With the incident at Qiuyue Nunnery concluded, the masters from the Seven Sects took their leave one after another.

Members of Yuqing Pavilion and the Cangwu Sword Sect escorted the injured Zuo Qingshuang, who was currently unable to fight, back to Zhuji Pavilion.

Zhou Qingmei also came to find Fang Shuwen and bid him farewell.

This encounter had been a coincidence to begin with. If Zuo Qingshuang had been unharmed, Zhou Qingmei might have wanted to continue adventuring with Fang Shuwen. But now that Zuo Qingshuang was injured, it was a disciple’s duty to step up and serve, so Zhou Qingmei naturally couldn’t stay away.

She could only bid Fang Shuwen farewell once more, her reluctance to part plain to see.

Fang Shuwen watched her walk away until she was a distant figure, when Mo Beidou’s voice suddenly sounded beside him.

"Looks like Miss Zhou has taken a fancy to you."

"Huh?"

Fang Shuwen glanced back at Mo Beidou.

"Senior Brother, don’t talk nonsense... It’s bad for a young lady’s reputation."

Mo Beidou gave Fang Shuwen a look of exasperation.

"Enough of that nonsense. There are no outsiders here. Tell your senior brother, what do you think of Miss Zhou?"

"I look at her with my eyes... Can’t very well see her with them closed, can I?"

Fang Shuwen stared up at the sky.

"Besides, I’m still young. I haven’t thought about that sort of thing."

"...More nonsense. Take some advice from your senior brother. Miss Zhou is a great catch, whether you consider her looks or her background. I don’t know what you’re thinking, but from the way she looks at you... well, as an outsider, I can tell she has eyes only for you."

Mo Beidou rubbed the faint stubble on his chin and said,

"As the saying goes... as the saying goes..."

He wanted to drop some literary-sounding phrases but couldn’t recall the words.

After fumbling with "as the saying goes" for a while, he finally blurted out,

"Anyway, if the flower is blooming, you have to pick it, or you won’t be able to later!"

"...You mean, ’Gather ye flowers while they bloom, lest ye find but an empty bough’?"

Fang Shuwen rolled his eyes at him.

Mo Beidou’s face flushed.

"I’m your senior brother, not some scholar. Stop making fun of me."

"...I’m not a scholar either."

Fang Shuwen was telling a bald-faced lie, but there was no one around who could call him on it.

After all, his scholarship was from a past life. In this life, he had been a beggar, a handyman, and a guard, but never a student in a private academy.

The subject was dropped. When they returned to where Lu Guiyan was, the atmosphere felt strange.

Fang Shuwen knew why. Lu Guiyan was still brooding over the incident with the two doctors.

’But after all this, how could I let it all fall apart at the last moment?’

He said to Lu Guiyan,

"Young Chief of the Escort, it’s time to get moving."

Lu Guiyan glanced at Fang Shuwen, her expression softening slightly as she nodded.

"Alright. Let’s get ready. We’re leaving."

’I was the one who accepted this job,’ she thought. ’And I’m the one who must see it through. I can’t blame anyone else.’ Fang Shuwen has worked his heart out for us to get this far. If he hasn’t given up, then I have no right to quit halfway through.

Nevertheless, this incident had taught Lu Guiyan a profound lesson, one she would remember for the rest of her life.

The group set off once more, continuing north. In the blink of an eye, they had passed Wangbei Pass.

By now, Lu Guiyan had started to relax a little.

Fang Shuwen took the opportunity to ask her about Flying Snow City.

Though Lu Guiyan’s Martial Arts weren’t exceptional, she came from a long line of Escort Agency masters and knew a great deal about the affairs of the Jianghu.

According to her, Flying Snow City’s history only stretched back three generations.

The first City Lord had an incredibly deep Cultivation and unfathomable Martial Arts, establishing Flying Snow City’s status in the Jianghu.

