The harsh life of sleeping rough and living off the land for several days was an experience Zhou An and Yu Hui had never known. Yet both possessed extraordinary martial arts, so they endured it well enough, though their appearance and clothing were somewhat bedraggled.
Zhou An's long robe was creased, his sideburns disheveled. His former handsome elegance had gained several traces of haggard weariness. As a woman, Yu Hui had kept herself well tended, but the darkness around her eyes still revealed a measure of fatigue.
Compared with the two of them, Wen Jingjing appeared thoroughly at ease. Her orange-yellow fitted clothes smoothly outlined her graceful figure, while her fair and delicate face was radiant. Her Essence, Qi, and Spirit were all in excellent condition.
The three encountered one another by the roadside. Zhou An and Yu Hui stood beside a moss-covered boulder along the narrow path, while Wen Jingjing clasped her sleeves and leaned half against an emerald cypress, looking down at them.
The surroundings were deathly still. Only a heavy, murderous atmosphere lingered without dispersing.
Wen Jingjing was guessing at the identities of Zhou An and Yu Hui. The pair had always lived within Lotus Manor and rarely ventured out. Their previous visit to Lianchuan City had been their first, so Wen Jingjing had never seen them at the Bai family estate.
She was unsure whether the two would affect her plans, and hesitated over whether to strike at once.
Zhou An and Yu Hui were likewise guessing at Wen Jingjing's origins. Why was she stealthily following the Bai family? Was she another hidden piece Zhou Tong had planted, or someone else with designs on the Bai family?
Since the Bai family had only recently gone up the mountain, the two sides did not erupt into a