Qi Yuan refused outright. "No. Your aptitude is too low."

Even with his junior sister’s help, getting into the Divine Flower Society had cost him considerable effort. The society didn't accept just anyone. Wang Shiqiao's cultivation aptitude was, frankly, mediocre. She wasn't even close to being a genius.

Wang Shiqiao burst out laughing, thoroughly mocking him. "Hmph. Afraid I'd expose you, are you? 'Journeying ten thousand miles to kill people'... Have you ever even left the country?"

Just then, Qi Yuan's phone rang, making him pause. Not many had his number. Moreover, it was rare for anyone to call him at this hour. The screen showed an unfamiliar number.

He picked up. "Hello."

From the other end came an urgent female voice, wavering but hesitant.

—Is this Mr. Qi?

"Who is this?"

The woman's voice cracked. She was clearly in a terrible state, on the edge of collapse. Her words came out fragmented, barely coherent.

—I'm Kuang Huan's wife. Kuang Huan, he... Something happened to him. I don't know what to do. I've asked so many people and no one can help. Finally I... hic...

Qi Yuan narrowed his eyes. "Where are you?"

—I'm in Xinyang.

"I'll be there shortly."

He thought it over and decided to make the trip. Kuang Huan was, after all, his associate. Over these three months, he had worked diligently on Qi Yuan's behalf, never causing trouble. Mutated sea monsters? Just say the word and they were caught. He had essentially been Qi Yuan's representative in the outside world.

Now that he was in trouble, Qi Yuan would go pull him out. Thus, he hung up.

Wang Shiqiao leaned in immediately. "Did something happen? Need our help?"

She'd caught the sound of a woman crying. Something was clearly going on at Qi Yuan's end.

Xing Yu suggested, "If it's tricky, just say so. We might not be capable of much, but there's strength in numbers."

As a community of sorts, the martial gym was a web of shared interests. People like them were modestly well-off and could still exert real force when they banded together.

Qi Yuan said offhandedly, "It's fine. Just a small matter, a friend of mine is in trouble. I'm going to check on him."

He had already sent a message to Zero-One to arrange travel.

Wang Shiqiao let out a breath. "That's a relief. Just make sure you're back in time. It is only three days until the Martial Arts Tournament. Don't miss it."

"Got it."

Qi Yuan nodded, said his goodbyes, and left.

***

At a lavishly furnished villa in Xinyang City, a young woman sat with dried tear-tracks on her face, adrift and at a total loss. Beside her stood a powerfully built woman whose eyes blazed with fury held barely in check. She was Kuang Huan's younger sister, Kuang Xi.

Naturally, she was anything but elated right now. "‘We can't afford to be seen involved'? Seriously? Bigger picture, my ass! My brother worked for them, only to end up captured by the Wugui! Yet they refuse to do anything, and won’t even apply diplomatic pressure. They just cut him loose entirely?!"

"I went to see that general." The young woman’s face was drawn. "He said there was nothing he could do either."

Kuang Xi ground her teeth. "Nothing he can do?! He just can’t be arsed because he doesn't want to be implicated!"

Kuang Huan had long been doing work for the Qin Yuan Kingdom's military, clearing out arms stockpiles, supporting Yuelang in its stand against Wugui. However, a mole within the kingdom exposed him, causing him to be seized and detained by the Wugui military.

The young woman's voice carried a hollow helplessness. "But the general said Kuang Huan's life isn't in danger. He told us to wait patiently. In three years at the most, Wugui will return him. I asked others as well. They all said more or less the same."

She had come from a modest background. Without Kuang Huan by her side, she had no idea how to navigate these murky waters. Not even his general would help him. Everyone he knew gave her the same answer, urging her to be patient, to have faith he'd come home. Still, she couldn't rest until she saw him with her own eyes.

Kuang Xi's voice rose with each word. "What a bunch of trash. When my brother was at the top, they flattered him endlessly. The moment something goes wrong, they avoid us like plague"

The young woman had placed all her remaining hope in Qi Yuan. "At least there's still Mr. Qi. He's agreed to come. I don't know if he'll have any ideas about getting Kuang Huan out."

Kuang Xi looked puzzled. "Who is Mr. Qi?"

She knew nothing about him.

The young woman hesitated briefly. "He's someone my husband holds in very high regard."

Kuang Xi wondered then felt her hope dim just as quickly. "Does he? Is he from one of the great families?"

Even someone from a powerful family couldn't do much here. This was a struggle between two great countries. Even minor nobles could be sacrificed without a second thought. Still, just knowing he was coming gave Kuang Xi a faint flicker of warmth. Even if he couldn't do anything, at least he showed up.

A heavy silence had settled over the villa. It had been more than a day since Kuang Huan was taken. No one had come by to check in. The villa sat utterly quiet, as though the rest of the world had simply forgotten he existed.