Xu Lingkong shook his head. "If the Beggar Gang's very survival weren't at stake, I wouldn't have bothered coming out to deal with any of this."
Qiao Fangzheng said, "From now on, I can leave the Beggar Gang's affairs behind too, find somewhere quiet, and wait for death."
"Not yet," Xu Lingkong said. "You need to go to Eastern Liang Commandery. Xiaotian needs help at his side."
"If you're so concerned about him, why don't you go yourself?" Qiao Fangzheng asked.
"You owe me your life," Xu Lingkong said. "A man should know how to repay kindness!"
Qiao Fangzheng gave a wry smile at that. "I never asked you to save me. I won't acknowledge that debt. But I do owe Hu Xiaotian a favor."
Xu Lingkong smiled faintly, knowing Qiao Fangzheng had agreed. "I'll be making a trip to the Northern Frontier soon," he said softly. "I'll leave matters in the Central Plains to you."
The outcome of the Red Sea Assembly was reasonably satisfactory. Although Shangguan Tianhuo and his son had escaped, that was actually a good thing for Hu Xiaotian. Their flight proved that they had guilty consciences, and moreover, they had killed three Beggar Gang disciples while escaping, sealing their guilt.
Under the joint leadership of High Priest Tongyun and Ganuo, the Lady of the City, the situation in Fire Tree City remained stable. Although City Lord Baheer had been killed, his past crimes of murdering his own elder brother Bage and plotting to assassinate Spirit Maiden Jiaou had also come to light. Thus, the Red Yi people felt nothing but contempt for him, and no one expressed sympathy over his death. Spirit Maiden Jiaou's return filled the entire Red Yi Tribe with joy, and with the end of Fast Day, the whole city plunged into