Mei Shuangfeng!

Shen Xiuhan took a deep breath and clasped his hands in salute. "May I ask, miss... could you introduce me to Hall Master Mei?"

Hearing this, the woman in martial attire knitted her brows slightly and looked him over once more. She immediately shook her head without hesitation.

"My master is cultivating in seclusion and sees no visitors. If you aren't here to become her disciple, please leave."

Shen Xiuhan was helpless. He glanced around and, seeing that no one was paying attention to them, quickly lowered his voice.

"Miss, please wait. I have news... about Treasure Fish."

The woman's pupils suddenly contracted, and she said without hesitation, "Follow me!"

She turned and led Shen Xiuhan briskly toward the inner courtyard.

Shen Xiuhan's heart stirred.

He didn't know this woman's identity and didn't dare speak recklessly.

So he had only mentioned news of Treasure Fish... He hadn't expected her reaction to be so intense!

It seemed the Mei Clan Martial Arts School's desire for Treasure Fish was far more urgent than he had imagined.

Or perhaps...

The rarity of this Silver-backed Fish was even greater than he had anticipated?

Inner courtyard.

Outside the main chamber.

The woman in martial attire stopped, released his hand, and fixed her gaze on Shen Xiuhan.

"Are you truly certain you have news of Treasure Fish? Let me make this clear first: if you dare deceive us with empty words... once you step through this door, it'll be too late to regret it."

News?

No, no, no!

I have the real thing!

Shen Xiuhan mused inwardly, while a calm smile spread across his face. He clasped his hands and said, "Miss, you can rest assured. Even if you gave me ten times the courage, I wouldn't dare spout nonsense in front of Hall Master Mei."

The woman studied him deeply, as if weighing the significance of his words.

After a moment, she tossed out one sentence:

"Wait here."

She turned and pushed the door open.

In the cold wind, Shen Xiuhan let out a long breath, but his heart remained somewhat uneasy.

To be honest, he truly hadn't wanted to gamble on whether the intelligence claiming that "Mei Shuangfeng also possesses the bearing of the righteous path" was true.

But someone had forced him to the gambling table.

From the moment he entered the inner city and found himself watched, Shen Xiuhan had already become certain.

Ma Xianyang would never let the matter rest.

Although he had learned from Feng Xiaobao that Ma Xianyang had gone to Changshui County, fifty li away, and wouldn't return for ten days or half a month,

ten days or half a month was no more than the snap of a finger.

By the time he returned...

Shen Xiuhan didn't dare gamble on whether Ma Xianyang "also possessed the bearing of the righteous path."

Therefore, he had to use this opening to find a backer at any cost and fight for a thread of hope!

He would offer the Treasure Fish to the Mei Clan Martial Arts School, which secretly bought fish, in exchange for the chance to learn martial arts under its protection...

This was the strategy he had settled on after thinking it over again and again—a way to break out of his predicament!

It didn't take long.

The wooden door opened again.

The woman in martial attire stepped out, moved aside, and said in a low voice, "Master has agreed. Come in with me."

Shen Xiuhan steadied his mind and stepped over the high threshold.

After circling a carved red sandalwood screen, the scene inside the chamber slowly came into view.

A huge cauldron stood in the very center of the hall.

Behind the cauldron was a blackwood writing desk.

And behind the desk sat a person.

The instant Shen Xiuhan saw that person, his heart couldn't help but jolt.

This Hall Master Mei was actually a beautiful married woman of around thirty years of age!

She wore a moon-white long robe with a dark gauze shawl over it. Her sleeves hung down, while her long hair was loosely coiled with a jade hairpin, a few strands spilling over her shoulders.

Her features were dignified and graceful, and the air between her brows and eyes was filled with the pampered nobility of someone raised in comfort.

At first glance, she looked just like the matriarch of a grand household, living in quiet seclusion deep within its walls.

And yet—

The phoenix eyes revealed an utterly incongruous, baleful ferocity.

Cold and somber, they seemed to conceal murderous intent that could never be dispelled.

What made the heart tremble most were the hands she had placed on the desk.

Her ten fingers were long, with sharply defined joints.

The fingertips curled slightly, faint calluses showing beneath them. They resembled eagle talons forged from iron and stone; one glance was enough to send a chill down the spine.

It was as though they could shoot through the air at any moment and seize a person's throat, snapping it in one grasp!

Mei Shuangfeng sat upright behind the desk, her gaze drifting lightly onto him as she slowly spoke.

"You... have news of Treasure Fish?"

If you think this book is good, remember to add it to your bookshelf so you won't have trouble finding it next time.

