“Do you think there’s really such a good person in this world?”
Chen Zui’s question was casual, yet Ye Zhibai and Xiao Chengyan both froze at the same time.
Xiao Chengyan was the first to react.
He was inherently intelligent, but he had spent years playing the fool and couldn't be bothered to use his head.
Now, at Chen Zui’s prompting, that particular string in his mind tightened instantly.
“Brother Chen, you mean... Shopkeeper Zhou has a problem?”
“It’s not necessarily a problem,” Chen Zui said as he hung the wine jug back at his waist, speaking as he walked.
“A shopkeeper who has run a tavern in the middle of nowhere for over ten years, who doesn't hide when he sees martial artists fighting, but instead actively approaches to build a connection.
Among the three of us, you’re dressed like a beggar.
And I, a spearman, am not even worth mentioning in today's martial world.
Only Miss Ye revealed her cultivation realm at the time.
But is a realm like the Inquiry Realm—neither high nor low—really worth such enthusiasm from him?”
He paused and looked back at the two of them.
“If you were the shopkeeper, would you treat three strangers of unknown origin to such a fine spread of wine and food for no reason?”
Xiao Chengyan nodded thoughtfully.
“True. That table of food must have cost at least three to five taels of silver.”
“More than that,” Chen Zui shook his head.
“Just that jar of three-year-old Bamboo Green wine is worth two taels in a place like the border.
He gave us clothes, prepared dry rations, waived our room fee, and then repeatedly warned us not to go to Luoyan City.”
“Is there something wrong with that?” Ye Zhibai frowned. “Perhaps he is just kind-hearted and didn't want to see us go to our deaths.”
Chen Zui said indifferently, “He’s running a tavern, not a charity. Besides, being able to keep a business running for over ten years in a place as war-torn and chaotic as this... you can't do that with just a kind heart.”
Ye Zhibai was silent for a moment, forced to admit that Chen Zui had a point.
“Then he has other motives?”
“Not necessarily.
If he had a hidden agenda, he wouldn't have let us leave so easily.”
“Then what is it...”
Ye Zhibai was nearly dizzy from Chen Zui’s circular reasoning.
“He’s probably just that kind of person.”
Chen Zui gazed at the lead-gray sky in the distance, his voice dropping slightly.
“In these chaotic times, he wants to protect himself, yet he can't help but want to lend others a hand.
After helping, he fears bringing trouble upon himself, so he does just enough and never asks them to stay.
This kind of person lives the most tiring life, but also the longest.
So there’s no need to think too well of him, nor too poorly.
He’s just an ordinary person, trying his best to live like a human being in a chaotic world.”
Hearing this, Xiao Chengyan looked down at the blue cloth bundle in his arms, suddenly feeling that it was much heavier than before.
Ye Zhibai didn't speak, but her fingers tightened slightly on the reins.
The three continued north for over an hour.
The snow beneath them grew thicker, and the horses' hooves sank up to their shins.
Xiao Chengyan was shivering so hard on his horse that his nose was running. He was about to say something witty to lighten the mood when he noticed Chen Zui, who was walking ahead, suddenly stop.
“Brother Chen, what—”
Before Xiao Chengyan could finish, Ye Zhibai suddenly yanked his reins, pulling him and the horse several feet to the side.
He was about to complain when he was shocked to see a dark, heavy short dagger embedded in the snow right where he had been standing!
The dagger was entirely black, with a strange blood-red pattern carved into the blade that looked like a half-open Ghost Eye!
And tied to the end of that dagger was an extremely thin silk thread!
The thread was nearly transparent in the reflection of the snow; if one didn't look closely, it was impossible to see.
Chen Zui narrowed his eyes slightly.
He looked up, following the silk thread, and saw three figures.
One was short and stout as a vat, standing under a withered tree on the left.
One was tall and thin as a pole, crouching on a pile of rubble on the right.
And in the very center was a figure completely shrouded in a dark cloak, the hood pulled low, revealing only a pale, nearly transparent chin.
