Xie Ziyin flicked his fingers, sending the straw-woven goose tumbling away.
Four Hundred Bucks nearly toppled off the bed in alarm, frantically flipping backward before scrambling back onto the edge, its straw-goose body swaying fearfully.
Close call—it had almost fallen!
Xie Ziyin sat up, leaning against the headboard. "What did Wen Shuangbai say?"
Four Hundred Bucks gave Xie Ziyin a resentful "look," puffing up indignantly before shoving aside the bedsheet and carving words into the exposed wooden bed with its rear—so deep they might as well be etched in stone.
[Master said: Four Hundred Bucks, go find that bastard and ask him what’s wrong with the fasting pills!]
Xie Ziyin: "?"
When it’s convenient, he’s "Daddy," but when it’s not, he’s a "bastard"?
What an ungrateful little thing.
Xie Ziyin scoffed, grabbed the goose by the head, muttered a few words, and then tossed it out.
Four Hundred Bucks sprinted back to Wen Shuangbai’s room, delivering the message verbatim.
[Xie Ziyin says: One, the fasting pills are laced with Five Poison Blossoms. After five days of consumption, they become addictive. Withdrawal causes unbearable agony within a day, and death within three. Many families use this to control their assassins. You can take them for three days—after that, I’ll give you the antidote.]
[Two, discipline your damn brush. Stop vandalizing other people’s property. You carving up my bed—are you going to pay for it?]
[Three, the "Bai" in your name—does it stand for "dirt-poor" or "backstabbing ingrate"?]
Furious, Wen Shuangbai smacked Four Hundred Bucks flat.
Four Hundred Bucks: "…"
Four Hundred Bucks collapsed on the bed, weeping.
It was just delivering a message! Why did it always end up suffering?
Was getting hurt the fate of all messenger brushes?
After a moment’s thought, Wen Shuangbai picked Four Hundred Bucks back up and put it to work again.
To motivate it, she even promised that if it performed well, she’d get it a brand-new horse-skin disguise once they left.
And so, that night, the straw-woven goose—Four Hundred Bucks—scurried tirelessly between six rooms, spreading the warning about the fasting pills… and enduring some rather unpleasant encounters along the way.
For instance, Shen Hefeng disassembled its goose head to study it before reassembling it, threatening to tear its straw skin if it dared tattle.
Then Li Zhuohua’s gilded sword, Flowing Rainbow, tried to pick a fight, sending it fleeing in terror.
And then there was Wen Shuangbai’s senior brother—Four Hundred Bucks had to poke him endlessly before he finally woke up and mumbled, "Got it."
Whew. Exhausting.
By dawn, when the sky was just beginning to lighten, Four Hundred Bucks dragged its weary straw body back to bed, collapsing with a plop at Wen Shuangbai’s feet, motionless as if dead.
When Wen Shuangbai woke, she picked up Four Hundred Bucks, inspected it thoroughly, and, finding no issues, channeled spiritual energy into it using the Yaoling Heart Technique before hanging it on her Fire Feather Whip and heading out.
She glanced out the window.
Outside, the sky had barely brightened, the sun still hidden behind clouds, but the manor was already stirring with activity.
Another new day. The odd disturbances of the night were buried beneath daylight, as if nothing had happened.
Not that she wasn’t curious about those faint, eerie noises.
But past events had proven Shen Hefeng’s divination skills reliable—if the hexagram advised lying low, she’d follow it.
A few more days of caution meant a few more days of Sacred Stones.
Seven hundred a day. Six people meant four thousand two hundred total.
Wen Shuangbai smiled at the refreshed count, stretched in the morning light, and began her cultivation.
Half an hour later, Wu Ren’s voice bellowed from downstairs: "Up! Get up! The Master’s heading out soon—assemble in the courtyard in fifteen!"
The small courtyard had three floors.
Wen Shuangbai was on the third, Xie Ziyin on the second.
Earlier that night, sensing prying eyes, Xie Ziyin had stayed put. Only when the surveillance faded did he start brewing the antidote.
The herbs gathered from Tian Village included ingredients that countered the Five Poison Blossoms—though the process was tedious. By now, he’d only finished two doses.
Hearing Wu Ren’s shout, Xie Ziyin quickly tidied up. He waited by the door, listening to the cheerful humming and light footsteps descending from above, before leisurely stepping out.
Wen Shuangbai paused mid-step at the sight of him. A mischievous grin spread across her face. "Morning, my dear friend. Sleep well?"
Her smile was as bright as the dawn—but clearly, such sudden warmth meant trouble.
Xie Ziyin smirked, unshaken. "Not really. Dreamt of an ungrateful wretch."
"Oh?" Wen Shuangbai’s smile didn’t waver, but her fists clenched behind her back.
She hopped down the last few steps—a little too forcefully—lurching toward Xie Ziyin.
He knew he should’ve dodged.
But exhaustion from the sleepless night slowed his reflexes, and his hands instinctively steadied her.
The scent of her—soft, warm—momentarily dazed him.
Then the sharp pain in his foot snapped him back to reality.
Wen Shuangbai stomped on his foot, grinding her heel with vicious delight.
Xie Ziyin: "……"
He suppressed a wince, face perfectly composed. "That all you’ve got? Didn’t eat enough?"
"Screw you." She stomped harder, relishing the faint tremor in his lashes before finally releasing him with a triumphant laugh.
Only after she’d vanished down the hall did Xie Ziyin let out a quiet hiss.
From the other end of the corridor, Yin Xuan emerged, arms laden with stationery, looking half-asleep. Passing Xie Ziyin, he shook his head and drifted downstairs, handing the supplies to Wen Shuangbai, who was chatting with Wu Ren.
"Thanks, Senior Brother!" she chirped.
