Lingering Clouds of Doubt, Xiangrong's Gift of Peaches, Fleeting Splendor for Only the Fiercest Man

Song Ya couldn't help but praise in her heart, "What a fine man! What a fine man!" Then she thought about the scene before her, where she was lying on Li Xian's back, their backs pressed together, and she had never been so close to anyone in her life. Her heart fluttered, and her expression became even more unusual.

Li Xian's eyes darted around, instantly surveying his surroundings. He leaped forward and sped off to the west. Despite his strong physique and carrying Li Xian Song Ya on his back, Li Xian remained incredibly fast. Song Ya felt an inexplicable sense of exhilaration as she raced through the forest, even though she was being chased and surrounded by bandits.

Meanwhile, on the other side...

The four thieves of the withered flower are all quite strong; in terms of cultivation level, they are actually a notch above Li Xian.

The four thieves were of one mind, as if they were one body. The third son had already died, but the fourth son's "Seven Sons One Heart Technique" was even stronger. Their wills were the same, and they resonated with each other in the the Unseen, able to exchange thoughts and communicate.

Tan Child followed closely behind, conveying his thoughts to the three boys and giving them instructions on how to flank them from the left and right, how to ambush and block their path, and how to coordinate with each other. The other three boys followed his instructions without hesitation. The four boys, affected by the martial arts, would gradually lose their internal organs within a few days. Knowing that their lives were numbered, their resolve was strengthened, their killing intent intensified, and they became even more united before their deaths.

Tan Child, having just discovered Li Xian's whereabouts, was filled with extreme hatred and launched a stone-throwing attack. Firstly, he wanted to test Li Xian's abilities; secondly, he used his "Stone-Throwing Art," capable of hurling extremely heavy boulders from a great distance, intending to catch Li Xian off guard and injure him; and thirdly, his uncontrollable rage caused him to lose his strategy. Li Xian moved swiftly, using the terrain to his advantage several times, dodging and weaving, managing to leave Tan Child at a considerable distance. Although Tan Child was familiar with the surrounding terrain, his eyesight was inferior to Li Xian's, and he faced many obstacles in the darkness. He was suddenly entangled by tangled vines, then stepped into a muddy swamp, and then his foot slipped, falling into a deep pit. The more flustered he became, the more openings he made. In contrast, Li Xian, having anticipated the dangers, silently avoided them, moving with the ease of walking on flat ground.

Tan Child quickly spotted a trail of footprints. There were four tracks, indicating that a man and a woman had been standing there for some time. There were also traces of felled vines nearby, suggesting that Li Xian and Song Ya had stopped there temporarily. Seeing that the footprints pointed west, he cursed, "This bastard is extremely cunning. If he had fled east, he would have been surrounded by the four of us brothers. But he chose to go west, damn it!"

They followed the trail, exchanging messages and informing each other of the situation. After traveling several miles, Tan Child found another clue: Li Xian was heading north. Tan Child, knowing that heading north would soon lead to a forest of scattered rocks.

Tan Shorty was nearby. Tan Child immediately communicated with him telepathically, instructing Tan Shorty to hide among the pile of rocks and wait for an opportunity to strike. Tan Child and Tan Gao were positioned to the east, each accelerating their approach to encircle and capture Li Xian. Tan Man was positioned to the south, a little further away, but he could move westward to block Li Xian's retreat.

This strategic deployment was extremely thorough. The four soldiers were like the four fingers of a palm, differing in length and thickness, yet their coordination was impeccable. Soon, Tan Child and Tan Gao surrounded them amidst the jumbled rocks.

But Li Xian was nowhere to be seen. Tan Child wondered to himself, "Tan Shorty, where's that kid?"

Tan Shorty, short in stature, lay prone among the rocks, his large knife gleaming coldly in his hand, constantly listening for any Mind-Intent Transmission. He then telepathically told his brother that he had been lying in ambush here for a long time but had not seen the thief pass by.

Tan Child frowned repeatedly. Although the surrounding mountains and forests were vast, the four boys were hot on their heels, maintaining a close distance from each other, and had vaguely formed an encirclement. This encirclement moved rapidly and constantly surrounded Li Xian, Li Xian in a haystack."

