【Intelligence 2: Bai Fufeng's cultivation has reached the Great Perfection of the Mingjin Rank. He is currently in seclusion in a secret chamber in the second courtyard of the Bai mansion and will break through to the Anjin Rank in nineteen days!】
“Oh...”
Shen Xiuhan raised an eyebrow. His gaze swept over the numerous streets and alleys, instinctively looking toward the direction of the Bai mansion.
‘Nineteen days... That happens to be at the end of this month. Should I... find a way to disrupt Bai Fufeng's breakthrough?’
Shen Xiuhan muttered to himself, his thumb lightly stroking the hilt of his sword. As the thought arose, several strategies immediately flashed through his mind.
Poisoning, a sneak attack, or inducing energy backlash during his breakthrough—there were plenty of ways to do it.
But soon, he shook his head and dismissed them all.
‘No, it's not worth the risk...’
‘With Bai Fufeng in seclusion, there will certainly be no shortage of guards and hidden sentries around him.’
‘If I act rashly and startle the snake, making the Bai family suspicious and affecting my subsequent plans, it would be penny-wise and pound-foolish.’
‘Besides...’
‘Even if he reaches the Anjin Rank, he will only be at the early stage of the Anjin Rank. To the current me, he will be nothing more than an insignificant weakling.’
“Very well, I'll let you live for a few more days...”
Shen Xiuhan took a breath, suppressing his restless thoughts one by one. He withdrew his gaze and turned his attention to the third piece of intelligence.
【Intelligence 3: Bai Qingcang's trip to Guangwu Prefecture this time is actually to hold secret discussions with Liu Huan, one of the four great elders of the demonic Yinsha Sect, with the intention of turning Changyun County into a branch of the Yinsha Sect. However, being suspicious by nature and worried about trouble brewing in his absence, he secretly sent a letter to enlist Duan Xiao, the First Chief of Chenjian Dock, to secretly stay at the Bai mansion and guard it!】
“Hmm?”
After reading this piece of intelligence, Shen Xiuhan's expression changed dramatically.
‘What a cunning old ghost. So this was his plan!’
The Yinsha Sect...
His brow furrowed tightly, his heart feeling heavy as if pressed by a boulder.
The Yinsha Sect was a renowned demonic sect in Guangwu Prefecture!
The sect was filled with countless experts, and its branches were spread across every county in the prefecture like a spiderweb. Its power was so immense that its sheer strength even suppressed the Four Great Sects of Nanxiang Prefecture.
In the entire Guangwu Prefecture, only another major sect, the Biwu Sect, could stand against it on equal footing.
Moreover, the Yinsha Sect had always acted with extreme cruelty and utter disregard for rules. They committed acts of plundering, slaughtering sects, and exterminating clans without even batting an eye. They were a demonic sect through and through.
If they took over Changyun County and turned it into a branch...
Countless lives would be plunged into misery, turned into cultivation resources for them.
‘Old Ghost Bai, and even the Bai family... none of them deserve to live!’
Shen Xiuhan stared at this piece of intelligence and took a deep breath, suppressing the agitation churning in his chest.
‘Unfortunately... Old Ghost Bai is so cautious that, fearing trouble at his home base, he actually invited Duan Xiao to Changyun to secretly guard the Bai mansion!’
Shen Xiuhan's face turned grim, his brow furrowing into a tight knot.
‘This is going to be difficult...’
Xiao Wu's plan did not account for dealing with other Huajin Rank experts at all.
Of course, it was also possible that Xiao Wu had other dependencies, some unmentioned trump card.
But since he hadn't spoken of it, it couldn't be relied upon.
Shen Xiuhan had never liked placing his safety and future in the hands of others.
‘Regardless of whether Xiao Wu has other cards to play, I cannot be unprepared. I must find a trump card that can counter a Huajin Rank expert...’
At this thought, Shen Xiuhan paused, then suddenly turned and strode toward the southern part of the city.
That was where Changyun County's courier station was located.
...
The tenth day since Tian Ping'an lost his peace.
In the blink of an eye, three days flew by.
Mei Family Martial Arts Hall, inner courtyard.
The morning light was faint.
Shen Xiuhan stood in the middle of the field with his hands behind his back, supervising Sun Yi and Huang Shutong, who had recently entered the inner courtyard, as they practiced their stance work.
