It has been over a month since Gua received a request from Haomen.
During this time, many things, big and small, have happened to Dao Wenchui.
After Ouyang Qian left Haomen, the first thing Dao Wenchui did was not to follow up on Ouyang Qian's request or the whereabouts of the information he provided, but to gather information about the Gu family.
Given that Ouyang Qian had mentioned the head of Haomen right away, the Gu family had to be considered a prime suspect.
Dao Wenchui needed to know.
Did the Gu family really kidnap the head of Haomen?
If so, for what reason, and when and how did it happen?
And why did Ouyang Qian send him to inform him of this?
While investigating these questions, he also had to verify the authenticity of Ouyang Qian's request and the information he provided.
A month was far too short a time to handle all of this.
But Dao Wenchui had no choice.
There was no way back without doing it.
First, he gathered information about the Gu family.
Haomen is one of the two places in the Central Plains that excel at finding and hiding things.
Even if he couldn't use the full strength of the sect, he believed that if he searched sincerely, he would find something.
However, apart from the information Haomen already had, no new information about the Gu family could be obtained.
Even for a prominent family, this was unusual.
It was as if someone was deliberately cutting off the flow of information.
"...Is there a hidden Triad in the family?"
How else could he have such trivial thoughts?
Verifying the truth of the Yechuan Mountains, which Ouyang Qian mentioned, was too much to accomplish in a month.
Given the distance, it was not easy for information to travel.
However, he had heard that some strange things had been found, so he was paying attention.
There were countless pieces of information coming and going.
But Dao Wenchui had to maintain his composure and the mask he usually wore in such a situation.
No matter how curious he was, he had to hide it.
Being curious itself was the biggest weakness he could give to the other party.
He had lived this way until now and was proud that it was not wrong.
However, today, Dao Wenchui had to temporarily put aside this mindset.
This was something he simply had to ask.
After much hesitation, Dao Wenchui finally asked.
"...Young Master Gu, may I ask one question?"
"No, don't ask."
"What happened to your eye...?"
The place Dao Wenchui cautiously pointed to was Ouyang Qian's left eye.
Ouyang Qian's eye, which had seemed fine, was now swollen and bruised blue.
"...I told you not to ask."
At the same time, Ouyang Qian's brows furrowed deeply.
******************
‘...He had to ask this...’
He was already in a bad mood from dragging his tired body out.
Sigh...
A sigh involuntarily escaped his lips at Dao Wenchui's question.
This injury was a mark from a fight with a wild boar last night.
Damn...
That crazy wild boar wouldn't listen no matter how many times he told it to calm down.
What was even more frightening was that Gu Xibi was laughing throughout the fight.
What could be so amusing that he would come at me with that expression?
He said he would help me release the energy swirling around my body, but from the middle, it seemed he was just enjoying himself.
In the end, thanks to the fight with Gu Xibi, I was able to release most of my energy, but I also ended up with this injury.
"...Just something happened."
"I see..."
After the fight, Gu Xibi seemed to realize he had gone too far and looked dejected the whole time.
‘...How can someone swing their elbow after dodging a sword?’
If Gu Xibi had enough internal energy, I would have had my head split open.
I won't fight with that person again.
Meanwhile, Dao Wenchui, who seemed to be concerned, kept glancing at my injury with half-closed eyes.
Was he actually teasing me with his gaze?
Noticing my discomfort, Dao Wenchui cleared his throat.
"...Ahem, I heard there was something in Sichuan this time."
"Something...?"
At Dao Wenchui's words, he stopped the teacup he was about to drink.
If it was about the incident in Sichuan, it was only about finding Bibo... There's no way he could know about that...
"You defeated the Niaolong."
"Oh."
Ah, that's what he meant.
His heart felt a bit lighter.
Fortunately, it seems he doesn't know about Bibo.
The incident Dao Wenchui asked about was so trivial that he had almost forgotten about it.
"Is it true that the first son of the Gu family broke the Niaolong's arm in a duel? Is that you, Young Master?"
"I didn't break it... I just tapped it a bit."
There were only direct descendants at the Tangbing Zhanhui. Who could have spread the rumor...?
"More eyes mean more mouths."
