“What did you say?” I cried out in disbelief.

I had thought Lin Shaoci had dealt with those two people, returned to the inn, and discovered I was missing—based on my familiarity with wuxia novels, no young master from a righteous sect would die so early—but I never expected that he had left.

“They left yesterday,” the innkeeper repeated, emphasizing his words.

“How many people left? Was there a young man among them?”

“They left as a large group,” the innkeeper smiled with ill intent, his tone becoming flippant. “As for young men, I saw three or four. I don’t know which one you’re looking for.”

My expression darkened as I snapped, “The one who checked in with me, the one wearing black clothes.”

I was confident in Rong Shukuang’s cold and aloof demeanor. Sure enough, the innkeeper’s manner became more respectful. “Well, I didn’t notice. So many people come and go through my inn every day, how could I remember everyone? Anyway, they all left early yesterday morning.”

This scoundrel had no intention of telling the truth.

I had walked a long distance, until my legs were weak, my feet blistered, and yet they had actually left first. Their purpose for this journey was to escort me to Cangzhou, so why would they suddenly leave without waiting for me? Perhaps something urgent had come up?

Unable to figure it out, I called out, “Innkeeper, bring me a cup of tea.”

The innkeeper leaned against the counter with a mocking smile. “Looking at your attire, miss, I dare ask, did you bring any money?”

I was stunned, suddenly realizing I didn’t have a single coin, and even the clothes I wore belonged to someone else. This was truly a case of it never rains but it pours.

As I dragged my exhausted legs through the streets, I suddenly realized how inhumane this city’s design was. No parks were one thing, but not even a bench for people to rest on. How had I ended up in this situation? Penniless, alone, without martial arts skills… Perhaps heaven was placing a great burden upon me?

That Lin Shaoci lacked all sense of jianghu honor. No matter what urgent matters arose, he should have at least left someone to wait for me. How could he just leave without a trace? If what Yan Shao said was true, I was their sect leader. Is this how one treats a sect leader? Well, now I could only shamelessly go find Yan Shao to borrow some silver. At least he didn’t seem like a stingy person.

Just as this thought formed, a carriage appeared before me, and a handsome young man walked directly up to me and smiled, “Miss Rong, please get in.”

I was startled. “Who are you?”

He bowed respectfully, “Someone sent to receive you.”

At this moment, if I were in a better mood, I might have indulged my imagination: this person was a noble prince who had traveled thousands of miles to rescue me, a fallen Cinderella. Unfortunately, I was in a foul mood and could only force a smile and reply, “Whoever he is, please tell him that I have no time for his pointless guessing games.”

He smiled, “I can take you anywhere you wish to go.”

A spark of realization hit me, and I asked suspiciously, “Did that Yan Shao send you?”

He merely smiled noncommittally, “I’m following orders. I know nothing else. Please get in the carriage!”

Fine, I’ll get in. Having a carriage ride was certainly better than walking. Hmph, I wanted to see what kind of game he was playing. I climbed into the carriage and said, “To Li Lake!”

The carriage sped like the wind. After about half an hour, I realized we were heading in completely the wrong direction.

“Are you sure you’re not lost?” I lifted the curtain.

“I’m sure.”

“May I know your name?”

As they say, once bitten, twice shy. I needed to know who I was dealing with, to know whose hands I was falling into, so I could seek revenge later.

“You can call me Feng Ming. Feng as in phoenix, Ming as in sing.” He bowed from atop his horse, his manners impeccable.

“Nice name,” I said with a forced smile. “May I ask where we’re going?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” I felt anger rising within me, making my voice shrill.

His smile was flawless. “I was only ordered to take you along this path.”

Ugh—my heart tightened. The implication sounded ominous. Could these be enemies? It seemed I had no choice but to jump from the carriage and escape. I needed to find a hidden, winding place to conceal myself.