The two of them stood with their legs pinned to the ground, fine beads of sweat forming on their foreheads, yet they did not dare to move an inch.
Suddenly, an outer courtyard disciple ran in, clutching a black cloth bag in his hand, and reported loudly:
“Senior Brother, Senior Brother Shen, someone delivered this from outside!”
Shen Xiuhan took the cloth bag and pulled open the drawstring to look inside. A wooden nameplate lay quietly at the bottom of the bag.
The wooden plate was about three fingers wide and a palm long, its corners polished smooth with age. On the front, the words “Chenjian Dock” were carved vertically. Flipping it over, the back revealed a row of small characters:
『Provisions Camp, Team A, Agricultural Overseer』!
Shen Xiuhan understood immediately.
This was the identity token Tang Jin had sent.
He casually tucked the cloth bag away and looked at the outer courtyard disciple again.
“Where is that person?”
“Uh...”
The disciple scratched his head and replied:
“That person was extremely mysterious, wearing a bamboo hat. He handed the item to me, instructed me to make sure it reached your hands, Senior Brother, and then walked toward the west at a very fast pace.”
‘Quite cautious...’ Shen Xiuhan sneered in his heart.
This Tang Jin clearly did not trust him.
He was probably afraid that once Shen Xiuhan got the item, he would turn on him on the spot and take his head to claim the bounty.
After all, the bounty offered by the county magistrate's office for the top five leaders of Chenjian Dock started at a minimum of a hundred taels of silver, which was no small sum.
It was no wonder the man was so suspicious.
Shen Xiuhan shook his head and stopped dwelling on it. Turning his gaze back to the two practicing in the courtyard, he said:
“Continue practicing!”
His gaze swept over them, and he occasionally spoke up to correct them.
“Sun Yi, your waist and hips aren't sunk low enough. The force won't penetrate through.”
“Huang Shutong, don't keep staring at your hands. Look forward. Your claws must follow your intent—where your intent goes, your claws must strike.”
“Yes, Senior Brother!”
The two of them responded in unison and took up their stances once more.
...
The sun rose and the moon set.
In the blink of an eye, another two days passed.
Shen Xiuhan visited the Mei Courtyard in the morning, returned home at noon for lunch, and stayed inside for the rest of the day.
Calculating the days, if everything had gone smoothly with the secret letter he sent out a few days ago, the reply should have arrived by now.
It would likely arrive either today or tomorrow.
But as long as the letter remained unanswered, he couldn't help but feel anxious.
Thus, Shen Xiuhan simply drew Hanlin and began practicing his sword moves to suppress his restlessness.
Only when his muscles and bones were warmed up and a light layer of sweat had formed did he sheathe his sword with a sharp clang.
Having nothing else to do, he squatted by the fence in the corner of the yard, scattered a handful of crushed grain, and amused himself by teasing the Blue-Spire Chicken and Purple-Beaked Duck that Shen Momo raised.
Around the beginning of the hour of Shen, as the shadows began to slant westward, a loud shout suddenly came from outside the door:
“Is this the residence of Shen Dalang, the seventh house of South Apricot Blossom Alley?”
The voice was resonant, carrying a trace of travel-worn hoarseness, clearly belonging to a courier who had traveled a long distance.
“Ah, coming...”
Liang Xiuhe's response echoed from the eatery.
Shen Xiuhan hearing the commotion, immediately brushed the grain husks off his palms and strode to the door, bumping right into Liang Xiuhe as she walked in with a letter.
Today, she wore an indigo cotton skirt, her hair held up with a wooden hairpin, looking much more capable and tidy than when she first arrived.
Seeing Shen Xiuhan come out, she quickly handed over the letter with a smile and said:
“Young Master, a courier brought a letter, so I accepted it.”
Liang Xiuhe had been at the eatery for over twenty days now.
Having spent so much time together, they had become quite familiar. She was no longer as cautious and tentative in everything she did as during her first few days. Now, she managed the eatery in an orderly fashion and carried herself with much more confidence.
“Thank you for your trouble, Sister-in-law.”
Shen Xiuhan took the letter with a smile and cast a quick glance down.
When he clearly saw the character 『Zuo』 written in the bottom-right corner of the envelope, a look of delight instantly flashed in his eyes.
‘It's finally here!’
Rate on N.U.
