Chasing after her husband? Is it even possible to win him back?

"You're right." Chu Xunfeng nodded, but didn't delve further into the topic of Ao Hanli acting with him.

Since Ao Hanli was already sitting across from him, continuing the topic was pointless, and he didn't want to waste his energy discussing established facts.

"The remnants of Yin energy, the rumors of the mysterious soldiers, and the sword-tasting competition—the common thread in these three matters is all related to the Dragon Spring Sword Manor. Only the events in White Emperor City seem to be separate from these other matters." Chu Xunfeng tapped the table with his finger.

“I think they might all be connected,” Ao Hanli said seriously, looking at Chu Xunfeng.

"Go on," Chu Xunfeng nodded, as he himself had this speculation.

"I can't say why... there's no reason, or rather, it's my intuition. These things that have radiated from Longquan Sword Manor have stirred up the entire cultivation circle in Yongzhou into a cesspool, where anything could be hiding."

“Actually, you’ve overlooked something. The intuition you just mentioned probably comes from this.” Chu Xunfeng looked at the Dragon Girl.

Ao Hanli was stunned for a moment, seemingly not quite believing what Chu Xunfeng said. How could Chu Xunfeng know something that she herself hadn't even realized?

“You just said that the people from Baidi City are also in Lancang City, so you think that the clues to the disappearance of the wandering warriors from Baidi City are also in Lancang City.” Chu Xunfeng looked at Ao Hanli. “You may not have figured out these relationships directly, but your sense of smell, or rather your intuition, is very sharp.”

Ao Hanli was stunned for a moment before nodding.

Her mind drifted back to some of the comments her old friends had made about her. Even though she hadn't figured them out yet, she unexpectedly found the real answer.

“Oh, right, there’s one more thing.” Remembering the existence of old friends, Ao Hanli suddenly spoke up. She stared at Chu Xunfeng, “I ran into a few old friends here, people I’ve known before. If you need help, I can help you contact them.”

"An old friend?" Chu Xunfeng raised an eyebrow. "Who is it?"

"The 39th on the Human Ranking is White Mane Jade Knife, and the 27th is Red Tassel Blood Dart. I caused trouble with them in the Ghost Market in Liuzhou before... These two are trustworthy, but they have two more people with them that I don't recognize. I only met them by chance when I was gathering information. I changed my appearance and didn't acknowledge them."

"Let's not rush things." Chu Xunfeng tapped the table with his finger. "I can't make the decisions here all by myself. Don't forget what I mentioned earlier: we have an ally."

As Chu Xunfeng spoke, he took out a sword talisman that looked like gold and jade from his pocket and placed it on the table. "This was given to me by Zuo Shaojun. It seems that he has been excluded from the circle by his elders regarding the Longquan Sword Manor. He also doesn't know anything about the Ghost Soldiers. After he goes back this time, he will try to find out the information and arrange to meet me by contacting me through the sword talisman."

"Okay, then let's..."

“I want to go to the Seven Star Tower, but I’ll wait for Zuo Shaojun’s message first. We can go together then. For now, let’s wait. Zuo Shaojun said he would contact me tonight.”

"Okay, it's up to you."

——Longquan Sword Manor——

"Young Master, please return. The Master has important matters to discuss with the two stewards today."

"It's been over an hour!" Zuo Shaojun stared at the two sword guards standing at the door of his father's study, his brows furrowed. Seeing that the two sword guards didn't look at him, he breathed a sigh of annoyance and changed the subject, "Alright, where is Jiang Min?"

"I don't know, I've never seen it before."

It happens again!!

Zuo Shaojun flicked his sleeve, and a slender longsword slid into his hand. "You really didn't know?"

The threat was palpable.

However, the two sword guards at the door remained unmoved. "Young Master, don't make trouble for yourself. No matter how much you cause a scene, it won't get you anywhere..."

Zuo Shaojun ignored the sword attendant's words. He simply stood there, constantly building up his aura. The slender longsword he held in his left hand emitted a crisp humming sound, but the study, separated by only one door, was as quiet as if no one was there.

After a long while, Zuo Shaojun finally gave up on this meaningless standoff and threat, sheathed his sword, and turned to leave.

Since he couldn't get any information from his father, he had one last option.

Go find your younger sister.

Meanwhile, in the study, the swordsman standing guard at the door gently knocked on the door. "Master, the young master has left. Judging from the direction he went, it seems he went to find the young lady."

“Hmm…” In the study, a dignified middle-aged man with a large beard and a square face responded, “Let him be. Zhi Shuang knows what’s important.”

Then there was silence outside the door. The middle-aged man turned his gaze to the other three people in the study. Two of them were Zuo Shaojun's uncles, and the last one was Jiang Min.

