It hadn’t actually been all that long since he arrived in the western regions. But after everything he had experienced, Wei Yuan felt as though ages had passed.

Tilting his head back slightly and glancing sideways at the innkeeper, Wei Yuan declared in a proud voice, “Oh, it’s nothing. I’ve just landed a few good contracts and made quite a profit!”

As he spoke, he pulled out a stick of immortal silver and revealed just a small portion. The stick looked like it was worth at least ten taels. The innkeeper’s smile immediately widened, his inner conviction growing stronger: This guy is still a penniless beggar.

Sword cultivators might be poor, but they also had thin skin. Wise in the ways, the innkeeper did not reveal his inner thoughts as a matter of course. He put on an obsequious smile and said, “So, are we still continuing our arrangement, or....”

“Of course we’re continuing! But actually, I’ve returned this time on the orders of a certain patron. I have come to propose a deal with you!”

“Please speak, upper immortal!”

“My patron desires the intelligence of all Xu Clan activities in this vicinity, particularly information on the movement of the merchant caravans.”

Taken aback, the innkeeper hurriedly protested, “It’s an ironclad rule in our line of work that we must never meddle in the affairs of the great clans! This is absolutely out of the question—it would only cost us our heads!”

Wei Yuan merely sneered, “If you refuse this job, you’ll lose your head even more surely!”

The innkeeper gave a bitter laugh. “Please don’t jest, upper immortal. I could have the gall of the heavens, and I still wouldn’t dare meddle in the affairs of the great clans! People like us may be able to pick on the likes of ordinary folk, but if we ever run into someone with real clout—be it a clan, an immortal sect, bandits, or the authorities—which of them couldn’t crush us with a single flick of their finger?”

“There are authorities in this place?”

The innkeeper pointed toward the sky. “Sure we do. It is the Xu Clan, is it not? The official authorities may be gone, but the Xu Clan is still here.”

Sneering, Wei Yuan produced an object and waved it in front of the innkeeper. “So you still remember there’s a Xu Clan! Care to take a look and tell me what this is?”

The innkeeper had sharp eyes. He instantly recognized the object and gasped out loud. He hurriedly led Wei Yuan to the back of the inn, located a small, unoccupied courtyard, and carefully shut the doors behind him. It was only then he asked, “Are you working for the Xu Clan now, upper immortal?”

Wei Yuan glared at him. “Who else? Do you think this token is fake?”

The innkeeper asked cautiously, “May I know what your patron is gathering this intelligence for?”

Wei Yuan shot him a withering look and replied coldly, “Why do you want to know so much? What are you up to?”

The innkeeper forced a smile. “I have a few connections here and there, and some brothers and sisters who are always looking out for their next meal out in the wilds. Usually, we’ll take on any job we can get. But with all the recent chaos—I heard that several major battles had taken place at the borders—and the Shamans secretly but continually kidnapping humans as of late, things have become quite untenable for my acquaintances so to speak.

“Since you’re here on the Xu Clan’s orders and gathering intelligence for them, I was wondering if you might need a helping hand or two.”

This piqued Wei Yuan’s interest. He asked coldly, “How many men do you have? I don’t want any dead weight!”

The innkeeper immediately pounded his chest and declared, “A dozen or so, all of them veteran Dao Foundations! They’re all quite skilled at their work!”

Wei Yuan pondered for a long moment before reluctantly saying, “Send over the ten best fighters. Our first job is to raid a Xu Clan caravan.”

The innkeeper pressed, “The Xu Clan has many caravans. Which one are we targeting?"

Wei Yuan slapped his hand on the table. “The richest one, of course!”

The innkeeper gasped. “Could it be...?”

“The one delivering tribute to Inner Jin!” Wei Yuan made no attempt to hide his intention.

The innkeeper lost his composure, feeling both apprehensive and curious. He asked, “If I may be so bold, if your patron is also a member of the Xu Clan, why would they do such a thing?”

“Some people are old and useless, yet they cling to their positions and refuse to step down. Does that answer your question?”

It did. Not only that, the innkeeper immediately had a few ideas as to who this mysterious patron might be. His impression of Wei Yuan had also improved slightly. He felt that this man, though rough around the edges, had a shrewd side to him. He might just be good enough to get the job done.

