Chapter 14 — The Prophet Awakens: Shedding the Worthless Shell

The Harvest Festival is one of the biggest events of the year in Bắcương, held every year to give thanks to heaven and earth after the harvest, attracting tens of thousands of people from all tribes to gather in the central square. This year, despite the tense political situation, Tuyết Doanh still decided to maintain the festival as usual, because she understood that canceling it would make people even more confused, as if she herself believed in rumors about bad omens.

"My lord, are you sure you should let the young lady attend this year's festival?" Bạch Vũ asked, his expression unable to hide his worry as the convoy prepared to depart.

"If I keep her locked in Nguyệt Trạch forever out of fear, I'll be admitting defeat before the Uc Liêm Phong," Tuyết Doanh replied with a determined voice. "But I will reinforce the guards, and Vọng Thần will also go with me."

The group left Nguyệt Trạch in the middle of a beautiful sunny morning. The central square was bustling with people, bright with flags and flowers and stalls selling all kinds of harvest products. Tiểu Nguyệt, despite being reminded to always stay close to adults, still couldn't hide her excitement at the festive atmosphere, her eyes lit up when she saw stalls selling sugar candies and handmade toys.

"Mom, I want to see the lion dance!" The girl pulled Tuyết Doanh's hand and pointed towards the crowd gathered to watch a lion dance troupe perform.

"Okay, but you have to hold the nanny's hand tightly and don't let go." Tuyết Doanh advised, although she herself still did not take her eyes off her daughter, and at the same time continuously observed the surroundings with the high vigilance of a leader familiar with danger.

Đoàn Thư Nhạc held Tiểu Nguyệt's hand tightly, leading her through the crowd to get closer to the lion dance performance, while Tuyết Doanh had to temporarily leave for a few minutes to welcome some clan leaders who came to say hello according to festival rituals. Vọng Thần, as a servant following behind, silently watched all the surrounding developments with intense concentration, different from his usual naive look.

***

While the crowd was passionately watching the lion dance, a group of strangers disguised as street vendors silently approached the area near Thư Nhạc and Tiểu Nguyệt from many different directions. This is an elite commando team secretly sent by Ước Liêm Phong, who has carefully studied the festival plan and travel habits of Nguyệt Trạch's family for many weeks.

At the moment when the lion dance drums rang out most intensely, covering all other sounds, one of the strangers suddenly pushed hard into Thư Nhạc, while two others quickly pulled Tiểu Nguyệt towards a small alley leading out of the square.

"Help! Save the young lady!" Thư Nhạc shouted. Even though she was knocked down, she still tried to lean over and grab the leg of one of the kidnappers, causing him to stumble and slow down for a few precious seconds.

Another accomplice pulled out a knife and without hesitation aimed it straight at Thư Nhạc to end the obstruction. In that moment, a figure rushed forward as fast as lightning, blocking the blade just a few inches from the nanny.

That's Vọng Thần. He noticed something unusual as soon as the strangers started approaching, and although he tried to refrain from revealing too much, he could not hesitate another moment when his daughter's life was directly threatened.

With a skillful turn, the duke took the knife from the attacker's hand and at the same time kicked him several meters away, a strength that was not at all commensurate with his thin, somewhat sickly physique. The two men who were dragging Tiểu Nguyệt saw their accomplices being defeated instantly. They panicked and tried to pull her to run faster, but Vọng Thần appeared right in front of them, somehow able to move so fast that it was almost instantaneous.

"Let go of her." His voice was low but powerful, completely different from his familiar drunken drawl, causing even the two kidnappers to momentarily pause in fear.

Seizing that opportunity, he struck quickly, each blow accurately targeting acupuncture points that temporarily paralyzed the opponent without causing serious injury - he still tried to restrain his true power, using just enough to rescue his daughter without completely exposing his ability. In less than ten breaths, the entire four-person commando team was completely defeated, lying on the ground, while Tiểu Nguyệt trembled but was safe in his arms.

"Father!" The little girl burst into tears and hugged her father tightly.

"It's okay, it's okay." Vọng Thần held his child in his arms, his hands still shaking from excitement, his eyes quickly scanned around to make sure there were no other threats.

***

The crowd's screams when discovering the fight quickly attracted the attention of the guards, and Tuyết Doanh also rushed over as soon as she heard the news. The scene before her eyes made her dumbfounded — four kidnappers lying unconscious on the ground, Thư Nhạc with an injured shoulder being treated by people, and Vọng Thần holding Tiểu Nguyệt tightly, his face pale but his eyes unusually determined.

"Tiểu Nguyệt! Are you okay?" She rushed over, hugged her daughter, checked her whole body in extreme panic.

"I'm okay, mom, dad saved me!" Tiểu Nguyệt was still shaking but calmed down in the arms of both her father and mother.

Tuyết Doanh looked up at Vọng Thần, her eyes full of complexity - both deeply grateful and extremely surprised at what she had just witnessed. Four well-trained commandos were defeated in less than ten breaths, with incredibly precise attacks - this was absolutely not the ability of a beggar who had never held a sword.

"Vọng Thần..." she whispered, her voice trembling, but before she could say anything more, the crowd had gathered around, and the guards rushed to the scene.

He looked at her, his eyes both apologetic and determined. "I will explain later, ma'am. Now, we need to take Thư Nhạc for treatment, and take Tiểu Nguyệt to a safe place first."

On the way back to Nguyệt Trạch, Tuyết Doanh held Tiểu Nguyệt tightly in her arms, constantly glancing at Vọng Thần riding the horse next to her, her mind reeling with countless questions. But this time, instead of doubt or anger, her heart was filled with a deep feeling of gratitude, mixed with a vague fear that the person she had considered a "burden" for the past six years, turned out to contain a power far beyond her imagination.

That night, after Thư Nhạc was cared for by the best doctors in Bắcương and Tiểu Nguyệt fell asleep in the comforting arms of both her parents, Tuyết Doanh finally came to Vọng Thần, her eyes no longer avoiding.

"Now, can you tell me the truth?" She asked, her voice both tired and urgent. "I don't need to know everything right away, but at least, tell me, who are you really, and why are you able to do such things?"

Vọng Thần looked at his wife's red eyes from worry and exhaustion, knowing that he could no longer continue to hide. But instead of saying it all at once, he just held her hand, his voice low but sincere.

"I promise, I will tell you everything. But not tonight, when we are both exhausted from fear. Give me a little more time, to choose the right time to tell the truth completely, not in haste and panic." Tuyết Doanh looked at him for a long time, then finally nodded slightly and accepted. But this time, in her eyes there was no longer the cold suspicion like before, but a fragile but true belief that was gradually growing, along with another emotion that she had never dared to name during these six years of forced marriage.

***

The next morning, news of the failed kidnapping spread quickly throughout Bắcương, accompanied by rumors about the "useless beggar" who single-handedly took down four commandos to save his daughter. People were talking loudly, no longer with mockery like before, but instead with curiosity and somewhat respect.

The four captured commandos were all confirmed to be from Nam Xuyên, carrying weapons and a detailed map of the Nguyệt Trạch family's travel route during the festival. This is the first direct and irrefutable evidence, enough to incriminate TƯớc Liêm Phong before the entire council of elders.

"We have clear evidence, my lord!" Bạch Vũ excitedly reported. "With these four criminals and their testimony, we can present it to the council, accusing Ước Liêm Phong of plotting to kidnap and seriously violating the armistice regulations while waiting for the challenge!"

"Yes, this is an opportunity to turn the tide." Tuyết Doanh nodded, her eyes flashing with a rare ray of hope. "Prepare all the documents, I will personally present them to the council as soon as possible."