Yin Xuan smiled gently. "No need for thanks between us."
Wu Ren, indifferent to the exchange, barked orders once all six had gathered, leading them to join the main guard unit.
Unlike his easygoing demeanor the night before, Wu Ren was strict on duty, forbidding chatter.
So Wen Shuangbai observed in silence.
Master Qi’s entourage consisted of about fifty guards.
Wu Ren merged their group with the main force, and they stood outside the manor for nearly an hour before Master Qi finally emerged with his personal attendants and boarded his carriage.
Wen Shuangbai kept her gaze forward but studied the man from the corner of her eye.
He stood around six feet tall, middle-aged, unremarkable in appearance—but his stride was sharp, decisive.
She couldn't discern his cultivation level, which meant the head of the Qi family, Master Qi, was stronger than her.
Wen Shuangbai and her teammates followed the main group, jogging alongside the carriage. After nearly an hour, they arrived at the City Lord’s Manor in Zhuoguang City.
Outside the manor, the Qi Manor guards were not permitted to enter, so only Master Qi and Steward Qi went inside.
Wen Shuangbai waited by the Qi Manor carriage, her gaze subtly scanning the surroundings.
At that moment, three carriages were parked outside the City Lord’s Manor, each with its own entourage.
Among the other two groups stood disciples from Tianluo Witch Sect and Shenyan Temple.
And at the main gate of the manor, the guards on duty—weren’t they from the Purple Flame Realm of Dizhou?
What a coincidence.
Disciples from various sects exchanged glances, their eyes conveying a silent understanding: Great minds think alike.
Wen Shuangbai withdrew her gaze, lost in thought.
If the Purple Flame Realm, Tianluo Witch Sect, and Shenyan Temple were all here, then the Wansheng Palace delegation was probably still at that inn.
But what about those wealthy little troublemakers from Yuxi Valley?
---
The group stood outside the City Lord’s Manor like punished schoolchildren for nearly an entire day before finally being dismissed as night fell.
Back at Qi Manor, the guards disbanded, many rushing toward the dining hall while grumbling under their breaths.
"Who are those guys? Never seen them before—running like starving ghosts!"
"They’re new recruits from yesterday. Heard Steward Qi is quite pleased with them."
"Pleased? They’ve been slacking off all day! I was standing right next to them—especially that silver-haired one. He slept the whole time! Only opened his eyes to eat a fasting pill!"
"Hurry up! If we’re late, they’ll take all the good dishes!"
"..."
The six of them worked like a well-oiled machine.
Wen Shuangbai, Yin Xuan, Li Zhuohua, and Shen Hefeng charged ahead to grab the best dishes.
Xie Ziyin and Lu Jiayao secured seats.
Once they had their food, they settled at the largest table in the dining hall.
Wen Shuangbai took a few quick bites, then spotted Wu Ren searching for a seat and immediately waved him over. "Brother Wu! Over here!"
Wu Ren approached, having witnessed their earlier sprint, and sighed in amusement. "You little rascals are fast as lightning."
Wen Shuangbai humbly replied, "Not at all. We were just a bit hungry after standing all day."
"Today’s the only day of the month that’s this tiring," Wu Ren explained. "The three great families of Zhuoguang City meet with the City Lord on this day every month to discuss important matters. On other days, Master Qi rarely leaves the manor, so guarding duty is much more relaxed."
Wen Shuangbai smiled. "I see."
"By the way, Brother Wu," she suddenly remembered something and pointed her chopsticks at the green couplets pasted at the dining hall entrance. "I noticed the manor has green New Year couplets everywhere. Has someone in the household passed away?"
"Ah, that." Wu Ren sighed. "The old madam of the manor passed away just before the New Year."
"Honestly, you all came at a bit of an unlucky time. If you’d arrived earlier, it would’ve been better," Wu Ren said nostalgically. "The old madam was a kind soul—she’d give gifts to all the guards during festivals. Everyone here still remembers her fondly."
"When she passed, even the City Lord came personally to pay respects! All the young masters and misses who were traveling abroad rushed back too." Wu Ren paused, then added sternly, "But remember this—never go out at night!"
Wen Shuangbai found this odd. "Why? Does it have something to do with the old madam’s passing?"
"Not exactly. The old madam wasn’t a cultivator, but she lived a long life by mortal standards—it was a peaceful passing." Wu Ren lowered his voice. "But the Third Miss, who was keeping vigil for her, heard something at night. She couldn’t resist investigating… and then she vanished without a trace. The manor searched everywhere for her, and Master Qi fell gravely ill because of it."
"Such a shame," Wu Ren lamented. "The Third Miss was the most talented of Master Qi’s children. At such a young age, she was accepted into the Thousand Mechanisms Sect—her future was limitless. Who could’ve imagined something like this would happen?"
Wen Shuangbai had been fighting Xie Ziyin for a piece of fish, but her chopsticks stilled at these words.
The predecessor of the Green Spirit Mountain’s Thousand Mechanisms Pavilion was the Thousand Mechanisms Sect from five hundred years ago.
Senior Tian Sang’s martial sister, Ye Qingrong, was a disciple of the Spirit Mountain Sect.
Back then, the Spirit Mountain Sect and the Thousand Mechanisms Sect were located close to each other, and the two sects had a very close relationship.
Was it possible that Ye Qingrong had come to Zhuoguang City for the sake of Qi Manor’s Third Miss?
Xie Ziyin glanced at Wen Shuangbai, then picked up the fish and dropped it into her bowl before asking Wu Ren on her behalf, "What was the Third Miss’s name?"
Wu Ren gave Xie Ziyin a knowing look—I see what you’re after—before answering with a hint of admiration, "The Third Miss wasn’t just beautiful—her name was lovely too. When she was still here, we’d often call her Miss Yaoling."