Li Xian fled westward, remaining on the edge of the encirclement. However, he still couldn't escape. Now, he turned north, essentially heading straight into the heart of the encirclement. His four brothers immediately gathered around, attacking from all sides, leaving him no chance to slip away.

Tan Child and Tan Gao both arrived from the east, but their routes differed. They had been observing their surroundings but hadn't detected any trace of Li Xian. Tan Child suddenly realized that Tan Shorty Ai was lying in wait to the north, and escaping east was impossible. Tan Child was in hot pursuit to the south; therefore, Li Xian must be heading south. He thought to himself, "Damn it! This kid's tricked me! He's gone in the opposite direction! All my reputation has been ruined by this kid!"

He immediately realized that Li Xian's northward turn was a ruse, and that he was actually still hiding to the west. He didn't have time to explain further, so he chased after him to the west, with Tan Gao and Tan Shorty close behind, pursuing him relentlessly.

Tan Child thought to himself, "Tan Man is in the west. If we encounter him, we can entangle him briefly, and once the three of us arrive, we can kill him!" He felt a sense of urgency. Suddenly, Tan Child, Tan Gao, and Tan Shorty felt a sharp pain in their hearts, and tears welled up in their eyes. Tan Gao cried out in a high-pitched voice, "Brother Nan!" The brothers, as if by telepathy, all knew that Tan Man was already dead.

Enraged, Tan Shorty swung his broadsword wildly, snapping several large trees in half with a series of sharp, cracking sounds. Tan Child, also grief-stricken, said in a low voice, "We're all going to die anyway, sooner or later, what difference does it make? We should torture that brat properly, all of you, after him!" They quickly reached the west and found Tan Man's corpse in a bamboo forest. Tan Man's eyes were wide open in terror, with arrows in his left arm, right leg, forehead, and neck. The last arrow pinned him to a boulder.

Tan Man looked terrified, repeatedly wounded by arrows, yet unaware of where they came from. Blood dripped from the arrow shafts, pooling beneath him. Tan Child clenched his fists, breathing rapidly, his eyes bloodshot.

Four of the seven sons were already dead. Tan Child, Tan Gao, and Tan Shorty were a cut above. Tan Shorty, by nature hot-tempered and possessing the best lightness skill, let out a roar and, seeing a trail of blood, leaped out along it. Tan Child, having already experienced Li Xian's cunning and fallen for his traps repeatedly, saw Tan Shorty blinded by rage and quickly shouted, "Brother Ai, come back quickly and listen to your brother's instructions!"

"My brother died from an arrow wound; the bloodstains are very strange!"

Tan Shorty was furious and wouldn't listen to anything else. Moreover, among the Seven Withered Flowers, his lightness skill was the best, even surpassing Tan Child and Tan Gao. If they chased after him desperately, no one could catch up. Seeing that he was already far away, the two had no choice but to hurry after him.

Tan Shorty shouted, "You scoundrel, take your life!" His blade moved like a whirlwind. Immediately afterward, Tan Shorty let out a miserable scream and gradually lost his breath. Tan Child knew that Tan Shorty had acted impulsively and had also met his end. He carefully followed the trail of blood. After traveling another four or five miles, he saw a mountain with steep cliffs and strange rocks protruding from the bottom.

Tan Child was very familiar with this place, which was called "Ten-Thousand Thorn Abyss". Tan Shorty rushed here and found himself falling off a cliff. Just as he was about to use his lightness skill to save himself, he was attacked by several flying arrows.

Tan Shorty, Light Force to break free, was forced to fall into the ravine. He was pierced by countless jagged rocks at the bottom of the cliff, his flesh torn and bleeding, his body mangled beyond recognition, a truly gruesome sight. In that instant, only two of the seven remained.

Tan Child shed tears of blood. His mission was unsuccessful, with five brothers already dead, and he hadn't even faced an opponent. As the Seven Sons One Heart Technique was further enhanced, his senses became extremely sharp. He vaguely saw a figure on a distant mountain, holding a bow and looking in this direction.

Tan Child shouted, "This boy's arrows are deadly! My brother died unjustly. Now only the two of us brothers are left. We must be extremely careful!" Tan Gao let out a beastly growl and nodded faintly.

