Xiao Yi Xian chose not to return to the temporary lodgings at Wan Yao Zhai for the time being.
But she was unfamiliar with Fire Wolf Town.
For a moment, she had no idea where to go.
After hesitating briefly, Xiao Yi Xian picked a direction and headed southwest through Fire Wolf Town.
Truthfully, Xiao Yi Xian was still wavering.
Because of her, Lin Ze had already drawn Mu Li's attention.
Now she was going to trouble Lin Ze again, and Xiao Yi Xian felt rather embarrassed.
After all, if Wan Yao Zhai really had bad intentions toward her, Lin Ze helping her would mean offending both the Wolf Head Mercenary Group and Wan Yao Zhai.
Xiao Yi Xian couldn't make up her mind. She would head southwest for a while, then stop and turn in another direction.
The journey wasn't especially long, but Xiao Yi Xian somehow managed to spend an hour or two walking it.
As dusk settled, Xiao Yi Xian looked at the two Withered Trees and gently tapped her head.
"I think I've been hesitating too much..."
Xiao Yi Xian looked beneath the Withered Trees, where no one was waiting, and felt a little disappointed.
"What he said that day was probably just a polite offer, wasn't it?"
"After all, he left Qingshan Town because of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group. Asking him to help me now would be asking too much."
"Or perhaps four days have already passed, and Lin Ze thought I'd left Qingshan Town, so he didn't arrange for anyone to meet me here?"
Xiao Yi Xian's mind churned as she found excuses for Lin Ze.
Looking at the empty space beneath the trees, she came up with plenty of reasons, but still couldn't stop a hint of disappointment from welling up inside her.
I should find somewhere to rest for now...
Just as this thought surfaced in Xiao Yi Xian's mind, a figure suddenly emerged from a dim alley nearby and walked slowly toward her.
After everything that had happened today, Xiao Yi Xian was quite wary of strangers.
She looked at the newcomer. He was of average build and appearance, the sort of man who would be hard to pick out in a crowd.
The man didn't approach too closely, so as not to make her overly wary or nervous.
"Hello. My young master made an arrangement with someone four days ago. Are you the person who was supposed to meet him?"
Xiao Yi Xian was taken aback.
Could this man be one of Lin Ze's subordinates?
The disappointment in Xiao Yi Xian's heart vanished at once.
She had thought Lin Ze hadn't sent anyone to meet her, and that his promise had just been a polite gesture.
Now it seemed she might have misunderstood.
And when something you thought you'd lost was returned to you, it always left a deep impression.
"I should be the person you're expecting."
The man remained expressionless and continued, "Then please tell me under what circumstances my young master said you could come here to find him."
Xiao Yi Xian couldn't help but laugh wryly at that.
She now had a deeper appreciation for how cautious Lin Ze was.
Clearly, Lin Ze's subordinate hadn't been vague by accident. He had done so deliberately.
The only key details he had revealed were that there was an arrangement and when it had been made.
An impostor would certainly be at a loss.
But the person who had actually made the arrangement would know the other key detail.
That way, they could compare what each knew and confirm each other's identity.
"He said that if I ran into trouble in Fire Wolf Town that I couldn't resolve, I could come here to find him."
The man nodded and replied in an even tone.
"Please come with me."
Xiao Yi Xian followed him as he wound through the alleyways, eventually reaching a secluded Small Courtyard in the Southern part of Fire Wolf Town.
Xiao Yi Xian had thought all the twists and turns along the way were the height of Lin Ze's caution.
But when the man reached the Small Courtyard's entrance, he knocked on the door in a specific rhythm. Only after a while did the wooden door open from within.
A tall, thin man opened it. He glanced at the man who had led them there, then turned to Xiao Yi Xian.
"The young master is cultivating. Please come in and wait."
"Okay."
Xiao Yi Xian nodded and went inside, curiosity piqued.
The caution these people had shown along the way convinced her that they were definitely Lin Ze's subordinates.
Their wariness was clearly cut from the same cloth as his.
But hadn't Lin Ze lost the Iron Blood Mercenary Group only recently?
How had he managed to find subordinates who fit his personality so perfectly in such a short time?
Xiao Yi Xian was wondering about this when the door to the main room of the Small Courtyard opened.
Lin Ze wore a dark robe, and faint circles showed beneath his eyes, making him look as though he'd been working himself too hard. But his eyes gleamed with radiant vitality.
"Xiao Yi Xian, long time no see."
With a smile, Lin Ze welcomed Xiao Yi Xian into the room.
"Lin Ze, sorry for the trouble."
Xiao Yi Xian's pretty face flushed slightly, and she spoke with some embarrassment.
"Haha, we've known each other for so long. You could say we're friends, couldn't you? Friends helping each other out is only natural."
Seeing how unconcerned Lin Ze seemed, Xiao Yi Xian felt delighted.
Having a friend like him reach out to help when she ran into trouble made her feel quite lucky.
"Thank you!"
"All right, enough with the pleasantries. Can you tell me what happened?"
Lin Ze asked with a smile. He really had no idea what Xiao Yi Xian had run into.
He generally sent Death Soldiers to gather intelligence in pairs.
After all, when he controlled a Death Soldier, he couldn't read the soldier's memories. He merely took over complete control of the soldier.
Under those circumstances, Lin Ze could control one Death Soldier and have the other report the intelligence to him.
But he had only planted one Death Soldier in the Flame Mercenary Group.
So he had to devote part of his attention to keeping track of Wang Wu.
Even now, while talking with Xiao Yi Xian, he was only in Semi-control of Wang Wu.
"...What happened today was unusual, so I came to find you."
By the time Xiao Yi Xian finished, she felt a little embarrassed, worried that Lin Ze might think she was making a fuss over nothing.
She had come to trouble him over just one small irregularity.
Lin Ze furrowed his brow and began considering what she'd told him.
Seeing how seriously Lin Ze was taking this, Xiao Yi Xian grew nervous without realizing it.
"W-what is it?"
"From what you've told me, Mr. Yao, the person in charge of Wan Yao Zhai, most likely has bad intentions toward you!"
"Usually, mercenaries are responsible for protecting you, but today it was his Guard."
"There are two possibilities. Either the mercenaries had something else to do, or he didn't trust them with what he plans to do to you next!"
"But the mercenaries have always protected you without issue. Why would he suddenly distrust them today?"
"When something unusual happens, there's always a reason!"
Ever since he had suffered a calamity and awakened his Awakened Wisdom, Lin Ze had never hesitated to assume the worst of others.
"Besides, even if we give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he means you no harm right now, the Guard's words were unmistakable."
"He was worried you'd go to another pharmacy!"
"And you said before that he was an incredibly greedy man."
"Given that, he isn't willing to pay you more, but he also doesn't want you going to another pharmacy. So what do you think he'll do?"
"And even if he were willing to pay you more, your sudden disappearance today has probably already planted a thorn in his heart."
As Xiao Yi Xian listened to Lin Ze's thorough analysis, she realized how serious the situation was.
She fell silent for a long time, then finally sighed.
"Forget it. I may like treating the sick and helping people, but that doesn't mean I have to put myself in danger to do it."
"If Wan Yao Zhai isn't a good place for me, then there must be somewhere better suited to me."
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