The next morning, feeling well-rested and in good spirits, Lu Zhongqiu got to work on the case. He carefully asked around about everything that had happened that night and soon formed a rough picture of what he was dealing with.

It turned out to be nothing more than a small gang of bandits. Three men from the borderlands between southern Xian and Lingnan. None of them was even past the fifth layer of Qi Refinement. They’d simply fought recklessly and caught Old Master Xie off guard. Their goal had been the spirit stones, but when that failed, they made off with a bit of gold and silver instead. Chances were, they were still lurking somewhere near Jiashan, looking for their next target.

So Lu Zhongqiu and Old Master Xie set out together. Their first stop was the old jujube tree that had been scorched by fire. They searched around for quite a while, but found nothing useful. Just a mess of footprints in the mud, all left by the Xie family when they came to put out the flames.

They made a circuit around the area, asking the nearby farmers if they’d seen anything suspicious, but everyone shook their heads.

Wandering further, they eventually came to the old riverbed of the Yuan River. Gazing across to the opposite bank, Lu Zhongqiu thought for a moment, then asked, “Old Xie, if they didn’t get their hands on the spirit stones, do you think they might give up on raiding estates and start robbing travelers instead?”

Old Master Xie narrowed his eyes, scanning the quiet landscape. “Robbing travelers wouldn’t do them much good,” he said casually. “Who carries spirit stones on the road? No... if they’re after spirit stones, they’ll go after estates. Small ones owned by rogue cultivators, most likely.”

Lu Zhongqiu was clearly annoyed at being questioned. “Now hold on, who says people don’t carry spirit stones on them? You never know… Come on, let’s check that bridge over there. Could be those bandits are lying in wait on the other side. We’ll go quietly.”

Realizing he’d spoken too bluntly, Old Master Xie hurried to agree. “You’re right, you’re right. It’s this old man’s fault. Getting on in years, my brain doesn’t turn as fast as it used to. You might be onto something. Let’s go take a look.”

Lu Zhongqiu gestured sharply. “Old Xie, get down to the riverbed and follow along the embankment. You’re way too obvious like that!'"

They dropped down to the dry riverbed and crept along the bank toward Guangfu Bridge. When they were still a good distance away, Lu Zhongqiu suddenly raised a hand for silence. “Look over there,” he whispered. “Behind that rock. See him?”

“I see him.”

“Why’s he crouched there, sneaking around like that? He keeps glancing toward the bridge…”

Old Master Xie squinted hard, then whispered excitedly, “Master Lu! Incredible. It’s got to be him! Wears a bamboo hat and a black cloth over his face! You were right again, the scoundrel didn’t leave! But there were three of them… the other two aren’t here. Hm. Must’ve split up.”

“Hey! Let’s grab him first and ask questions later!”

The man they’d spotted was none other than Fang Bu’ai. At that moment, he was crouched behind a boulder, staring anxiously toward the far end of the bridge, waiting for Lu Zhongqiu to show up.

He had good reason to be nervous. Yesterday, after Lu Zhongqiu entered a tavern in Jiashan Market, he had suddenly vanished without a trace. No one knew where he’d gone, so the gang had retreated to the old Yuan River channel, keeping watch at the western end of Guangfu Bridge.

Fang Bu’ai’s hiding spot behind the big rock was perfect. Completely hidden from view from across the bridge. But what he couldn’t have guessed was that Lu Zhongqiu would sneak up from the riverbed below, coming in from the side.

Just then, Fang Bu’ai caught sight of someone slowly walking across the bridge from the opposite bank. It was Liu Xiaolou. He wasn’t even trying to hide. Swaggering right across, hat and face cloth removed, casually glancing down toward the riverbed as he stepped onto the bridge.

What on earth was he doing?

Still puzzling over it, Fang Bu’ai suddenly heard movement behind him. He spun around. Two men were standing barely twenty or thirty feet away. One was none other than Lu Zhongqiu, the man he’d lost track of the day before. The other... who else could it be but Old Master Xie?

Old Master Xie’s white beard trembled as he let out a cold laugh. “You little thief, let’s see where you run this time!”

He stepped sideways, blocking the bridge to cut off Fang Bu’ai’s escape.

Lu Zhongqiu smiled slightly. “Listen, boy. It’s over. Don’t even think about running. Tell me where your two companions are, and I’ll make sure you live. That’s a man's promise.”

Fang Bu’ai stayed silent. His eyes flicked from Old Master Xie to Lu Zhongqiu.

Lu Zhongqiu’s smile didn’t fade. “Don’t doubt me. If I say I’ll spare your life, then you won’t die. Even if you want to, you won’t. You know who I am, don’t you? Lu Zhongqiu, Inner Sect steward of Tianlao Mountain. When it comes to keeping my word, my record’s spotless.”

Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed across the bridge. Lu Zhongqiu and Old Master Xie both turned to see Liu Xiaolou coming toward them.

He wasn’t wearing his hat or face cloth anymore. Looked like an ordinary traveler. His face was smeared with mud, as if he’d taken a fall in the marsh. When he noticed the standoff ahead, he stopped and stared, wide-eyed with curiosity.