Tan Child said, "This boy is in the mountains. He is skilled in archery. Let's split up and chase after him. Even if we die, we must grind his bones to dust." Tan Gao and Tan Child were filled with hatred and pursued him from two different directions. At this time, their strength had greatly improved again, and their speed was even faster. Compared with "Tan Shorty's " lightness skill, it was several times stronger.

They thought the opportunity had been lost and it would be difficult to gain momentum again. Although the two brothers pursued closely and at an even faster pace, Li Xian's whereabouts were elusive, moving east and west, always remaining outside their reach. The two brothers could only see his shadow, but could hardly see him in person.

Li Xian moved with graceful ease, leaping and darting through the forest, using vines to traverse the landscape and maneuvering along cliffs, making the most of the streams and mountains. He held a silver bow, his Archery exquisite.

They maneuvered, shot, and fought. The sound of drawing the bow was earth-shattering, and the arrows were deafening. Song Ya could sense Li Xian's composure and ease. The more Tan Gao and Tan Child chased, the more wounded they became. Arrows constantly attacked from all directions, sometimes coming from the east, sometimes going to the west... their angles were tricky and difficult to dodge. A slight mistake would result in a scratch or an immediate arrow wound.

After a while of this back and forth, although the hatred in their hearts was strong, fear gradually arose. Like birds startled by the twang of a bow, the slightest sound made their hair stand on end, and they were on high alert.

Their injuries piled up, leaving them covered in wounds. The Seven Withered Flowers were skilled in direct combat, but in this situation, they suffered utter frustration and achieved nothing. Tan Gao shouted, "Brother, what do we do?"

Tan Child had lost his composure and cursed, "Damn it, how would I know!"

Like a headless fly, he scurried about aimlessly. Tan Gao let out a scream as an arrow shot from his left, piercing his leg bone. Tan Gao suddenly lunged to the left, wildly waving his hands, snapping trees in half along the way. But he only managed to miss.

Suddenly, Tan Child let out a scream as an arrow struck his right eye in the grave. He clutched his eye socket, writhing in pain, and knew that the blood feud between his brothers was likely hopeless, and that the enemy was hiding in the shadows, never having truly met him.

Historically, there have been patterns to follow in archery. One can predict the arrow's power, direction, and the archer's skill from the arrow's direction and the sound of the wind. But the more Tan Child and Tan Gao pursued this path, the more they felt as if they were trapped among thousands of enemy soldiers, being targeted by thousands of arrows.

Like a thorn in their back, like a fishbone stuck in their throat. Unable to catch up, unable to find their shadow, the brothers gradually fell apart, their strength was exhausted, and they bled to death. Across the vast chasm, a pair of cold eyes watched the two brothers cautiously and calmly as their lives slowly slipped away.

Unable to fathom it, only helplessness remains.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Song Ya, clinging to Li Xian's back, felt it even more directly. She saw this man moving through the woods, every step carefully considered, every arrow hitting its mark. The aura he exuded when drawing his bow was exceptionally captivating.

Song Ya completely forgot about the situation, focusing solely on Li Xian's movements: drawing an arrow, nocking the bow, pulling the string, and shooting. She watched him leap, bound, maneuver, and dodge. His body was like the wind, and his arrows like thunder. When he finally stopped, Song Ya still asked in confusion, "Why didn't he run away?"

Li Xian said, "They're all dead, no need to run." Song Ya then realized that all four of her sons had been killed. Li Xian untied Song Ya, silently counted the arrows in her quiver, and found that there were still eleven arrows left.

Song Ya's knees buckled, and she felt dizzy and disoriented. Li Xian reached out to support her, asking, "Are you alright?" Song Ya shook her head and said, "Thank you so much, benefactor!"

Li Xian said, "It's alright, it's my duty." He knew the location of Tan Child, Tan Gao, Tan Shorty, and Tan Man's corpses, which might contain treasures, martial arts manuals, or silver. However, the forest is dangerous, and it's late at night. If he were greedy for small gains, he would inevitably be in great danger.

Li Xian thought to himself, "The most urgent thing is to get out of the forest safely. Money and martial arts manuals... I can earn them later!" He then disregarded the corpse, rested for a moment, and then carried Song Ya back to the cave to find the two women from Mount Zhengyi and Tiger Luo Sect.

At this time, the moon was high in the sky, the night was deep, and there were many wild animals in the forest, with many howling wolves and roaring beasts, which was quite alarming.

