Zhou Qingmei fainted without warning, catching Fang Shuwen completely off guard.
He hurriedly caught her and looked around. In her fight with the black-robed man, Zhou Qingmei had left the grounds of Lakeheart Cottage.
He picked Zhou Qingmei up and carried her toward Lakeheart Cottage.
Before he left, though, he landed another kick on the black-robed man's head.
Back when he read novels, he had loathed it when people failed to finish off their enemies.
If you struck a snake without killing it, you would suffer for it. Fang Shuwen had no desire to leave trouble behind.
Lakeheart Cottage stood on a small island in the middle of the lake, connected to the shore by a wooden bridge.
He carried Zhou Qingmei into Lakeheart Cottage, where all was quiet and secluded.
After finding a room and settling her in, he began rummaging through chests and cabinets for medicine.
Zhou Qingmei had suffered both internal and external injuries. Her internal injuries needed to be treated with internal power, while her external wounds needed medicine to stop the bleeding and bandages, and quickly.
Otherwise, even if her internal injuries healed, she would bleed to death.
Fang Shuwen had spent six or seven years doing odd jobs at a pharmacy, after all. Though he had never formally studied medicine, he had picked things up by osmosis, so finding something to stop bleeding and promote healing was no great difficulty.
He was fairly lucky. He didn't find the medicinal ingredients, but he did find some ready-made wound medicine.
Looking at Zhou Qingmei lying on the bed, however, he found himself in a bit of a quandary.
He hesitated for less than three seconds before he began undoing the jade belt around her waist.
Her life was at stake. Any further consideration would have been needless fussing.
Besides, there were no onlookers with phones here, so he didn't have to worry about someone posting it online and getting him cyberbullied.
He applied the wound medicine and bandaged her injuries.
Then he dressed her again before helping her up from the bed and seating her cross-legged.
He sat down behind Zhou Qingmei, circulated the profound art of [Muscle Tendon Change], and pressed a palm against her back.
The profound art of [Muscle Tendon Change] held mysteries beyond ordinary comprehension, and it possessed healing properties of its own.
Fang Shuwen understood the technique in its entirety, and its methods came readily to hand.
The internal power that had injured Zhou Qingmei seemed somewhat peculiar, but the moment it encountered the profound art of [Muscle Tendon Change], it vanished without a trace, like spring snow beneath the blazing sun.
After an incense stick's worth of time, he withdrew his internal breath, laid Zhou Qingmei down to rest, and went outside to keep watch by the door.
He kept watch for the entire night.
When Zhou Qingmei opened her eyes, the eastern sky was already beginning to brighten, and the morning light streamed through the window into the room.
If not for the pain from her external wounds making itself felt from time to time, there really would have been a sense of peaceful, untroubled days.
She rose from the bed with a muffled groan.
Looking at the fine cloth bandages wrapped around her body, she frowned slightly.
She looked around the room but saw no sign of Fang Shuwen. She got down from the bed and walked slowly to the door. When she pushed it open, she saw Fang Shuwen sitting cross-legged on the ground, apparently cultivating his internal power.
For a moment, Zhou Qingmei did not know whether to disturb him. Then she heard Fang Shuwen speak softly:
"How do you feel?"
Zhou Qingmei circulated her internal breath a little, and a peculiar look flickered in her eyes:
"My internal injuries are no longer a problem.
"Were you the one who used your power to heal me and bandaged my wounds?"
"There's no third person at Lakeheart Cottage."
Fang Shuwen sprang to his feet and turned back with a smile.
"Young miss, do you mind that I bandaged you, or that I used my power to heal you?"
His manner was somewhat roguish, and Zhou Qingmei had always treated people like that coldly.
Yet somehow, she could not bring herself to feel disgusted with him now. She pressed her lips together lightly.
"Let's go."
"Where to?"
Fang Shuwen was taken aback.
"Home."
Zhou Qingmei was clearly in a hurry. She pulled Fang Shuwen along with her.
Fang Shuwen followed helplessly, saying as he went:
"It's so early. Let's eat before we head out..."
How could Zhou Qingmei spare a thought for food?
She and Fang Shuwen returned to Julu City, one following the other, and headed straight for Zhou Mansion.
The fire last night had reduced nearly the entire Zhou residence to ashes.
A crowd of onlookers had gathered all around, pointing and commenting.
The two found an inconspicuous corner and climbed into the courtyard. Corpses lay everywhere inside, most burned beyond recognition.
Zhou Qingmei's heart kept sinking as she looked. Suddenly, she thought of something and pulled Fang Shuwen in another direction.
When they reached their destination, Fang Shuwen recognized it as the Zhou Family ancestral hall.
Moving with practiced ease, Zhou Qingmei opened a hidden door and followed the passage down, but the secret chamber where everyone had been was now empty.
Only a letter lay on the table.
Zhou Qingmei spotted it at once and hurriedly opened it. Only after reading it did she breathe a sigh of relief.
"What does it say?"
Fang Shuwen was curious.
Zhou Qingmei said:
"My father left this letter for me. He says they've left Julu City for the time being. He was worried their enemies might find this place, so he didn't say where they were going.
"He just told me not to worry...
"Thanks to your help, the Zhou Family escaped disaster last night. The fire could have been brought under control, but they deliberately let the Zhou residence burn to the ground to throw people off the scent."
"Master Zhou really does things without leaving a single leak."
Fang Shuwen leaned against the table and looked at Zhou Qingmei.
"All right, since they've all left, that's one less worry behind us.
"Now the two of us should have a proper talk about our situation.
"It's the same question as yesterday: who exactly did you offend?
"Do you have any suspicions?"
Zhou Qingmei pondered for a moment, then nodded.
"Half a month ago, I happened to come across a flower thief roaming at night in Guangning City.
"I saw a man in black leap out of a wealthy household with a young woman over his shoulder.
"I intervened and snatched her away. I wanted to pursue and kill the flower thief, but I couldn't leave the young woman unattended, so I had to give up.
"But after that, I kept feeling as though someone was watching me.
"Whenever I investigated carefully, though, I found no trace of anyone.
"After a few days, the feeling disappeared.
"I was on my way home to visit my family at the time, and my heart was like an arrow speeding home, so I didn't look into it too deeply.
"But because that hidden worry remained, I didn't tell anyone I'd returned. I also stayed at Lakeheart Cottage alone to avoid drawing attention and bringing trouble to my family.
"Thinking back on it now, I'm afraid the seeds of last night's trouble were planted that night."
"Guangning City..."
Hearing those words left Fang Shuwen somewhat dazed.
He had been far too young when he was born. Even with an adult soul inside his body, he had inevitably spent his days in a haze. An infant's body was weak, after all, and simply could not support him staying awake for long. Babies needed plenty of sleep.
But during the times he was awake, he had heard the words "Guangning City" from his parents.
From what they said, they seemed to have lived in that city.
But Guangning City was a great distance from Julu City. Even a direct disciple of a renowned sect like Zhou Qingmei would need nearly half a month to make the journey using lightness skills.
Fang Shuwen, as he had been then, could not possibly have traveled so far alone.
Now, hearing those words from Zhou Qingmei, he could not help but feel a tangle of emotions.