"Alright, let's leave the young master's matter to him for now. The Emperor of Xu's appetite is growing bigger and bigger, and he's becoming increasingly dissatisfied with our progress in restoring the swords... I'm afraid we can't delay any longer." The master of Longquan Sword Manor squinted his eyes. "How are the preparations for the Sword Appraisal Tournament going?"

"The Seven Star Tower has already been entrusted to deliver the message on the Ranking of People, but Master, do we really have to do this... and expose the method of forging the mysterious weapon..."

“We can’t figure it out, and we shouldn’t be able to figure it out. Since the Bronze Fang Beast is so eager, let everyone help with the research…” The middle-aged manor lord’s voice was so gloomy it could drip water. “I don’t believe the Bronze Fang Beast can kill everyone on the Human Ranking.”

Chapter Seventeen, Zuo Zhishuang

Lancang City is a very large city. As the capital of a continent, and with the Longquan Sword Manor located in Lancang City, it can be said that this city is a gathering place for merchants and laborers from all five continents of Xu Kingdom.

The city's commerce was arguably the most prosperous place Chu Xunfeng had ever seen. After all, the weapons produced by Longquan Sword Manor in Lancang City were of exceptional quality and craftsmanship. Around the business opportunities brought by Longquan Sword Manor for cultivators, the commerce of ordinary people also eventually gathered in Lancang City and took root.

“Prosperous, with a large population and many cultivators.” Chu Xunfeng strolled through Blue Cang City with the dragon girl who was using the alias Li Han. “Just as you’ve found out, it’s a mixed bag.”

"Hmm." Chu Xunfeng glanced at the dim sky, nodded slightly, but did not continue speaking.

The two were not strolling around at this moment. The young man leading the way would occasionally glance down at the sword talisman he was holding in his left hand.

The two walked and stopped along the way, constantly trying to find their way. They had almost crossed half of Blue Cang City before Chu Xunfeng finally saw the sword talisman that had been lying flat in his palm float up, with the tip of the sword pointing towards the top of the large restaurant in front of him.

Chu Xunfeng looked up in the direction the sword talisman pointed and saw a black-haired youth peering down from the sixth floor of the restaurant.

The two of them made eye contact.

Chu Xunfeng nodded, put away the sword talisman, and led Ao Hanli into the restaurant called Nanfeng Tianyan.

After explaining his purpose and giving his name to the waiter, Chu Xunfeng was led up to the sixth floor.

The entire sixth floor seemed very empty, with only Zuo Shaojun and a girl occupying a table by the window; the other tables were all empty.

"Brother Chu, let me introduce you. This is my sister, Zuo Zhishuang." As the host, Zuo Shaojun introduced the woman beside him in a generous manner. "This is the one I mentioned to you, the seventieth on the Human Ranking, the Cold Gentleman Chu Xunfeng."

Upon hearing Zuo Shaojun's introduction of Chu Xunfeng, Ao Hanli raised an eyebrow inwardly, but did not show it on her face. When she saw Zuo Zhishuang looking at her, she calmly said, "I am Chu Gongzi's friend, Li Han. I am not famous, but my strength is not bad."

Ao Hanli didn't show much enthusiasm; she had an inexplicable and subtle sense of resistance towards Zuo Shaojun's younger sister.

"Young Master, our matter..." Chu Xunfeng led Ao Hanli to sit down, then looked at Zuo Shaojun, "Is it appropriate for your sister to get involved?"

“I didn’t want to either, but when I got home, my father turned me away.” Zuo Shaojun winked at Chu Xunfeng, “There are some things that only Zhishuang knows.”

"Zhi Shuang's talent for cultivation is not good, but she is very interested in the affairs of the cultivation world. Knowing that she has become friends with me, Leng Junzi, she begged to see what kind of person the newcomer on the Human Ranking is." Zuo Shaojun glanced at his younger sister with a headache, then looked away and winked at Chu Xunfeng with a pleading expression. After receiving a raised eyebrow response from Chu Xunfeng, he turned to look at his sister.

"Now that you see the person, don't you feel that they are different from the rumors?" Zuo Shaojun said with a smile.

Chu Xunfeng raised an eyebrow again. He felt that Zuo Shaojun was not the type to make such jokes, but after carefully observing Zuo Shaojun's expression as he stared at his younger sister, and then looking at Zuo Zhishuang who was chuckling, he roughly understood what Zuo Shaojun meant and remained silent.

"Young Master Chu, Sister Li Han, this is my daughter, Zuo Zhishuang." The girl, dressed in a beautiful brocade dress, rolled her eyes at her brother, stood up, and gave the two of them a gentle smile. "I am very grateful to you both. I also thank you for taking care of my brother."

Chu Xunfeng carefully examined Zuo Zhishuang. She had an oval face and rosy cheeks, and looked two or three years younger than both himself and Zuo Shaojun. From the moment he sat down, Chu Xunfeng had been observing Zuo Zhishuang.