The two female warriors from Mount Zhengyi and Tiger Luo Sect were chivalrous women of the martial world. Their sects were located in Yunan Circuit, and traveling to Jade City required a great distance. It was normal for them to trek through mountains and rivers along the way. They had long been accustomed to encountering bandits, demons, wild armies, strange beasts, and so on, and were not afraid. However, Song Ya had grown up in Jade City since childhood, living a life of luxury, and was terrified. She secretly moved closer to Li Xian.

Li Xian relit the campfire; the danger was over, but he felt a sudden hunger. When Li Xian shot the villains, he still had the strength to hunt a few wild rabbits and birds. The night was long, and he couldn't sleep, so he decided to cook some game.

Li Xian skillfully peeled and gutted the game, then used yellow mud, lotus leaves, and other forest ingredients to simmer the wild game. Song Ya was extremely curious and asked, "What kind of cooking method is this? I've never seen it before."

Li Xian said, "If you haven't seen it before, that's right!" He roasted and braised the wild rabbits and birds into several dishes. Sky-Screen Mountain was rich in resources, and the wild rabbits were large. They were roasted until their skin was crispy and dripping with oil. When the rabbit legs were broken off, the juices dripped down.

It tasted especially delicious.

Li Xian handed the rabbit leg to the two women from Mount Zhengyi and Tiger Luo Sect, and said with a smile, "My two heroines, have some meat to restore your energy." The two women glanced at Song Ya and saw that although Song Ya's expression was calm, her eyes were fixed on the rabbit leg, and she actually wanted to try it.

The woman from the Tiger Luo Sect, named "Lin Zha," had masculine features with high cheekbones. She said, "We martial arts practitioners can go hungry for a meal; give it to Miss Song."

Song Ya shook her head and said, "The heroine is seriously injured and needs to travel tomorrow, so she needs to recover as soon as possible. My benefactor must have thought of this, which is why he offered her the rabbit leg. Please eat quickly, heroine."

Lin Zha found Song Ya to be understanding and reasonable, and was quite fond of her. He laughed heartily and said, "Since that's the case, I'll accept it without hesitation!" He took a big bite and praised Li Xian's cooking skills.

Li Xian said, "Speaking of which, I have quite a connection with the Tiger Luo Sect." Lin Zha said, "Oh?"

Li Xian said, "There's Tiger Luo Sect in the Weihu River Sect, where ten thousand Tiger Leaps River, isn't that right?" Lin Zha said, "Yes, have you been there, young hero?" Li Xian said, "Yes, I have. I witnessed ten thousand Tiger Leaps River. That magnificent sight is truly unforgettable." Song Ya asked, "When did you go?" Li Xian said, "I'm not a native of Jade City. I came to Jade City to make a living for someone." Song Ya understood and said, "I see. Where do you live?"

The woman from Mount Zhengyi, named Zhong Nian, smiled and said, "Miss Song seems quite curious about Young Hero Li, could it be...?"

Song Ya said solemnly, "He saved my life; he is my benefactor. I will repay his kindness in the future. What's the harm in learning more about him?"

Li Xian said, "I live in Qingning, which is a small place, hahaha, I bet you've never heard of it."

Lin Zha asked, "Qingning?" After thinking for a moment, he shook his head and said, "I've never heard of her." Zhong Nian also shook his head.

Song Ya said, "Qingning... Qingning... is it Qingning in Yunan Circuit, south of Qiongtian Prefecture?" Li Xian asked, "Oh? How do you know?" Song Ya smiled and said, "It seems so!" Zhong Nian said, "Miss Song is very knowledgeable. She even knows such a place by heart. She is truly amazing." Song Ya said, "No, no. Although my teacher often tells us students to read place names extensively and memorize rivers, such remote places are rarely recorded on Terrain Map. Even if we wanted to know about them, it would be difficult."

"It was Fu Haoran who once visited Qiongtian Prefecture and served as a teacher at the academy. During that time, he wrote famous poems and travelogues. His poems were widely circulated, and my teacher studied them word by word. Whenever he gained insight, he would impart it to us. I gradually learned a thing or two from his exposure to them. Just now, when I heard the name ' Qingning,' it seemed to have appeared in the poem, so I made a connection, and unexpectedly, I guessed correctly."

