“Lead the way.”

Hearing Jun Shu was also going, Jian Xingzhi didn’t hesitate to raise his hand and point forward. Jun Shu gave Jian Xingzhi directions, and the two of them together charged toward Qingyue Pavilion with imposing momentum.

The two brought a force that would kill anyone who stood in their way, whether human or Buddha, charging to Qingyue Pavilion. At the tavern entrance, Jian Xingzhi looked up at the tavern’s signboard and coldly inquired, “This is the place?”

Jun Shu stood half a step behind him, grinding his teeth. “This is it, their secret meeting place!”

Having said that, the two immediately flashed to the window, crouching sneakily at the window’s edge, poking out half their heads to survey the scene inside.

The tavern was bustling with activity. Yan Wushuang was setting up a stall. His table had a barrier set up—once people entered the barrier, those outside couldn’t hear the conversation. Of course, this kind of barrier could deal with ordinary people, but it fell short against Jian Xingzhi, and against Jun Shu who carried magical treasures, it didn’t have much effect either.

Beside the wine table inside the barrier hung a sign that read “Jack of All Trades,” with two small lines of text beside it:

“Fortune-telling, errand-running, chat companionship—proficient in everything”

“Murder, robbery, fraud—as long as the money’s enough”

Many people were queuing in front of him. When Jian Xingzhi and Jun Shu arrived, they saw a middle-aged woman sitting in front of Yan Wushuang with a serious expression. She pushed two low-grade spirit stones forward and asked in dialect, “I’m paying big money for a child. Can you do it?”

“I’ve been infertile for many years,” Yan Wushuang took the spirit stones and with flourishing strokes wrote a name on paper, pushing it to the woman. “Go to this place. As long as the money’s enough, it’ll work.”

The woman expressionlessly took the white paper with the name of a male brothel written on it, stood up and left. Yan Wushuang raised his hand to beckon, “Next.”

Jian Xingzhi wasn’t interested in Yan Wushuang. His eyes swept through the crowd and he saw Xie Gutang and Qin Wanwan queuing inside, standing very close together like an immortal couple.

Jian Xingzhi discovered this, and Jun Shu naturally discovered it too. He hurried to add fuel to the fire, trying to create conflict. “Daojun, look how close they’re standing. They must be holding hands under their sleeves!”

Jian Xingzhi glared at Jun Shu. “Shut up!”

Jun Shu, having been scolded, also felt he should know when to stop, so he joined Jian Xingzhi in staring at the two people in the hall.

Xie Gutang and Qin Wanwan queued together in the crowd. Qin Wanwan looked around. Her eyes swept the window, vaguely seeing two heads, but when she looked again, they had vanished without a trace.

Thinking she must have had a hallucination, she turned her head back to look at Yan Wushuang ahead, happily collecting money.

They had originally thought they would need to use some special methods to get Yan Wushuang out of Desolate City, then they could quietly capture him. They hadn’t expected this Yan Wushuang to be completely a money-grubbing charlatan. Rather than some conspiracy or scheme, simply spending money might be simpler.

The two queued together. When they reached Yan Wushuang, he looked up at them and broke into a smile. “Oh, you two? What do you need?”

“We’d like to entrust you with something,” Xie Gutang spoke according to plan. “Tomorrow afternoon, meet us outside Desolate City.”

“For what?” Yan Wushuang crossed his arms, sizing them up. “Why go outside the city?”

“I want to test your sword.”

Xie Gutang gave the reason they had pondered for a long time. Hearing this, Yan Wushuang let out a light scoff. “You just made enemies with me and now you’re asking me to leave the city—you just want to beat me up, right? Do you think I’m stupid?”

“No,” Qin Wanwan heard this and quickly explained. “We absolutely don’t mean that.”

“If you don’t mean that, why are you asking me to leave the city?”

Yan Wushuang examined them. “Without a reasonable explanation, I won’t trust you. After all, I hit your master, didn’t I?”

This question stumped Xie Gutang. Xie Gutang fell silent. Qin Wanwan thought for a moment and gritted her teeth. “Actually, I’m having you go kill my master.”

Hearing this, Yan Wushuang gasped. “Your sect’s internal conflicts run this deep?”

“That’s right.”

Qin Wanwan nodded. Yan Wushuang asked strangely, “Why do you want to kill your master?”

“Because…” Qin Wanwan’s mind spun frantically, coming up with a reason. “He won’t let Gutang and me be together.”

“You want to be with him?!”

Yan Wushuang was shocked, looking at Xie Gutang. “Your sect allows this?”

