Meanwhile at one of the hut in the slum district.

Fang Yuan stood beside a bed, looking down at the girl who had just regained consciousness.

She clutched the blanket up to her chin, cheeks flushed pink.

"Th-thank you for saving me..."

Fang Yuan gave a casual wave, already turning half away.

"Don’t mention it. I’ll be getting paid anyway."

He paused, then glanced back at her. "What’s your name?"

She straightened slightly.

"My name is Zhu Huan. I’m the younger sister of Zhu Xian."

"Zhu Xian?" Fang Yuan raised a brow. " You mean that blind girl?"

"Mhm!" Zhu Huan nodded eagerly, eyes sparkling. "She may be blind but she prettiest girl."

Fang Yuan stared at her for a moment wondering if shoud give any comments about it but then decided that it was safer to play along than deny her delusion.

"If you say so." he continued, folding his arms, "now tell me exactly what happened to you for the past few days."

Zhu Huan coughed lightly, suddenly looking everywhere except at him.

"Ahem... well... you see... you already knew I was following you, right?"

"Stalking," Fang Yuan corrected flatly.

She puffed her cheeks. "I was not... okay fine, I was stalking you!"

Fang Yuan didn’t react and Zhu Huan fidgeted with the edge of her blanket.

"So uh.. as the days passed i started to feel hungry so I decided to look for a shop and asked if they’d got any work I can do in exchange for food."

The reply came with a scoff.

"Wow... would you look at that. Why even bother coming here without silver or spirit stones?"

"I was send in a rush okay! I didn’t have time to prepare." she shot back before continuing. "The shopkeeper said I’d be very useful and took me to the mountains..."

She trailed off after that.

Fang Yuan narrowed his eyes and said,

"And?"

"...and then uh.... I got sold to a bandit camp."

"...What?"

Fang Yuan blinked unable to comprehend what she had just explained.

"You heard me," she mumbled, shrinking into the blanket.

"You’re telling me," Fang Yuan said slowly, "that you followed a stranger into the mountains... and got sold."

Zhu Huan’s face turned crimson.

Fang Yuan’s gaze sharpened slightly, a hint of disbelief creeping in.

"Don’t tell me..." he began, voice dangerously calm, "you even helped him count the money."

"I DIDN’T KNOW I WAS BEING SOLD, OKAY?!"

Thump!

The makeshift pillow smacked straight into his face before slowly falling into the ground.

Fang Yuan didn’t even flinch. He stared at her in a rather new light as he muttered.

"...Impressive."

Zhu Huan buried herself under the blanket.

"Don’t say it like that..."

Silence permeated the room for a whole one minute and then Fang Yuan asked, leaning slightly against the wall.

"What happened after?"

Zhu Huan shifted under the blanket, eyes darting as if replaying the memory.

"Uh... well... they kept me locked up for two days," she said, raising two fingers. "Then on the third day, a girl snuck in and opened my chains."

Fang Yuan straightened a little.

"Wait." His eyes narrowed. "Two days... and they didn’t do anything to you?"

Zhu Huan blinked.

"Wh—what are you implying?!"

Fang Yuan waved a hand, unimpressed.

"I’m talking about sealing your cultivation, interrogation... anything useful. They just let you sit there and take up space?"

"...Uh." She scratched her cheek. "Yeah... I guess?"

Fang Yuan stared at her for a long second.

Then he exhaled through his nose, the pieces clicking into place.

"I suppose they were still wary of the Flying Crane Sect."

Zhu Huan perked up slightly at that, then continued, voice gaining energy.

"And then! After she freed me—" she sat up straighter, eyes sparkling, "—I decided to clear out the bandit camp!"

Fang Yuan’s expression froze.

"...You what?"

"I went out and attacked them!" she said proudly, as if announcing a great heroic deed.

Fang Yuan bit the inside of his cheek, gaze drifting upward.

No wonder that man was so hell bent on killing her...

He could already imagine the scenario that had played out.

His men had likely bought her for her looks, but before any irreversible act was committed.

he took notice of the flying crane uniform on her and decided to seal her up instead.

As for why she wasn’t released, they must have been doing something so secretive that even the slightest leak would be risky.

Despite that, she somehow got free and massacred his people.

To be honest... I blame you for not even keeping the key safe.

"...No wonder he was furious," Fang Yuan muttered under his breath.

"Hm? What was that?"

"Nothing." He sighed, rubbing his temple. "We’re heading back to the sect to report this incident."

Zhu Huan blinked.

"Eh? But... our sect doesn’t interfere with mortal affairs..."

Fang Yuan glanced at her, tone flat.

"They tried to kill a disciple of the Flying Crane Sect."

"I’m sure the sect will find that... worth reacting to. Especially since it’s the younger sister of the sect’s most talented disciple."

Zhu Huan shrank a little, her fingers tightening around the blanket.

"Uh... can you... maybe not tell the sect about this?" she asked quietly.

Fang Yuan looked at her then shook his head without hesitation.

"No."

Her shoulders dropped.

"I don’t help people for free," he added.

"I’ll repay you!" she blurted out quickly, leaning forward.

Fang Yuan looked her up and down and then bluntly he replied,"Nah. You’re too dumb for that."

"...H-Hey!"

"I’m actually starting to wonder," he continued, completely ignoring her protest, "if you were specifically chosen to stalk me because you’re this dumb."

"Who are you calling dumb?!" Zhu Huan snapped, puffing up. "I’ll have you know my sister is the best disciple in the sect!"

"Yeah, impressive," Fang Yuan nodded absentmindedly. "And somehow you got sent to stalk a disciple who’s not even been in the sect for a year."

"... "

Zhu Huan opened her mouth, closed it and then quietly pulled the blanket up and chose silence.

Fang Yuan let the pause sit for a moment before pushing himself off the wall and taking a seat beside the bed.

"Fine," he said at last. "I won’t report today’s incident."

Zhu Huan’s head snapped up, eyes lighting up instantly.

"Really?!"

"But," he continued, raising a finger, "you’ll do me a favor."