You know, even though Wuxiang City is so run-down that it doesn't even have a restaurant, there are quite a few shops selling Paper Horse and Incense.
Zhao Ya bought an entire cart full of paper money and followed Zui'Er to her grandmother's grave.
After being away for several years, weeds had already grown all over the grave mound.
Zhao Ya and Zui'Er carefully cleaned the area before starting to burn incense and pay their respects.
"Grandma, Zui'Er is here to bring you money!"
"Don't be so frugal over there, buy whatever you want to eat. You've had a hard life. I know you've always been worried about me, but I'm doing well now with Ya looking after me, so you can rest easy."
As she threw paper money into the fire, Zui'Er muttered softly, and tears began to fall as she spoke.
In the distance, even Meng Shiwen's eyes turned red.
Zhao Ya sighed softly when he saw this, but he didn't attempt to console her.
Because he knew, despite her carefree appearance, Zui'Er carried a heavy heart.
Since it was rare for them to return, he let her speak a while longer, hoping it would ease her longing.
After rambling for about half an hour and burning through the entire cart of paper money, Zui'Er finally wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes, stood up, and said.
"Ya, let's go!"
"Alright!"
Zhao Ya then took the two of them back to the Hong Family.
The Hong Family residence was vast, and Zhao Ya chose a courtyard in the back for Meng Shiwen and Zui'Er to stay, after tidying it up.
Just as Zhao Ya was about to leave again, Meng Shiwen called out to him.
"Wait a moment!"
"What's wrong, senior sister?"
"Ya, tell me, what exactly did you do last night at Cyan Bamboo Ridge?" Meng Shiwen asked.
Zhao Ya pondered for a moment and then shared the important details with Meng Shiwen.
When she heard that within one night Zhao Ya had done so many things, even killing the Fifth Village Chief and the Great Village Chief's own sister from Cyan Bamboo Ridge, Meng Shiwen's expression changed slightly before she spoke.
"Do you need help?"
Seeing Meng Shiwen's serious expression, Zhao Ya couldn't help but smile and then shook his head.
"It's not necessary, senior sister. It's more convenient for me to act alone. You just stay here and protect Zui'Er and yourself."
"Then... be careful with everything!"
Meng Shiwen understood the truth in Zhao Ya's words. Now, his strength far exceeded hers, so if she followed him, she might become a burden. Therefore, she didn't insist.
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. However, this time I might need a day or two, so don't be anxious. Just wait here, but if I haven't returned in three days..."
"There's no need to say more. We'll wait for you to return!" Meng Shiwen interrupted Zhao Ya, her face solemn.
Zhao Ya smiled but said nothing more, nodding his head before leaving Wuxiang City again, heading toward Cyan Bamboo Ridge.
With the experience from last time, Zhao Ya found his way to the outskirts of Cyan Bamboo Ridge with ease.
Standing at a distance beside a large tree looking inward, everything appeared calm on the surface, but the occasional movement of the bushes showed that today's Cyan Bamboo Ridge was far more heavily guarded than yesterday.
Zhao Ya had anticipated this, so he wasn't in a hurry and first found a safe, sheltered spot to take a nap.
In the short winter days, the sun set by three or four in the afternoon.
Especially in the mountains and forests, it got dark right after five.
At this time, Zhao Ya woke up.
After resting for several hours, he felt all his fatigue disappear, and the cold wind made him feel incredibly refreshed.
As his abilities deepened, Zhao Ya now required significantly less sleep, needing only three to four hours to fully recover.
He first ate some jerky, stretched to get himself into peak condition, and then quietly slipped into the darkness, vanishing from sight.
Upon entering Cyan Bamboo Ridge, Zhao Ya could clearly feel the pressure.
Although the number of mountain patrols hadn't visibly increased, Zhao Ya's senses were sharp. He quickly sensed that many hidden corners were filled with people lurking and watching.
If it weren't for Zhao Ya's Concealing Breath Technique, anyone else would have been discovered within a few steps.
Even so, Zhao Ya was forced to slow down significantly, taking a full hour to pass through the outer area and reach the first checkpoint before entering the mountain.
Today, however, was different from yesterday.
A dozen lanterns had been added to the open space, illuminating the surroundings as if it were daylight.
But this posed no problem for Zhao Ya.
He made his way inside from the side, circling around until he finally reached the back of a few rooms.
There were no guards here.
Because people from Cyan Bamboo Ridge never expected someone to come here.
Zhao Ya lay on the back wall, listening carefully. Initially, he only heard a few faint breathing sounds.
It wasn't until a long time later that someone spoke, "Second Brother, now that Fifth Brother and the Third Miss are dead, and Big Brother still listens to those bastards from the Refining World Sect, what should we do?"
"Isn't that right, Second Brother? Among all us old comrades, you have the most seniority and highest status. You must make a decision for us!"
The voices were from two completely unfamiliar individuals.
But from the way they referred to the deceased Huo Tianxiao as Fifth Brother, it's clear they were also leaders of Cyan Bamboo Ridge.
Zhao Ya became intrigued.
The reason he painstakingly set up the scene last night was precisely for this purpose.
Now it seemed the plan was beginning to take effect.
Although no violent internal conflict has erupted, the grudges between them have deepened.
