Could Grand Preceptor Mo possibly have a pedophilic tendency? Recalling his vow not to harm children, a chill ran through her body.

Mo Ti Zhun had no idea his image had been distorted so grotesquely in her mind. He simply whispered, “I’ll let go if you promise not to scream.”

Feng Miao Jun rolled her eyes at him and nodded.

She neither trembled nor did her heartbeat quicken; she appeared quite composed. Mo Ti Zhun removed his hand and pointed at the bundle on the table. “Where were you planning to escape to?”

She shook her head. “Mother was taking me out for a spring outing.”

He smirked. “You need to hide gold just for a simple outing?”

So he had spotted the five taels of gold hidden in her bundle—aside from her jewelry, that was all she had. Feng Miao Jun maintained a stern expression. “Men and women should keep their distance. What instructions does the Grand Preceptor have that require sneaking in during the night?”

This little girl immediately reminded him to mind both his status and the hour. Mo Ti Zhun leaned back against the chair. “I need to stay here for a few days.”

“What?” Feng Miao Jun was startled. “Absolutely not!”

Mo Ti Zhun’s face immediately darkened. With his exalted position, who would dare refuse him so bluntly, especially a commoner girl?

Feng Miao Jun realized this too and forced a laugh. “Grand Preceptor Mo is busy with affairs of state. How could you waste time here?”

Mo Ti Zhun snorted. “This time, I’m the one asking a favor. After this matter passes, you’ll be generously rewarded.”

His words carried the flavor of a tiger fallen to the plains. Feng Miao Jun’s peripheral vision kept scanning him until she finally noticed a large damp patch at his ribcage. She hadn’t noticed it earlier because his clothes were grayish-brown.

Upon closer inspection, there seemed to be a faint smell of blood in the air.

“You’re injured?” Though she had hemostatic medicine nearby, she had no intention of obsequiously bandaging him. Let it flow; it would help with circulation. The Grand Preceptor probably rarely had opportunities to bleed. “So you couldn’t defeat Yun Ya after all!”

“Nonsense!” Mo Ti Zhun glared with his tiger-like eyes. “You haven’t seen Yun Ya, how would you know he wasn’t injured?”

Feng Miao Jun now realized his complexion was as dim as tonight’s moonlight, looking worse the more she observed. His injuries were more severe than they appeared. Moreover, his forehead was darkened, yet the corners of his eyes were crawling with faint red lines as if he were ill, or perhaps… poisoned?

She tilted her head slightly. “Are his injuries as severe as yours?” So Yun Ya used poison too?

“…” He finally understood why this little girl wasn’t well-liked—every word she spoke felt like a knife to the heart. “I’m somewhat injured, but I have a method for rapid recovery. However, while performing the Nirvana Technique, I’ll lose all six senses, unable to speak or move, appearing like a living corpse until my cultivation is fully restored after twenty double-hours.”

So he needed to hibernate in a safe place for two days?

This was just “somewhat” injured? His wounds must be life-threatening to drive him to such desperate measures.

Feng Miao Jun’s expression turned strange. “Can’t you just dig a hole somewhere in the wilderness and bury yourself for two days? Dig it deep enough.”

He gently shook his head. “That won’t work. There are mountain spirits and water elementals tracking my whereabouts, reporting my movements in the wild.”

These so-called mountain spirits and water elementals, in more grounded terms, were earth gods and river deities. They were originally minor demons with cultivated abilities who, upon finding opportunity, were sanctified and could enjoy human offerings while protecting the local area. There was a mountain deity temple behind Feng Family Village, and Feng Miao Jun had heard many legends, but only tonight did she learn that the Grand Preceptor could also command these spirits.

Thinking about it, they operated openly in human territories, which meant they had accepted imperial authority and therefore had to work for humans.

So against Yun Ya, Mo Ti Zhun was actually this pathetic?

Feng Miao Jun was nearly furious.

Travel was difficult in this world. She had worked hard to escape over a hundred li, even changing capitals, thinking she could finally fly freely like a bird, only to discover that Mo Ti Zhun had brought the great demon Yun Ya to her doorstep again!

What sins had she committed in her past life to be unable to escape this fate? “What terrible thing did you do to make Yun Ya pursue you so relentlessly?”

Mo Ti Zhun rubbed his nose and continued on his own:

“We’ve been fighting and chasing each other for over two hundred li these past two days. He would never expect me to double back. Besides, he’s also badly injured; he won’t be able to track me here for at least three days.”

Stopping for a quick meal or staying at an inn would normally be nothing to Mo Ti Zhun. Yet now he was like a dragon in shallow water, near death, and most afraid of being remembered.

His words did little to reassure Feng Miao Jun. If Yun Ya’s actions were so easily predictable, why was Mo Ti Zhun in such a wretched state? “Wait, did you walk back here?”

“I commandeered a merchant’s cart to get here, never exposing myself to the open. By coincidence, I spotted you just as I entered the city.”

She had opened the carriage window to watch the commotion, never imagining she’d be seen by this harbinger of misfortune. Feng Miao Jun’s gaze flickered. “I could turn you in and earn a substantial reward.”

Mo Ti Zhun’s complexion grew even more ashen, yet he grinned. “If you’re not afraid of losing your life before spending it, go ahead and report me.”

Feng Miao Jun glanced at his collar. “Planning to threaten me with the ant nest again?”

“That’s a good idea.” Mo Ti Zhun seemed to startle. “Thanks for the reminder!”

“…” She wanted to slap herself. Why did she have to open her mouth in the middle of the night?

Mo Ti Zhun exhaled deeply, his eyes closing slightly. “Your record isn’t clean either. You wouldn’t dare sell me out.”

“Oh?”

“That cook named Hu Ping couldn’t withstand my methods and committed suicide early on. Ordinary women aren’t so resolute. And the guards around you are exceptionally skilled—not the type that common merchant families could afford.”

She didn’t even blink. “Is that all? Not enough.”

So Hu Ping committed suicide to maintain her loyalty. Thinking of this, she felt a pang of sorrow.

“How is it not enough?” Mo Ti Zhun smiled silently. “Hu Ping was your person, which means her testimony at the county office was false, making Wang Po’s death suspicious. After you pushed her down in Feng Family Village, you probably accidentally revealed your secret, then hurried to silence her, right?” He looked into Feng Miao Jun’s eyes and shrugged. “What? I was also at that trial in Zi County.”

“Looking at it this way, perhaps the other woman who provided testimony was the one who revealed the truth.” He smiled faintly. “So Zhao Da Zhao’s accusation that you’re a remnant of the An Xia Dynasty might not be wrong. If you want to turn me in, first think about how to explain why I appeared in Feng Family Village.” She had connections with the An Xia Dynasty and would certainly avoid dealing with Wei Dynasty officials to prevent bringing disaster upon herself.

Feng Miao Jun even lightened her breathing.

Damn it!