Begin your practice with the crane-shaped stance.

As the evening wind howled, Xia Dong pushed his "Wind Control Technique" to its limit, his figure moving swiftly through the twilight like a faint phantom.

After an unknown amount of time, the majestic city walls of Lin Yuan Prefecture came into view in the distance.

Xia Dong used his escape technique from a hidden spot some distance from the city gate and then walked towards the city gate.

The prefectural city is not like Pingyang County. It is full of hidden talents. Not only are there cultivators in charge, but there are also many high-level martial arts masters. The defensive formations are also very strict.

If one were to brazenly use the Wind Riding Technique to fly into the city from mid-air, it would easily trigger a backlash from the formation or alert powerful individuals, causing unnecessary trouble.

Upon arriving at the city gate, Xia Dong immediately revealed his badge as the chief officer of the Eagle Wolf Guard.

After the soldiers guarding the city checked and found nothing amiss, they immediately and respectfully allowed them to pass.

With this official title, he could legitimately enjoy the privileges of the Eagle Wolf Guard, and could enter the city without hindrance even in the dead of night.

Xia Dong didn't delay and went straight to the Qin residence.

At this moment, the gates of the Qin residence were wide open, and the pale white lanterns hanging high swayed in the night wind, exuding a sense of oppressive sorrow.

Xia Dong stepped forward and revealed his identity. The doorman dared not delay and quickly went inside to inform Steward Qin. The old steward, with red eyes, came out to greet him and led Xia Dong to the mourning hall in the central courtyard.

Paper money fluttered in the mourning hall, and mournful music played softly.

The Qin family's children all wore mourning clothes and knelt on prayer mats to keep vigil.

Master Qin married several wives and concubines throughout his life, and had three sons in total. Qin Wan was his only daughter and the youngest child.

Qin Wan was born to Qin Laoye's mistress. Her birth mother had passed away long ago, and she was later raised by Madam Qin, who treated her as her own daughter, giving her the same treatment as a legitimate daughter.

Xia Dong stepped forward, respectfully lit three incense sticks, and glanced discreetly at the people kneeling below.

A strange thought suddenly flashed through his mind: upon closer inspection, neither the three young masters of the Qin family with their sorrowful faces nor Qin Wan bore any resemblance to the plump and well-off Master Qin in terms of their facial features.

After offering her condolences, Qin Wan got up and walked over.

Because of her extraordinary status as a cultivator of the Qixia Immortal Sect, even though her older brothers were older, they showed great respect and courtesy in front of her.

However, Xia Dong keenly sensed that there seemed to be a considerable rift between Qin Wan and her brothers, with a subtle sense of estrangement.

"Brother Xia, let's go to the side hall to talk." Qin Wan's voice was a little hoarse.

Upon reaching the side hall and dismissing everyone else, Xia Dong looked at Qin Wan, who appeared haggard, and asked in a deep voice, "Wan'er, what happened? Uncle was perfectly fine at Fuqing Mountain, how could he have passed away so suddenly?"

Qin Wan lowered her eyes slightly, her expression somewhat blank, and slowly said, "Father committed suicide by poisoning himself. I have already used a fireball talisman to cremate Father's body, and... I also used lightning magic to completely shatter Father's bones into ashes after cremation."

Upon hearing this, Xia Dong's pupils contracted slightly, his heart filled with disbelief.

Qin Wan seemed to have guessed Xia Dong's shock. She raised her head, staring blankly at the flickering candlelight, and continued, "Brother Xia, please don't be offended. This was also Father's request before he died. He said he didn't want his body to be exhumed and examined after his death."

Upon hearing this, Xia Dong felt a pang of shame.

He rushed to the prefectural city overnight, with this very idea in mind—to examine Master Qin's body with the divine sense of a cultivator and his superb medical skills while the body was still warm, and find out the true cause of death and clues.

