They were all afraid this handsome Mighty Man would suddenly fly into a rage and start killing people.

Zheng Xiu immediately asked if they had ever heard of a Monk called the "Playful Monk." His second question was where in Shuzhou one could find the most Monks.

The two answered honestly.

They hadn’t heard of a "Playful Monk." In truth, it was obviously a nickname; anyone could be called a Playful Monk. But they did have an answer for the second question. There were over thirty temples in Shuzhou where Monks gathered, but the one with the most Monks was undoubtedly Yunliu Temple, located in the Shu Region.

After leaving the black-hearted inn, Zheng Xiu mounted his horse. He was about to give Feng Bei a hand up when he saw her lower her head and smile faintly. He asked, "What is it? You’ve heard of Yunliu Temple."

Feng Bei’s smile vanished. She nodded and said, "I have."

"Good! We’ll head into Yizhong County to gather information first, then go to Yunliu Temple to ask around."

Feng Bei mounted her horse, the tips of her ears slightly red.

They rode hard through the night. Zheng Xiu pulled another all-nighter, and just before dawn, he could see the smoke of morning fires rising from the city in the distance. The ancient word "Yizhong" appeared on the city gate.

After a simple inspection, they entered the city. Zheng Xiu directly revealed his identity with the Zheng Family, saying he was looking for Si Youqing of the Chamber of Commerce, and got in with ease.

Having ridden all night, the two planned to find an inn to rest. Just as Zheng Xiu was about to enter his room to slip away, Feng Bei finally asked him why he hadn’t punished that black-hearted inn in some small way.

"How would a roadside inn dare to casually ask for a hundred taels? He dared to demand that much because he was certain our clothes meant we could afford it, or at least a few dozen taels. You could tell their business was bad. The Chef’s apron smelled of cheap dye, not like someone who’s been stained with blood. It was just a bluff. At the very least, they only seem to bully the rich. There’s nothing really to punish. The world isn’t so black and white."

"That makes sense." Feng Bei nodded, telling Brother Zheng to get some rest first.

After Zheng Xiu went into his room, however, Feng Bei left the inn on her own to find the local Ye Weiyang branch.

Zheng Xiu canceled his Divine Travel and dozed off for about four hours.

It was already noon when he woke up. He washed up, then had the ’young master’ go out to show his face and let the family know he was still around. After that, Zheng Xiu returned to the dungeon, slightly adjusted the Mighty Man’s Traits, and poked the little face of [Post Station Feng Bei]. A door in the deep void opened and closed. When Zheng Xiu opened his eyes again, he found himself floating in the sky.

’Feng Bei is outside?’

To avoid scaring people, Zheng Xiu always used his Masterful Level [Stealth] when teleporting in broad daylight. It was exceptionally useful.

He zipped down to the street and looked up at the sign of a bustling restaurant—"Tuberose." After a moment of thought, Zheng Xiu understood why Feng Bei had come here.

He waited at the entrance for a while. Soon, Feng Bei walked out of the restaurant, a hint of weariness on her face. She immediately spotted Brother Zheng, who stood head and shoulders above the crowd.

"Brother Zheng, why didn’t you rest longer?"

Zheng Xiu wanted to say, ’I should be asking you that. Why didn’t *you* rest longer?’ But on second thought, the dialogue felt a bit off, so he swallowed his words and asked something else, "Have Yue Yan and Dou Xie arrived?"

Feng Bei shook her head. "They are likely still on their way to Yizhong County."

"What about Xu Shu?"

Feng Bei said, "He came, but he’s already left."

Zheng Xiu’s Spirit perked up. "Did he leave any message?"

Feng Bei shook her head. "No."

"No? No message is the right message." Zheng Xiu laughed heartily and pulled Feng Bei along toward where he remembered the Zheng Clan’s branch Chamber of Commerce was located. "Let’s go check out the Chamber of Commerce first, then."

The head of the Zheng Clan Chamber of Commerce’s Shuzhou branch, Si Youqing, upheld the Zheng Family’s usual style—grand and high-profile.

The facade of the branch Chamber of Commerce featured two Pillars, carved with dragons and phoenixes. The plaque was inlaid with gold and framed with expensive wood, bearing the words "The Loyal and Heroic Zheng Clan Chamber of Commerce." 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Beside the door stood two stone lions, exquisitely crafted by a master artisan. The lions’ eyes were made of precious jade, making them seem exceptionally lifelike.

Inside, Si Youqing was brewing tea and meditating peacefully, enjoying his life.

When someone at the door announced that "Master Zheng" had come to see him, Si Youqing was so shocked he choked on his tea.

He had just sent a shipment of profits north not long ago. For Zheng Xiu to personally come to Shuzhou so soon after, Si Youqing’s first thought was that Zheng Xiu must have been dissatisfied with the amount he’d sent.

Si Youqing composed himself, straightened his clothes, and rushed to the reception hall.

"Nephew Zheng, oh, Nephew Zheng! What wind blew you all the way here? It’s been years, you—"

The Merchant’s customary pleasantries were only half-spoken. Si Youqing turned and stepped over the threshold, but when he saw the handsome Mighty Man sitting in the seat of honor, his expression froze. The formal fist-and-palm salute he was making stiffened in front of him, and he stood motionless, the rest of his sentence dying in his throat. Si Youqing stood stunned for several long breaths before finally continuing where he left off:

"...What on earth have you been eating to have grown up to look like... this?"