Li Xian exclaimed, "Miss Song truly deserves to be a disciple of a renowned teacher, one of the Thirteen Sages of the Mirror. Speaking of which, I have a younger brother who also practices literature. If there is an opportunity in the future, I am sure he and Miss Song will have many topics to discuss."

Song Ya smiled and asked, "Don't you, my benefactor, have any topics to chat about with me?"

Song Ya smiled and said, "As far as I know, Jade City is extremely far from Qingning. Have you ever thought about going back to take a look?" Li Xian said, "Let's wait and see. I'm tied up with official duties in Jade City, how can I go back so easily?" He broke off a branch and threw it into the campfire.

Song Ya asked, "Oh, if there were an opportunity to be free from official duties for several months, would you return, my benefactor?" Li Xian replied, "Such a situation is extremely rare. We'll discuss the treatment later. My immediate priority is to bring you all back to Jade City."

They chatted idly all night, devouring wild rabbits and birds. After a short nap, the sky began to lighten, sunlight filtering through the leaves, and birds chirped merrily. After a night's rest, Lin Zha and Zhong Nian were both better, their Qi and Blood restored, and they were able to wield swords and deal with ordinary bears and wolves. Li Xian, remembering that Wu Gan's Birthday Banquet was approaching and that Song Ya had gained fame and would be attending, carried Song Ya on his back and hurried out of Sky-Screen Mountain.

Lin Zha and Zhong Nian were a step behind, but the search team would provide support.

And so, on the second day of the search, Song Ya was found. The news spread immediately, causing a stir in Jade City. The name "Li Xian" spread beyond the west of the city and throughout Jade City, along with the nickname "Handsome Sideburns, Ugly Face."

Lei Chong had anticipated this. Upon receiving the news, he felt a mix of emotions, thinking to himself, "This boy's abilities far surpass Non-Self. He accomplished such a difficult task with ease. He searched the mountain on August 29th and returned at noon on the 30th. Counting everything, from taking over the case to wielding its power, it only took two days." "If he comes from a wealthy family and possesses such abilities, even Xu Central Lang General is no match for him. I was originally worried that he would replace me. Now I realize I was overthinking it. But I've already made an enemy of this boy, so I have no choice but to fight him to the death."

"Xu Shaoqian has always valued his reputation. I wonder what he thinks now that he hears the gossip circulating in the streets."

Li Xian returned to Jade City and, under the pretext of compiling "case files," ordered Song Ya to recount what she saw, heard, felt, and knew before and after her disappearance. Song Ya complied, saying that she was attacked in the middle of the night, her head was covered, and she was not in control of herself, so she did not know the specific details and provided very little information.

Li Xian thought to himself, "No one knows a daughter better than her father. Let the Song the Merchant determine whether Song Ya is real or not." So he brought Song Ya back. The Song the Merchant came out to greet her, and when they saw Song Ya return, they were overjoyed and wept. Although Song Ya was a young woman, she had the demeanor of a head of the family and comforted her family instead.

The Song Family bowed in unison to express their gratitude to Li Xian. Li Xian casually declined. Song Ya, having just escaped danger, returned home and was overcome with drowsiness, wanting to rest as soon as possible.

Li Xian and the others left the Song Family and rode back to Marquis Wu Station. Chang Ziqiang reported on the latest developments in the search of the mountain: after two days of searching, seventy-seven people were injured, and more than ten Opportunity-Seeking Wood Hound and Mountain-Search Toad were destroyed.

The manpower and resources consumed... totaled nearly four thousand taels of silver, funded by the Gold-Seeking Guard's treasury. Li Xian thought, "Allocation of resources is certainly convenient, but the money behind it is burned even faster. But Non-Self money, I can use it as I please. The Gold-Seeking Guard is under the jurisdiction of Heavenly Pivot Heavenly Pivot, which allocates large sums of gold and silver every month. When it's time to use them, they should be used. And although four thousand taels is not a small amount, it's not a huge sum either."

Li Xian gently Binds the Wind, pondering, "But this case still has many unanswered questions. Fatty Tan and Tan Shorty said they never arrested Song Ya. Yet, there were traces of the Seven Withered Flowers in Song Ya's boudoir. And finally, Song Ya did reappear in the prison."

