The bustling street gradually grew quieter.

Actually, it wasn’t quite deserted — even near the city gate, it wasn’t all that empty.

The two men pushed their ten sacks of rice out through the city gate; at some point, Feng Jiu’er and Qiaomu, on horseback, had also left the city.

Outside the city, there were still plenty of people coming and going.

After passing through a few forks in the road, the number of people visible gradually dwindled.

Past a tea stall, continuing on, tall grass lined both sides of the road, and only occasionally would they encounter one or two common folk.

Feng Jiu’er and Qiaomu came to a fork in the road, exchanged a glance, and each went down a different path.

After leaving the city gate and walking for roughly an hour, Feng Jiu’er finally found the forest.

She could faintly still make out the figures heading deeper into the woods, but she didn’t rush to follow right away.

Soon, Qiaomu arrived from the other direction.

The two exchanged another glance and immediately continued forward together.

After so long working together, these sisters with no blood tie between them could often understand each other without words.

Both had excellent lightness skills, and the men ahead never noticed them.

Yet, after following for a while, they still lost the trail.

The two figures suddenly vanished from sight, and the cart along with them — Feng Jiu’er immediately quickened her pace, skimming across the treetops.

Qiaomu, not far away, did the same, catching up in a few bounds.

Gone. Everything was gone. The two men, the cart, the rice on it — all vanished into thin air, without a trace.

Feng Jiu’er and Qiaomu dropped down from the trees at almost the same moment, both their expressions turning grim in an instant.

Just for a moment of distraction, the two of them lowered their heads at the same time.

Since they were standing quite close together, their two heads collided directly.

“Ow!”

“Ow!”

One taller, one shorter, one rubbing the top of her head, the other rubbing her forehead.

They looked at each other, each with more than a little complaint in their eyes.

“Did you see anything?” Feng Jiu’er was the first to recover.

Her head ached — and not just from the collision. How could these two people and the cart simply vanish like that?

“I couldn’t see a thing,” Qiaomu said, frowning.

Neither of them said anything more; they both turned back at once, lowering their eyes to search the ground for traces.

They searched for a long while, then came back together.

“How is that possible? Not a single trace?” Qiaomu, refusing to believe it, crouched down to search again.

Feng Jiu’er glanced around; for the moment, nothing came to mind.

Jian Yi arrived from not far away, landing steadily in front of Feng Jiu’er.

“Jian Yi, did you see anything?” Feng Jiu’er asked.

Jian Yi shook his head.

Feng Jiu’er knew that since Jian Yi had been following behind them, if they couldn’t see anything, it would be hard for him to have seen anything either.

The three of them split up to search, and it wasn’t until Long Qi and Feng Yinan arrived that they still hadn’t found any useful tracks.

“Miss Jiu’er, how’s it going?” Long Qi asked, dropping down from a tree.

Feng Yinan came down from another tree as well.

The two of them had been moving through the treetops the whole time, careful not to touch the ground so as not to disturb any tracks.

“This is the last trace.” Feng Jiu’er pointed at the footprints on the ground and the two lines of cart-wheel tracks.

“But I can say for certain, this isn’t where they disappeared.”

“Disappeared?” Feng Yinan frowned.

He hadn’t expected that even Jiu’er would lose the trail.

As for how skilled Jiu’er truly was, they couldn’t say for certain, but it had to be at the pinnacle.

“Mn.” Feng Jiu’er’s gaze drifted toward the distance, and she let out a soft sigh.

“It’s as if they simply vanished. By the time we caught up, there was nothing to find — not even the tracks on the ground remained.”

Feng Yinan followed the direction Feng Jiu’er had been looking, and after a moment, said quietly: “Jiu’er, why don’t you all head back first.”

Feng Jiu’er drew her gaze back and looked at him.

“All right!” She patted his shoulder gently. “No forcing your way in. Safety first.”

“I know.” Feng Yinan nodded. “I don’t intend to force my way in — I just want to figure out why the tracks vanished right here.”

“Mn.” Feng Jiu’er nodded, glancing at the other three.

“Let’s go.”

Only once the forest quieted down would Yinan be able to carry out his plan.

With them around, the small animals had all gone into hiding, hadn’t they?

Once Feng Jiu’er left, the other three followed.

Outside the forest, several horses waited.

The trip back was on horseback, much faster than the way there.

As they were about to enter the city, the three of them slowed their pace.

Jian Yi stayed guarding the rear as always, not moving up ahead.

Qiaomu followed behind Feng Jiu’er; Feng Jiu’er and Long Qi walked together.

“Did you find out anything about anyone from Panlong Stronghold coming out to sell herbs?”

“Miss Jiu’er, after I left the city, I asked Yue Shan — he doesn’t know either,” Long Qi replied.

“But he said there are only two herbalist shops in town. If needed, he’ll go ask personally.”

“I was worried about alerting them, so I told him to just have someone keep watch for now, and we’d discuss it once Miss Jiu’er got back.”

“Mn.” Feng Jiu’er nodded. “Just have someone give me the address of the shops — Qiaomu and I will go, it’ll be more convenient that way.”

Long Qi nodded and quickened his pace, putting a little distance between himself and Feng Jiu’er.

Not long after Feng Jiu’er and Qiaomu entered the city, a soldier disguised as a commoner came over and brushed past her, exchanging a word.

The soldier left; Feng Jiu’er and Qiaomu headed off in another direction.

Soon, the two of them arrived at a herbalist shop and dismounted.

The shop wasn’t large — one side had wooden cabinets holding medicinal herbs, the other had a table and long benches, apparently used for consultations.

There was also a door inside; what lay beyond it, Feng Jiu’er and Qiaomu didn’t yet know.

“You two young ladies, here to buy medicine or for a consultation?” An elderly man with graying hair, seated behind the table, stood up.

“We’re here to ask about something.” Feng Jiu’er said directly.

“Ask about something?” The old man frowned slightly.

“Mn.” Feng Jiu’er took out a bit of loose silver and set it on the table.

“Old sir, do you know the people from Panlong Stronghold?”

The old man glanced at the silver on the table, the corners of his mouth and eyes lifting slightly.

“I certainly know of Panlong Stronghold, but how would I know the people from there?”

“Miss.” He looked down at the modest amount of silver, then back up at Feng Jiu’er.

“If I can’t help you, you’re welcome to take your silver back.”

“I heard from the people of Panlong Stronghold that they make their living selling herbs,” Feng Jiu’er said, not troubled by the silver at all.

“There are only two herbalist shops in this town, and yours is the largest. Think again — have you ever taken in any herbs from Panlong Stronghold?”

The old man frowned, thought about it, and still shook his head: “To be honest with you, Miss, the flow of herbs through my shop really isn’t that large.”

“Then where do your herbs usually come from?” Qiaomu asked, her voice low.

The old man looked at Qiaomu, and straightened his old back a bit more.

This woman looked even less gentle than the shorter one.

“In reply to the Female Hero, my herbs are all purchased, and I select them carefully myself.”

“They’re all genuine, quality herbs. If you don’t believe me, you’re welcome to inspect them.”