Cursing Yuwen Shuo up and down in his head, Zou Feng was the last one to walk out of the reception hall.
After stepping outside, he looked up and saw Tian Yun hadn’t gone far. Zou Feng quickened his pace to walk alongside her.
As they neared the main gate of the Furong Pavilion, Zou Feng turned to glance at Tian Yun, looking as if he wanted to say something but was holding back.
Tian Yun naturally understood his meaning and said casually, "General Zou, if you’re free tomorrow, how about coming to my Heart Meeting Martial Arts Hall for tea? We can also discuss how to proceed with forming the Rebel Army."
"Alright. Then I’ll take you up on your offer."
This truly wasn’t the time to be plotting, especially with a Gang Qi Realm master in the vicinity.
Meanwhile, back in the reception hall, Yuwen Shuo was still drinking by himself.
Magistrate Huang had personally gone to see the guests off, so he wasn’t there fawning over him at the moment.
After he downed another cup of wine, a dark-skinned old man slowly emerged from a shadowy corner.
"Young Master, these people... cannot be trusted!" the old man said gravely.
Yuwen Shuo waved his hand dismissively. "You think I can’t see that?"
"But I’m very curious to see what kind of tricks they’ll try to pull. Or, to put it another way, just how far they dare to go..."
The old man continued, "Young Master, you must not be careless. This bunch from Yuan Guang County is a bit stronger than the group we dealt with in Qingchuan County."
"A bit stronger? How much stronger could they possibly be?" Yuwen Shuo said dismissively. "They’re all just a bunch of hacks. The Evil Skills they practice are like a circus act—so pathetic I can’t help but laugh."
"Oh, right. That Bian Yixia they mentioned earlier... to think someone could reach the Gang Qi Realm with such a circus act. I’d really like to see that for myself."
The old man sighed to himself but still tried to reason with him. "Young Master..."
"Enough," Yuwen Shuo cut him off. "Let me just ask you this: that Tian Yun and Zou Feng... if you were to make a move, how long would it take?"
The old man pondered for a moment before replying, "Within three breaths, they would both be dead. Guaranteed."
This wasn’t a boast. Under normal circumstances, a Sixth Grade Gang Qi Realm master could indeed crush an ordinary Seventh Grade Martial Artist. The difficulty was akin to swatting flies.
Not to mention, this old man was one of the more formidable experts among those at the Sixth Grade.
Hearing this, Yuwen Shuo spread his hands. "Then that settles it. In the face of absolute power, what use are any of their little schemes?"
"It just gives me an excuse to make an example out of them!" Tossing back another cup of wine, Yuwen Shuo sneered, "Ultimately, some blood must be shed before these incompetents learn to behave."
Seeing this, the old man abandoned any thought of saying more.
He even started to think the Young Master had a point. ’With me around, any scheme they try to pull would be a foolish overestimation of their own strength...’
After leaving the Furong Pavilion, Zou Feng and Tian Yun immediately went their separate ways.
He had originally wanted to greet Zhuang Sixuan, but she became exceptionally reserved whenever he looked at her, so Zou Feng abandoned the idea.
Shi Yangming also wanted to discuss how to counter Yuwen Shuo’s brazen moves with Zou Feng, but now was not the right time.
Besides, he was all hot and bothered from watching Liu Xian’Er’s dance. So, he just came over to say a quick hello before hurrying off to some unknown destination.
But to be fair, Liu Xian’Er’s dance was truly exceptional.
If everyone present hadn’t been so preoccupied with their worries, it surely would have been the main topic of conversation that night.
Zou Feng, however, noticed something else he hadn’t before. ’Liu Xian’Er has trained in martial arts...’
As Zou Feng reached his carriage parked by the roadside and was about to step inside, his brow suddenly furrowed. He seemed to have discovered something.
’An unexpected guest in my carriage?’
He glanced back at Liu Chun and Xiong Datian, who were responsible for the carriage. They clearly hadn’t noticed anyone slipping inside.
But what puzzled Zou Feng was that if this was an assassin, their stealth skills were laughably poor. He could tell just from the sound of their breathing.
Never mind himself; any reasonably alert Martial Artist would have likely noticed.
It was only good enough to fool the likes of Liu Chun and Xiong Datian, who hadn’t even reached Entering Grade.
As he puzzled over this, a faint fragrance reached his nose.
Upon smelling that scent, Zou Feng no longer hesitated. He opened the door, stepped into the carriage, and quickly shut the door behind him.
Sure enough, a familiar figure was curled up in a corner of the carriage.
"General Leader, are we heading back to the Dragon Gate Boat?"
Liu Chun’s voice came from outside.
Zou Feng replied, "Yes. No rush, take it slow. I need some quiet."
"Alright then! GIDDY-UP!"
Liu Chun pulled on the reins, and the carriage slowly started to move.
Inside, Zou Feng frowned as he stared at the seemingly fragile figure.
He had the carriage start moving, of course, to mask the conversation that was about to take place.
"Miss Xian’Er, are you trying to get me killed?" Zou Feng was the one to break the silence.
That’s right. To Zou Feng’s utter disbelief, the person who had secretly snuck into his carriage was the renowned courtesan of the Furong Pavilion, Liu Xian’Er.
Just a short while ago, this very woman had performed a dance in the reception hall that was enough to get a man’s blood boiling.
Liu Xian’Er’s eyes were red-rimmed. Looking at Zou Feng like a frightened rabbit, she pleaded pitifully, "General Zou, please... save me..."
Zou Feng scoffed. "You must be joking, Miss Xian’Er. With Magistrate Huang backing you, who would dare to harm you?"
Liu Xian’Er bit her lip, her voice choked with tears. "I’m... I’m afraid of that Yuwen Shuo... He... he’s not human!"
"General Leader, please, I’m begging you, just let me hide for a little while..."
This woman was naturally seductive; her every word and action held an immense allure. Now, with her fragile and helpless demeanor, she was the kind of woman who would make any man’s protective instincts surge.
Unfortunately, she was also clearly a massive liability. Zou Feng wasn’t so far gone as to let his lust cloud his judgment.