The fact that these people have come to Zhan Feng is a clear signal.
Zhao Ya pondered in his heart, just as he heard Zhan Feng speaking inside the room.
"Everyone, please don't be impatient. The Great Village Chief has not said to let the Refining World Sect off. Last night's events are very suspicious, and they must be thoroughly investigated before any conclusions can be drawn."
"What is there to investigate? I heard Guan Lun previously attempted to act inappropriately towards the Third Miss. He even boasted drunkenly about wanting to take her over, so isn't last night's incident obvious?"
"Clearly, Guan Lun failed to assault her, clashed with the Third Miss, and they ended up destroying each other."
"Yes, yes, even Fifth Brother's death was the same. It was definitely the Refining World Sect's doing. Fifth Brother despised their practices, and several times nearly clashed with them in public. So they definitely bore a grudge and struck in secret."
"I agree!"
The room erupted in an uproar for a moment.
Although the scene Zhao Ya set up last night was not perfect, with many flaws evident to keen observers.
But people often only believe what they want to believe, ignoring all other details.
Especially since the people of Cyan Bamboo Ridge have long-standing animosity with the Refining World Sect, both sides wish for the other's demise.
So when this incident occurred, nearly everyone at Cyan Bamboo Ridge immediately believed it was the Refining World Sect's doing.
And Zhao Ya's aim of muddying the waters was achieved.
However, it seemed not enough yet, still lacking a little intensity.
Indeed.
In the face of the clamor, Zhan Feng remained calm, advising everyone to stay patient, at least until the Great Village Chief finished his investigation; it wouldn't be too late to make decisions afterward.
This attitude made these people feel greatly disappointed.
But helplessly, Zhan Feng was second only to the Great Village Chief, Fu Tingyuan, in influence in the mountain.
He was unwilling to take the lead, so no matter how anxious these people were, they couldn't accomplish anything.
In the end, they had to leave in frustration.
After everyone left, Zhan Feng sat alone in the room, his face full of worry.
At Cyan Bamboo Ridge now, he might be the only one who knew who was really behind last night's incident.
Yet the clearer it was to him, the heavier Zhan Feng's heart became.
Because the situation at Cyan Bamboo Ridge was already extremely complex, and now with Zhao Ya hiding in the shadows, it became even more chaotic.
But Zhan Feng did not disclose this information to anyone.
Although he was unwilling to take the lead, the conflict with the Refining World Sect was real.
If he insisted on not revealing the hidden truth, the best outcome would be the Great Village Chief, Fu Tingyuan, also believing his sister was killed by the Refining World Sect, leading to their elimination.
Thus, the enemy would be eradicated, and he wouldn't have to take risks.
Moreover, Zhan Feng was not a fool and naturally understood the purpose of these people seeking him out—it was nothing more than wanting him to be the scapegoat while they reaped the benefits from behind.
Do they really think everyone is an idiot?
Thinking of this, Zhan Feng touched his still somewhat congested chest, a trace of lingering fear in his heart.
Fu Tingyuan's power had become increasingly formidable; last night, with a mere casual strike, he had sent Zhan Feng flying.
Additionally, Zhan Feng knew that if Fu Tingyuan hadn't intended to spare him, withholding his strength, he would have been dead last night.
So, rather than being reviled by everyone, Zhan Feng was unwilling to take the lead.
While he was deep in thought, outside, Zhao Ya also began his silent preparation.
In his view, although Cyan Bamboo Ridge had already turned into a powder keg, it still lacked a fuse to completely ignite it.
And this fuse was Zhan Feng.
Imagine this.
Last night, both the Fifth Village Chief and the Third Miss were killed, and the Refining World Sect was highly suspect.
Today, if even the Second Village Chief died, and the Refining World Sect remained the prime suspect,
In this case, no matter how calm and rational Fu Tingyuan might be, he would have to suspect whether the Refining World Sect was deliberately eliminating his subordinates.
After all, one incident could be chalked up to coincidence, but two, three incidents?
By then, even if he wanted it not to explode, it would be impossible.
With this in mind, Zhao Ya was just about to act, planning to pierce a small hole in the back wall and then poison Zhan Feng.
Suddenly, there were footsteps outside, followed by someone entering the room and addressing Zhan Feng.
"Second Village Chief, our Gu Master invites you!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Ya immediately halted all his actions, straining his ears to listen closely.
Though he couldn't see, the brief silence spoke volumes about Zhan Feng's astonishment.
After a long pause, Zhan Feng finally spoke: "What does your Gu Master want with me?"
"That I don't know, but our Gu Master assured that you need not worry, he just wants to ask you some things, and you needn't worry about your safety. He is waiting for you on the hill at the back."
"Alright."
Although Zhan Feng didn't want to meet this Golden Silkworm Gu Master, he knew there was no avoiding it. It would be better to meet on his own turf once.
However, he couldn't be too blatant about it; otherwise, if seen by others, it could lead to misunderstandings, with people thinking his reluctance to take the lead was due to collusion with the Refining World Sect.
Moreover, the hill at the back was relatively secluded and close to his territory, making it a pretty good choice and showing some sincerity on the part of this Golden Silkworm Gu Master.
"Very well, in half an hour, I shall await your arrival atop the hill at the back."