’So that’s Murong Qingchen.’

A sense of understanding dawned on Fang Shuwen.

This man was as famous as Wu Lingxiao, one of the legendary Three Immortals, Two Kings, and One City Madman. It was no wonder his Martial Arts were so profound.

Lu Guiyan turned to Fang Shuwen.

"What do we do?"

The news of Wu Lingxiao’s severe injury had likely already spread.

Flying Snow City was bound to be a hotbed of trouble.

Even someone like the Book Immortal, Murong Qingchen, had come to Flying Snow City...

A sense of helplessness inevitably welled up in Lu Guiyan’s heart.

But Fang Shuwen just smiled.

"We’re already at the gates. Are we supposed to turn back now? Come on, let’s join the fun."

Hearing this, Lu Guiyan nodded, took a deep breath, and led his men forward.

They were already at the entrance to Flying Snow City, and in just a few more steps, they arrived before the city gates.

The man who had been pounding on the gates had stopped, because the main gates of Flying Snow City had opened.

The man was shouting loudly:

"...You people from Flying Snow City are used to being high and mighty!

"I traveled a thousand miles to visit Wu Lingxiao! It’s one thing for him to refuse to see me, but to have his subordinates humiliate me? How outrageous!

"Shouldn’t you, Flying Snow City, give me an explanation for this?"

The few Flying Snow City guards he had knocked down glared at him angrily.

This old man wasn’t just arrogant and unreasonable; he was spouting utter nonsense.

As guards of Flying Snow City, they understood the unpredictable nature of the Jianghu. Even when Flying Snow City wasn’t receiving guests, they would always politely turn people away. When had they ever humiliated him?

Meanwhile, just inside the gates stood four figures—three men and one woman.

The leader was a middle-aged man dressed in white. His indifferent gaze swept over the sputtering old man, but he paid him no mind.

Instead, he looked at the others present one by one.

His gaze finally landed on Murong Qingchen, his apathetic eyes now filled with gravity.

He closed his eyes briefly, then spoke in a deep voice:

"Are you all here to visit my City Lord?"

This statement cut off the spluttering old man.

An "Amitabha Buddha" was heard. The Ascetic Monk carrying the Convenient Shovel recited the Buddha’s name, then laughed heartily.

"This humble monk was passing through Flying Snow City and recalled that I haven’t seen City Lord Wu in many years, so I came for a special visit."

The man on the donkey was about to speak when the donkey beneath him suddenly lunged for the carrot, stretching its neck out for a bite.

The young man was caught completely off guard and nearly bit his own tongue.

He flew into a rage.

"If you move again, I’ll be eating donkey burgers for dinner tonight!!"

The donkey, while chasing the carrot in circles, still found a moment to glance back at the young man and snort contemptuously.

Veins bulged on the young man’s forehead. Rage surged through him, and his heart filled with malice. He reached behind his back and whipped out a dagger.

Sensing danger, the donkey didn’t even think; it kicked its heels and bolted.

The young man froze, watching as Flying Snow City, which he had finally reached, grew more and more distant under the donkey’s hooves...

Everyone present, including Murong Qingchen, was momentarily pulled from the world of his book. They all watched the young man and his donkey recede into the distance, wondering what on earth he had come here for.

After a long moment, everyone looked away.

The man in white from Flying Snow City, having been interrupted, had forgotten what he was going to say.

So he didn’t bother with any more words.

"Everyone, please follow me into the city."

With that, he turned and walked directly into Flying Snow City.

Murong Qingchen and the other two followed behind them.

Fang Shuwen, with Lu Guiyan and his men, also blended in with the group and went inside.

’I thought the system would notify me that the mission was complete after entering the city, but there’s no reaction at all.’

Fang Shuwen thought about it and guessed that although his mission was ostensibly to escort the two Escorts...

...it was actually tied to the Lu’an Escort Agency.

To complete the mission and receive the reward, he’d most likely have to wait until the Lu’an Escort Agency had completed their handover with Flying Snow City.