The other end of the silk thread was tied to the finger of the person in the dark cloak.
“Excellent eyesight.”
The short, stout man spoke in a shrill voice that was neither male nor female, sounding like nails scraping against porcelain, making one's skin crawl.
“To be able to avoid this silent ‘Hanging Silk Soul Pursuit,’ it seems this job won't be too boring after all.”
The tall, thin man didn't speak. He simply leaped lightly from the rubble, landing without a sound, as if he had no weight at all.
The cloaked figure slowly retracted their finger, and the short dagger embedded in the snow flew back like a living thing, landing steadily in their palm.
“Ghost Gate Chamber.”
Ye Zhibai coldly spat out those three words, her long sword already unsheathed by three inches.
Cold light reflected off the snow, and her sword intent was chilling.
The short, stout man let out a strange, cackling laugh.
“The little girl from the Frost-Sigh Sect has some eyes on her.
Since you recognize the name of our Ghost Gate Chamber, you should know our rules.
If you're smart, hand over that beggar boy, and we can spare your life.”
Ye Zhibai didn't answer, simply pushing her blade out another two inches.
Her attitude said everything.
“Interesting.”
The short, stout man turned to look at the cloaked figure.
“Boss, how about leaving this little girl to me? I love taking these icy beauties and warming them up bit by bit.”
The cloaked figure didn't respond.
But the tall, thin man suddenly spoke.
“Finish it quickly to avoid any complications.”
His voice was the exact opposite of the short man's—hoarse and rough, like two pieces of sandstone rubbing together.
“I know, I know.”
The short man cracked his neck, a series of pops ringing out.
“Then I'll start with this little girl!”
Before his voice had even faded, his figure vanished from where he stood!
The next instant, he appeared before Ye Zhibai!
A thick, fleshy hand formed a claw, aimed straight for Ye Zhibai's throat!
This move was as fast as a phantom, almost exceeding the limit of what the naked eye could capture!
Ye Zhibai's pupils shrank, and she instinctively drew her sword to parry.
However, that claw suddenly changed mid-air, fingers splaying out into a blur of palm shadows!
Each palm strike carried a foul-smelling gust of wind, targeting her major acupoints!
At the same time, the tall, thin man moved as well.
He was like a withered bamboo stalk blown by the wind, gliding weightlessly toward Xiao Chengyan.
A pair of hooked, strange weapons appeared in his hands at some point, the tips glinting with a ghostly blue light, aimed straight for Xiao Chengyan's head!
“Not good!”
Seeing this, Ye Zhibai kicked off the snow, her body leaping backward using the momentum.
The short man's palm shadows just barely grazed her shoulder, tearing three slits in her robe and revealing the snowy-white inner robe beneath.
In that critical moment, she couldn't afford to care about such things.
She twisted her waist mid-air, her long sword turning into a white rainbow as it lunged toward the tall man's back!
This strike was incredibly fast, the tip of the blade piercing the cold wind with a sharp whistle.
If the tall man didn't turn to block, even if his hooks struck Xiao Chengyan, he would certainly be run through the heart by this sword!
Clearly.
He had no intention of dying with Xiao Chengyan.
His thin, long body twisted mid-air in an extremely bizarre posture, like a withered branch bent by the wind, forcibly changing direction.
The pair of hooks swiveled and swept horizontally, clashing heavily with Ye Zhibai's sword!
“Clang—!”
Ye Zhibai felt a surge of frigid power travel down the blade. Her palm jolted violently, nearly causing her to lose her grip on the hilt.
She used the force to flip and land, blocking the path to Xiao Chengyan.
However, her sword-hand wouldn't stop trembling slightly.
The tall man landed lightly back in his original position, looking down at his hooks.
“To have three parts of frost intent on your blade at such a young age... staying in a place like the Frost-Sigh Sect is truly a waste of talent.”
His raspy voice held a hint of appreciation.
Ye Zhibai didn't reply.
Instead, she gritted her teeth and launched an attack on the two of them!
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