He knew in his heart that Qin Wan's words were not a veiled attack on him, but rather Qin Laoye's arrangements for his own funeral.

However, the more he tries to leave no trace, the more it shows that the vortex that Master Qin was caught in before his death was so deep that it sends chills down one's spine.

"Did your uncle leave any instructions before he passed away?" Xia Dong sighed softly, looking at the flickering candlelight in the side hall.

Qin Wan took out a stack of slightly yellowed paper from her sleeve and handed it over: "Brother Xia, this is the manuscript of 'The Tale of Liu Yi' that you wrote back then. Before Father passed away, he specifically instructed me to return it to you in its original form."

Xia Dong paused for a moment, then reached out and took the manuscript he had written as a "copycat" to earn money for martial arts training, and silently put it into his pocket.

Seeing that Xia Dong had accepted the gift, Qin Wan suddenly spoke softly, "Brother Xia, Father asked another question. He said that while the book 'The Tale of Liu Yi' seems to be about an ordinary scholar, the real protagonist is actually that dragon girl, right?"

Xia Dong never expected that Qin Wan would suddenly bring up such a seemingly unrelated sentence at this moment of grief.

He paused for a moment upon hearing this.

In the Legend of Liu Yi, the mortal Liu Yi, though righteous, is ultimately a pawn caught in the feud between gods and immortals; while the Dragon Girl, high above, represents a class that transcends the mortal realm.

"Perhaps," Xia Dong gave an ambiguous answer.

Qin Wan raised her head, her clear, cold eyes fixed on Xia Dong with a strange look, and asked, "Brother Xia, if it were you, would you rather be the noble dragon princess or the loyal and righteous Liu Yi?"

Xia Dong was taken aback by the question, and he pondered seriously for a while.

"If I really had to choose, I would choose neither the Dragon Girl nor Liu Yi." Xia Dong's eyes darkened slightly, her tone calm. "If I were to choose, I would prefer to be the Lord of Qiantang. With extraordinary abilities, I could settle scores with swift and decisive action."

Qin Wan was slightly taken aback by Xia Dong's answer, feeling somewhat surprised, but then she felt it was perfectly reasonable.

Her gaze softened, and she said softly, "Brother Xia, could you escort me back to the sect? My father left me something, repeatedly instructing me to personally deliver it to my master."

"Go now?" Xia Dong raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, I was waiting for you here so you could escort me there."

Xia Dong pointed to the mourning hall outside: "Aren't you going to continue keeping vigil for Uncle?"

Qin Wan bit her pale lips tightly, her voice filled with suppressed sorrow: "Brother Xia, actually... I'm not Father's biological daughter at all. I was adopted by him. From now on, the Qin family will no longer be my family. This was Father's last wish."

Xia Dong suddenly realized something.

No wonder he felt a sense of estrangement between Qin Wan and the other young masters of the Qin family in the mourning hall.

So that's where the root of the problem lies.

Qin Wan paused, then said, "Father has made arrangements. After his burial, my brother, sister-in-law, and the First Madam will immediately sell their possessions and head overseas to settle down in a faraway place. From then on... I will be all alone in this world..."

As she said this, her eyes were filled with sorrow.

For more than a decade, she had enjoyed the Qin family's doting love and never imagined that she was not her father's biological child.

Xia Dong reached out and gently patted Qin Wan's shoulder: "Wan'er, we are siblings."

"Hmm." Qin Wan paused for a moment, then seemed to think of something and nodded silently.

The two remained silent for a while.

Xia Dong then asked, "What exactly does your uncle want you to give to Senior Gu Yue?"

Qin Wan shook her head: "I don't know what's inside either. Father sealed it up. He said this thing is extremely important and must be given to my master. If anyone else sees it, it will definitely not be a good thing."

"In that case, I won't ask anymore." Xia Dong decisively ended the conversation. "Let's not delay, shall we leave now?"

"Mm." Qin Wan nodded gently.