Seeming to guess from Dao Wenchui's expression, he answered for him.
Honestly, if I had beaten the Niaolong to that extent, I expected the rumor to spread quickly. It's surprising it didn't go further.
"Already, the Nangong are frantically trying to suppress the rumor, so it won't spread much."
Perhaps the Nangong are the Nangong.
To prevent the rumor from spreading...
‘...It would have been difficult without spreading gold coins to the丐帮 (Beggars' Gang).’
Stopping a rumor from spreading is harder than spreading one, and the Nangong managed to do it.
A considerable amount of gold must have been spent.
Meanwhile, it was even more surprising that Dao Wenchui, who had heard that I had defeated the Niaolong, showed no reaction.
‘...My bruised eye is shocking, but this isn’t?’
That's a strange thing in itself...?
"Anyway, how did the favor I asked you go?"
In response to my question, Dao Wenchui took out a letter from his sleeve as if he had been waiting for it.
I took the letter without hesitation and opened it. It was news I had been waiting for a whole month.
"...What is this?"
But something was off.
I couldn't help but frown after reading a few lines.
The short message in the letter mentioned the whereabouts of the child.
It said that at the time of receiving the request, the child had already left the search area with his grandfather.
It was absurd.
Not only had the child left the area, but the fact that he had suddenly left with his grandfather was something I couldn't easily understand.
I had heard he was an orphan, and now he has a family? Moreover...
"Already left the area?"
"Yes, this is the information we could gather within our limits."
A boy around ten years old, with half his hair white, and a special mountainous terrain.
Anyone would find it hard to mistake such a distinctive appearance.
This means either Haomen is lying, the information I had was false, or...
Something has changed.
‘If Haomen is lying, what could be the reason?’
If I had to find a reason, it could be that they are keeping the child under surveillance to get more information from me.
Or they might think I consider the child important and have kidnapped and confined him...
Either way, it wouldn't be bad for me.
If they did that, it would be convenient for me.
But if the information I had was wrong?
That would be a troubling matter.
‘If he was lying even in that situation...’
It was information about his past that Zhuge He had told me directly.
If he lied even in that situation...
It was a terrifying thought.
Could he have lied to me even in a life-or-death situation?
I couldn't easily believe it because it was possible that he could have done it.
He was someone who, with no internal energy, used his intellect to effortlessly deal with thousands of martial artists.
‘Even if that’s the case...’
No matter what, there's nothing I can do about it now.
I can't go around investigating to confirm it myself.
I have to go to Huashan Sect soon.
‘...It feels like all the troublesome things are happening at once.’
"Master."
"...What should I do with this?"
"Master...!"
"...Why are you like that?"
We were walking through the market after leaving Haomen.
Since there was nothing more to gain from further discussion there, I said I would come back later and left.
And as usual, I was about to buy some pastries.
It seems to have become a habit.
As I was receiving a handful of pastries, Wuyan behind me had a sad expression.
Why is he like that?
"...What's wrong? Why are you like that?"
"...I don't have money, Master...!"
Wuyan's sudden outburst.
What is he talking about all of a sudden?
Why does he think I would use his money to buy them?
I felt like teasing him a bit at his reaction.
"What!? Why are you saying that now...!"
In response to my words, Wuyan looked as if he had expected this and fell into despair.
Seeing his expression, I immediately took out some silver coins from my sleeve.
Wuyan looked shocked at my actions.
I laughed helplessly and said,
"What, it's a joke, a joke. Did you really think I would use your money to buy them?"
"No... That's not it."
"Then why are you like that?"
"...If you have money, could you give me some of the money you borrowed last time..."
"..."
"Pastries are here!"
"Ah! The pastries are here, we need to go quickly."
I quickly picked up the pastries that conveniently appeared and headed towards the family estate.
Wuyan called out to me pitifully from behind.
But I ignored him for now.
Sorry... I'll really give it to you next time.
******************
The biggest change in Ouyang Qian's quarters might be the row of wooden carvings.
The once plain and bleak quarters now had a bit of life, thanks not only to Weixueya but also to the Sword Master's hobby.
Elder Li thought this as he looked at the newly completed eagle.