As the carriage entered a grove, I took several deep breaths and mentally prepared myself for broken arms or fractures. Just as I was about to bravely jump, the carriage suddenly overturned. My head hit the hard carriage wall with a solid thud. The pain made me grimace. Outside, I heard the horse neighing in distress, the wind rushing through the trees, and faint, shrill sounds hidden within the wind, like the sound of sharp metal slicing through the air.

When I crawled out of the carriage before I could see the situation, I felt my body lighten, the wind roaring in my ears. The lush green forest retreated backward at an unimaginable speed. I could barely keep my eyes open, feeling as dizzy as if I were floating in the clouds.

Suddenly, everything around me became still, and a voice asked, “Are you alright?”

“I can’t believe I was flying just now,” I exhaled softly, looking up to see the person. It was actually that Xie who resembled Wu Huan. My blood rushed to my head, and I screamed, “How could it be you? Where is Lin Shaoci? What have you done to him?”

He seemed startled by my extreme reaction and repeated, “Are you alright?”

Like a shrew, I rushed over and grabbed his collar, my mouth nearly biting his nose. “Tell me quickly, did you kill him?”

“Master Lin’s martial arts are unparalleled in the world. Those who could harm him are few, let alone kill him.”

“So he’s unharmed?” I stepped back, examining this face that so resembled Wu Huan, half-believing, half-doubting. “Then where is he now?”

He smiled slightly and answered indirectly, “Jianghu rumors say Miss Rong has deep feelings for Master Lin. It seems indeed true.”

I ignored his teasing and coldly asked, “What exactly happened that night?”

“That night, my master was ambushed. Fortunately, Master Lin helped—”

“Helped?” I frowned. “I saw him attacking your master…”

He smiled, “No! Master Lin’s target was Miss Wen Jun who stood behind my master. In fact, in the entire assassination plot, she was the truly lethal piece.”

I immediately understood. That Xiu Zhu and the madam must have tried to distract him, allowing Miss Wen Jun to strike with lethal precision!

“Who is your master? Why did they want to assassinate him? And who are you?”

“I am Feng Tingxie. Regarding my master, I’m afraid I cannot say.”

Feng Tingxie! Could such coincidences truly exist? Similar faces reversed names.

I carefully verified, “Which three characters?”

“Feng as in breeze, Ting and Xie as in pavilion and dwelling.” He paused, then added, “My younger sister is Feng Jingli.”

“Who is Feng Jingli?”

His expression changed. “You truly don’t remember anything about Biyu Peak?”

I coughed dryly, “I’ve had some issues lately, my memory comes and goes, so…”

He showed an expression of understanding, lamenting, “So Miss Rong’s memory loss is real.”

I pursued, “What happened at Biyu Peak?”

“If memories bring pain, perhaps forgetting is a form of happiness.”

I continued asking, “Where did Lin Shaoci and the others go?”

“Master Lin suddenly received a secret letter and set out for Jinan early yesterday. Now, I have been ordered to escort you on your journey.”

Ha! There are so many people following orders these days.

“Whose orders?” I asked.

“My master’s orders.”

“Why does he want to protect me? What are your objectives?” I looked at him coldly. “If you don’t explain clearly, I won’t go with you.”

He looked me up and down. “Miss Rong, do you have any better options right now?”

I remained silent, knowing he spoke the truth. I was an outsider in this timeline, without money, without memories, without martial arts. The jianghu was extremely treacherous, and I couldn’t distinguish friend from foe, lacking self-preservation experience… Worse still, I didn’t even have a change of clothes… For the first time, I felt so fragile and helpless, on the verge of collapse.

“Even if you don’t trust me, you should trust this.” He smiled, taking out a white porcelain bottle from his bosom. “This is medicine left by Master Lin, along with a prescription written by the renowned physician Li Xiuran, specifically treating the cold energy in your body.”

I had no choice. At this point, I could only trust him.

