With the matter of Autumn Moon Convent concluded, the masters from the seven sects took their leave.
The people from the Jade Clarity Pavilion and Cangwu Sword Sect escorted Zuo Qingshuang, who was injured and temporarily unable to fight, back to the Pearl Pavilion.
Zhou Qingmei also came over to say goodbye to Fang Shuwen.
This encounter was purely accidental. If Zuo Qingshuang were unharmed, Zhou Qingmei might have wanted to follow Fang Shuwen on his adventures. But now that Zuo Qingshuang is injured, and disciples are needed to help her, Zhou Qingmei naturally cannot leave.
He could only bid farewell to Fang Shuwen again, but he couldn't help feeling a little reluctant to part.
Fang Shuwen watched her walk further and further away, but then he heard Mo Beidou's voice:
"So, Miss Zhou has taken a liking to you."
"Ah?"
Fang Shuwen turned and glanced at Mo Beidou:
"Senior Brother, don't talk nonsense... It's not good for that girl's reputation."
Mo Beidou glanced at Fang Shuwen, both amused and exasperated.
"Stop with the nonsense. There are no outsiders here. Tell your senior brother, what do you think of Miss Zhou?"
"Open your eyes and look... you can't see it even if you close your eyes."
Fang Shuwen looked up at the sky:
"Besides, I'm still young, I haven't thought about those things."
"... Another piece of nonsense. Take my advice, Miss Zhou is quite good in both looks and background. As for the way she looks at you, I don't know what you think, but as an outsider, I feel that she has eyes for you."
Mo Beidou stroked his stubble and said:
As the saying goes... as the saying goes...
I wanted to use some literary phrases, but I forgot the words for a moment.
After a long pause, he finally said:
"Since it's already blooming, you have to pick it, otherwise you won't be able to pick it later!"
"... Isn't that what they call 'pluck the flower while it blooms, lest you break a bare branch'?"
Fang Shuwen rolled her eyes at him.
Mo Beidou blushed:
"Your senior brother here is illiterate, so don't make fun of me."
"... I haven't read it either."
Fang Shuwen was blatantly lying, yet no one could expose him.
After all, studying is something from a previous life. In this life, I've been a beggar, a handyman, and a guard; I've never actually been a student in a private school.
The conversation between the two then veered off course, and when they returned to Lu Guiyan's side, the atmosphere felt strange.
Fang Shuwen knew why Lu Guiyan was still resentful about the matter involving those two doctors.
But now that things have come to this, how can we let our hard work go to waste?
He then said to Lu Guiyan:
"Young Chief Escort, it's time to set off."
Lu Guiyan glanced at Fang Shuwen, her expression softening slightly, and nodded:
"Okay, let's pack up and go."
I took on the mission myself, and I'm responsible for protecting the people involved; I can't blame anyone else.
Fang Shuwen has worked tirelessly all the way, and her group has only just gotten this far. Even now, Fang Shuwen has not given up, and she has no reason to give up halfway.
However, this incident was a profound lesson for Lu Guiyan, one that she would remember for the rest of her life.
The group set off again, continuing northward, and soon passed Looking North Pass.
At this point, Lu Guiyan felt a little more relaxed.
Fang Shuwen then sought her out to inquire about the matter of Flying Snow City.
Although Lu Guiyan is not very good at martial arts, he comes from a family of escort agencies and knows a lot about things in the world.
According to her, the Flying Snow City has only existed for three generations.
The first city lord possessed profound cultivation and unfathomable martial arts skills, which established Flying Snow City's prominent position in the martial arts world.
The second generation was less satisfactory; Flying Snow City declined considerably under his leadership, nearly becoming a third-rate city...
It wasn't until Wu Lingxiao rose to power that Flying Snow City once again prospered.
Fang Shuwen asked Wu Lingxiao if he had any brothers or sisters.
Lu Guiyan knew what he suspected, but still shook her head:
"In Flying Snow City, the lineage has always been passed down through a single son for the past three generations..."
Fang Shuwen nodded upon hearing this:
"No siblings means no internal strife, but that makes the whole thing even stranger."
Brother Fang, please tell me about it.
Fang Shuwen thought for a moment and said:
Bai Liuxian said that Wu Lingxiao had been injured and needed those two people to save his life.
"They possess the Lingxiao Token of Flying Snow City. Those who want to ask them for help are likely from Flying Snow City... or perhaps Wu Lingxiao himself."
"But Wu Lingxiao's serious injury is probably no small matter."
"Flying Snow City rose to prominence in the martial world, and it's impossible for it to be without rivals. If these people knew this news, it would definitely not be a good thing for Flying Snow City."
Therefore, they could only do this in secret.
"The Startling Flower Pavilion sent these two people to treat Wu Lingxiao's illness but dared not do so openly is probably because of this."
"In every respect, this matter was kept very secret, and almost no one knew about it."
"Then, how did this person who wants Wu Lingxiao dead obtain this information?"
Cao Jiuyin knew about this because he had stolen it from the Startling Flower Pavilion.
Startling Flower Pavilion knew about this, it was most likely that Wu Lingxiao himself told them, since he needed their help.
But it's a bit strange that anyone other than these people knew about this.
Fang Shuwen then said:
The person who injured Wu Lingxiao must know about this.
"But as to the outcome of this battle, we only know that Wu Lingxiao was seriously injured, but no one knows what happened to the person who injured him."
"If he is also seriously injured, I'm afraid he won't be able to leave Flying Snow City."
"On the contrary, if he could get away unscathed and spread the news, Wu Lingxiao wouldn't need to be so cautious."
"Moreover, if he really had such abilities, Wu Lingxiao would probably be dead as well."
Therefore, it's unlikely that this news came from him.
"I suspect that the person who wanted to kill them might be someone from inside Flying Snow City."
"They knew the whole story, and they also knew about the Startling Flower Pavilion's actions, which is why they were able to strike so precisely at the heart of the matter."
Upon hearing this, Lu Guiyan suddenly sighed:
"Now I'm starting to regret it."
"Do you regret taking this delivery job?"
"No."
Lu Guiyan said:
"I regret not agreeing when you suggested going to the Fierce Tiger Gang's headquarters..."
Looking back now, I wish I had agreed to your suggestion back then.
"I'm afraid we've already learned quite a bit from Qin Hu."
Fang Shuwen smiled upon hearing this:
It's not too late now.
"Ah?"
Lu Guiyan was taken aback:
"Are we going to have to turn back?"
"No need."
Fang Shuwen said:
"After Looking North Pass, it's still quite a walk to reach Zhaobei City, isn't it?"
"Didn't the Young Master's bodyguard realize that it was too quiet around here?"
Lu Guiyan was taken aback. Her attention had been entirely focused on Fang Shuwen, and upon hearing this, she realized that the surroundings were indeed unusually quiet.
Suddenly, a burst of laughter rang out:
"With someone like you protecting the Lu'an Escort Agency, Tong Tianba... didn't die unjustly."
As soon as he finished speaking, Mo Beidou shouted, and all the bodyguards and guards rushed together to protect the two masters and servants.
Just as they finished their actions, a scholar in white robes, carrying a folding fan, slowly appeared before the crowd.
He then slightly clasped his hands in a fist and said loudly:
"Tang Linfeng, the West Hall Master of the Fierce Tiger Gang, greets all the friends from Lu'an Escort Agency."
"The leader requests your presence; we hope you will do us the honor of meeting."