Xie Gutang understood Yan Wushuang’s meaning and immediately followed Qin Wanwan’s words. “I’m willing to change cultivation paths for her.”

“You don’t want your cultivation anymore?”

Yan Wushuang’s eyes began to show admiration. Xie Gutang nodded. “I don’t want it anymore.”

“Why so sudden?” Yan Wushuang didn’t understand, but just as he finished speaking, he suddenly widened his eyes, understanding. He looked at Qin Wanwan. “Could it be…”

“Could it be?”

Qin Wanwan didn’t understand Yan Wushuang’s thought process. Yan Wushuang spoke word by word, “You’re pregnant?”

The entire place fell silent. After a moment, Qin Wanwan raised her hand to cover her stomach. “This… you actually discovered it.”

Qin Wanwan spoke, and Xie Gutang reacted very quickly, his face full of grief. “The child will come out in just a few months. His master won’t allow this to happen. He’ll definitely kill this child.”

“Hero Yan,” Qin Wanwan looked at Yan Wushuang with sorrow, “with ethical principles above, I can’t bear the crime of killing my master, nor can I be with Gutang after he kills my master. But the child is innocent. Please, I beg you!”

Qin Wanwan glanced at Xie Gutang. Xie Gutang immediately reached out to grasp Yan Wushuang’s hand, his words earnest. “Please, I beg you.”

The two spoke together. “You must ambush outside the city tomorrow. We’ll trick my master out, and you kill him!”

“But…” Yan Wushuang hesitated. “I don’t think I can beat him.”

“It’s fine,” Qin Wanwan immediately responded. “I’ll poison him beforehand.”

“He seems to have the Spring Life cultivation method. Poison might not be very useful.”

“I have a way,” Qin Wanwan continued. “I’ll first use Tendon-Softening Powder to disable his cultivation, then poison him.”

“But if his cultivation is disabled, how will he leave the city?”

Yan Wushuang was confused. Xie Gutang hurried to offer a solution. “I’ll get a carriage and send him out.”

“What if he wakes up halfway and runs?”

“I’ll tie him up,” Xie Gutang continued. “I guarantee he won’t escape.”

“Then…” Yan Wushuang furrowed his brow. “If you’ve already done all that, do you still need me to act?”

Qin Wanwan and Xie Gutang fell silent.

“Actually…” Qin Wanwan struggled to save face. “We can’t actually do all that…”

“Forget it.” Yan Wushuang shook his head and sighed. “That is your master after all. You should go have a good talk first. Don’t just resort to violence right away. Handle these internal conflicts internally. It’s not good for us outsiders to interfere. Alright, that’s that.”

Yan Wushuang took the two spirit stones from the table and raised his hand to call out, “Next.”

Yan Wushuang was shooing them away. Qin Wanwan and Xie Gutang couldn’t very well stay longer. The two exchanged glances, stood up together, and returned to their private room.

Nanfeng was waiting for them in the private room. As soon as Qin Wanwan and Xie Gutang entered, Nanfeng rushed up. “How was it? Did he agree?”

Qin Wanwan shook her head. “He’s very vigilant. He absolutely refuses to leave the city.”

“It’s fine.”

Nanfeng gritted his teeth. “We have a second plan. In a bit, there will be a boat racing competition in the city. The winner gets spirit stone rewards. Yan Wushuang makes his living from this all year round. He’ll definitely participate later. This boat race has a section of waterway that’s open and deserted. Yan Wushuang rows extremely fast. Each time he reaches this position, there’s no one around.” Nanfeng threw out a map, pointing at the waterway. “We can completely take this opportunity to board the boat and capture him!”

“We have no choice.” Qin Wanwan nodded, looking at Nanfeng. “Does this boat racing competition require advance registration?”

“Registration isn’t important. What’s important is having a boat,” Nanfeng said. “I had good luck this morning and rented the last available boat.”

“That’s wonderful.” Qin Wanwan smiled, raising her hand to point at the map. “We’ll keep parallel with Yan Wushuang. When we reach this section,” Qin Wanwan looked at Xie Gutang, “we capture him.”

After the three formulated their plan, they heard the excited voice of Golden Sword Boy outside. “Senior Brother, the boat race is about to start. Stop fortune-telling!”

“Coming!”

Yan Wushuang responded, packed up his stall, and jumped out the window following Golden Sword Boy.

Seeing the people run off, Qin Wanwan, Xie Gutang, and Nanfeng quickly paid the bill and ran out after them.

