July 7th.
To the east of Qinghe Palace, the expanse of mountains was cloaked in a sea of ink-green trees shrouded in mist.
Amidst the trees, a small group of figures could be seen slowly climbing along the ridge.
It was noon, and the sun shone brightly.
This small group consisted of four people, a man and a woman in front—the man tall and handsome, the woman petite and full-figured. They were none other than the disciples of Qinghe Palace, Chen Wuyou and Xiao Qingying, out for a hike.
The two people behind them carried large and small bags of items. One of them was sweating profusely, while the other fared a little better but was also slightly out of breath.
They were Chen Wuyou's accompanying disciple and Zhang Rongfang, who had come along with Xiao Qingying.
All four wore light blue Daoist robes that fit closely and had cinched waists and tapered sleeves, making them quite suitable for activities in the forest.
Zhang Rongfang didn't carry much—he hadn't brought anything for Xiao Qingying, only his own provisions.
After all, he was also a disciple in training, not a Martial Cultivator, nor Xiao Qingying's servant, so it was normal for him to refuse to carry things.
But the other disciple was different. This man named Zhang Ke was an odd-job disciple and, eager to ingratiate himself with Chen Wuyou, had managed with great difficulty to get to this position, so he was naturally ordered around a lot.
Zhang Ke glanced at the two people in front, then side-eyed Zhang Rongfang, who was carrying only a little, and a flash of displeasure flitted through his eyes.
But there was nothing he could do.
"Wuyou, look, that little monkey over there, it stood up!"
"It's actually peeing at us!"
"This fruit here is so strange, I wonder if it's edible?"
"I've never seen this kind of butterfly before. Can we catch it and bring it back to see?"
Xiao Qingying's cheerful voice, like the sound of silver bells, echoed continuously through the forest.
Zhang Rongfang looked from behind, seeing Chen Wuyou's face softening into a gentle smile as he continuously responded to Xiao Qingying's inquiries.
It looked like a perfect summer outing.
But....
Zhang Rongfang scrutinized Chen Wuyou's demeanor, feeling something was off.
Moreover, the tone of this guy's voice… it sounded somewhat familiar to him.
From his angle, he could see Chen Wuyou in his blue Daoist robe, long hair tied in a Daoist style with a jade crescent crown holding it in place.
His features were proper, with sword-like brows slanting into the temples, wide lips, and a face with pronounced bone structure.
At a glance, he certainly had the appearance of a distinguished and upstanding gentleman.
Moreover, whenever they encountered a difficult path, he would reach out as if to support Xiao Qingying without making direct contact, yet ensuring her safety.
Such politeness and attentiveness made Xiao Qingying's smile even more radiant.
The four of them, without realizing it, had crossed over one mountain crest into a heavily shaded hollow.
With a rustling sound, the leaves suddenly shook from the right front.
They quickly saw something moving swiftly, stirring the shrubs, and darting away into the distance.
"It's a squirrel! Sister Ying, wait here, I'll catch it for you as a reward!" Chen Wuyou's eyes lit up, and without waiting for anyone else to speak, he dashed forward.
In the blink of an eye, he was into the undergrowth, chasing after the squirrel.
Xiao Qingying was about to respond, but it was already too late.
"Wuyou's body technique is improving." She sighed in admiration, pushed her chest forward, felt a twinge of discomfort in her back, and leaned against a gray-black tree trunk.
*
*
*
A hundred meters away, within a forested area.
Four burly men dressed in black, with tawny scarves across their faces, were waiting, either standing or sitting.
Before long, Chen Wuyou rushed out of the underbrush.
"It's your turn now. Please ensure you succeed, or we won't pay the subsequent reward."
The four black-clad figures rose to their feet.
One stocky fellow, wearing a black round hat, cupped his hands, "That Xiao Qingying is not even ranked; we shall quickly dispatch two of us to handle her and leave the other two to deal with the remaining Daoists. It's absolutely foolproof."
"Then I shall wait for your good news." Chen Wuyou cupped his hands in return.
These four were at least first-rate in skill, each with lives on their consciences.
Dealing with a young girl with no combat experience, who hadn't even passed the rank assessment, would naturally be effortless.