Realizing this, he wasn’t in a hurry. They had arrived, and the mission’s completion was just around the corner.

After entering the city, they followed the street straight ahead to the City Lord’s Mansion.

A middle-aged man stood before the gates of the City Lord’s Mansion. His features were plain, but his attire was anything but. He wore white robes embroidered with cloud patterns; the fabric and needlework were both of exceptional quality.

The four people from Flying Snow City whispered something to this man before turning and leaving.

The middle-aged man clasped his fist in a slight bow.

"I am Liu Qi, the Chief Steward of Flying Snow City.

"It is an honor to meet all our distinguished guests."

As he spoke, the others didn’t seem to notice anything, but Lu Guiyan and Fang Shuwen exchanged a look, their gazes simultaneously shifting to the left side of Liu Qi’s jaw.

The area was completely clear, without a trace of a birthmark.

Sun Qian had said someone paid him three thousand silver taels to sell information about the Lu’an Escort Agency to the Fierce Tiger Gang.

Qin Hu had said that Liu Qi, the Chief Steward of Flying Snow City, used the Lingxiao Order to have the Fierce Tiger Gang assassinate the two Escorts protected by the Lu’an Escort Agency.

According to their stories, a birthmark the size of a copper coin on the left jaw connected Liu Qi to the person who tasked Sun Qian with selling the information to the Fierce Tiger Gang, proving they were one and the same.

But now, seeing the real Liu Qi, there was no birthmark on his left jaw at all.

This meant that if Qin Hu wasn’t lying, the so-called Liu Qi who had appeared before him was likely an imposter.

Before they could dwell on the possibilities, the old man who had tried to smash down the city gates began to speak:

"Where is Wu Lingxiao? I heard he was seriously injured, so I traveled a thousand miles to bring him medicine. Why hasn’t he come out?

"Is he so badly hurt he can’t even stand?"

Hearing this, Liu Qi quickly replied:

"Elder Gu, you mustn’t speak so recklessly. Our City Lord is perfectly fine. What injury could he have suffered?

"The reason Flying Snow City was temporarily sealed was not because of some baseless rumor... but because our City Lord is currently in seclusion.

"However, with such distinguished guests at our gates today, continuing to turn people away would be inhospitable. Thus, we have made an exception to invite you all in.

"Everyone, please follow me into the City Lord’s Mansion."

The old man, Gu, just snorted and said no more, striding after Liu Qi.

The others also filed through the gate.

Murong Qingchen walked at a steady pace, his attention seemingly fixed not on his surroundings, but on the book in his hands.

Fang Shuwen, not far from him, glanced curiously at the scroll in the man’s hands, wondering what book could so captivate the famous Book Immortal of the Jianghu.

But unexpectedly, when he looked... the scroll was completely blank. There wasn’t a single word on it.

Fang Shuwen was astonished. ’Could this be the legendary Wordless Celestial Book?’

Before he could ponder it further, they arrived at the main hall of the City Lord’s Mansion.

The guests and hosts were just taking their seats when the sound of hurried footsteps approached.

It was a report that someone else had arrived at the city gates, asking to see Wu Lingxiao.

Liu Qi apologized, instructed the maids to serve tea, and hurried out to handle the new arrival.

He came and went in a flash. Lu Guiyan had wanted to quickly have a word with him, to arrange leaving the Escorts in Flying Snow City so they could depart immediately... but from the very beginning, he hadn’t had a single chance to speak to him in peace.

Fang Shuwen, however, wasn’t bothered. Since they were here, they might as well see it through.

He looked at the tea the maid had brought, leaned in to smell its elegant fragrance, and was just about to taste it when a questioning voice spoke up:

"Boy, this is a place for your betters to sit. What right does a junior like you have to a seat among us?"

He looked up to see the old man, Gu, staring straight at him with an unfriendly glint in his eyes.

Fang Shuwen pointed to his own nose.

"Are you talking to me?"