The sight of that muddy, filthy-looking peasant made Lu Zhongqiu frown in disgust. He waved his hand and shouted at Liu Xiaolou, “Get over here! This is official business of Tianmu Mountain. No bystanders allowe...”

Fang Bu’ai who had been silent the whole time suddenly drew his sword. In a flash, man and blade became one streak of light, charging straight at Lu Zhongqiu’s chest!

Lu Zhongqiu had never seen such a reckless, life-or-death move right from the start. Caught off guard, he hurriedly flung out a magical weapon to defend himself. A silver hook spun through the air, glowing like a full moon as it blocked the strike. At the same time, he leapt backward, widening the distance between them.

But Fang Bu’ai wasn’t about to let him go. Seeing he couldn’t catch up, he let out a sharp cry. And from his sword light burst a swarm of venomous insects. They buzzed furiously, circling and biting at Lu Zhongqiu.

Lu Zhongqiu twisted and dodged, the silver hook in his hands spinning to form a shining wheel before him. The wheel was airtight, letting neither wind nor rain through, and after a few tense moments it finally flung every last poisonous bug aside.

Being forced into such a sorry state by a low-level cultivator was more than Lu Zhongqiu could stand. His face burned with humiliation. “You little thief, you’re asking for death!” he snarled through clenched teeth

With a flick of his wrist, the silver hook shot forward in a dazzling counterattack, forming a spinning ring of light that trapped Fang Bu’ai inside.

Fang fought with everything he had, but he was no match. The glowing ring shredded his straw hat, tore through his black scarf, and ripped his clothes to tatters. Through the rags, his skin was covered in streaks of blood.

Yet he didn’t falter for a second. Ignoring the pain, he fought on desperately. For one reason only: to buy Liu Xiaolou enough time to strike.

And he succeeded.

“Fall back!” Liu Xiaolou’s voice thundered from behind.

Fang Bu’ai threw himself backward, retreating several yards. When he stopped, he saw Lu Zhongqiu on the other side suddenly wrapped in a rope. He staggered and flailed like a headless fly. Liu Xiaolou had trapped him in the formation.

At the far end of the bridge, Liu Xiaolou sat cross-legged, hands forming seals, brow furrowed in concentration as he muttered calculations under his breath, pouring all his strength into keeping Lu Zhongqiu imprisoned within the formation.

At Lu Zhongqiu’s feet lay Old Master Xie, completely still. His eyes were wide with terror, fixed on Liu Xiaolou, who was fully focused on maintaining the formation. It was clear the old man’s meridians had been sealed. He couldn’t move an inch.

Fang Bu’ai didn’t understand Liu Xiaolou’s formation and didn’t dare to step inside. He could only pace anxiously in circles around the trapped Lu Zhongqiu, helpless and on edge.

Suddenly, Lu Zhongqiu seemed to levitate, sitting cross-legged in midair. His face flushed red, veins bulging on his forehead, sweat streaming down his temples. His eyes locked on some unseen point ahead. Every so often he would jolt upright, hurling his silver hook into empty air again and again before dropping back down, panting heavily. It was as if some invisible force were holding him down. The sight was eerie and unnerving.

“Call for reinforcements!” Liu Xiaolou shouted.

Fang Bu’ai snapped out of his daze and bolted for the exit. But after only a few steps, he turned back, sprinted over to the motionless Old Master Xie, and without hesitation slashed his sword down several times, ending the old man’s life for good. Only then did he take off running again, as fast as he could.

The night before, they had lost track of Lu Zhongqiu, and Wei Hongqing, Zuo Gaofeng, and Tan Bajhang had all been searching the mountains for him. Fang needed to find them immediately.

Fortunately, they weren’t far. Wei Hongqing was the first to arrive, followed by Zuo Gaofeng, and finally Tan Bajhang. Once all three were there, they immediately surrounded Lu Zhongqiu, closing him in.

By now, Liu Xiaolou had been maintaining the formation for over half an hour. His true qi was almost spent, sweat dripping from his chin as his hands trembled from exhaustion. When he saw everyone had arrived, he suddenly withdrew the formation, releasing Lu Zhongqiu.

Inside the formation, Lu Zhongqiu had already been driven to the brink of madness by countless illusions. His mind was in turmoil, seething with restlessness and rage. Especially the scenes involving Lu Yan. Again and again, visions of her flashed before him. First, she was all over Wei Hongqing, then locked in an obscene struggle with another man. She ignored him completely, feeding his jealousy and fury until they burned out of control.

And that other man... why did he look so familiar? Could it be… Elder Kuai?

Just as he strained to see more clearly, the illusion shattered. The courtyard around him vanished in an instant, leaving his heart plummeting as if he’d fallen off a cliff.

And there, standing opposite him, was a man.

A wide straw hat. A black scarf covering the face. Something about this man felt familiar.

Wait. Was that… Wei Hongqing?

His mind was a jumble. For a second, he thought he understood everything, but it still felt like mush.