After the group ran off, Jun Shu turned back to look at the completely stunned Jian Xingzhi and gritted his teeth. “Daojun, I’ll go gather information. You take your time recovering.”

Pregnancy, murder, killing one’s master, conspiracy—this information was too overwhelming. For Jian Xingzhi, it was indeed too cruel.

Jun Shu ran all the way to catch up with the group. At the dock, he saw Qin Wanwan and Xie Gutang standing together beside a boat. Looking at the competition banners nearby, he knew they were going to compete.

He took a boat route map and quickly ran back to Qingyue Pavilion, shaking the dazed Jian Xingzhi who was sitting cross-legged on the ground. “Daojun! Daojun!” Jun Shu spoke excitedly. “Miss Qin and Xie Gutang went rowing together!”

Jian Xingzhi couldn’t hear his words at all. He sat cross-legged on the ground, staring straight ahead and murmuring, “How did she get pregnant?”

Seeing he had completely lost it, Jun Shu actually felt a bit of sympathy. He thought for a moment, feeling the timing was about right, and he could present his ultimate plan.

“Daojun, don’t be sad first. Stabilize your emotions.”

“How could she be pregnant?”

“You saw the situation,” Jun Shu ignored him, feigning sorrowful sighs. “They now want to kill you. Now it’s either you die or he dies. You have no room to turn back!”

“They only practiced swordplay together. Every other time I was there. Could practicing swordplay also cause pregnancy?”

Jian Xingzhi frowned in thought, completely unable to figure it out.

Jun Shu was speechless. He couldn’t help raising his voice. “Whether she’s pregnant or not doesn’t matter at all now. What matters most is the person must be with you!”

Hearing this, Jian Xingzhi turned to look at Jun Shu, quite bewildered. Jun Shu felt disappointment that he wouldn’t amount to anything, restraining his anxiety as he gestured. “You need to kill Xie Gutang, then Miss Qin will belong to you. Do you understand?!”

He understood.

He got it. After all that circling around, he finally understood. He raised his eyebrows. “You want to kill Xie Gutang?”

Jun Shu corrected him. “Not me—you. I’m helping you.”

“Oh.” Jian Xingzhi nodded. “So how do you plan to kill him?”

“They’re going rowing together now.” Jun Shu pulled out a map. “This is their boat route. This place is open and deserted, very suitable for committing the deed.”

“So?” Jian Xingzhi furrowed his brow. Jun Shu looked at him seriously. “You’ll be right here and kill Xie Gutang.”

“Must I kill him at this time?”

Jian Xingzhi was puzzled. Jun Shu was even more stunned. He had always thought Jian Xingzhi was a big fool, but at this moment he seemed a bit clever. He decided to apply heavy medicine. “If you don’t kill him, do you know what a man and woman alone on a boat do?”

“What do they do?” Jian Xingzhi frowned.

Jun Shu revealed an expression of grief facing “moral decay.” “Immoral things.”

“Like what?”

“Making babies.”

Jun Shu had mastered the essence of chatting with Jian Xingzhi. Hearing the three words “making babies,” Jian Xingzhi’s breathing hitched. At that very moment, his mind went “ding-ling” and points arrived again!

He suddenly stood up and raced all the way to the dock.

Jun Shu was stunned for a moment, then came to his senses and quickly followed. “Daojun! Take me with you!”

The two raced all the way to the dock. By this time the race had already started. Everyone’s boats had long since shot off like arrows from their bows. When Jian Xingzhi arrived at the dock, he was about to enter the water when someone immediately stopped him. “Wait, there’s a race going on right now. The waterway is closed. You can’t swim.”

“What race?” Jian Xingzhi asked urgently. Before he finished speaking, Jun Shu immediately spoke up. “We’re competing! We’re competing too!”

“Competing?”

The staff member frowned. “Do you have a boat?”

Jun Shu panted heavily. “We’ll rent one!”

“I’m sorry.” The staff member shook his head. “All boats have been rented out.”

As soon as the words fell, a thunderous boom was heard from nearby. A large tree was horizontally cleaved through by someone, falling straight down.

But before the tree hit the ground, it was carved apart by countless sword lights in midair. When it landed, it had already become the shape of a canoe, complete with an oar. Jian Xingzhi coldly looked at the staff member. “Now we have a boat.”

“But…” the staff member hesitated, “you don’t have a water-propelling spirit beast.”

Water-propelling spirit beasts were a type of spirit beast placed behind the boat to propel it forward, equivalent to an accelerator. Jian Xingzhi was anxious. “I’ll row myself. Can’t I give them a handicap?”

“No.” The staff member was completely serious. “That’s not fair.”

