The Second Path

Silence descended on the private room, broken only by the sound of Suisui crunching on candied fruit. Li Nanzhu gently unfolded the oil paper wrapper, examining it carefully under the light.

"Wait..." She suddenly noticed faint patterns on the inner layer of the paper. She brushed her fingertip across it, condensed with a trace of spiritual energy, and several lines of small characters gradually emerged—'The candied fruit is edible, the mark is harmless.'

Feng Qingping leaned in to look, her brow smoothing out. "I see. That mark was likely a decoy made specifically for the Sword Heart Sect."

Jiang Yifan's magic tool was still glowing. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Is the Hehuan Sect... helping us cover our tracks?"

"More than that." Li Nanzhu crumpled the oil paper into pieces, and the scraps ignited into a cluster of blue flames in her palm. "They're likely also hinting that the Sword Heart Sect has already set their sights on us."

The blue flames on her fingertips slowly went out, and the ashes drifted into the air.

She looked out the window. The streets of Chishui City were still bustling, but she could vaguely sense several fleeting gazes fixed on this tea house.

"The people from the Sword Heart Sect have likely already staked out the teleportation array," Li Nanzhu said in a low voice. "They seem to have a bizarre obsession with Suisui; they won't let us leave so easily."

Feng Weilan let out a cold snort. "If they've secretly tampered with the teleportation coordinates to send us straight into the Sword Heart Sect's den, we'd be walking right into a trap."

Feng Qingping pondered for a moment, her finger lightly tapping the tabletop. "Sword flying is too conspicuous, and the distance to the next city with a teleportation array is too far. If we're ambushed on the road, we might not be able to escape unscathed."

Suisui continued to crunch on the candied fruit, its soul fire flickering as if it were also considering their options.

Li Nanzhu's finger unconsciously stroked Suisui's smooth skull as her gaze swept over the shadowy watchers outside. She suddenly spoke, her voice quiet but exceptionally firm—

"Their target is Suisui." She looked up at Feng Weilan and Feng Qingping. "I can take Suisui and leave on my own. That way, you won't be implicated."

"No!" Feng Qingping practically slammed the table as she stood up, causing the teacups to clatter. "Who do you take us for? Pushing a companion out the door the moment danger strikes?"

Feng Weilan's hand was already on his blade's hilt, his eyes as sharp as a knife. "Junior Sister, if you say something like that again, I'll tie you up and take you with us."

Though Jiang Yifan didn't speak, his meaning was clear; he disagreed as well.

With a clack, Suisui jumped out of Li Nanzhu's arms and stood on the tea table, gesticulating wildly. Its soul fire pulsed violently, clearly opposing the suggestion.

It suddenly grabbed a piece of candied fruit and forced it into Li Nanzhu's mouth, as if to stifle anything else she might say.

Li Nanzhu coughed from the cloying sweetness of the fruit, but her eyes felt warm. She raised a hand to wipe them, but Feng Qingping grabbed her wrist.

"What do you think we disciples of the Five Elements Dao Sect are?" Feng Qingping's voice was low, but every word hit like a nail. "Are we the kind of rogue cultivators who scatter when disaster strikes?"

A sudden commotion came from outside the window as several Sword Heart Sect disciples began patrolling and conducting inspections.

Feng Weilan quickly lowered the curtain, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes as he turned. "If you ask me, we should just fight our way out. Since they dare to track us, they should be prepared for a counter-kill."

"I agree," Feng Qingping's expression was equally cold. "Otherwise, they'll truly think our Five Elements Dao Sect is a soft target they can squeeze."

Seeing the murderous intent on their faces, Jiang Yifan sighed and spoke up. "Actually... there's another way."

The three of them looked at him simultaneously.

"The Jiang family has properties in every major city, and Chishui City is no exception," Jiang Yifan said slowly. "These properties usually have a small teleportation array inside, used for the emergency transport of core family members."

Feng Qingping's eyes lit up. "You mean—"

"Exactly." Jiang Yifan nodded. "We can leave through the Jiang family's teleportation array."

"Wouldn't that take us straight to the Jiang family in the Northern Territory?" Feng Weilan frowned. "We were supposed to return to the Five Elements Dao Sect."

"True." Jiang Yifan sighed. "That's why I didn't mention it at first, since the destinations are different. But now that the Sword Heart Sect is watching us, this path is actually the safest."

Li Nanzhu thought for a moment and asked, "Can the Sword Heart Sect track the Jiang family's teleportation array?"

"No." Jiang Yifan shook his head. "The Jiang family's arrays are built independently. The coordinates are known only to core family members; outsiders cannot interfere at all."

"That's secure enough, then." Feng Qingping nodded. "However, if we teleport directly to the Northern Territory, will it cause a misunderstanding with the Jiang family?"

Jiang Yifan gave a bitter smile. "I was planning to go back anyway to look for clues about who wants me dead." He paused and looked at Li Nanzhu. "If you're willing, you can come with me, and then return to the Five Elements Dao Sect through the city's main teleportation array."

Li Nanzhu exchanged a look with Feng Weilan and finally nodded. "Fine, then it's settled."

Suisui let out a clack of approval.

Jiang Yifan took a jade slip from his storage bag. With a tap of his finger, a miniature map of Chishui City appeared on the slip, with a certain spot glowing with a faint blue light.

"The Jiang family's property in Chishui City is outwardly known as 'Shuanghua Pavilion,' a shop that sells spiritual materials," he explained. "The teleportation array is on the top floor."

"Then let's not delay. We move as soon as possible." Feng Weilan stood up, his hand on his hilt as he scanned the surroundings alertly.

The four left the tea house and blended into the crowd on the street. Suisui lay on Li Nanzhu's shoulder, its soul fire flickering slightly as if sensing the surrounding movement.

"Someone is following us," Feng Qingping whispered, her peripheral vision catching a figure quickly disappearing into the shadows at a street corner.

"Don't look back." Jiang Yifan's voice was calm. "Keep walking. There's an alley at the corner ahead; we'll lose them there."

The four picked up their pace. Just before turning into the alley, Feng Qingping's fingertip twitched, quietly carving a talisman rune into the ground with spiritual energy.

Hum—

A slight tremor followed as the rune on the ground flared up. An illusionary barrier instantly expanded, briefly obscuring the trackers' vision.

"Go!"

The four moved quickly through the alley, winding through several streets before finally arriving at an ancient pavilion.

The words 'Shuanghua Pavilion' were carved into the plaque in sharp, chilling strokes.

Jiang Yifan stepped forward and knocked lightly on the door knocker—three long and two short, in a distinct rhythm.

The door creaked open, and a cold-faced middle-aged man stood inside. His sharp gaze swept over the four before landing on Jiang Yifan.

"Young Master?" He paused slightly before stepping aside to make way. "Please, come in."

The four entered quickly, and the door closed silently behind them.

The interior of the pavilion was dimly lit, and the air was filled with the faint scent of spiritual materials.

The middle-aged man, clearly a manager for the Jiang family, asked in a low voice, "Young Master, why have you returned so suddenly? The family head was just saying a few days ago..."