If since crossing over to the Ming Dynasty and occupying Rong Shukuang’s body, I had maintained an attitude of playing along, then from now on, I finally realized clearly that I was not a bystander. I was part of this jianghu, with no possibility of existing independently outside the organization. As the leader of Yu Chi Mountain Manor and a spy, I was already inextricably linked to Prince Han’s rebellion. Even though I knew the Ming Dynasty would only last 276 years, merely a fleeting moment in China’s five-thousand-year history; even though Prince Han’s rebellion was destined to fail, spy work was not like hosting a dinner party. It was a technical job requiring extreme intelligence and courage. If I couldn’t succeed, I would have to sacrifice myself.

But Rong Shukuang was already dead. I am Fang Yi, and this matter had absolutely nothing to do with me. I had no desire to lose my life for the title of some loyal and martyred hero. For me, in this era, I had neither friends nor lovers, so naturally, my life was of the highest value.

Therefore, I made a decision that, while not particularly noble, was undoubtedly the most practical—to run!

However, before running, I first needed travel expenses, lots and lots of travel expenses. Second, I needed a disguise, and a change of gender would be even better. I thoroughly understand Mr. Lin Pingzhi’s situation now. In this jianghu of deception and the law of the jungle, without martial arts skills, or with only minimal skills, it was impossible to survive.

After following Feng Tingxie for two days, I barely had the strength to go on living. Heaven knows what was wrong with him, one moment dragging me along in a mad dash, the next resting for two or three hours, sitting stupidly in the forest doing nothing. He avoided the straightforward official roads, specifically choosing mountain paths filled with thorns and difficult terrain. Sometimes we rode horses, sometimes we took sedan chairs, and once we even rode a manure cart. More impressively, when he sat on the stinking manure barrel in his pristine white robes, he still maintained that elegant, transcendent expression. It must have been difficult for him.

Regardless, this was a good thing for me, because I finally found an excuse to ask for money—after two days of inhumane living, my clothes had been torn to shreds by countless hard grasses and tree branches, beyond recognition. I probably looked like if you put a green bamboo stick in my hand and stood me among beggars, they would spit at me—thinking I was their leader.

Upon reaching Nanjing city, I immediately made my position clear, “Feng, whatever your plans are. I need three days of rest, and during these three days, I’m not going anywhere.”

With that, I collapsed onto the bed, feeling my entire body ache, as if my bones were all clamoring to separate.

Unexpectedly, contrary to his usual rigid attitude, he agreed.

“Fine!”

“Also, I need some silver.”

“How much?”

“How much do you have?”

“Three hundred taels in bank notes, and some loose silver.”

I sat up, looking at him, trying my best to appear pitiful and delicate, saying plaintively, “If you don’t mind, please give me three hundred taels!”

If Gu Long hadn’t deceived me, then jianghu heroes were typically generous, helping the poor and needy, usually throwing away thousands without even blinking. But Feng Tingxie’s reaction differed from the novels’ descriptions—he shook his head.

“Two hundred,” I revised.

“No!”

“One hundred and fifty taels. I can’t go any lower.”

“This is my money,” he emphasized.

I immediately became angry and embarrassed, shouting, “Are you blind? I’m a girl, but look at what I’m wearing! Beggar fashion is out, brother.”

He was quite surprised, “From what I know, Miss Rong hates being treated as a woman.”

I sneered, “Ha! I’m sorry to give you that impression, but if I heard correctly, didn’t you just call me ‘miss’?”

“I apologize for my oversight. Here are two hundred taels.” He handed me the money but couldn’t help adding, “However, if I may be so bold, making a single garment doesn’t require this much silver.”

“Thanks for the reminder!” I promptly replied, “But I won’t be making just one garment.”

He turned to leave, resigned. Just as he reached the door, he suddenly said, “I’ll have a tailor sent to you. You’d better not leave this inn.”

“Why?”

“It’s safer here.”

