He stood with his arms folded across his chest, his gaze sweeping over the faces of everyone in the room, finally settling on the small dog, his expression darkening.

“Yowl!” The small dog, as if someone had stepped on it, sat down with a thud and suddenly defecated on the floor.

The soldiers: “…”

Xu Guangxiang didn’t know whether to be happy or angry: “Young Master, you’ve returned!”

Who else could be standing at the door but Yun?

Upon his return, Xu Guangxiang immediately felt relieved: “These soldiers say they’re capturing a serious criminal and need to search the room.”

“Have you finished searching?”

The soldier picked up the dog from the ground and, seeing it dumbfounded, was both shocked and angry: “What trick did you play?”

“We’ve been standing here perfectly fine. How could we possibly do something to your dog?” Xu Guangxiang’s guard said angrily. “Your dog has soiled the young miss’s chamber. How shall we settle this account?”

The dog, once picked up, quickly regained its spirit and became lively again. The soldier asked it: “Are there any clues here?”

It barked twice and wagged its tail.

Others guessed this meant “no,” as the soldier looked at Xu Guangxiang and the others, then walked out. The dog, being carried away, cast a final fearful glance at Yun before leaving.

If Feng Miaojun were here, she would likely lament that even small animals were bullied by the great State Preceptor Yun. However, neither of the two women in the room entertained such thoughts. The guard hurriedly cleaned up the dog’s excrement, while Xu Guangxiang said to Yun: “May I have a word with you?”

“Come to my room; they’ve already searched it.” Yun turned and left, with Xu Guangxiang quickly following.

Yun’s room was on the second floor and indeed empty. Naturally cautious, he first released his divine sense to scan the surroundings, confirming they weren’t being monitored, and then casually set up a barrier before asking her: “You’re harboring a fugitive?”

Hmm? Xu Guangxiang was momentarily taken aback.

“Those people brought a Jin-waisted hound, a variant from the Chiqian Forest, with a sense of smell several times more sensitive than ordinary dogs. After training, it’s almost infallible.” If he hadn’t frightened the dog into a stupor, the inn would likely be in an uproar by now.

Xu Guangxiang released the four-legged snake and said sheepishly: “Truly formidable abilities.” She had always acted straightforwardly and was unfamiliar with such tactics. If Yun hadn’t appeared, those people would have stayed a bit longer, and her deception would have been exposed.

The four-legged snake fell to the ground and raised its head to meet Yun’s gaze, a rather peculiar sight. The latter’s long eyebrows slightly furrowed as he discerned the truth: “A shape-shifting pill?”

“You know of it?” Xu Guangxiang asked in surprise. “This was given to me by my father as a plaything.”

“Of course I know; I made it with my own hands.” As Yun spoke, he stood by the window and looked down.

After checking the last rooms, the people had withdrawn and were now leaving the inn to search elsewhere. He turned back, took out a small jade box from his bosom, and with his fingernail, scooped out some powder and sprinkled it on the four-legged snake.

With a light “hiss,” the four-legged snake transformed back into human form.

Only then did Yun show a surprised expression: “Zuoqiu Yuan?”

Zuoqiu Yuan’s demeanor was even more dejected than before, but he managed not to collapse, forcing a bitter smile: “To encounter State Preceptor Yun here, I truly have great fortune and a strong destiny!”

So these two knew each other. As Xu Guangxiang was feeling puzzled, Yun had already turned to ask her: “The Zuoqiu family was convicted of murdering the Crown Prince. This person is now the Kingdom’s most wanted fugitive. Why would you save him?”

Xu Guangxiang’s expression became solemn: “The enemy of an enemy might be worth rescuing?”

Zuoqiu Yuan, clutching his wound, added: “I have a complete understanding of Miao. I am willing to serve the Kingdom of Wei from now on.”

“What do you seek?”

“Revenge!” A raging fire burned in his eyes. “As long as I have breath in me, I must take Miao Jing’s head to console the spirits of my Zuoqiu family in heaven!”

Miao Jing was the full name of the current King.

Yun quietly looked at him for a moment before saying to Xu Guangxiang: “Treat his wounds. Don’t let him die.”

Xu Guangxiang was unwilling to have physical contact with another man in front of him, so she called for her guard to come in and treat Zuoqiu Yuan’s wounds.

Zuoqiu Yuan’s injuries were severe; the enemy’s blade was just a hair’s breadth from cutting into his kidney.

Yun sat down: “Was the Crown Prince truly killed by your father?”

Zuoqiu Yuan hesitated slightly, then answered, “Yes.”

“Then he deserved to die,” Yun said coolly. “For a subject to harm his superior, the punishment is the execution of nine generations of the family. It’s the same in Wei.”

“Miao Jing is heartless!” Zuoqiu Yuan inhaled sharply due to the guard’s ministrations. “When it happened, I was away. Upon hearing the news, I rushed back to Yinzi City, only to find the entire Zuoqiu family had been executed. My mother was kind and gentle to all, unwilling to even step on an ant, yet she was sentenced to death by dismemberment! When I entered the city, her—her head was displayed on the city gate as a warning, a sight too horrific to bear!”

“What crime did she commit to deserve such cruel punishment!” Zuoqiu Yuan’s teeth ground audibly. “And my mentor! He merely pitied my innocence and sheltered me for a few days. I don’t know who informed on him afterward, but the King ordered him to be executed by strangulation!”

“I do not hate the Kingdom, but Miao Jing and I cannot live under the same sky!”

Xu Guangxiang interjected: “I heard you and Miao Fengxian were good friends?”

“With such a great grudge before us, we are now mortal enemies.” Zuoqiu Yuan gave a cold laugh. “When my entire Zuoqiu family was executed, I didn’t see him plead for my family’s lives.”

Of course Miao Fengxian wouldn’t plead for them; he had deep affection for the murdered Crown Prince Miao Fengyuan and at that time deeply hated the Zuoqiu family. Between these two men lay national enmity and family hatred; indeed, there was no possibility of reconciliation. Yun nodded; Zuoqiu Yuan had passed the first test.

“Your reputation is not small, but are you of use to the Great Wei?” Scrutiny flashed in Yun’s eyes. “Prove it to me.”

Zuoqiu Yuan’s face twitched slightly, evidently in great pain from the wound treatment, but he still gritted his teeth and said: “State Preceptor Yun’s appearance here is for the incredibly heavy treasure at Zhenlong Pavilion?”

“Oh?” Yun’s face remained expressionless. “What makes you think so?”

“Many have come for it.” Zuoqiu Yuan said in a low voice. “I came here to take refuge because I heard cultivators have been frequently appearing in Luosha City lately. I’ve also spent some time learning about the treasure in Zhenlong Pavilion. I heard this item first appeared in Yingshui City. After the city fell, it survived several rounds of burning, killing, and looting, only because it was too heavy to be carried away like ordinary treasures. Until the final force that plundered the entire city came in, they discovered that all the spoils had already been taken by their predecessors. Unable to find anything of value, they were forced to transport this candelabra away.”

Xu Guangxiang listened without blinking. For her, gathering such information wouldn’t be difficult; she would just need to spend some time investigating. But Zuoqiu Yuan was already a fugitive, with pursuers behind him and barely able to protect himself, yet he still managed to collect this information—truly a steady temperament.

“In recent years, anything related to Yingshui City has been popular, especially this object depicted in ancient paintings.”

At this point, Yun suddenly interrupted him: “Have you seen that candelabra?”