From the fusion of Tongbei Quan to the Longevity Martial Saint

Zhanbo kept his eyes fixed intently on the direction Fang Qing was in.

When he saw the red command flag waving three times—a confirmation signal to begin communication—he was invigorated.

They immediately raised their red flags in response, circling three times.

Then, he stared wide-eyed at the two waving flags in Fang Qing's hands.

He dared not be distracted in the slightest.

Every movement of Fang Qing, every rise and fall of the flag, every point it points, every crossing...

They all represent specific meanings.

This was a code they had practiced repeatedly beforehand.

As Zhanbo looked at the document, he quickly deciphered the information in his mind.

Zhanbo tried his best to keep up with the pace, afraid of missing any detail.

Finally, Fang Qing stopped moving.

He lowered both flags simultaneously to his sides: this was the signal that the mission was complete.

Zhanbo immediately reviewed what he understood in his mind again.

After confirming that everything was correct, he waved the green flag three times to indicate that the message had been received.

Then he nimbly jumped down from the rock where he had been standing for a long time.

Below, Ding Mingcheng was already anxiously waiting.

As soon as Ding Mingcheng saw Zhanbo land, he rushed forward, grabbed his arm, and asked urgently:

"How is it? What's the situation with Fang Qing?"

"Have you found any clues about the ledger?"

Although Gu Changyuan remained relatively calm, the eagerness deep in his eyes betrayed his inner anxiety.

Just now, he received another secret letter from Salt Inspector Lin via carrier pigeon.

Although the tone of the letter remained calm, it only mentioned in passing that several impeachment memorials had been sent to Yangzhou from the imperial court.

Gu Changyuan knows Lord Lin all too well.

The more down-to-earth the boss's words are, the more serious the actual situation is.

Those so-called memorials to the throne have probably already piled up high on the desks of the Censorate and the Cabinet!

The pressure, like the dark clouds above Tiger Leaping Gorge, presses down layer upon layer.

Time is really running out.

Zhanbo winced in pain as Ding Mingcheng gripped him so tightly.

Instead of the excitement of discovering a clue, his face held a deep sense of strangeness and disbelief.

He was reflecting on the information conveyed by Fang Qing's flag signals.

Then he thought about some of the subtle movements he had observed.

He was certain he hadn't misunderstood.

"Hey! Zhanbo! Hurry up and tell me! You're driving me crazy!"

Seeing that he remained silent, Ding Mingcheng became even more anxious, stamping his feet and urging him repeatedly.

Zhanbo took a deep breath, looked at the anxious Ding Mingcheng, and then at the solemn-faced Gu Changyuan.

Then, in a very uncertain tone, he raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead and said:

"Lord Gu, Fang Qing just asked me using flag signals as soon as he came in: Have you had lunch yet?"

I replied to him using flag signals: "I ate it."

"Then he immediately asked, 'What did you eat?'"

"I thought about it for a moment, then waved a flag to tell him that I was eating Zhajiangmian (noodles with soybean paste)."

After Zhanbo finished speaking, he looked at Gu Changyuan and Ding Mingcheng with a blank expression.

"Lord Gu, is there some other code between you and Fang Qing?"

"I really don't understand at all."

Gu Changyuan and Ding Mingcheng exchanged a glance, their faces also filled with confusion.

Gu Changyuan even thought about it carefully.

He was certain that he and Fang Qing had not set up any additional code words.

Ding Mingcheng scratched his head and couldn't help but mutter to himself.

"Why is Fang Qing talking like we're having a casual chat?"

"They even asked if I'd eaten, and what I'd eaten..."

"What exactly is going on?"

The three people looked at each other, and each saw a deep sense of confusion in the other's eyes.

They had absolutely no idea what Fang Qing was doing.

……

Another hour has passed.

"Zhanbo! Quick! Fang Qing has moved again!"

Ding Mingcheng, who was guarding under the rock, called out in a low voice.

Zhanbo immediately grabbed the two small flags and climbed up the towering boulder in a few steps.

Gu Changyuan and Ding Mingcheng quickly gathered around the rock, anxiously looking up at it.

Zhanbo steadied himself and immediately turned his gaze to the opposite bank of Tiger Leaping Gorge.

