Are You Talking to Me?

"So he really is Murong Qingchen." A realization dawned upon Fang Wen. This man was renowned alongside Wu Lingxiao, both counted among the Three Immortals, Two Kings, and One Madman of the City, so it was hardly surprising that his martial arts were so formidable. Lu Guiyan looked toward Fang Wen. "What do we do?" Word that Wu Lingxiao was gravely injured had most likely spread. Feixue City was bound to enter a turbulent time. Even someone like the Book Immortal, Murong Qingchen, had arrived at Feixue City... Lu Guiyan could not help but feel a twinge of helplessness in her heart. Fang Wen merely smiled. "We're already at the gates. Are we supposed to turn back now? Come on, let's join the commotion." Hearing him say this, Lu Guiyan nodded, took a deep breath, and led the party forward. They were already right outside Feixue City, and in just a few steps, they reached the front of the city gates. The man who had been battering the gate had stopped by now, as the heavy gates of Feixue City swung open. He was shouting at the top of his lungs: "...You people of Feixue City are far too used to looking down on everyone! I traveled thousands of li to visit Wu Lingxiao! Refusing to see me is bad enough, but to have your subordinates humiliate me is utterly intolerable! Shouldn't Feixue City give this old man an explanation?" Several Feixue City guards whom he had knocked down earlier glared at him with fury. Not only was this old man unreasonable and overbearing, but he also spouted complete nonsense. As guards of Feixue City, they were well aware of the profound depths of the jianghu. Even when Feixue City declined outside visitors, they always spoke politely and tried to persuade them away. When had they ever humiliated him? Meanwhile, four people stood just inside the gate—three men and a woman. At their head was a middle-aged man in white robes. His indifferent gaze swept over the spittle-spraying old man, paying him no mind. Instead, he looked at each of the others present, one by one. Finally, his eyes settled on Murong Qingchen, his indifferent expression hardening into utter solemnity. He closed his eyes briefly, then spoke in a deep voice: "Are you all here to visit our City Lord?" His words immediately cut off the ranting old man. "Amitabha!" After chanting the Buddha's name, the itinerant monk carrying a monk's spade burst into hearty laughter. "This monk was passing through Feixue City and remembered I hadn't seen City Lord Wu in years, so I came especially to pay a visit." The young man riding the donkey was about to speak, but unexpectedly, the donkey beneath him suddenly lunged with an outstretched neck, snapping its teeth toward the carrot. Caught completely off guard, the young man nearly bit his own tongue. He flew into a rage on the spot. "If you dare pull that again, I'm eating donkey burgers tonight!" As the donkey spun in circles chasing the carrot, it even found time to glance back at the youth and let out a disdainful snort. Veins throbbed on the young man's forehead. Fury surged in his heart, and villainy was born of his audacity. Reaching behind his back, he drew a dagger. Sensing impending danger, the donkey did not hesitate for a second. It kicked up its hooves and bolted. The young man froze in shock. He watched as Feixue City, which he had traveled so far to reach, grew smaller and smaller beneath the donkey's galloping hooves... Everyone present, including Murong Qingchen, momentarily stepped out of their own worlds to watch the young man and his donkey disappear into the distance, completely at a loss as to what he had come for in the first place. Only after a long moment did they finally tear their gazes away. Having been interrupted by this spectacle, the leader from Feixue City forgot whatever he had intended to say. He simply said, "Please follow me into the city, everyone." With that, he turned and walked straight into Feixue City. Murong Qingchen and the other two followed behind them. Fang Wen led Lu Guiyan and the rest to slip in along with them. He had expected the system to notify him of mission completion once they entered the city, yet to his surprise, there was no reaction from the system at all. Fang Wen mulled it over and guessed that although on the surface his task was to protect the two clients under escort, it was actually bound to the Lu'an Escort Agency. To complete the task and receive his settlement reward, it would likely require the Lu'an Escort Agency to hand them over to Feixue City first. Thinking this, he was in no rush. Since they had already arrived, completion was within arm's reach. After entering the city, they followed the street straight ahead until they arrived at the City Lord's Estate. In front of the estate stood a middle-aged man with ordinary features, yet his attire was quite extraordinary—a white robe embroidered with cloud patterns, crafted from materials and needlework of supreme quality. The four Feixue City figures whispered a few words to this man before turning to depart. The middle-aged man cupped his hands slightly. "I am Liu Qi, chief steward of Feixue City. Greetings to our honored guests." At these words, while the others thought nothing of it, Lu Guiyan and Fang Wen exchanged a glance and simultaneously looked toward the left side of Liu Qi's lower jaw. That spot was completely clean, without the faintest trace of a birthmark. Sun Qian had said someone paid three thousand taels of silver for him to sell intelligence on the Lu'an Escort Agency to the Fierce Tiger Gang. Qin Hu had said that Chief Steward Liu Qi of Feixue City had used Feixue City's Lingxiao Token to hire the Fierce Tiger Gang to assassinate the two clients under the escort agency's protection. In the accounts of both men, a coin-sized birthmark on the left side of the jaw linked Liu Qi with the man who had bribed Sun Qian, proving they were the same person. Yet now, upon seeing the real Liu Qi, there was no birthmark on his jaw whatsoever. This meant that if Qin Hu had not lied, the supposed Liu Qi who had appeared before him was likely an impostor. Before they had time to ponder the possibilities, the old man who had tried to smash the city gate spoke up: "Where is Wu Lingxiao? This old man heard he was gravely injured, so I traveled thousands of li to bring him medicine. Why hasn't he come out yet? Has he been hurt so badly that he can't even stand?" Liu Qi hurriedly replied, "Senior Gu, please do not say such things carelessly! Our City Lord is hale and hearty; how could he possibly be injured? Feixue City's temporary closure was not because of groundless rumors, but because our City Lord has entered closed-door cultivation. However, with distinguished guests arriving today, keeping our doors shut would be poor hospitality, so we have made an exception to invite you all inside. Everyone, please follow me into the estate." The old man surnamed Gu snorted and said no more, striding after Liu Qi. The others entered as well. Murong Qingchen walked neither fast nor slow, his attention seemingly nowhere else but on his book. Fang Wen was not far from him and curiously glanced at the book in his hands, wondering what this renowned Book Immortal of the jianghu was reading with such rapt interest. To his utter surprise, a glance revealed that the pages were completely blank—not a single character was written on them. Fang Wen was startled. Could this be the legendary Wordless Heavenly Book? Before he could dwell on it, they arrived in the main hall of the City Lord's Estate. As the guests and host took their seats and the old man was just about to speak, hurried footsteps approached. A servant reported that more people had arrived at the city gates requesting an audience with Wu Lingxiao. Liu Qi apologized, instructed the maids to serve tea, and hurried out to deal with the matter. He came and went in such haste that Lu Guiyan had wanted to catch him to hand over the clients so they could leave immediately, but from start to finish, she had not even had the chance to speak a quiet word. Fang Wen, on the other hand, was unconcerned. Now that they were here, they might as well make the best of it. Looking at the tea the maid had brought over, he leaned in and sniffed it, finding its fragrance delicate and refined. Just as he was about to take a sip, an incredulous voice sounded nearby: "Boy, where we sit in peace, how is there any room for a junior like you?" Looking up, Fang Wen saw the old man surnamed Gu staring straight at him with an unfriendly gaze. Fang Wen pointed at his own nose. "Are you talking to me?"