"...Wu Lingxiao!?"

"So he wasn’t dead after all."

Fang Shuwen glanced at him in silence.

With this man’s appearance, the web that had been laid out before Fang Shuwen since the battle at Qiuyue Nunnery finally revealed its true form.

And the mastermind behind it all was Wu Lingxiao.

When he and Lu Guiyan were reviewing the events tonight, Lu Guiyan had proposed several possibilities.

These included the Lu’an Escort Agency being used as a weapon, and Jinghua Pavilion creating a diversion to conceal their true intentions.

But at the time, Fang Shuwen had thought of a much more unexpected possibility...

’What if this is all just a play!’

A play intentionally orchestrated by someone.

This possibility became more than eighty percent certain, especially when the red-robed man said Ye Feihua was also in Flying Snow City.

After all, with Ye Feihua’s ethereal, mist-like abilities, it would have been no trouble for her to secretly bring someone into Flying Snow City.

There was no need for such a complicated arrangement.

At that point, Fang Shuwen hadn’t known that Ye Feihua was also in league with Wu Changzai. He had only assumed it was a web she had woven in conspiracy with Wu Lingxiao.

Now, however, he knew that wasn’t the case.

She had acted this way, on one hand, because she didn’t trust Wu Lingxiao. By not appearing in the open and using a small, inconspicuous escort agency to transport her charge, she could achieve the surprising effect of diverting all attention.

By following in secret, she could ensure nothing went wrong.

As for the safety of the Escort Agency, why would she care about that?

Furthermore, since Ye Feihua was also colluding with Wu Changzai, she absolutely could not let Wu Lingxiao know she had come in person, or she would lose the element of surprise for an ambush.

Wu Lingxiao, in turn, took advantage of this, spreading the news that he was severely injured to lure those with ill intentions to his door.

But at the time, Fang Shuwen hadn’t understood: if Wu Lingxiao was the one orchestrating everything, what was his goal?

But now, he knew.

Within Flying Snow City lay a massive, hidden threat.

Wu Lingxiao had used his supposed severe injuries as a pretext and the Seven-String Ancient Chapter as bait. His plan lured Jinghua Pavilion out into the Jianghu, exposed the internal threats within Flying Snow City, and gathered all the external enemies coveting the Chapter in one place.

One could not deny the brilliance of such a scheme.

And as the architect of the entire plot, how could he possibly die in his own trap?

That was why Fang Shuwen was certain that Wu Lingxiao was still alive.

However... Wu Lingxiao himself probably never imagined that Fang Shuwen would see through the secret Wu Changzai was hiding and propose that incredible possibility.

Which had led to the current chaotic situation.

There was one other thing Fang Shuwen didn’t understand.

It was the matter of someone bribing Sun Qian of the Lu’an Escort Agency to sell information to the Fierce Tiger Gang.

From the current perspective, this action seemed redundant.

He didn’t know the reasoning behind it... but that point didn’t seem important right now.

With Wu Lingxiao’s appearance, everyone’s attention turned to him.

His face looked a little pale. Though he was no longer young, he was still handsome.

He really didn’t resemble Wu Changzai.

He looked at Wu Changzai with a complex expression. After his gaze swept over the crowd, he sighed:

"That name... You cannot say it."

Wu Changzai no longer cared about revealing secrets; he just stared at Wu Lingxiao in disbelief:

"How can you still be alive? I clearly... I clearly..."

As he spoke, his gaze suddenly shifted to Ye Feihua.

But he saw that the very instant Ye Feihua laid eyes on Wu Lingxiao, she had vanished from her spot.

Her [Non-Flower Attraction] was incredibly bizarre; she could disappear in an instant, without the slightest warning.

Fang Shuwen, sensing something, glanced over, but he too quickly lost her trail.

But if one were closer, they probably would have been able to sense her.

It was hard to say, however, whether she had truly fled or was merely hiding nearby, waiting for an opportunity.

Just then, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted:

"Today’s events will not end peacefully! Now that we know such a secret, Wu Lingxiao will never let us leave Flying Snow City alive!

"In my opinion... his severe injuries might not be a lie! Otherwise, why go to all this trouble? We should attack together and fight for a chance to survive!

"If we win, we can discuss who gets the Seven-String Ancient Chapter then. How about it?"

Fang Shuwen was taken aback for a moment. ’The Seven-String Ancient Chapter is in my robes. What right do they have to discuss who gets it?’

But these words caused a huge uproar. Everyone present looked at each other, and they could all see the temptation stirring in each other’s eyes.

Fang Shuwen wanted to explain—after all, he couldn’t hide the truth forever—but someone suddenly yelled out:

"KILL!!"

The mob immediately charged toward Wu Lingxiao.

Chen Yan quickly moved aside to avoid being spattered with blood.

He was still writing furiously, thoroughly enjoying himself.

Wu Lingxiao sighed. Before he could even make a move, Grand Commander Liang and two others stepped forward to intercept the attackers, while more Flying Snow City guards rushed to Wu Lingxiao’s side, forming a protective circle around him.

Liu Qi came before Wu Lingxiao and dropped to one knee:

"Greetings, City Lord!"

As he bowed his head, he failed to notice the profound look in Wu Lingxiao’s eyes as he watched him.

He only felt a hand on his shoulder as Wu Lingxiao reached out to help him up:

"Rise. This time, you’ve worked hard..."

Before he could finish, Liu Qi flipped his hands over. A layer of frost instantly coated his palms as he suddenly struck at Wu Lingxiao’s Qi Sea vital point.

THUMP!!!

The attack came without any warning whatsoever.

An intense, cold energy spread throughout the entire stone chamber the instant the palm strike landed.