From the fusion of Tongbei Quan to the Longevity Martial Saint

The outer perimeter of Tiger Leaping Gorge.

A slope covered with low shrubs and scattered rocks.

Fang Qing and his team of twenty people have arrived at the designated area.

Instead of the usual practice, he immediately ordered his team to line up and conduct a thorough search.

Instead, he stood still, his sharp gaze scanning the complex terrain around him.

Tiger Leaping Gorge is flanked by steep cliffs and jagged rocks, with streams crisscrossing below and numerous caves.

Fang Qing knew that the handsome scholar Pan Song was no ordinary person who had managed to remain at large despite repeated attacks from the imperial court and the salt patrol.

This person is as cunning as a fox, suspicious by nature, and acts ruthlessly yet cautiously.

His only trump card was the ledger that recorded the transactions between many powerful families and salt bandits.

How could he possibly hide something so important in a place that could be easily found?

It must be in an extremely secluded, even unexpected, location.

With just these thirty-odd people, conducting a comprehensive search in such complex terrain...

Not only is it inefficient, but it also makes it easier to alert the enemy or fall into a trap they might have set.

Fang Qing already had another plan in mind.

He turned around and gave the order to the nineteen team members behind him:

"Listen up, everyone!"

"Now, disband the team!"

"Each of you is free to choose your own path!"

"Proceed in a straight line in any direction you think might contain something—north, south, east, or west—and begin searching!"

"Remember, it's a straight line!"

"Don't gather in groups, and don't just stand by and watch each other!"

"One hour from now, regardless of whether you have found anything or not, you must return to this spot and report back to me any unusual events you have witnessed along the way!"

"Terrain, caves, strange marks, even unusual broken vegetation... don't overlook any detail!"

"Do you understand?"

The team members looked at each other, their faces filled with confusion and bewilderment.

Zeng Qian naturally followed Fang Qing to his side.

She seemed to have recovered from her earlier embarrassment.

He intently examined his surroundings.

Only occasionally would her gaze drift unintentionally to the new leather bag on Fang Qing's back.

A faint, satisfied smile would flicker deep in his eyes.

But when he heard Fang Qing's order, he was stunned and his eyebrows furrowed slightly.

He quickly lowered his voice and interrupted:

"Fang Qing, our mission is to search the ledgers."

We shouldn't be conducting detailed group-based investigations.

"If we run around like headless flies, searching haphazardly without any focus or coordination, how can we possibly find anything?"

Fang Qing gave Zeng Qian a reassuring look.

Everyone was puzzled, but before setting off, Gu Changyuan had given strict orders that this operation would be carried out entirely under Fang Qing's command.

Even though everyone had their own doubts, they could only suppress them and answered in unison:

"clear!"

Fang Qing waved his hand.

The nineteen team members immediately dispersed, scattering like beans, and ran quickly in different directions.

They quickly disappeared into the rocks and bushes.

Only Fang Qing and Zeng Qian remained.

Fang Qing's choice of location as the temporary assembly center was quite deliberate.

There is a huge exposed rock here, offering a relatively open view.

The flags of Gu Changyuan's main force's encampment could be vaguely seen in the distance.

More clearly, Zhanbo's conspicuous figure, responsible for making communications, can be seen on another, higher rocky outcrop.

As agreed beforehand, Zhanbo stood at the highest point.

Clutching two small red and green flags tightly in his hands, he looked around warily, waiting for instructions from Fang Qing.

Fang Qing did not send a signal immediately.

An hour passed quickly.

The team members who were sent out returned one after another.

Everyone was empty-handed, their faces showing fatigue and frustration.

"Fang Tou'er, I walked about five miles to the east, and all I found were rocks and thorns. I didn't find any suspicious caves or buried traces."

"I headed west, along a dry streambed, until it ended at a cliff, and there was nothing there."

"To the south is a dense forest, too deep. We can't go very far in an hour, and we haven't found anything..."

The team members gave their reports all at once, and the results were all the same: nothing was found.

Fang Qing showed no disappointment, simply nodding calmly.

"Take a 15-minute break."

"Drink some water and eat some dry food."

"And then, let's set off again!"

"Find another direction, continue the straight-line search!"

"This time, let's go further and observe more carefully!"

"Huh? Going again?"

"Or a straight line?"

The team members were dumbfounded.

This is completely contrary to their understanding of search methods.

What's the point of walking blindly in one direction twice in a row?

But an order is an order.

With long faces, everyone sat down to rest again, silently munching on their dry, hard biscuits.

Zeng Qian stood to the side, looking at Fang Qing's calm profile, her eyes filled with even deeper doubt.

Just then, Lu Jianfeng and his team walked over from the other side.

Lu Jianfeng's expression was not good.

He glanced at Fang Qing, who was resting, curled his lip, walked up to Fang Qing, and reported in a curt tone:

"Fang Qing, we've searched their area too."

"Nothing was found."

"I think that old fox, the Jade-Faced Scholar, never hid the account book around here at all!"

Fang Qing seemed oblivious to the underlying meaning in his words, and simply nodded:

"Okay, thank you for your hard work."

"Please continue to lead the brothers to expand the search area and conduct a thorough search."

"Don't overlook any clues, no matter how small."

Lu Jianfeng stared at Fang Qing for two seconds, then suddenly smiled:

"Okay, whatever you say."

"Brothers, let's go and continue searching carefully!"

He spoke with obvious sarcasm.

Then he turned around and left with his men.

After walking a little further away, Lu Jianfeng whispered to a few of his trusted confidants:

"Search my ass!"

"That guy surnamed Fang is clearly giving nonsensical directions and wasting time!"

"Let's go find a shady spot to rest."

"Let's see what tricks he can pull!"

Upon hearing this, his men were happy to relax and followed Lu Jianfeng to a shady rock where they sat down and chatted.

They didn't take Fang Qing's search command seriously at all.

Another hour passed.

The team members sent out by Fang Qing returned one after another.

In the end, they came up empty-handed and gained nothing.

Everyone's face was etched with exhaustion, impatience, and deep doubt.

Fang Qing looked at the team members who had regrouped, his gaze sweeping calmly over them.

Then, he offered no explanation.

He simply bent down and took out the two command flags from his baggage at his feet: one red and one green.

He turned around and climbed up the tallest rock in a few steps.

Standing atop the rock, facing the mountain breeze.

He first raised the red command flag and waved it vigorously three times above his head.

Make sure the exhibition on the distant mountain rocks is clearly visible.

Then, holding a flag in each hand, he began to wave them alternately in a specific rhythm, amplitude, and direction.

Sometimes the red flag is raised high, and the green flag is pointed diagonally.

Sometimes the two flags are crossed and waved rapidly.

Then one flag drew an arc while the other remained stationary...

A complex set of flag signals was transmitted through the two small flags in Fang Qing's hands, traversing Tiger Leaping Gorge...

……