I was stunned! Just because I lacked martial arts, must I be confined like a prisoner wherever I went? What kind of world was this? Why hadn’t I crossed over to a palace or noble house? There, the threshold might be high, but this special skill of martial arts wouldn’t be necessary. One could eat and drink well every day, wear gold and silver, flirt with princes and generals, and easily win them over with just some knowledge of romantic poetry and songs—all of which were my strengths!

All these grievances dissipated the next evening when I held the new clothes sent by the tailor. I don’t know what method Feng Tingxie used, but the tailor had managed to make four sets of clothing in a single day.

Four colors: emerald green, light peach, bright blue, and dark cyan; upper jackets and lower skirts; narrow-sleeved, cross-collared short garments with floor-length skirts. The skirt hems were embroidered with various flowers—simple, yet elegant.

When I put on the last peach-colored outfit and stood before the mirror admiring myself, I suddenly heard someone softly recite, “The skirt drags six panels of Xiang River water, the hair piled like a cloud upon Wu Mountain.”

I turned around to see Feng Tingxie leaning against the doorway, his eyes bright as he looked at me.

I smiled like a flower, “Thank you!”

The tailor, seeing him enter, rose to take her leave. I quickly said, “Please wait, I haven’t paid you yet.”

She glanced at Feng Tingxie and smiled, “Your husband has already paid.”

“Husband?” I closed the door and turned to face Feng Tingxie.

He appeared nonchalant, “It’s just a form of address.”

“I don’t object. But next time, you can call me ‘sister.'”

“I don’t have an elder sister.”

“Younger sister is fine too.”

“I don’t need another younger sister.”

“Then aunt or something, I don’t mind.”

“I only have a younger sister,” he emphasized.

My interest was suddenly piqued, and I gossip-like asked, “What about your parents and family? Where are you from? Who taught you martial arts? How old is your sister? Is she beautiful? Is she married?”

He stared at me in disbelief for a while, then left without saying a word. Hey, if you don’t want to answer, just say so. What kind of attitude is that? It hurts one’s self-esteem.

You know, when a woman puts on beautiful new clothes, her desire to go out and stroll around becomes particularly strong. Asking her to stay in her room and not go anywhere is almost worse than killing her.

So, even if there was some potential danger outside, I still bravely went out.

The items at Confucius Temple were dazzling and varied, with everything imaginable. I could recognize most of them and knew their functions. But there were also things I didn’t recognize, like this teapot-shaped object without a lid.

I picked it up, looking at it from all angles. It seemed familiar as if I should know it, but I couldn’t recall. The shopkeeper’s expression, however, became increasingly strange.

So I decided to humble myself and ask, “Excuse me, what is this? What is it used for?”

The shopkeeper just stared at me with wide eyes, saying nothing for a long time, as if looking at someone asking for trouble. I switched to what I considered a sweet smile and asked again in a coquettish voice, “Shopkeeper, please, this item…”

“It’s a chamber pot!” a hoarse voice sighed with slight exasperation.

I turned around, staring blankly at him, “Yan Shao?”

His face showed an expression of someone trying hard not to laugh. He extended his long, beautiful hand, lightly hooked it with two fingers, took the item away, and placed it on the stall. “This is for men. Let’s go browse elsewhere.” He turned to leave.

I came to my senses and quickly rushed to grab his arm, exclaiming, “How did you get here?”

“You sound like you’re not happy to see me.” He turned his head, smiling.

“How could that be,” I hurriedly denied. “I’ve been missing you terribly. You have no idea what kind of days I’ve been having—inhumane.”

“Really? At least you’re wearing new clothes.”

“Well, it’s a long story. Let’s find a place where I can tell you all about it. How about that restaurant ahead?”

He stopped and looked at me, “A restaurant? It seems you’re truly tired of living.”

I quickly smiled apologetically, “Then a teahouse it is. You’re treating, so you decide.”

We settled in a teahouse. After I exaggeratedly recounted my experiences over the past two days and then made my request, he seemed quite surprised, “Why do you want to disguise yourself?”

“I’ve completely lost my martial arts, and I have many enemies. To escape their pursuit, I need a disguise to flee.”

