As Wu Lingxiao spoke, he suddenly paused.

"I forgot, you can’t see clearly..."

"..."

Murong Qingchen suddenly had no desire to continue the topic.

"No regrets?"

"From the moment I made the decision, there was nothing to regret."

Wu Lingxiao smiled faintly.

"Compared to being the City Lord of Flying Snow City, I’d much rather devote myself to the mountains and rivers..."

"Since I have such an opportunity, why would I give it up?"

"But Flying Snow City is, after all, the foundation of your Wu Family."

"Back then, he wanted a city, and so Flying Snow City came to be."

Wu Lingxiao said quietly,

"Now, I no longer want it, so this city no longer needs to exist."

Murong Qingchen suddenly laughed.

"You Wu Family people truly are arrogant, one and all."

Wu Lingxiao seemed to have something to say, but after a moment of silence, he said nothing at all.

Murong Qingchen didn’t actually leave, either. Ye Feihua had drained nearly half of the Inner Strength from his Heaven and Earth Flow Together for My Book, and he needed to replenish it.

For now, staying in Flying Snow City was, paradoxically, safer.

...

...

Five li outside Flying Snow City, beside a relatively spacious clearing, Fang Shuwen was sitting on a large rock.

He held the Seven-String Ancient Chapter, examining it by the light of the moon.

But just like when he was in the stone chamber, he couldn’t find anything unusual no matter how he looked at it. He shook his head and said,

"So, why is this thing called the Seven-String Ancient Chapter?"

There was no one around him, yet it was unclear who he was asking.

Fang Shuwen’s brows furrowed.

"I’m asking you. Still not talking?"

After a silence lasting about three breaths, a slightly astonished voice spoke up:

"You knew I was here?"

Fang Shuwen chuckled.

"I didn’t before, but I do now."

Ye Feihua did not reveal herself. Concealed by Non-Flower Attraction, her brows were tightly locked.

She found it hard to believe Fang Shuwen’s words.

The people in this Jianghu were all rotten to the core. Their words were a tangled mess of truth and lies, making it impossible to tell fact from fiction.

Had Fang Shuwen actually sensed her presence before speaking, or was he just bluffing to try and trick her into revealing herself? No one could say for sure.

She didn’t dwell on the question for too long.

She took a step forward and appeared, graceful and lovely, before Fang Shuwen.

Fang Shuwen looked up at her.

"Care to chat?"

"What does Brother Fang want to chat about?"

"Let’s chat about this Seven-String Ancient Chapter."

Fang Shuwen said,

"You still haven’t answered my earlier question."

"I don’t know the origin of the name either."

Ye Feihua stared at the Seven-String Ancient Chapter in Fang Shuwen’s hand for a moment before speaking:

"According to the records of my Jinghua Pavilion, this thing has been circulating in the Jianghu for a very long time.

"Some say it’s the key to a treasure trove. Others say it’s a map. If someone could decipher the mystery of its seven lines, they could find a secret location said to contain the most profound techniques and the most precious treasures in the world.

"Of course, there are also those who say the Seven-String Ancient Chapter is a treasure in itself, and that one can comprehend Divine Skills and Techniques from its seven lines!"

"Sounds pretty fake."

Fang Shuwen couldn’t help but laugh.

"If this thing really leads to a treasure, and people can even describe in vivid detail what’s inside, then someone must have already been there.

"Wouldn’t you be going for nothing?

"And as for Divine Skills and Techniques, has anyone ever comprehended them?" 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"Well..."

Ye Feihua shook her head.

"Although there are rumors that Wu Hanjiang comprehended the Great Cold Scripture back in the day by relying on the Seven-String Ancient Chapter.

"But that’s not actually the case. The Great Cold Scripture is a family heirloom technique of the Wu Family. It was just that its power was originally mediocre. It was Wu Hanjiang who, relying on his own comprehension, improved upon the old to create the new, elevating this Martial Arts to a much higher level.

"I have to say, Wu Hanjiang was truly a prodigy in his youth.

"Unfortunately, it seems he chose his company poorly, and his later years were likely bleak."

Fang Shuwen waved his hand dismissively.

"Enough of that. I’ve had more than my fill of gossip for one night."

As he spoke, he tossed the Seven-String Ancient Chapter in his hand and looked at Ye Feihua.

"You really want this?"

"I do!!"

Ye Feihua nodded immediately.

Fang Shuwen grinned.

"I can give this to you, but you have to promise me one thing."

"Alright."

Ye Feihua said with a smile,

"Do you like me as I am now, or do you prefer... when I take on the appearance of Zuo Qingshuang?

"Her little apprentice is quite smitten with you. I imagine there’s no need for me to go to the trouble..."

Fang Shuwen was stunned for a moment. When he realized what brazen words she was speaking, his face immediately darkened.

"Say another word of that nonsense, and see if I don’t destroy this thing."

"...Then just tell me."

Ye Feihua was exasperated.

"It’s simple. Come closer and listen."

Ye Feihua immediately hesitated. From the moment she appeared, she had maintained a safe distance from Fang Shuwen, afraid that if she took one step forward, he would capture her.

Now, hearing his words, she worried he was deliberately luring her into a trap.

But after much hesitation, she decided to temporarily trust Fang Shuwen’s character—especially since his sudden move regarding the Seven-String Ancient Chapter was, in itself, very strange.

She immediately leaned her head in.

After Fang Shuwen whispered in her ear for a moment, Ye Feihua was suddenly stunned.

"That’s it?"

"That’s it."

"Fine, I agree to this.

"No matter what, I owe you a huge favor for this."

Ye Feihua looked at Fang Shuwen.

"I just don’t know when those people you mentioned will arrive."

"They’re already here. You can disappear for now."

Before Fang Shuwen could even finish his sentence, Ye Feihua took a step and vanished without a trace.

But Fang Shuwen knew she was not far from him.

Although under normal circumstances, Fang Shuwen couldn’t sense Ye Feihua’s aura, the moment her gaze fell upon him, he would feel it.

This was also the reason why Fang Shuwen had been so certain she was nearby earlier.

And at that moment, Fang Shuwen slowly raised his head.

He saw figures appearing silently all around.

Densely packed, a preliminary estimate put their numbers in the hundreds.

They were dressed in red and spread out in the surroundings. Among the crowd of red-robed people with their faces hidden by hoods, there was also a man in a black hood, whose icy gaze pierced through the crowd to land on Fang Shuwen.