"Left Anhui."
The Sword Master's question.
Elder Li put down the eagle he had been fiddling with, very carefully to avoid breaking it.
"That's what I heard."
"...Did something happen?"
Shen Yi is a person like the wind.
He doesn't stay in one place for long.
The information that Shen Yi went to Anhui had a special meaning.
Anhui is the territory of the Heavenly Master, and the Heavenly Master is looking for me.
In that situation, for the person the Sword Master is looking for to step into Anhui...
I expected something bad to have happened.
‘...But why.’
If the Heavenly Master knew the Sword Master was looking for Shen Yi, he would never let him go.
But Shen Yi has already left Anhui?
"Gu Lun, do you know where he went?"
Elder Li thought for a moment at the Sword Master's question.
The reason Elder Li had to go to Nangong was due to the head of the family's request.
There was Ouyang Qian's engagement issue and matters related to Shen Yi that needed to be investigated.
Considering the amount of work he did, going to Anhui and wandering around, compared to sending Ouyang Qian to Sichuan, he felt like giving him a beating when they met later.
Shen Yi had already left Anhui by the time he arrived.
When asked where he went, the answers were vague, but he heard that Shen Yi often mentioned Shanxi while staying there.
"...Shanxi, then Huashan?"
A familiar place popped up. It was where Ouyang Qian would go in a few days.
"What will you do, Senior?"
"If necessary, I'll have to go and look for him myself."
The Sword Master himself? The person who is hiding his identity and even serving as a servant here to avoid being discovered, saying he will go and look for him himself.
Is this matter so urgent for the Sword Master?
Elder Li couldn't easily predict the situation.
He asked what he planned to do, but the Sword Master didn't answer immediately.
A few days later.
Elder Li discovered that the Sword Master and Weixueya's names were included in the schedule to leave for Huashan Sect.
****************
For a farmer, summer is a season like hell.
Not only the scorching sun, but also the crops that wither and twist from hard labor, often earning less than the expected wages.
Despite this, if one were to argue that all seasons are the same...
For Wang Dong, who helps his mother with farming to sustain his life, summer was the most burdensome.
"Mother! This won't sell either."
He threw the withered crops on the ground with a sad cry.
Damn, this godforsaken season.
When will this wretched season pass?
Every year, he wipes the same sweat and laments, but nothing changes.
At that moment, the relentless sunlight was momentarily blocked.
"What is it?"
Thinking it might start raining, Wang Dong looked up.
Unfortunately, it wasn't raining, but he couldn't help but be startled at the person standing in front of him, casting a shadow.
"...Oh my...!"
Startled, Wang Dong fell on his buttocks and cried out.
The white hair that caught the sunlight, the skin as white as if living in the shade alone.
It was the image of a fairy that Wang Dong's father used to shout about when he was drunk.
"Excuse me..."
The fairy spoke.
Crazy, how can a voice be so beautiful.
Wang Dong couldn't calm his heart, which was pounding as if it would burst.
"Yes, yes!?"
"To go to Shanxi, which way..."
Shanxi...? What Shanxi?
Is the fairy from Shanxi...? Wang Dong, in a daze, even had such a silly thought.
But he quickly regained his composure and held on to his senses.
"S, Shanxi is to the east from here..."
"Thank you."
The fairy, seemingly in a hurry, took to the sky... Yes, flew into the sky!
Wang Dong shouted in a trembling voice.
"Why are you shouting like that, you fool!"
"Mother, it's a fairy, a fairy!"
"...You're crazy. I heard you were scolded by Fang Shu last time, and now you've lost your mind."
"No... It's really a..."
No matter how much he tried to explain, his mother turned her head back to work.
There was no evidence to prove Wang Dong's words.
"...What is this?"
Only a silver coin was left where the fairy had stood.
An amount that could feed his family for several months.
"I, I'm crazy..."
Did the fairy leave this? Wang Dong first picked up the silver and put it in his sleeve.
But there was one thing he was puzzled about.
The fairy asked about the location of Shanxi. Wang Dong only knew it was to the east.
"...But why did the fairy run west?"
Even though he pointed east with his hand...
Wang Dong would never know the reason for this until the day he died.