Great Capital.
Raindrops slanted, falling upon countless yellow-tiled red-walled pavilions.
The pavilions were like leaves, the roads like threads, the entire Great Capital resembling a giant silkworm basin covered with mulberry leaves.
Every white large carriage moving was like countless tiny white silkworms.
In a luxurious five-story brown pavilion at the corner of the city.
A gentle woman with bright eyes, dressed in a blue long dress, leaned gracefully against the window sill.
The skirt was densely patterned with cloud designs, the waist cinched and the shoulders narrow, a glimpse of white jade-like arms seen beneath the long sleeves.
The elegant porcelain-like colors on the skirt complemented the woman's intricately styled high hairbun, adding to her clarity with a delicate and fragile touch.
"Xiaoyu, it's getting dark, go rest."
In the splendid room, there was also a tall man with a dark red birthmark on his right cheek, draped in a similarly dark blue brocade robe, gently advising the woman.
"Yes, my husband... I'll go back soon..." The woman turned and slightly bent her knee in greeting.
"Still thinking about your brother?" The man walked forward, gently embracing the woman's waist.
"I've sent people to find him. Unfortunately, they didn't succeed, but the Daoist registration you arranged has taken effect. I've found out that someone has used it, suggesting he's indeed following the path you laid out for him.
Actually, once in the Daoist gate, it's ultimately much safer than outside. At least he won't have to worry about food and warmth, so you shouldn't worry too much. Be careful not to harm yourself."
His hand gently rested on the woman's lower abdomen, as if feeling something.
"Even for our child, you must take care of yourself."
The woman's eyes showed deep emotion.
Although her husband was ugly, his appearance somewhat frightening, her choice back then was not wrong.
He truly liked her.
Even though she was of the Barbarian Race, he did not care, incorporating her into his family.
Within the Great Spirit's regulations, Spirit Race men could marry four wives, and each possessed equal status without rank.
Her husband defied family opposition, abandoned most of his career and inheritance, and finally succeeded in bringing her into the family.
Now, even though the two of them had far less than before, they still lived well.
Just....
"Rongfang has always been stubborn since childhood, I'm worried he might act rashly...." The woman was Zhang Rongfang's sister, Zhang Rongyu.
After leaving Tianyin County, she had followed her husband all the way to the Great Capital.
Initially, she thought her husband only wanted to play with her, but she hadn't expected his genuine affection.
Whenever he lost his temper and hit her, he would later weep and repent, begging for her forgiveness.
Actually, Zhang Rongyu knew that without this, she wouldn't have had the chance to approach him.
Besides occasional emotional instability, her husband was generally very gentle with her.
This satisfied her....
"Master, madam! We found him, we found him!!" Suddenly, a chubby little maid waved a letter in her hand, bursting through the door.
"Baozi, what did we find?!" Zhang Rongyu's heart skipped a beat, quickly looking up at the maid.
Baozi was the personal maid her husband arranged for her, tasked with spending money to find her brother.
Now with this shout, could it be....!?
"Master, madam, it's the madam's brother, we found him! News from Tianyin County says he's been found!!" Baozi shouted excitedly.
Crash.
Zhang Rongyu straightened up, her lips trembling, her eyes reddening instantly.
"He's... okay?"
"He's okay, no problems, here's the letter, your brother has now joined Qinghe Daoist Palace, please look, here's the letter!" Baozi quickly stepped forward, presenting the letter.
Zhang Rongyu and her husband took the letter and read it carefully together.
It contained the information reported by the investigators, detailing Zhang Rongfang's basic details.
Before finishing, Zhang Rongyu couldn't help but start crying softly, not out of sadness, but from excessive joy.
"Between Tianyin County and Huaxin County, there are at least two counties. How did he get there alone?" Her husband sighed softly.
"He must have faced lots of hardships...." Zhang Rongyu leaned weakly against her husband.
"Don't worry.... As long as I'm here, it's good as long as he's found."
The man gently embraced his wife, pondering ways to help, ensuring her peace of mind.
With his current position, he couldn't act openly; otherwise, it'd be harmful rather than beneficial for his brother-in-law and might provoke others to target him as a weakness.
Best to secretly send some wealth then entrust the person he trusts most to provide some care; that would be ideal...
But Huaxin County… isn't his area of influence…. Sending wealth is simple, but choosing the caregiver… requires careful consideration.
*
*
*
Bang!!!
Zhang Rongfang's arms narrowly grazed the edge of the dagger blade, slamming into the bandit's chest.
The enemy was caught off guard, disrupted by the beast trap interfering with his vision, tried to punch but was rigidly hit by that strike, causing him to fall backward.
In that instant, Zhang Rongfang's body instinctively followed the Mountain-shaped Talisman's successive moves, unleashing a total of thirty-two strikes, like a torrent, quick as mercury, within mere seconds, landing on the bandit.
At that moment, worries about being injured, worries about being crippled, worries about lasting scars, worries about anything and everything....
