Haobai City Branch Hall

In front of the Juying Tower, a young man of about twenty was calling out to passing guests.

Seeing a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old boy leading over a tall horse, he guessed the youth might be the Young Master of some wealthy household. He hurried forward and said respectfully with a broad smile:

"Little Young Master, are you looking for lodging and a meal? Our Juying Tower is one of the finest inns in Haobai City. We have every kind of wine and food."

After more than a month of tempering, Qin Fengming's mind had already matured greatly. Seeing how quick-witted the waiter was, Qin Fengming chuckled. "I've come to Haobai City for sightseeing and would like to stay a few nights. I wonder whether your establishment has any rooms available?"

"Little Young Master, you've come to exactly the right place. We have more than twenty superior rooms alone, and there happen to be vacancies. Please follow me." As the waiter spoke, he took the reins with one hand, turned around, and led Qin Fengming inside.

After handing the horse over to others to care for and registering at the accounts desk, the waiter led Qin Fengming toward the guest rooms behind the main hall. He stopped before a room on the second floor.

The room was spacious and bright. Qin Fengming was not a choosy person to begin with, so he nodded and said, "All right. I'll stay here."

Hearing that Qin Fengming had not found fault with anything, the waiter was delighted. He quickly brought water and attended to Qin Fengming while he washed his face.

After freshening up, Qin Fengming turned to the waiter. "Brother, what are the specialties at your Juying Tower? Prepare four dishes. I'll eat lunch here."

The waiter was exceptionally quick-witted. He agreed at once and immediately went out to make preparations.

In the time it took to drink a cup of tea, four exquisite dishes had been set before Qin Fengming. He casually handed the waiter a silver ingot weighing a full two taels, then spoke again:

"I have something to ask you, but I don't know whether there is a Luoxia Valley branch hall in Haobai City."

"Ah, you're asking about the Luoxia Valley branch hall? Of course there is. One of my relatives lives right beside it. It's in the western part of the city. Once you leave here, head west for about five li. When you see a tall ceremonial gate, turn right, and you'll find a vast manor. That's where the branch hall is."

Happily pocketing the silver, the waiter's face immediately broke into a grin. Upon hearing that the Young Master before him was asking about the Luoxia Valley branch hall, he naturally gave him a detailed explanation.

After eating, Qin Fengming began pondering in secret. The Hall Master had said that Fifth Senior Brother would take the lead in this mission, while he would merely serve as support and gain experience. Yet as this was his first mission, his youthful heart was already itching to try.

As for how to find Fifth Senior Brother, Qin Fengming was not worried. There was a sect branch hall here, and if his senior brother had come, he would certainly visit it.

Deep into the night, Qin Fengming changed into a set of nightwalking clothes. He gently opened the window, sprang up, and leaped onto the roof. With a flicker of his figure, he flew toward the place the waiter had described.

The western part of Haobai City was where porters, peddlers, and merchants gathered, and the Luoxia Valley branch hall was extremely easy to find.

Standing beside a magnificent manor occupying more than ten mu, Qin Fengming concealed himself in the darkness and stared intently ahead.

He saw a plaque hanging above the imposing gate, bearing the words "Luoxia Valley Branch Hall." Although it was already deep into the night, two Burly Men were still standing before the gate.

Qin Fengming, hidden in the darkness, circled the branch hall once. Finding a secluded and concealed spot, he covered his face with a black veil and slung his treasured sword across his back. With a flicker of his figure, he was already atop the tall wall.

Narrowing his eyes as he surveyed the area, Qin Fengming saw the courtyard's situation clearly.

Although the courtyard was silent as the grave, Qin Fengming easily discovered several places occupied by visible and hidden sentries. Seeing how thoroughly the courtyard was guarded, he could not help admiring the local Branch Hall Master.

With a flash of his body, Azure Cloud Maze was unleashed. Qin Fengming's figure moved like a ghost as he entered the manor.

Qin Fengming was unfamiliar with the layout of the manor, but this did not trouble him much. Moving again, he headed toward a hall in one of the courtyards where the lights were still brightly burning.

With him employing the Azure Cloud Maze movement technique, neither the visible nor the hidden sentries noticed anything.

He arrived at the hall without making the slightest sound. The building stood seven or eight zhang high and had three floors. The first floor was especially tall, reaching four or five zhang. At present, its interior was brightly lit, while the two upper floors were pitch-black.

Stopping in a shadowy spot outside the second floor, Qin Fengming carefully examined it and discovered that no one was staying there. Reassured, he flipped through a wooden window and entered the building.

He moved to the stairway leading upstairs and stood there. Holding his breath and listening closely, he heard the voices from the main hall on the first floor with perfect clarity.

"Elder Brother, no matter how much we say, it won't accomplish anything. With the manpower in our Haobai City branch hall, trying to attack the Wang Clan Twin Eagles would be far too tenuous. Moreover, if we launch a large-scale assault on their mountain gate, we'll inevitably tear away all pretense of cordiality with them. That would be extremely disadvantageous to our branch hall's future operations."

Qin Fengming had not known what the people below had been discussing earlier, but he heard these words clearly.

As that person finished speaking, another voice immediately rang out. "Fifth Brother is absolutely right. Fighting those two Wang men openly would indeed make it greatly disadvantageous for us to operate in Haobai City in the future. As for how to recover the item belonging to our Luoxia Valley from those two evil thieves, we need to deliberate carefully."

As that person's voice fell, a wave of mutual discussion immediately arose in the main hall.

From their voices, Qin Fengming realized that there were seven or eight people in the first-floor hall. Yet from beginning to end, the Luoxia Valley Branch Hall Master whom they called Elder Brother had not said a word.

The group argued for another quarter of an hour before a stern voice suddenly rang out. "Brothers, calm yourselves. Regarding those Wang bastards, I made plans long ago. As for how we'll proceed, someone else will make the arrangements. We only need to sit here and wait."

The speaker's voice was not loud, but it was forceful and resonant, clearly indicating that his internal cultivation had reached a certain level.

Without needing to think, Qin Fengming knew that this person was undoubtedly Zhang Qingshan, the Branch Hall Master of Haobai City. He wielded a pair of Five Elements Wheels, and their power was truly extraordinary.

"Ah, so Elder Brother had already made arrangements. Could it be that our Luoxia Valley has already sent several elders down the mountain?"

The middle-aged man called Fifth Brother spoke up as soon as the Branch Hall Master finished. With merely that one sentence, he had already displayed astonishing insight.

"Hehe, Fifth Brother truly lives up to your reputation as the Divine Calculator. As soon as headquarters received my message, it made a decision. I kept it secret because I didn't want those two old Wang wretches to learn of it too early. Now that all our brothers have gathered, I can finally tell you together. I hope none of you will blame me."

The others showed no particular reaction upon hearing this. It seemed they all understood the Branch Hall Master's intentions perfectly.

After discussing the matter again, everyone rose and left. Five of them headed toward a secluded courtyard behind the manor, while two left the branch hall directly and walked toward the depths of the main street.