As for the other two little Daoists, they were ordinary untrained individuals; completing this task should indeed be no problem.
Soon, the four black-clad men hurriedly headed in the direction from which Chen Wuyou had come.
*
*
*
Zhang Rongfang's brow furrowed slightly.
He actually had some suspicion that Chen Wuyou was the voice of the man he had previously overheard. But because it had been so long, he was not entirely sure.
It had been quite some time since he'd given Xiao Rong a warning. With an ordinary person's memory, much of it had naturally blurred over time.
Before they set out, he had advised Xiao Qingying to be cautious of danger and avoid going out.
But Xiao Qingying replied, saying she would be safe with Chen Wuyou's protection, and then she disregarded Zhang Rongfang's advice further.
Moreover, the place they went wasn't far from Qinghe Palace. It was separated by only two mountaintops, so if anything happened, there was still time to run back to the sect gate.
Lastly, Xiao Qingying herself was a Martial Cultivator, and although she hadn't reached any ranking, she still had better physical capabilities than ordinary people.
Seeing he couldn't persuade her, Zhang Rongfang could only report to Xiao Rong in advance, and out of necessity, he followed along.
Now noticing Chen Wuyou's sudden disappearance, combined with his earlier suspicions, Zhang Rongfang's alertness sprang to attention.
He glanced sideways at Zhang Ke, who was clueless and wiping sweat with a handkerchief.
The attributes listed above Zhang Ke's head were glaringly clear: 'Zhang Ke—Life 9-9, Skills: None.'
Whereas Xiao Qingying's attributes were: 'Xiao Qingying—Life 12-14, Skills: Rejuvenation Purification Talisman Manual Seventh Mountain-shaped Talisman.'
In these attributes, her life only slightly surpassed Zhang Rongfang's by two points, should they encounter danger...
He himself didn't know any martial arts, and couldn't beat even mildly trained opponents. Relying solely on Xiao Qingying seemed like a doomed effort.
"Senior Sister Xiao, I just saw something drop from you up ahead. It looked like your waist tag!" Zhang Rongfang suddenly called out.
"Waist tag?" Xiao Qingying paused, quickly patted her waist, and sure enough, the waist tag was missing. She couldn't quite remember whether she had left it behind when she set out or dropped it along the way.
"Do you remember where?" Xiao Qingying turned back, impatiently looking at Zhang Rongfang.
"Just at the back, I didn't see clearly and thought it was a branch or mud," Zhang Rongfang said seriously. In fact, he hadn't seen Xiao Qingying's waist badge since he left the door; he said this just to find an excuse.
This kind of excuse, even if wrong, would at most earn a scolding, but wouldn't cause real trouble.
"Go and help me find it," Xiao Qingying said impatiently.
"I probably can't do it alone; let's go together. Otherwise, if a monkey or something takes it, it would be troublesome," Zhang Rongfang suggested.
"Alright," Xiao Qingying thought it was best to find it quickly and get back to wait for Brother Wuyou. As for being lied to, she didn't think Zhang Rongfang would dare deceive her.
Zhang Rongfang was someone her father had raised up just for her; if he dared cheat her, her father would surely kick him out.
"I'll help with the search too," Zhang Ke, a follower of Chen Wuyou, quickly interjected.
"No need; we need someone to wait here for Senior Brother Wuyou. Otherwise, if he comes back and can't find us, it would be easier to get separated," Zhang Rongfang replied. He didn't trust this guy.
"That's right, just stay here and wait for Brother Wuyou to come back," Xiao Qingying nodded.
Quickly.
She and Zhang Rongfang, one in front of the other, rushed back along the route they had taken.
"It's this way, let's hurry," Zhang Rongfang urged.
"Where exactly is it?" Xiao Qingying kept her head down, scanning the grass.
Ah!!
Suddenly, not far behind in the forest, came a cry from Zhang Ke.
The two of them jerked their heads up, looking toward the sound.
"Where's the other person? Why is there only one? Where are the other two?" a male voice drifted over vaguely.
"They must be nearby; they haven't gone far. Search for them!" a rough voice answered.
"Is someone looking for us!? How is Zhang Ke!?"
Xiao Qingying's pretty face turned pale. Although she knew martial arts, she had never been in an actual fight and was flustered when faced with danger.