He looked at me without speaking, his eyes flickering with an inexplicable light. I wasn’t sure if he believed me.

I sighed, “Fine. I did suspect you. But now I believe you’re a good person, and similarly, you should believe me.”

He smiled, “What did you suspect me of?”

I laughed dryly, “My previous companions suddenly left, and I suspected you were behind it. But now I know they left on their own, it had nothing to do with you.”

He smiled, “From what I know, you now have a new companion.”

“You’ve been following me?” I exclaimed.

“Haha, no. But I did send someone to receive you, though an accident occurred halfway…”

“That Feng Ming was sent by you?”

He merely smiled without answering, essentially confirming it.

I re-examined him: clear features, a gentle and refined demeanor, not like a bad person. Besides, apart from him, there were no other options now. Fortunately, Rong Shukuang’s appearance wasn’t bad.

Having made up my mind, I immediately fixed my gaze on him and lowered my voice, “To be honest, do you have some kind of feelings for me?”

“What kind of feelings?” He pretended to be clueless.

“Let’s be straightforward.” I moved closer, staring directly into his eyes, “Do you like me?”

He was startled, his face twitching slightly as if he wanted to laugh but ultimately controlled himself, then nodded.

“Good!” I sighed with relief and continued, “You wouldn’t stand by and watch a woman you like being hunted down, would you?”

He nodded again.

I patted his shoulder with satisfaction, “So, how much silver do you have on you right now?”

“This… should be enough to pay for the tea,” he answered hesitantly.

“I’ve heard the ancients say, money is the only standard to test true feelings.” I paused, gazing at him affectionately, “Do you agree with this statement?”

He pondered seriously, then nodded, “It seems to make some sense, but…”

I quickly interrupted him, “Great! We’ve finally reached a consensus. You just said you like me, and right now, I need money.” I emphasized, “People need to eat and drink, right? Besides, I’m currently ill.”

He smiled, his eyes curving into a beautiful crescent, “I understand your meaning now. But I still have a few questions.”

“Go ahead.”

“Do you know anyone in the jianghu who is skilled in disguise?”

I was stunned, “No, but I can ask around.”

“Who would you ask?”

“Well, this…”

“You just said you have many enemies. Do you know who they are?”

“There’s one called Shen Zuitian, he’s the leader of the Ghost Valley Alliance.”

“Do you know how great the power of the Ghost Valley Alliance is?”

“Well…” I began to feel uncomfortable.

“The Ghost Valley Alliance emerged in the jianghu seven years ago, sweeping across the north and south, unrivaled by any. The only force that can contend with them is Yu Chi Mountain Manor, and you, as the leader of Yu Chi Mountain Manor, yet…” He didn’t continue.

“Yes, they beat me until I lost all my martial arts, like a stray dog,” I said angrily. “According to you, what should I do? Sit here and wait to die?”

He adjusted his posture, “I have a suggestion, would you be interested in hearing it?”

I replied ungraciously, “Let’s hear it.”

“You could hire a bodyguard with strong martial skills to protect you.”

My eyes lit up, and I slapped the table, “Good idea, brother, but where can I find a bodyguard with ‘strong martial skills’?”

He sipped his tea and said leisurely, “Far away in the distance, yet right before your eyes.”

“You?”

Damn! After all this, he was just trying to sell himself. With his frail appearance, it was hard to associate him with the phrase “strong martial skills.”

“You don’t believe me?” He raised his head, sighing, “Back in the day, when I roamed the jianghu…”

“Alright, alright,” I waved dismissively. “You said before, your friends gave you the nickname ‘Yan Shao’! That name sounds like a flower thief. You really shouldn’t tell this to everyone you meet, thinking it’s elegant.”

“Flower thief?” He narrowed his eyes, then changed his tone, “Rong Shukuang, do you know what happened to the last person who spoke to me like this?”

Though he still wore a smile, there was suddenly an indescribable murderous aura in his voice, his eyes exuding intense intimidation.