"On the way back to the city, Song Ya left no trace, but I didn't trust her easily. I just pretended to believe her first, then secretly investigated, perhaps there were other clues." "Perhaps I'm being paranoid, but being paranoid is never a bad thing. This situation is as murky as water; if I blind myself and just let things slide, my life might not be safe." Xu Shaoqian feigned illness and relinquished power. Upon hearing that the case was clear—that "the Seven Withered Flowers had kidnapped Song Ya and hidden her deep in Sky-Screen Mountain, but Song Ya has now been found and can attend Wu Gan's Birthday Banquet"—he was overwhelmed with mixed feelings, and a sense of defeat rose within him.

He said with a hint of worry, "If Xiangrong hears about this, I wonder what she will think? I should find an opportunity to tell her that I am really sick. No... I can't get better immediately after the case is solved; I need to make it look convincing and stay sick for a while longer."

He immediately went back to bed, when suddenly there was a knock on the door. Xu Shaoqian guessed it was Gold-Seeking Guard and impatiently shouted, "Get out!"

There was a pause outside the door, and a woman's voice came from outside. "Xu Central Lang General, it's me, Liang Xiaoshi."

Xu Shaoqian hurriedly feigned weakness, his steps unsteady, and went to open the door, asking, "Ah, it's Xiaoshi, cough cough, cough cough... Please come in, please come in." Liang Xiaoshi was the maid beside Tao Xiangrong. Xu Shaoqian's face turned pale, and he asked, "Xiaoshi, what brings you here? Is it Xiangrong... who wanted you to deliver a message to me? Those sons of bitches, why didn't they tell me beforehand?"

Liang Xiaoshi said, "The Gold-Seeking Guard have been busy lately, no wonder they're so busy. It's my elder sister who heard that Xu Central Lang General seriously ill, and coincidentally, the ' Heaven of Immortal Peaches ' are ripe. She asked me to pick some and send them to the Central Lang General, and also to visit him."

Xu Shaoqian was overjoyed and asked, "So... so that's how it is." He lifted the lid of the fruit basket, revealing only rare and exquisite fruits. Xu Shaoqian said with slight disappointment, "There are no Immortal Peach."

Liang Xiaoshi covered her mouth and chuckled, "Xu Central Lang General is indeed remarkable, but if you want Sister to send over the Immortal Peach, you'll need to put in more effort." Xu Shaoqian asked, "I Xiangrong who Immortal Peach to?"

Liang Xiaoshi said, "No one sent any." Although Xu Shaoqian did not receive Immortal Peach, he was greatly comforted. The "Blue-Heavens Long Dream Tower" has thirty-three heavens, and a Immortal Peach Assembly is held every year.

Those who receive Immortal Peach from the Heavenly Peach Banquet may enter the Immortal Peach Assembly. There is a beautiful story that a beautiful woman presented a peach, and together they went to the celestial banquet. The Tao Xiangrong departed gracefully. The peach's name is "Tao," so if one presents a peach from the Heavenly Peach Banquet, the meaning is self-evident.

Liang Xiaoshi exchanged a few polite words and then left. Xu Shaoqian stared blankly at the fruit basket, lost in thought. He would sometimes beat his chest in frustration, sometimes secretly rejoice, and sometimes feel troubled and confused. "You gave me a fruit basket, but not Immortal Peach. Whether you like me or not, you're always so aloof, driving me crazy." Liang Xiaoshi returned to Blue-Heavens Long Dream Tower and met Tao Xiangrong. A pale red curtain separated the two. Tao Xiangrong and asked, "Did you deliver the fruit basket?"

Liang Xiaoshi said, "It's been sent, sister. Just as you predicted, that young master Xu was faking illness and hiding. Sigh, I used to think he was quite good, but at this critical moment, he actually... actually... did something like this. Thinking about it, he's not even as good as Gold Steward under my command."

"By the way, Sister Xiangrong, you have three Immortal Peach immortality. Are you really not going to give away a single one? Jade City is a land of outstanding people and countless talents. Are you sure not even one of them is worthy of your attention? There's a saying... well said, life is short, so seize the day... isn't that wonderful? With just a word from you, sister, how many men would obediently submit?" Tao Xiangrong said softly, "Sister, your youth is fleeting. The only ones you need to subdue are the most valiant young men."

Liang Xiaoshi asked, "The boy in your eyes, sister, is probably not even born yet."