’So this... is the arch-nemesis my senior brother mentioned?’

Qin Fang’s eyes narrowed instantly.

Looking closer, the man had already removed his outer cloak. He wore the same style of black robe as the people in the temple and was heading straight for the abandoned temple...

’He’s a member of the Mysterious Power, too?’

Qin Fang’s pupils contracted.

’And this man... he’s the City Gate Guard of True Martial County!’

He effectively controlled all access to True Martial County!

Across all of True Martial County, he was undoubtedly a man of high status and power!

...And a man like that was actually a member of the mysterious organization?

Qin Fang’s eyelid twitched. He watched the man walk all the way to the temple, clearly familiar with the path. This wasn’t his first visit.

He remained silent for a long moment before taking a deep breath and quickly leaving with Monkey.

’I don’t know if more people from that mysterious organization will show up. I need to get Monkey to safety quickly.’

A short while later, they were far from the wilderness. Qin Fang said to Monkey, "I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to rough it out here for the night."

Monkey quickly shook his head. "Master Qin, this is nothing! Back when I guarded the fishing spots, I’d sometimes squat by the river for two or three nights straight. You don’t have to worry about me. The city gates open early tomorrow. I’ll just blend in with the vegetable sellers going into the city. It’ll be no problem at all."

Hearing this, Qin Fang nodded. After a pause, he suddenly added, "For now, don’t tell my senior brother about what happened at the temple."

Monkey was taken aback, not understanding why Qin Fang had suddenly changed his mind. Still, he nodded quickly in agreement.

Qin Fang nodded, gave a few more instructions in a low voice, and left, heading back to his spot on the cliff.

And so, Qin Fang remained there, watching the temple for nearly the entire night.

As dawn approached, Qin Fang saw the people begin to get up and leave in twos and threes.

They didn’t all leave at once; some left earlier, others later.

Qin Fang kept his eyes fixed on those who were leaving.

He discovered that most of them were heading towards True Martial County.

His expression grew grim. ’This is even more serious than I thought. I’m afraid True Martial County itself is crawling with members of this mysterious organization.’

By the time dawn had fully broken, nearly everyone was gone.

The abandoned temple was completely silent, as if no one had ever been there.

Qin Fang climbed down from the cliff. He glanced toward the temple, thought for a moment, then turned and left.

...

In the morning, the area outside the city gates was bustling with activity. Crowds of vegetable farmers, carrying their wares on shoulder poles, streamed into the city to sell their produce.

Monkey, blending in with the crowd, was inconspicuous. When the gates opened, he followed the throng into the city...

Of course, he had to show his Identity.

He then immediately rushed to Zhou Xing’s house. He knocked, and a short while later, Zhou Xing opened the door.

Upon seeing Monkey, Zhou Xing let out a long, obvious sigh of relief. He gestured for Monkey to enter, and only after closing the door did he ask, "Was there trouble?"

Monkey knew what he was asking about and quickly recounted how he had been followed after leaving the previous night.

This made Zhou Xing’s face darken. ’That damned An. He really has been keeping an eye on me.’

But as he listened to the rest of Monkey’s story, he breathed another sigh of relief. ’My junior brother is as sharp as ever.’

’Knowing An, if Monkey had returned last night, there’s a nine-out-of-ten chance he would have been caught!’

’...After more than a month of An’s arrangements at the city gate, while it might not be a completely iron-clad fortress yet, capturing Monkey would have been a simple matter.’

’The crucial part is, if Monkey were captured, I might not even hear about it right away... For one, the constables I knew have all been scattered.’

’For another, no one knows Monkey’s connection to me, so why would anyone bother to inform me?’

’It’s hard to say what would happen to Monkey then.’

’...Of course, An wouldn’t dare to kill him. He is an official, after all; there are limits to how much he can abuse his authority and carry out private punishments.’

’But Monkey would definitely be made to suffer.’

’If he couldn’t endure the torture and confessed something, I’d be put in a very tight spot.’

This made Zhou Xing’s brow furrow deeply. ’Back when he was in the Household Department, his power was limited, and it wasn’t so noticeable.’

’But now he’s the City Gate Guard, and my junior brother’s identity is a vulnerability... He really has me pinned down!’

His lips pressed into a thin line. ’The Government Office Entrance is a battlefield of its own.’

’The strong seize high positions, while the weak are left completely vulnerable.’

’...If only I had reached the Anjin realm, I certainly wouldn’t still be a mere forensic doctor. I would be holding real power.’

At this thought, Zhou Xing felt a wave of helplessness.

He pushed aside his messy thoughts and asked Monkey what message Qin Fang had sent.

Monkey relayed Qin Fang’s message point by point.

Zhou Xing’s expression shifted instantly.

’So there really is a problem with the Qi Blood Pills?’

’But the last time I inspected them, I didn’t find anything unusual at all!’

’...Or could it be that the problem isn’t something that can be detected through normal means?’

’The latter is more likely.’

’So what do I do now?’

Zhou Xing’s lips were pressed tightly together. He racked his brain but couldn’t come up with a plan...

The most crucial thing was that he was just a forensic doctor. While he had some influence at the Government Office Entrance, in truth, his power was limited.

Whatever he wanted to do, his hands were tied!

In the end, all he could do was let out a soft sigh. He took out a letter and told Monkey to leave the city and find Qin Fang.

’He shouldn’t go back to the restaurant for the time being.’

Since An Changyu had already targeted Monkey, it would be dangerous for him to return to the restaurant.

Fortunately, Monkey had only just arrived in the county. Not many people at the restaurant knew his background; they only knew that Zhou Xing had introduced him and nothing more.

If An Changyu wanted to cause trouble for Zhou Xing himself, Zhou Xing wasn’t afraid.

But he feared dragging innocent people into it.