This girl exudes intellect and scholarly air with every smile and gesture, and her gentle smile truly makes her a beautiful flower in full bloom.

“No problem.” Chu Xunfeng picked up his teacup, took a sip of tea, and didn’t mind playing along with Zuo Shaojun. “You are Shaojun’s sister, so there’s no need for you to be so polite to us. Please sit down first.”

Zuo Zhishuang covered her mouth and chuckled. After sitting down, she stared at Chu Xunfeng with clear eyes. "Only one outstanding person can appear on the list of outstanding people every few years. After you made it onto the list, I always felt that there was a gap between you and the outstanding people on the list. After meeting Leng Junzi today, I am even more convinced of my thoughts."

Although she is intelligent and gentle, she is still a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl, and she still has a mischievous side. At least she doesn't hold back when teasing her brother.

“Sister Zhishuang, it seems you’ve developed that ‘distance makes the heart grow fonder’ feeling.” Ao Hanli, who hadn’t spoken until now, suddenly spoke up. “Take this guy next to me, for example. Although I don’t know what people outside are saying, he… well, he’s not exactly cold-hearted. He does have a more indifferent nature than others, but ultimately, what he shows…”

"He's a rather dull and boring person." Ao Hanli made a fuss about Chu Xunfeng to his face, and then a smile appeared on her face.

Chu Xunfeng didn't mind Ao Hanli's embellishment. In fact, what Ao Hanli said was true. The young man shrugged at Zuo Zhishuang and said, "In the end, we're all human. We have emotions and desires, and we need to eat, wear clothes, and live in a worldly place. No one can escape the mundane."

“This is indeed different from what is said outside.” Zuo Zhishuang covered her mouth and chuckled. “However, those who can be included in the list of outstanding individuals must have extraordinary abilities. If they were exactly the same as what is said outside, they would not deserve the title of outstanding individuals. This applies to both Young Master Chu and my brother.”

Chu Xunfeng stared intently at Zuo Zhishuang.

He sensed that the girl was implying something, and Ao Hanli suppressed the urge to frown, calmly picking up her teacup.

"Alright, alright, Zhishuang, I didn't bring you here for you to critique Brother Chu." Zuo Shaojun tapped his sister's forehead. "Let's talk about Sword Manor."

“Okay.” Zuo Zhishuang stuck out her tongue at her brother. “Let’s start with the question you asked me in the manor.”

"Hmm." Zuo Shaojun nodded. When he saw Chu Xunfeng and the other two looking at him, he explained, "I asked Zhishuang before if she knew what Father had been busy with lately, and whether any strangers had been coming and going in the manor recently."

"I don't know much about what they're busy with, but it seems they're busy forging weapons in preparation for the reopening of the Sword Appraisal Tournament," Zuo Zhishuang said with a smile. "As for the strangers, I have indeed met a few. There were four of them who came to the manor to see my father several times, and they always concealed their faces."

"Concealing one's appearance... Could you elaborate?" Chu Xunfeng looked at Zuo Zhishuang.

“They all wear bronze masks.” Zuo Zhishuang raised her hand to gesture on her face, “Four fangs, two on the left and two on the right, and their features are very ferocious.”

Chu Xunfeng squinted and exchanged a glance with Zuo Shaojun.

Bronze fanged beast!

Xu Guo's secret guards.

Chapter 18, The Plan

A bronze mask with animal-shaped sharp teeth and a ferocious expression.

Without a doubt, the guest of the Longquan Sword Manor lord mentioned by Zuo Zhishuang was the bronze beast, a spy of the Xu Kingdom emperor.

With one more piece of evidence, Chu Xunfeng felt he could make a final judgment.

"Does Young Master know about these things?" Chu Xunfeng asked the young man sitting opposite him.

Zuo Shaojun simply shook his head. He turned to look at his younger sister, "Zhishuang, when was the first time you saw these people?"

“I remember…” Zuo Zhishuang pondered for a few moments, “It seems to be around the time when you were first assigned by Uncle Yan Li to escort goods, but I don’t remember the exact date.”

Zuo Zhishuang gave a rough estimate of the time, then looked at Zuo Shaojun, her gaze shifting to Chu Xunfeng and Ao Hanli before asking, "Brother, has something happened?"

“Zhi Shuang, you must know about what’s been happening at Sword Manor lately, and all the rumors going around.” Zuo Shaojun looked at his sister, Zuo Zhi Shuang, with a serious expression, staring into her clear eyes. “Father and my two uncles don’t want me to get involved, and they probably don’t want you to get involved either. Their explanation is that they want to protect us.”

“I will respect your opinion, but you need to think it through. Do you want to know what your father and two uncles are doing now?”