Qiuyue Nunnery?

Fang Shuwen looked completely bewildered. What kind of place was that? A nunnery?

He knew his knowledge of the Jianghu was shallow, so he looked to Lu Guiyan.

But as it turned out, even the worldly and knowledgeable Lu Guiyan wore a similar expression.

Neither of them had any idea where that was...

The two of them asked Qi Wuwang for the location of this Qiuyue Nunnery, and he answered honestly that it was on Yanyue Mountain.

However, that mountain was just as unfamiliar.

Neither Fang Shuwen nor Lu Guiyan had ever heard of it.

But based on their current route, it wasn’t a place they would be passing through.

So they didn’t press the matter further.

The man was naturally left for Fang Shuwen to deal with. Qi Wuwang looked at Fang Shuwen, knowing there was no escape, and asked through clenched teeth:

"Can you let me know... who exactly are you?

"At least let me know who I’m dying at the hands of."

Fang Shuwen placed a hand on his head, and his North Nether Divine Technique activated in a flash. Qi Wuwang felt all the Inner Strength in his body instantly devoured by Fang Shuwen’s palm, and his face changed drastically.

Before he could say another word, Fang Shuwen’s Palm Power pierced his skull, killing him on the spot.

Fang Shuwen clicked his tongue.

"You’re about to die anyway. Why ask so many questions?"

Suddenly, he whipped his head around, a cold sneer playing on his lips.

’Couldn’t hold back any longer, huh?’

While he was dealing with Qi Wuwang and everyone’s attention was on him, the shop assistant, who had been hiding cautiously behind the counter, suddenly sprang into action. Wielding a short dagger, he lunged at the master and servant pair.

Fang Shuwen had long since noticed something was off about this person. His posture and footwork were far beyond those of a simple teahouse waiter.

Therefore, he had been keeping a close eye on him.

Seeing this, he was about to strike and use his North Nether Divine Technique to pull the man toward him.

But then, with a sudden BUZZ!

The piercing ring of a sword echoed as a streak of light flashed by. The young man in black, who had been sitting in the teahouse, was now outside. With a CLICK, he sheathed his longsword.

The shop assistant’s body froze. A line of blood suddenly appeared on his throat, and fresh blood trickled down his neck.

His body slumped to the side, and he died on the spot.

The turn of events was so sudden that Lu Guiyan hadn’t even reacted. By the time she realized what had happened, she couldn’t help but break out in a cold sweat.

Although she was experienced in the Jianghu, her Martial Arts were ultimately limited. She couldn’t see the things Fang Shuwen could.

That shop assistant was no simple character; his acting was good enough to deceive her completely.

Now, she subconsciously looked up at the young man in black who had struck.

She saw him stroking his chin.

"I had a feeling this waiter was strange. Didn’t think he was actually an assassin trying to kill someone amidst the chaos."

With that, he looked at Lu Guiyan.

"No need to ask my name. We are but chance acquaintances in the Jianghu. Why must we have known each other before to meet?

"I am Chen Qi, the Celestial Qilin Sword. Farewell!"

After saying his piece, he turned and left without waiting for Lu Guiyan’s reaction.

After the man had been gone for a moment, Lu Guiyan finally spoke, puzzled.

"I wasn’t going to ask...

"Wait, didn’t he just tell us anyway?"

"Why was he in such a hurry to leave? The rain hasn’t even stopped."

Fang Shuwen, having finished looting Qi Wuwang’s body, said with some amusement:

"He probably has to find another place to shelter from the rain, all just to leave us with that aloof silhouette of his."

Everyone looked at each other, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

After a moment, Lu Guiyan recovered and said:

"The Celestial Qilin Sword...

"I’ve heard my father mention him. He’s a rising star in the Jianghu.

"With his superb Swordsmanship, he’s challenged many senior masters and made a name for himself over the past two years.

"I just never expected him to be... that kind of person."

Fang Shuwen was just about to ask who the Celestial Qilin Sword had challenged, as he was most curious about such Jianghu matters.

But before he could ask, the young disciples from the Cangwu Sword Sect had already approached them.

They thanked Fang Shuwen for striking down Qi Wuwang and saving their lives.

Fang Shuwen also stood up and clasped his fist in a polite gesture, looking like a completely different person from the ruthless killer he had been moments ago.

This left the few from the Cangwu Sword Sect somewhat taken aback.

They had assumed that a young man like Fang Shuwen, possessing such peerless Martial Arts, would be difficult to get along with. They never expected him to be so good-tempered, with a warm smile and a way of speaking that effortlessly made a good impression.

During their casual chat, when the teacups were empty, he would go to the back kitchen himself to boil water and brew more tea.

Everyone gathered in the teahouse, chatting idly about anything and everything that came to mind.

They didn’t set off again until the autumn rain finally stopped.

The merchant caravan went its own way, and the Cangwu Sword Sect disciples had to return to their sect to report.

Fang Shuwen’s party, of course, also had to press onward.

Additionally, they found a token of the Fierce Tiger Gang on the shop assistant’s body, confirming his affiliation.

It seemed that after Tong Tianba’s death, the Fierce Tiger Gang had become much more cautious in their actions. However, they hadn’t given up, so it was still necessary to be careful to avoid falling into their traps.

However, Fang Shuwen mused, ’With the Fierce Tiger Gang so fixated on these two, their next move is bound to be a big one.’

There was a feeling of a storm brewing on the horizon.

Meanwhile, Fang Shuwen took stock of the things he had looted from Qi Wuwang’s body.

They’re not wrong when they say murder and arson are the path to a golden belt.

He’d gotten his hands on several hundred taels in silver notes... Given Fang Shuwen’s current net worth, while he couldn’t claim to be the richest man in the region, he could certainly be considered wealthy.

Besides the silver, there was also a strange Jin Ling.

Lu Guiyan said it was likely a token from the Golden Bell Tower, but she didn’t know how it was used.

Fang Shuwen thought for a moment and decided to keep it. He had a feeling this Golden Bell Tower might be interesting.

The next few days were rather peaceful, though the number of Jianghu folk on the road had increased.

Lu Guiyan suspected there might be some kind of Jianghu gathering, and such events often spelled trouble.

Given the current situation of the Lu’an Escort Agency, it was best to avoid getting involved.

So, Lu Guiyan urged everyone to hurry on their way.

The good news was, Lu Guiyan told Fang Shuwen that if they continued north, once they passed Wangbei Pass and entered Zhaobei City, they would be outside the Fierce Tiger Gang’s sphere of influence.

Based on the distance, it wasn’t far now.

However, Wangbei Pass was an unavoidable chokepoint on the road north, and the Fierce Tiger Gang might set up an ambush there, so they still needed to be cautious.

Autumn had recently begun, bringing frequent rains. Combined with their efforts to evade the Fierce Tiger Gang, the journey had been quite grueling.

One night, another autumn rain caught them by surprise.

The group had no choice but to look for shelter.

Their luck was relatively good; a Porter up ahead discovered an abandoned village. Although most of the buildings were just crumbling ruins without a single tile to cover their heads,

in the very center, a large, dilapidated kiln remained.

Though the center of the structure leaked, its arched shape had kept it largely intact. One of the side walls was broken, but the inner edges provided more than enough space to take shelter from the rain.

But as they drew near, they discovered someone was already inside.

Fang Shuwen’s party had just appeared, and before Lu Guiyan could call out the customary greeting, a voice full of pleasant surprise rang out:

"Brother Fang! What are you doing here!?"