Chapter Sixty-Nine: Someone

Stepping out of the drawing room, the clamor inside faded away instantly, and Xuanxuan felt much more at ease. The little garden, though open to guests, wasn’t crowded; only two people loitered here and there. Kuang Shao settled Xuanxuan in his arms and took a seat in a small pavilion to the side.

Before long, even those few in the garden had vanished. Xuanxuan climbed down from Kuang Shao, inspecting the plants she’d tended lately—growing well, which lifted her spirits considerably. Seeing Kuang Shao watching her, she wondered if Zhan Yu would come today as well. Suddenly, it dawned on her: no wonder Kuang Shao had no interest in Miss Bai—she’d forgotten he already had Zhan Yu.

Their relationship might not be acceptable to most, she mused sympathetically, but their bond was truly strong. If either Zhan Yu or Kuang Shao ever learned the truth, who knew if they'd break down. Fortunately, Kuang Shao was oblivious, busy teasing Zhan Yu, telling him he'd spotted the little darling, Xuanxuan, perfect for nurturing.

He grinned slyly, curious about Zhan Yu’s reaction, though admittedly, his attention to that girl was excessive. The information he’d gotten from Zhan Yu shocked him; he’d thought himself worldly, but after reading those files, he realized an S+ mental power was nothing, and his recent breakthrough to S was even less impressive.

The divine level was the true pinnacle. No wonder girls often dismissed him. Alas, how embarrassing to have such a narrow outlook.

Xuanxuan glanced at him in confusion—why sigh over nothing? She absentmindedly tossed a stone from her hand, aiming at a fluttering insect in the air. Suddenly, her expression cooled. Imbuing the stone with "Precision" and "Acceleration," she hurled it.

A faint sound came from the flowerbed. Xuanxuan curled her lips—a failed ambush before her. Kuang Shao’s expression changed; he swiftly scooped Xuanxuan up—someone was here.

Just as he lifted her, Kuang Shao spun around, his beautiful phoenix eyes catching sight of where he’d been standing moments ago, now replaced by a black arrow embedded deep in the earth, only a short fletching visible.

Kuang Shao gave a cold laugh—quite the operation, using the military’s new “Shadow Arrows.”

“Shadow Arrows” were a recent weapon from the military, true to their name: silent, with immense penetration, lethal with a single shot. However, their cost was high, typically reserved for targeting queen insects. Few units were equipped with them.

He stared coldly at the nearby flowerbed. His mental power had grown; surveillance was no issue. Yet their numbers were daunting—keeping them all here would be difficult.

He glanced at the composed little darling in his arms—he’d worried she’d be frightened, but clearly, he'd underestimated her. Xuanxuan, impassive, began manipulating the entire garden, sealing all exits.

But who were these assassins targeting? Kuang Shao adjusted Xuanxuan, his foot executing a “burst step.” Xuanxuan blinked, surprised to see a black-clad figure already down before her—she hadn’t expected Kuang Shao to be so capable.

Catching her gaze, Kuang Shao felt a bit embarrassed. Suddenly, he bent at the waist, dodging another “Shadow Arrow” from behind, muttering under his breath—would it kill him to feel proud for a moment?

Before Kuang Shao could stand, three more arrows shot from different directions. He crouched, tiptoed, and swiftly flipped through the air, reaching for his energy pistol to retaliate.

But his hand came up empty—damn, all weapons had been surrendered at the entrance. For safety, the Manqi family required all guests to relinquish gear and arms; who in the Federation would dare refuse them?

Kuang Shao was no exception—his sidearm had been checked. He glared at the attackers—how had their weapons gotten in? Another curse—who designed these shadow arrows, anyway?

Elsewhere, the Kuang family patriarch sneezed—who was cursing him? Kuang Shao seemed to have forgotten his own father designed these weapons.

Two more shadow arrows whistled through the air. Enough already! He pivoted, darted, dodging one, catching another with a free hand, still holding Xuanxuan.

He remembered he used to dodge two arrows with ease. Glancing again at Xuanxuan in his arms, he thought, this darling isn’t a little one—she’s a heavy weight.

He tossed the captured arrow back, taking down an enemy, and noticed Xuanxuan had a small hairclip. He removed it and threw it as well.

Xuanxuan was startled; her chubby hand touched her hair, now untied. She shot Kuang Shao a glare—her father had carefully arranged it.

Yet she’d just caught a whiff of something metallic—poison?

A quick glance showed Kuang Shao’s hand not holding her had darkened slightly.

That arrow was poisoned!

Kuang Shao saw her looking at his hand, glanced down himself, and realized it was turning black. He rolled his eyes—these people truly regarded him as a threat.

But why hadn’t the Manqi family noticed yet? His AI had been blocked from sending any signal, so no message could get out. Though the commotion was small, surely the Manqi family couldn't be so unalert.

Kuang Shao had no idea that Xuanxuan had sealed the area, blocking all sound. She was confident she’d remain unharmed; her goal was to capture the entire group.

Her gaze suddenly sharpened—more people were approaching.

Kuang Shao noticed as well, frowning. Were these all together, or two separate groups? Were they after him or—he looked at the person in his arms.

This little one was valuable—a bounty on her head attracted countless mercenaries.

Yet Kuang Shao seemed to forget he was no less valuable than Xuanxuan. Without his status in the mercenary world, those bounty hunters alone would be enough trouble.

Xuanxuan smirked—today was proving lively.

Kuang Shao’s gaze followed hers; he, too, curled his lips, though his feelings didn’t match hers—he wanted to cry. Was it just because he’d recently broken through? Did it warrant so many attackers?

Now Kuang Shao realized something was off—how had so many intruders entered without the Manqi family noticing? Xuanxuan frowned slightly as well—someone else had sealed the area, though their control was not as extensive as hers.

She hadn’t expected the Federation to harbor a few who weren’t useless.

kid==“Multiple Husbands, Multiple Beasts”