All worries vanished as the opponent spat blood, his gaze turning blurry.
Fist and palm weaving, encircling continuously.
The final move.
Crane Lifting Fish.
Zhang Rongfang's palms formed into bird-claw shapes as he attacked the bandit's neck bone from behind, pulling outward.
Crack.
The corpse flopped to the ground with a thud.
Zhang Rongfang stood panting heavily, covered in blood splatter.
His mind was blank, but his survival instinct made him quickly ransack the mountain bandit and then turn to flee.
He was afraid the bandit had companions.
Only now did he suddenly realize that the person he just confronted was at most an ordinary martial artist who had seen blood before.
The man's crude blocking, clumsy dodging, lack of speed and power revealed that he wasn't at a high level—much like him, someone who had practiced basic martial arts but hadn't reached the Blood Nourishment stage.
Most crucially, the man's martial arts moves were crude, likely learned from basic fist techniques somewhere, full of flaws and unnecessary small gestures, which Zhang Rongfang exploited to land a full-blown strike.
Realizing this, Zhang Rongfang somewhat understood what Senior Brother Zhang Xintai meant when he said victory or defeat hinges on martial skill.
Excellent martial arts mean fewer flaws, more power, and faster moves.
Poor martial arts mean more flaws, less power, and slower moves.
Often, a single flaw is a fatal point.
After the fight, Zhang Rongfang sprinted frantically, dashing a hundred meters through the forest before remembering he still had to find Xiao Qingying.
Moreover, had he not just released a signal tube?
'No, I must head back! It would be bad news if I run into the bandit's ally alone!'
With this in mind, he felt a jolt in his heart and turned back toward the village.
He moved very cautiously, fearing someone might discover his whereabouts.
Having killed someone for the first time, Zhang Rongfang felt inexplicably terrified.
He was afraid, afraid of being discovered as the one who killed the bandit. As a young Daoist who had only practiced martial arts for a short time, there was no way he could have executed such adept Mountain-shaped Talisman strikes.
Highly likely, he would be suspected.
Afraid of being caught and thrown into jail after killing someone.
Afraid someone tied to the dead man would come seeking trouble.
What if they assassinate me in the dark?
What if they ambush me while I sleep?
What if they find other ways to poison me?
These various concerns churned once more in his mind.
'No, I cannot be exposed, cannot let others know I was the one who killed that man.'
Moreover, my background means that even if I demonstrate talent and strength, I won't get anywhere below a Second Rank.
Instead of that, I might as well hide my abilities and wait until the Second Rank to see if I can take the court's Jixian Institute examination.'
The Jixian Institute is a special religious governing body established by the Great Spirit to oversee Daoist sects across the land.
As long as one passes the Second Rank exam—even if you're a Barbarian Race—you can attain an official rank.
Even if just a nominal position without actual duties, it'd be enough to detach from Xiao Qingying and live independently.
After walking through the forest for a good while, Zhang Rongfang began to calm down slightly.
Though still worried and scared, he felt much more at ease than at the beginning.
Having killed, everything has already been decided. All that remains is to think carefully about how to handle what's to come.
Also....
"Xiao Qingying...." Just thinking of her gave Zhang Rongfang a headache.
Who knows where that girl has run off with Chen Wuyou now.
Quietly returning near the village, Zhang Rongfang happened to meet Yang Xuanchao and others who came for reinforcement.
He didn't hide anything, explaining everything except for the part where he killed someone.
Upon hearing Xiao Qingying and Chen Wuyou were missing, Yang Xuanchao's expression changed slightly, quickly ordering people to search around.
He had taken some money to cooperate with the plan casually, but now the target seems fine while others....
"Since you're unharmed, join us in searching," Yang Xuanchao ordered after a moment's thought.
"Yes." Zhang Rongfang was slightly surprised, sensing something wrong from this remark.
Generally, someone who barely escaped from death would first be taken somewhere safe to rest.
But Yang Xuanchao's approach was to ignore his condition and let him help search instead.
It seems....
Zhang Rongfang seemed to understand a bit.
This time, someone really pulled strings to target him.
'Was it because I offended someone during the last outing?'
As he followed the group searching, he pondered.
The only one he might have offended who could influence the soldiers would be Chen Wuyou.
Soon, the group returned to the spot where the two bandits were dead.
Seeing the gruesome corpses, Yang Xuanchao's eye twitched as he glanced back at Zhang Rongfang.
Killed one with a trap pit, and nobody knows how the other was killed.
He squatted to inspect near the body.
"This one died from being struck at vital points with a fist. The face has wounds from an animal trap."
"Everyone else, use this area as your center and search outward." He stood and commanded.
"Yes!"
The Great Spirit soldiers dispersed rapidly. While usually lax, they were disciplined and quick when it mattered.
Zhang Rongfang melded into the group and before long met up with the captain, Namu Stone, who had hurried over.