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

"Try your luck?" Chu Xunfeng raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, if you want to know what happened to your father back then, besides the Minister of Rites, you can also find someone else."

"I would like to hear the details." Chu Xunfeng looked at Zuo Feichen.

“The Emperor’s cousin, the thirty-seven-year-old Prince Zou.”

"A prince?" Chu Xunfeng frowned.

Zuo Feichen nodded vigorously, “A prince who was very close to your father back then.”

There was a hidden meaning in his words.

Chapter 55, The Foreigner Nine

The following day, the sky was clear. The Sword Appraisal Conference had served the participants a total of thirty-seven fifth-grade weapons the day before, and today, the Longquan Sword Manor would be inviting fifteen sixth-grade weapons and seven seventh-grade weapons to the stage.

Everything continued in accordance with the tone set by yesterday's sword-tasting competition. The only change was that the young man who had been calmly in control of the entire venue on the main stage had been replaced.

Zuo Shaojun stood on the stage with an eerie smile, displaying a completely different demeanor from when Chu Xunfeng hosted the stage.

For the many cultivators who came to appraise the swords, the change of host didn't cause much of a stir, after all...

The Xu Kingdom's plan against Chu Xunfeng is still in the implementation stage and has not yet affected the venue of the Sword Appraisal Tournament.

However, for Ning Qiuning, who missed the sword-tasting competition hosted by Chu Xunfeng yesterday, it was truly a pity that she could not see Chu Xunfeng standing on the stage today.

However, compared to Chu Xunfeng's absence from the stage today, Ning Qiuning's master, Li Shuhua, was more concerned about the fact that the table where the court officials sat yesterday was now empty, without a single person in sight.

Just as the sword-tasting competition was underway, in the reception room of Longquan Sword Manor, Zuo Feichen was receiving a guest whom he had no choice but to meet.

Bronze fanged beast, symbolizing integrity and frugality.

"So, Master Zuo means that Chu Xunfeng has gone on a journey? He set off last night?" The young man sitting in the guest seat seemed to be laughing in anger as he stared at the middle-aged man sitting in the head seat holding a teacup.

"I never question Chu's decisions. The siege of Sword Manor has been lifted. If Chu stays in Sword Manor, he'll just be a target..." Zuo Feichen sipped his tea calmly. "Doesn't Lord Lian understand this?"

Lian Cai remained silent for a while, his aggressive attitude fading away. After a brief moment of thought, he stood up, seemingly lost in thought, or perhaps muttering to himself, "Now all the bronze beasts in Yongzhou have received secret orders to surround and kill Chu Xunfeng within Yongzhou. This operation will begin no later than Shenshi in the afternoon... He had better have really left Lancang City last night."

With a cold snort, Lian Cai stood up and left with his hands behind his back, leaving Zuo Feichen, who seemed lost in thought, watching Lian Cai's figure disappear from sight.

After a brief silence, Zuo Feichen called his two younger brothers to him and said, "Go find the courtesan and have her tell Chu Xunfeng that the Bronze Fang Beast is making a big move. He must leave Lancang City before Shenshi (3-5 PM) today. This is his last chance."

After nodding silently, Zuo Jin accepted the order and quickly left the reception room, heading towards the small building in the southwest corner of the Sword Manor.

Half an hour later, the message Lian Cai delivered was relayed word for word to Chu Xunfeng and the foreigner by the courtesan.

In the tea room of the Seven Star Tower, Chu Xunfeng and Gui Lao Jiu remained silent for a long time after hearing the news brought by the courtesan.

Finally, the foreigner laughed sinisterly, "I didn't expect Young Master Chu to have such great charm that he could even turn an enemy to his side."

"So-called defection... has nothing to do with me." Chu Xunfeng recalled his brief exchange with Lian Cai in the small building last night, raised his eyes and looked at the foreigner holding a pipe, "Ninth Master, please stop teasing me."

"Although I, Old Ghost, can hardly be called 'alive,' I've lived for countless years. People are always willing to pay with their lives for some inexplicable things told to them by others." Old Ghost Nine chuckled hoarsely. "He keeps shouting 'Everything for the country,' but in the end, what have all his actions brought to the country he's fighting for? He doesn't even know himself. He just thinks it's all good! All good!"