The second generation, however, was a disappointment. Flying Snow City declined considerably under his leadership, nearly falling to the level of a third-rate power... until Wu Lingxiao’s meteoric rise, which brought Flying Snow City back to prominence.

Fang Shuwen asked if this Wu Lingxiao had any siblings.

Lu Guiyan knew what he was suspecting but shook her head.

"Flying Snow City has always had a single heir in each of its three generations..."

Fang Shuwen nodded upon hearing this.

"No siblings means no internal power struggles. But that just makes this whole situation even more bizarre."

"Brother Fang, please explain."

Fang Shuwen thought for a moment before saying,

"Bai Liuxian said Wu Lingxiao was badly wounded by someone and needed those two to save his life."

"They had the Lingxiao Order of Flying Snow City, which means the one who sought their help must have been someone from Flying Snow City... or perhaps Wu Lingxiao himself."

"But the fact that Wu Lingxiao is grievously injured is a very big deal."

"Flying Snow City rose to prominence in the Jianghu; it’s impossible for it not to have enemies. If those enemies learned of this, it would be a disaster for the city."

"Therefore, everything had to be done in secret."

"Jinghua Pavilion sent those two to treat Wu Lingxiao, but they didn’t dare do it openly, likely for the same reason."

"By all accounts, the matter was kept extremely quiet. Almost no one knew."

"So, how did the person who wants Wu Lingxiao dead get this information?"

Cao Jiuyin had learned of the matter by stealing the information from Jinghua Pavilion.

Jinghua Pavilion, in turn, most likely knew because Wu Lingxiao himself told them; after all, he was the one asking for help.

But for anyone else to know about it was strange indeed.

Fang Shuwen continued,

"The person who wounded Wu Lingxiao must know about his condition."

"But regarding the outcome of that fight, all we know is that Wu Lingxiao was severely injured. No one knows what happened to his attacker."

"If the attacker was also badly hurt, it’s unlikely they could have escaped Flying Snow City."

"On the other hand, if they were able to retreat unscathed and spread the word, there would be no point in Wu Lingxiao being so secretive."

"What’s more, if they truly had that kind of power, Wu Lingxiao would probably be dead already."

"So it’s highly unlikely the attacker spread the news."

"I suspect the person trying to kill our clients is an insider from Flying Snow City."

"They know the full story and they know about Jinghua Pavilion’s involvement, which is how they’re able to strike so precisely at the weak point."

Lu Guiyan suddenly sighed.

"Now I’m starting to have some regrets."

"Regret taking this job?"

"No."

Lu Guiyan said,

"I regret not agreeing when you suggested we go to the Fierce Tiger Gang Headquarters..."

"Thinking back on it, if I had just agreed to your proposal then..."

"...we probably would have learned a great deal from Qin Hu by now."

Fang Shuwen smiled when he heard this.

"It’s not too late for that, you know."

"Huh?"

Lu Guiyan paused, taken aback.

"Does that mean we have to turn back?"

"No need."

Fang Shuwen said,

"It’s still a ways from Wangbei Pass to Zhaobei City, isn’t it?"

"Young Chief of the Escort, haven’t you noticed how quiet it’s gotten?"

Lu Guiyan froze. Her attention had been entirely focused on Fang Shuwen. Hearing his words, she was startled to realize that it was, in fact, unnervingly quiet.

Suddenly, the sound of laughter drifted toward them.

"With someone like you protecting the Lu’an Escort Agency, it’s no wonder Tong Tianba is dead."

The voice had barely faded when Mo Beidou let out a yell. All the Escort Masters and Porters immediately closed ranks, forming a protective circle around the master and servant they were escorting.

They had just finished their formation when a scholar dressed in white, holding a folding fan, slowly emerged before the group.

He offered a slight bow, cupping his fist, and announced in a clear voice,

"Tang Linfeng, West Hall Master of the Fierce Tiger Gang. Greetings to our friends from the Lu’an Escort Agency."

"Our Gang Leader has requested your presence. I hope you will do us the honor of a meeting."