Sure enough, Fang Qing's figure reappeared on a protruding rock opposite.

The two small flags in his hands were fluttering gently in the morning breeze.

"Zhanbo, what did Fang Qing say this time?"

Gu Changyuan couldn't help but lower his voice and shout upwards.

"Any news about the ledgers?"

Zhanbo did not answer immediately this time.

He stared intently at the opposite bank, his arm waving in response to Fang Qing's movements.

But the expression on his face became increasingly strange.

After a while, Fang Qing on the other side seemed to have ended the communication, and his figure disappeared from the rock in a flash.

Zhanbo then put down his aching arm and climbed down from the rock with an indescribable expression on his face.

As soon as his feet touched the ground, Gu Changyuan and Ding Mingcheng eagerly pressed him for answers:

"How is it?!"

"Surely Fang Qing will get down to business this time?"

Seeing the anxious looks in the eyes of the two superiors, Zhanbo opened his mouth, his expression somewhat distorted.

"Fang Qing... the first thing he asked me was: How much longer until the martial arts exam?"

I quickly replied using semaphore: two months and five days.

"Then he immediately asked me..."

Zhan Bo paused, then imitated Fang Qing's flag signals.

"What ranking do you hope to achieve on the list of successful candidates in the military examination?"

"Of course I answered: I want to become the top martial arts champion! Isn't that every martial artist's dream?"

Gu Changyuan and Ding Mingcheng held their breath, staring intently at Zhanbo.

We waited for him to continue.

After saying that, Zhanbo shut his mouth and shrugged.

The camp was quiet for a few seconds.

"and then?"

Gu Changyuan and Ding Mingcheng asked the question almost simultaneously.

"Then?"

Zhanbo spread his hands.

"And that's it!"

"After Fang Qing learned that I aspired to be the top martial arts champion, he turned around, jumped off the rock, and left."

"No other flag signals were sent."

Gu Changyuan and Ding Mingcheng looked at each other again.

This time, the suspicion in their eyes was almost overflowing.

They were completely confused.

Logically, even if the ledger wasn't found, Fang Qing should at least report on the search progress.

For example, how much area was searched, and what has not yet been found.

But now things are different.

They start by asking about meals, then their life goals.

Is this how flag signals are used?

Neither Gu Changyuan nor Ding Mingcheng had ever been exposed to flag signals before, and they dared not assert that the usage was incorrect.

But they couldn't suppress the strong sense of unease in their hearts.

I feel like something's wrong, but I can't figure out exactly what it is.

Zhanbo racked his brains, repeatedly confirming that he had absolutely not misunderstood Fang Qing's flag signals.

Those actions clearly indicated they were discussing ambitions and ideals.

Seeing this, Gu Changyuan could only sigh helplessly.

"That's enough."

"The jade-faced scholar is as cunning as a fox. Even if we bring in a hundred people to search, it will probably be difficult to find what he has hidden."

Ding Mingcheng nodded in agreement with this assessment.

……

When the third hour arrived, Gu Changyuan and Ding Mingcheng could no longer contain themselves.

The two of them simply followed Zhanbo up the boulder, crouched down, and looked out at the opposite bank.

Fang Qing's figure reappeared on the large rock.

This time, his flag-waving movements were noticeably faster than the previous two times!

With a wave of her arms, she left behind two pink and green afterimages.

The complexity of the movements is also far greater than before.

Zhanbo's eyes were already wide open, and beads of sweat were seeping from his forehead as he desperately tried to memorize every detail of the flag signals.

Fang Qing on the other side of the river seemed very anxious.

The flag signals were given quickly and frequently.

Zhanbo responded with a flag as quickly as possible.

The two began to communicate at an increasingly faster pace.

Finally, Fang Qing finished the last series of incredibly complex movements.

Before Zhanbo could even reply, he abruptly folded up the flag, leaped off the rock, and quickly disappeared behind the rubble.

"There's hope!"

Gu Changyuan's heart skipped a beat, and he lowered his voice to speak to Ding Mingcheng.

Although he couldn't understand the flag signals, Fang Qing's anxious expression and actions were unmistakable.

Ding Mingcheng also showed a happy expression.

"Lord Gu, it seems there's really progress on Fang Qing's side!"

"They've probably found where the ledgers are hidden!"

……