Shen Xiuhan took a deep breath. Without beating around the bush, he said directly, "Reporting to Hall Master, I've already caught the Treasure Fish!"

"What?!"

The woman in martial attire abruptly raised her head and looked at him in disbelief.

Mei Shuangfeng also paused, her eyes flashing like lightning as they stabbed straight toward him.

"Where is it?"

"Outside the city."

The hall fell silent for an instant.

Mei Shuangfeng stared at him for a while, suspicion roiling in her eyes.

"What kind of Treasure Fish?"

"Silver-backed Fish!"

The woman in martial attire's breath caught. Delight burst from her eyes, and even her breathing quickened.

Mei Shuangfeng cast her an imperceptible glance, then withdrew her gaze and returned it to Shen Xiuhan's face.

"If you obtained such an opportunity, why insist on selling the fish to me?"

Shen Xiuhan had prepared his explanation long ago. He immediately cupped his fists and saluted.

"Reporting to Hall Master Mei, yesterday I happened to encounter a friend and his senior fellow disciple searching for Treasure Fish while selling fish at the market. I also heard from him that the Hall Master of the Mei Clan was known for her righteous integrity... so I thought I'd come and try my luck."

Mei Shuangfeng's eyes narrowed slightly as she stared fixedly at Shen Xiuhan's face.

Shen Xiuhan met her gaze calmly.

After a moment, Mei Shuangfeng's tone gained a hint of amusement.

"Not bad. You didn't lie."

But immediately afterward, she abruptly changed tack, smiling without quite smiling.

"However... the person who told you I was known for my righteous integrity was that friend of yours?"

"...Er, yes."

"Hahaha!"

Mei Shuangfeng actually laughed aloud and shook her head.

"Stay away from that friend of yours."

The woman in martial attire also lowered her head, pressing her lips together as her shoulders trembled slightly.

Shen Xiuhan's expression remained unmoved, but Shen's heart gave a jump.

What does that mean?

Could the intelligence be wrong?

Wait...

He remembered!

The intelligence system had written it very clearly:

Although Mei Shuangfeng, Hall Master of the Mei Martial Arts School, bore an infamous reputation, she also possessed the bearing of the righteous path.

...bore an infamous reputation!

Shen Xiuhan wanted nothing more than to slap himself—That's what you get for skipping around when you read!

His heart pounded like a drum, but he forced himself to remain calm, pretending not to notice anything at all.

Mei Shuangfeng naturally had no idea what he was thinking. She restrained her smile and said indifferently, "Forget it, forget it. Bring the Treasure Fish first. I'll verify whether it's real, then..."

Halfway through her sentence, she suddenly paused, as if she had remembered something, and casually asked, "By the way, you said just now that your friend and his senior fellow disciple were collecting Treasure Fish? Which hall are they from?"

Here it comes!

Shen Xiuhan clasped his hands and answered truthfully.

"Reporting to Hall Master, it's Senior Brother Ma Xianyang from the inner courtyard of the Through-the-Back Martial Arts School."

Through-the-Back Martial Hall!

Ma Xianyang!

The instant those words left his mouth, the temperature in the hall seemed to drop several degrees.

A cold glint suddenly flashed through the woman in martial attire's eyes.

Mei Shuangfeng's hand on the desk tightened slightly, curling like an eagle's talon.

"You're certain it was him?" the woman in martial attire asked in a deep voice.

"Certain."

Shen Xiuhan hurriedly spoke, his tone sincere.

"My friend is a disciple of the outer courtyard of the Through-the-Back Martial Hall. I heard with my own ears that they were going to seek out and purchase Treasure Fish."

"Yesterday, I caught several Silver-striped Fish. Senior Brother Ma treated me very well. Not only did he buy them at a high price, he also instructed me that if I ever had Silver-striped Fish—or even better fish—I should bring them directly to the Through-the-Back Martial Hall. He said the price would never leave me at a disadvantage."

He paused, a hint of helplessness appearing on his face.

"Earlier, I went to the Through-the-Back Martial Hall first, but Senior Brother Ma Xianyang wasn't there. They said he had gone to Changshui County."

"My friend wasn't there either, and I don't know anyone else at the Through-the-Back Martial Arts School. I was also worried that the Treasure Fish would lose too much vitality if kept out of the water for too long, so I took the liberty of coming here to try my luck with Hall Master Mei."

When his voice fell, Mei Shuangfeng and the woman in martial attire exchanged a glance.

A trace of relief simultaneously swept through their eyes.

Ma Xianyang...

Had gone to Changshui County?

Excellent.

Ma Xianyang, you chose a fine place to go!