"They're here for sure! Let's go this way!" Zhang Rongfang grabbed her and sprinted in a certain direction.
Xiao Qingying hadn't fully processed what was happening and just followed Zhang Rongfang in his frantic run.
After running for a bit, she finally came to her senses and found herself hiding inside a tree hollow at the bottom of a slope.
The crevice of the tree hollow was narrow, damp, and stifling; numerous black ants were moving up and down along the edges, transporting things.
"Stay here and don't make a sound, don't come out! Even if it's Senior Brother Chen Wuyou calling, don't come out! I'll go check the situation!" Zhang Rongfang left these words and turned to leave.
He had anticipated the possibility of danger before coming out.
During these days, he had been learning the Void Observation Skill from Senior Sister Zhao Dachong, practicing martial arts, and had gained some understanding of martial experts.
So on the way here, he had been carefully scouting for hiding spots.
Zhang Rongfang knew very well that simply hiding in the tree hollow was equally risky and that eventually, they'd be found.
The only solution was... to summon reinforcements.
He could naturally just leave and run away, but why had he been promoted in the first place? It was because Xiao Rong wanted him to look out for Xiao Qingying.
Because of the loyalty he had shown.
Therefore, if something happened to Xiao Qingying and he returned unscathed, Xiao Rong would definitely not spare him.
That's why, before setting out, he had already made an arrangement with someone.
Jogging quickly, Zhang Rongfang soon arrived at a slightly elevated spot. Standing on a rock, he took out a cylindrical bamboo tube from his bag.
Then he swiftly pulled out a flint, striking it vigorously to create sparks, igniting a fuse on the side of the bamboo tube.
Sss.
The fuse burned rapidly, and when it was about to reach the top of the bamboo tube, Zhang Rongfang lifted it up, aiming it at the sky.
From within the bamboo tube, with a "biu" sound, burst a yellow flame, shooting a bright line of fire that exploded between the trees in the sky.
Bang.
The loud sound of fireworks, accompanied by a flower-like yellow flare, quickly spread over the treetops.
Several hundred meters away, two figures who had been waiting sprang to attention, looking toward the direction of the exploding fireworks.
"There's trouble for sure! Let's go!"
Without another word, one of them picked up a sword and charged toward the fireworks.
Inside the tree hollow.
Xiao Qingying curled up, trembling slightly.
She had never encountered anything like this before; Zhang Ke's earlier scream still made her shiver all over.
The sound of the fireworks from outside brought a glimmer of hope to Xiao Qingying's heart.
"It's Dad's signal firework!" Her face showed a trace of calm as she maintained her silence.
"Dad and the others will definitely come to save me!"
Xiao Qingying hugged herself tightly, constantly peering outside through the gaps in the tree hollow.
Shortly after, hurried footsteps could be heard from outside.
"It's a signal tube; hurry up, people from Qinghe Palace are coming!" an urgent rough male voice said.
"I'll check this area!"
"Spread out, leave on your own whether you find them or not after fifty breaths; meet at the usual spot!"
"Understood!"
They responded together, their tones noticeably carrying Northern People accents.
Xiao Qingying didn't dare make a sound, waiting until the footsteps quickly faded and completely disappeared.
Only then did she dare to relax a little.
After another dozen breaths, a voice lowered came floating from afar outside.
"Xiaoying, where are you? Come out; the bad guys are gone!"
The voice was very familiar; it was clearly Senior Brother Chen Wuyou's voice.
Xiao Qingying carefully discerned, confirming it was indeed Senior Brother Chen Wuyou, allowing her heart to loosen.
About to rush out, she suddenly remembered Zhang Rongfang's warning.
"Stay here, don't make a sound, don't come out! Even if it's Senior Brother Chen Wuyou calling, don't come out!"
Xiao Qingying paused, her heart wavering between Senior Brother Chen Wuyou and Zhang Rongfang.
Soon, compared to the unfamiliar Zhang Rongfang, the gentle and handsome Senior Brother Chen Wuyou was much more trustworthy.
Without hesitation, she dashed out of the tree hollow, rushing toward the direction of Chen Wuyou's voice.
"I'm here, Brother Wuyou!" she called out while running.