Ning Rongrong shot him a cold glare before turning away to find Zhu Zhuqing.
(End of Chapter)
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