My heart trembled, and I became cowardly, “What… happened to him?”

He stared at me coldly, “I didn’t do much to him, just taught him a lesson, then sent him home. However, neither his parents, wife, nor children recognized him anymore.”

I couldn’t help but shudder, a chill crawling up my spine like a small snake. I was too stunned to speak.

He watched me silently for a while, then suddenly burst into laughter, “How about it? Am I qualified to be your bodyguard now?”

“You…” I finally came to my senses, “Are you joking?”

“Haha…” He reached out and ruffled my hair, laughing triumphantly, “Didn’t scare you, did I?”

I was still somewhat frightened. After a moment of daze, I couldn’t help but let out a “wah” and collapsed on the table, crying painfully.

“This scares you? Your courage is too small.” His tone sounded somewhat anxious, “Alright, alright, stop crying, everyone is looking at us. I promise I won’t scare you again…”

Hearing this, I immediately raised my head, pointing at him and exclaiming, “You promised, you can’t scare me anymore.”

“You weren’t crying?”

I smiled mischievously, “Since you just performed quite impressively and were very intimidating, I’ll temporarily hire you as my bodyguard.”

“Then, about the silver…?”

I glared, “Silver? You just scared me, and I didn’t even ask for compensation for mental distress, yet you dare ask me for silver?”

He smiled, “You misunderstood. I meant that ‘only standard to test true feelings’ silver from earlier. How much do you think would meet the standard?”

“Ah? So that’s what you meant.” I immediately broke into a happy smile. This guy still had a conscience. If he hadn’t mentioned it, I might have forgotten.

“Well, that depends on how much you have. If you only have one tael, but are willing to give it all to me, it shows you are completely unreserved and very sincere. If you have one hundred taels but only give me one, then your sincerity equals one percent. However, if your family has countless silver, hundreds of thousands or millions, then please prove your sincerity with one percent. I won’t blame you, hehe…”

He froze for a moment, and finally couldn’t help but laugh, “In that case, I’ll need to calculate my family’s assets before giving you silver. That will take at least three months. Do you mind?”

My eyes widened. Was this guy bragging? Had I encountered the emperor himself? No, that couldn’t be right. The Renzong Emperor of Ming was supposed to be quite fat.

Seeing no reaction from me, he smiled, “Then it’s settled. Let’s go now.”

I quickly said, “No, I must go back tonight and prepare.”

He picked up his tea, slightly frowning, “Your only valuable possession is your life. What else do you need to prepare?”

I also drank my tea in one gulp, “I still have a few new clothes to collect.”

As soon as I finished speaking, a splash of liquid hit my face. I immediately darkened my expression, glaring at him.

“I’m sorry, how rude of me.” He put down his teacup and took out a white silk handkerchief to wipe the tears from my face. “You surprised me.”

I snatched his handkerchief, angrily saying, “Listen carefully. We’ll meet here again tomorrow night, then run away together. To show that you won’t deceive me, please show some sincerity.”

“Sincerity?” He looked dumbfounded.

I reminded him, “I mean silver. Quick, hand it over. I’m leaving.”

He searched for a while but only managed to find some loose silver barely enough to pay for the tea.

I kept a cold face, saying nothing.

Suddenly, he took out a snow-white jade sword from his bosom, about two fingers wide and three inches long, completely flawless from top to bottom.

“I didn’t bring any silver with me. If you don’t mind, this small sword can serve as a token of my sincerity.”

“Not at all, not at all.” My eyes gleamed, my mouth watering as I hastily accepted it and tucked it into my bosom. “Since you’ve shown your sincerity, we’ll meet without fail tomorrow.”

He smiled, “Alright.”

I immediately got up, went downstairs, and left with long strides.

Happy bubbles rose unstoppably from the depths of my heart. This guy was too easy to handle. Hmph, Feng Tingxie, you think I have no choices? You’ll soon discover how wrong you are.