Eldest Miss Zhou was still as beautiful as ever.
Fang Shuwen silently admired her for a moment, then said:
"Now that matters here are settled, it's time for me to take my leave."
The smile on Zhou Qingmei's face melted away like spring snow. She frowned slightly:
"The scenery on Nine-Congealing Mountain is lovely. Why not... stay a few more days? I could show you around."
Fang Shuwen smiled.
"If I have the chance next time, I'll be sure to come and take a proper look around.
"But I left in such a hurry this time that I didn't leave a single word for my master. I should go back and explain things to him, and let him know I'm safe."
Hearing that, Zhou Qingmei could hardly urge him to stay.
But she looked a little forlorn.
Zuo Qingshuang's gaze swept over her disciple before settling on Fang Shuwen.
"Where is your home, Young Hero Fang?"
"For now, I'm staying in Julu City."
"So you and Qingmei are both from Julu City."
Zuo Qingshuang smiled.
"Then you should visit each other often and help each other out in the future."
Zhou Qingmei's eyes lit up at once, and she looked up at Fang Shuwen.
Fang Shuwen nodded.
"Of course."
But Zhou Qingmei looked at Fang Shuwen.
"Will I still be able to see you in Julu City in the future?"
Though some things had gone unsaid, Zhou Qingmei couldn't help feeling that a little place like Julu City couldn't hold Fang Shuwen.
Hearing her question, Fang Shuwen did fall silent for a moment before answering:
"You probably will."
He had to return to Julu City sooner or later.
Before that, though, he wanted to visit Guangning City.
He couldn't shake the feeling that the Fang family and Fang Mingxuan were deliberately hiding something...
After all, it concerned his origins, and he wanted to investigate as thoroughly as he could.
Zhou Qingmei said nothing more, merely nodding silently.
Together with Zuo Qingshuang, she saw Fang Shuwen out through the gates of the Pearl Pavilion.
Xu Chongshan hadn't come to see him off.
For one thing, he hadn't expected Fang Shuwen to leave so soon.
For another, he had only just caught that bastard Guan Tianyue yesterday and was now torturing him to vent his anger. He had no time for anything else.
As for Lu Xiaoqing... there was no need to disturb someone who had trouble walking.
On the way from the treasure building to the mountain gate, Zuo Qingshuang explained the Pearl Pavilion's secret contact signals to Fang Shuwen in detail. If he needed to, he could use them to find the Pearl Pavilion's disciples and then issue orders to them with the Pearl Pavilion Token.
Fang Shuwen committed it all to memory. As for whether he would use it... that could wait.
A long story when there was much to say, a short one when there was not.
Standing before the mountain gate, Zhou Qingmei and Fang Shuwen waved goodbye. After a parting "take care," Fang Shuwen turned and left.
Zhou Qingmei stood there, watching quietly, no other expression on her face.
Zuo Qingshuang said nothing either. Her gaze rested mostly on her precious disciple, but she didn't know how to comfort her.
After all, how could she explain something she had never experienced herself?
She was just about to let out a soft sigh when Fang Shuwen suddenly turned back.
Zuo Qingshuang froze, and Zhou Qingmei's eyes brightened slightly.
Fang Shuwen hurried up to them.
"Oh, right, right, I almost forgot. When you find your father, remember to tell him he can send the banknotes for those two thousand taels of gold to the Four Seas Martial Hall.
"And tell him not to forget my payment for protecting you this time."
Zhou Qingmei:
Zuo Qingshuang:
Guangning City.
Fang Shuwen opened his eyes on the bed at the inn, got up, and went to the table to pour himself a cup of water.
Looking at the sunlight streaming in through the window, he looked somewhat conflicted.
Half a month had passed since he had bid Zhou Qingmei farewell at the Pearl Pavilion's mountain gate.
He had also been in Guangning City for several days.
His original plan had been to see whether he could find an opportunity to investigate the Fang family's situation while he was in Guangning City.
And, while he was at it, see if he could take another assignment as a household guard or something of the sort.
But as it turned out, nothing was happening with the Fang family.
He had secretly entered and left the Fang residence several times. He didn't know whether his lightness skill was so poor that someone had noticed him, or whether all really was peaceful in the Fang residence, but in any case, he had found nothing strange.
As for assignments... he had visited several wealthy households in succession without triggering one.
That was the main reason Fang Shuwen was conflicted now.
The Fang family's situation can wait for now. After all, it's been so many years; there's no need to rush.
But what's going on with the system's assignments?
Fang Shuwen pushed open the window and looked at the people who were already out and about on the street, frowning slightly.
As things stand, it seems my system's assignments aren't triggered at random.
The system activated at the Zhou Family residence, and it explicitly stated three months... Then, on that day three months later, the Zhou Family was surrounded and attacked, and nearly wiped out.
After that, I received the assignment to protect Zhou Qingmei from Zhou Feixiong, also because the Black Sha Cult was hunting her down.
And judging by the current situation, if there's no problem or danger of some kind, my system probably won't trigger an assignment.
Once it does trigger one... does that mean something is bound to happen?
Truth be told, it wasn't that Fang Shuwen didn't care about this.
Rewards came with effort, and that was fair.
But in that case, his original idea of finding somewhere to stay peacefully for a few months and getting rewards for free was clearly unworkable.
Besides, with so many people bustling about under the heavens, who could tell which of them would trigger an assignment for him?
With this system, assignments were his main path to growth, and that was important to him.
Forget it. I've stayed in Guangning City a little too long. I'd better return to Julu City first and see Master and Eldest Senior Brother.
He still hadn't given away the Ten-Year Dust-Shattering Pill he was carrying.
As for the Fang family... it wouldn't be too late to return after a trip to Julu City, once he had reported to his master and senior brother.
As he was thinking this, his gaze wandered, then suddenly stopped.
A powerfully built man was striding down the street, clutching something in his arms. The bulging bundle was rather conspicuous.
From time to time, he stopped and looked back, his face grave, as though someone were secretly following him.
In fact, someone was following him.
Fang Shuwen needed only a glance to spot two people dressed in black quietly trailing the man.
Though they were keeping themselves hidden, the man had clearly noticed something. Suddenly, as if he had made up his mind about something, he turned and went straight into an alley beside the main road.
Seeing this, the two men in black knew they had been exposed. They no longer concealed themselves, leaping straight out of hiding and using their lightness skills to give chase.
Such a scene was hardly rare in the jianghu, but Fang Shuwen couldn't turn a blind eye to it.
Not because he was born with a chivalrous heart and loved to step in when he saw injustice... but because the powerfully built man being chased by the two men in black was none other than his eldest senior brother, Mo Beidou!!