“I don’t mind.”

“No.” The staff member shook his head. “This is required equipment. We…”

“We have one!”

Jun Shu suddenly spoke. The staff member and Jian Xingzhi both looked over to see Jun Shu wearing a glass-textured mask with a curved tube on it, resembling a snorkeling mask.

Jian Xingzhi glanced at the small stall selling this kind of mask nearby, then looked at Jun Shu. He saw Jun Shu with an all-in expression on his face. “I am his water-propelling spirit beast!”

“You… aren’t you human?”

The staff member was confused.

“Who says humans can’t be water-propelling spirit beasts?”

Jun Shu retorted.

“Fine, let’s do this.”

Jian Xingzhi made the final decision. With one kick, he sent the canoe into the water. The canoe landed on the river surface. Jun Shu turned around, pumped his little fist at Jian Xingzhi, said “Go for it!” and then dove into the water.

Jian Xingzhi leaped into the canoe. The staff member urgently called out, “What’s your name?”

Jian Xingzhi gripped the oar and rowed it into a blur. Jun Shu underwater pushed the boat, frantically kicking. The two cooperated, disappearing into the waterway in an instant, leaving only a voice echoing from afar. “Jian Xingzhi!”

“Attention, attention, temporary addition of a seeded contestant,” the staff member immediately used a transmission talisman to notify all stations. “Jian Xingzhi!”

As Jian Xingzhi raced in pursuit of Qin Wanwan’s boat, Nanfeng and Xie Gutang were also rowing, tailing Yan Wushuang’s boat at neither too close nor too far a distance.

The two boats were about the same, but Qin Wanwan’s water-propelling spirit beast was much better than Yan Wushuang’s. Qin Wanwan didn’t intend to alert the enemy, so she didn’t join the rowing ranks, conserving some strength as she followed Yan Wushuang from afar.

Yan Wushuang, seeing there were no particularly strong competitors this time, also didn’t put in full effort. Leading Golden Sword Boy in rowing the boat, he maintained a lead advantage of about one zhang.

But even so, he pulled away from many boats behind him, gradually entering a deep water area.

The surrounding sounds gradually diminished. Reeds on both banks stood as tall as people. Qin Wanwan surveyed the surroundings, then walked to Xie Gutang’s side and took over the oar. “About time. I’ll bring the boat alongside theirs. You board their boat first to force them to stop, and I’ll follow right after.”

“Alright.”

Xie Gutang nodded. Qin Wanwan took the oar and began to accelerate.

Yan Wushuang sensed the boat behind accelerating and raised his eyebrows. “Interesting.”

He also vigorously rowed the oar to accelerate.

The two sides chased each other. Qin Wanwan gritted her teeth. Fortunately, Qin Wanwan’s water-propelling spirit beast was much better. When they reached a lake surface, Qin Wanwan was about to catch up with Yan Wushuang. She called out lightly, “Elder Brother Xie!”

Xie Gutang stood at the bow. He nodded at Qin Wanwan. As the two boats gradually approached, Xie Gutang’s toes touched down lightly as he drew his sword and leaped toward Yan Wushuang’s boat!

At that very instant, a “whoosh” sound came from behind. Water splashed everywhere, rising as high as a building, overwhelming Xie Gutang’s face with a deluge!

Xie Gutang instinctively closed his eyes and retreated, landing back on the boat. Through the water spray, Qin Wanwan saw Yan Wushuang accelerating forward. Qin Wanwan gritted her teeth and immediately accelerated as well!

However, the moment she accelerated, she discovered a canoe beside her, positioned between her boat and Yan Wushuang’s.

Both Yan Wushuang and she had large boats with tall hulls. The oars and water-propelling spirit beasts were at the bottom of the boats. This ensured that no matter how fast they went, they wouldn’t create too large a splash. The spray stayed underwater—a civilized rowing method.

But this small boat wasn’t like that. It was completely uncivilized.

It was just a canoe. For it to keep up with two large boats at its speed, the water spray had to splash extremely high, like ocean waves.

This wasn’t even the most miraculous part. The most miraculous part was its water-propelling spirit beast was also completely unrestrained. The water spray kicked up by the spirit beast was also very high.

So Qin Wanwan couldn’t see clearly at all what person was on the boat, how many people there were. She only saw towering waves as the small boat created a tsunami-like momentum on the river surface.

Moreover, this rower was clearly using spiritual power, so the water spray also carried immense spiritual power. For Xie Gutang to cross the waves and jump onto Yan Wushuang’s boat, landing in optimal condition would be quite difficult.