Wei Yuan would wait in the inn for about half a day before the innkeeper snuck back into the courtyard and handed him a piece of paper. It detailed the itinerary of Xu Clan’s merchant caravans for the coming days. Upon seeing this intelligence, Wei Yuan realized that the Xu Clan’s estates were rife with the innkeeper’s spies as well.

Wei Yuan accepted the intelligence and placed ten taels of immortal silver on the table. He then said, “Have your men stand by for orders. I’m heading back with the report right now. Oh right, are there any new novels as of late? Grab a few for me—a friend of mine wants to read them[1].”

The innkeeper immediately pulled out all the books from the book chest and whispered, “These are all the new releases—two of them are particularly fresh and original!”

Wei Yuan nonchalantly tucked the books into his robe.

After Wei Yuan left, the innkeeper slowly stepped out of the courtyard. A waiter emerged from the shadows nearby and asked, “Could this be a scam, innkeeper?”

The innkeeper twirled his thin mustache and replied with a squint, “Doesn’t matter. We’re going to pull this off one way or another. This is the perfect opportunity to test the Xu Clan’s mettle without having to risk our hides.”

Inside the realm of Qingming, Xu Jingfeng stepped out of the bathtub and channeled his Dao energy to dry the water. This was the first time in days that he was able to use his Dao energy and clean himself properly.

He sighed in comfort and traced a gesture in the air, causing a circular mirror created from Dao energy to appear in front of him. Though the figure in the mirror looked haggard, he still retained a shadow of the former grace of the Jade-faced Immortal Sword.

Next, Xu Jingfeng picked up a fresh set of robes and put them on. However, it caused a stinging pain when it rubbed against his body and groin. He could not help but frown a little.

Just then, the door opened and Wei Yuan walked in.

Xu Jingfeng instantly lost his elegant, gentlemanly appearance and darted to a corner of the room, crouching.

Wei Yuan gave him a smile and placed a letter on the table. “I originally asked for a thousand taels, but your father was only willing to offer five hundred. We eventually settled on seven hundred.”

Xu Jingfeng slowly rose back to his feet and replied, “Father was probably afraid that some last-minute complications might arise if he paid too much.”

Wei Yuan remarked, “I guess you’re not entirely stupid. Oh, and one more thing. I had thought I would be attacked on the way back, but nothing happened. It would seem that you have no other choice.”

“Was there someone who didn’t want me to return?” Xu Jingfeng asked tentatively.

“If that’s true, it’s actually a good thing for you. Anyway, it’s about time. Let us be off.”

A short while later, Xu Jingfeng and a group of cultivators flew out of the realm and arrived at a deserted hill five hundred li away. A group of people had already been waiting there. One side paid the money, and the other gave up the man. The transaction was completed without any incident.

Xu Jingfeng felt like he was in a dream even after he entered the Xu Clan’s estate in Willow Ash Town, unable to believe he had truly returned.

Upon his return, Xu Zhiyuan immediately summoned Xu Jingfeng and questioned him in detail about his experiences during that time. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to say—he had been locked in a cell from the very first day until now.

Xu Zhiyuan then examined his son’s injuries. The man’s expression changed upon seeing that they were concentrated on his lower half. Fortunately, the injuries were not life-threatening. It would not cripple his son’s ability to have children either. Easing somewhat, he instructed Xu Jingfeng to seek out Master Mu Shang and check if the enemy had hidden some sort of trap inside his body. Finally, he told him to catch some rest and sent him away.

When Xu Jingfeng returned to his courtyard, it looked like everything was exactly the same as it had been. His two beloved maidservants were whispering to each other in the room.

I’m finally back....

Returning to his old stomping grounds, Xu Jingfeng finally felt like himself again. Consequently, he also reverted back to his old ways. He burst into the room and eagerly snatched the two women into his arms, hands sliding beneath their robes. While feeling their full curves, he chuckled, “I’ve only been away for a few days—how is that you’ve both gotten bigger?”

The two maidservants let out sweet, startled gasps, but when they turned their heads and saw that it was Xu Jingfeng, their bodies stiffened, and their expressions grew awkward.

Xu Jingfeng immediately sensed something was amiss, and his movements slowed. The two women hurriedly switched to flirtatious smiles to appease him, but Xu Jingfeng’s expression only grew increasingly grim as he shifted his gaze away from the girls and to his surroundings.

1. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) He’s not lying, Xu Wenwu would very much like to keep up to date with the novel industry. Whether or not Wei Yuan would peruse them first is a different matter.... ☜