At this tense moment, Qin Wanwan found it hard to identify where the spiritual power was coming from. Her mind was completely focused on catching Yan Wushuang. Worried Xie Gutang’s condition wasn’t good and the plan wouldn’t succeed, she instructed Xie Gutang, “Elder Brother Xie, let’s row together and shake off this small boat first.”

Yan Wushuang’s speed had clearly already increased. If this small boat was only this fast, they could shake it off!

Xie Gutang had the same intention. He put down his sword and began rowing!

The competition between Yan Wushuang and Qin Wanwan ignited Jian Xingzhi’s competitive spirit.

Thinking about how Qin Wanwan wanted to shake him off, thinking about Qin Wanwan and Xie Gutang alone together drifting on the lake, he felt—no way. He absolutely had to keep pace with Qin Wanwan!

So he went all out. Great strength creates miracles. Using brute force to compensate for the boat’s shortcomings, he maintained a parallel state with the two large boats all along the way!

When Yan Wushuang went fast and Qin Wanwan accelerated, he went even faster!

The distance between the three boats was no more than half a zhang, and all three parties fell into extreme competition. They passed through the originally planned assassination zone, rounded the bend, and raced along the waterway. Amid the cheering crowds, they drew closer and closer to the finish line!

Everyone’s minds had completely forgotten what they had come to do. They only remembered rowing—frantically rowing!

For money, to catch someone, to keep up!

Among this whole group, the only one maintaining rationality was the dying Jun Shu.

He was already nearly done for. His mind told him that if this continued, he might die here. He gritted his teeth and finally made a decision.

He would give up this brute force method, charge forward, and scuttle Qin Wanwan’s boat. Once Qin Wanwan’s boat sank and Jian Xingzhi caught up to them, he could kill Xie Gutang. Even if he didn’t act, he could accuse Jian Xingzhi of ordering him to scuttle the boat, which could also sow discord between Qin Wanwan and Jian Xingzhi!

With this thought, Jun Shu took a deep breath, gave a great shout, pulled out an explosive talisman, and charged fiercely toward Qin Wanwan’s boat!

At that very instant, Jian Xingzhi’s oar smacked hard onto his head. Jun Shu was knocked senseless on the spot and gurgled as he sank down.

With the finish line right before their eyes, all three boats went crazy, racing toward the finish line.

Just then, the explosive talisman in Jun Shu’s hand went “boom.” Giant waves rolled up. The waves pushed the three boats. The small boat reacted fastest. Jian Xingzhi added a spiritual power shield, treating the boat as a sword. He rode the sword upward and smoothly charged across the finish line!

Then Qin Wanwan’s and Yan Wushuang’s boats successively crossed the finish line. All three boats crashed into the shore and stopped. Everyone sprawled on their boats, exhausted and panting.

Only Jian Xingzhi and Yan Wushuang were in high spirits, with Xie Gutang barely managing to hold on.

“Congratulations! Congratulations!”

Qin Wanwan sprawled at the boat’s edge, struggling to lift her head to see what kind of divine being this person rowing a canoe was.

Then she saw the crowd surge toward the bow. Staff members carrying a trophy rushed toward the blue-robed youth in the crowd. The blue-robed youth took the trophy, then jumped in her direction, crouching before her to examine her.

“Senior?”

Xie Gutang spoke in surprise. “How did you…”

“Did you want the trophy?”

Jian Xingzhi looked at the exhausted Qin Wanwan and handed over the trophy.

The moment he became first place, he had figured it out.

Qin Wanwan had no opportunity to get pregnant. She must have been lying when she said those things. As for why she said them, he couldn’t figure it out, but he could just ask her later.

And her participating in the boat race wasn’t about romancing Xie Gutang under the moonlight. After all, she had been rowing the whole way, striving to win.

He rarely saw his disciple work this hard. He thought she must really want this trophy to be willing to put in so much effort.

He generously handed the trophy to her. “Whatever you want, tell your master. Master will snatch it for you.”

Hearing this, Qin Wanwan instantly understood Jian Xingzhi’s train of thought. She couldn’t catch her breath, her eyes rolled back, and she fainted.

—

**Author’s Note:**

【Mini Theater】

Question: “What do you think your disciple’s hobby is?”

Jian Xingzhi: “Rowing boats.”

Question: “Why do you think so?”

Jian Xingzhi: “The hardest I’ve ever seen her work in her life was to win first place in a boat race. I think she must love this sport extremely. Wanwan, don’t worry. When you’re with me, I can row you across the galaxy!”