"Little did they know that they had become a knife in someone else's hand, not even knowing whether the people they killed were good or bad, and still thinking that they had done nothing wrong, how capable they were!"

“It seems that Ninth Elder has quite a story.” Chu Xunfeng nodded slightly. He didn’t want to discuss the Bronze Fang Beast. Now it seems that the Bronze Fang Beast is not a monolithic entity. When people in an organization start to outwardly obey but inwardly defy their superiors... it proves that something is changing within that organization.

From the moment that so-called Number Three, disguised as a Yan Kingdom person, insisted on attacking Zuo Zhishuang, Chu Xunfeng realized that in the matter of Longquan Sword Manor, he was not only facing off against Lian Cai alone, but also another voice hiding in Lian Cai's group, silently watching the development of the whole matter.

And that person, in the end, is most likely the imperial envoy, Lord Gou, and then, the one who wields the dust-slaying blade, Pan Ge.

As for who it is... Chu Xunfeng doesn't care right now. Knowing or not knowing now won't change anything. There will always be opportunities in the future. As for now... he has more urgent things to do.

“Young man, I think you’re not bad.” The foreigner stared at Chu Xunfeng with his cloudy, scarlet eyes. “But having high hopes for you is one thing, and having me guarantee that you can safely enter the Black Forest is another.”

“I have nothing of value. As Elder Jiu just said, you have lived for countless years. I suppose what I can offer would be beneath your notice.” Chu Xunfeng looked into the foreigner’s terrifying eyes. “Foreigner, you can name your terms.”

“Name your terms…” The foreigner tapped his pipe, shaking out the fine ash left after the pipe had burned out. “I like this way of speaking. Many things become business when you talk about them. If you want to get into the Blackwood, no problem. Old Nine, I can help you.”

"Please enlighten me, Ninth Elder." Chu Xunfeng bowed slightly with his hands clasped.

"Help me find out about someone. I don't expect you to find that person directly, even just finding the slightest trace of them would be helpful." The foreigner stared at Chu Xunfeng. "This is a difficult task, you must do your best. I'm not afraid to tell you, I've searched for them myself, and even used a lot of connections to try. I don't expect you to find this person, but you must take it seriously."

"Okay." Chu Xunfeng nodded slightly. "I agree."

“Very good.” A blood-red light flashed in Gui Lao Jiu’s eyes. “I will only say it once. Fifty-four years ago, a deputy commander of the Bronze Fang Beast was forced to defect. He fled seven hundred miles from the capital with his female relatives and was killed at Changfeng Mountain in Lingzhou. His pregnant wife disappeared without a trace... Find this person.”

"The wife of the traitorous deputy commander?" Chu Xunfeng squinted at Gui Jiu.

"It can be her, or her descendants, it doesn't matter, just like I said, any clues are fine."

"I understand. Is there any other information you want to tell me?" Chu Xunfeng stared at Gui Jiu.

Gui Jiu took two puffs of his pipe, exhaling a faint fragrance of incense. "That's all. There's nothing else to say. You go and investigate yourself."

Chapter 56, Movements of All Parties

"Someone wants the Broken Sword?" Zuo Feichen looked at his children in front of him.

Zuo Shaojun's expression was somewhat unpleasant, but he faced his frowning father directly, while Zuo Zhishuang, who was being protected behind Zuo Shaojun, lowered her head and appeared somewhat timid.

Since the incident involving the strange weapon at Longquan Sword Manor decades ago, the rules for sword forging at Longquan Sword Manor have become much stricter. No powerful clan that has ever stood in the world can be considered clean. However, after the incident involving the strange weapon, under the advocacy of Zuo Feichen's father, Longquan Sword Manor has made certain severances from many unorthodox practices.

Today, Zuo Shaojun brought her younger sister to see their father. Rather than reporting anything, it seemed they wanted to break the rules set by their grandfather.

Zuo Feichen's eyes flickered for a long time. He looked at his son and remained silent for a while. "Young Master, tell me your thoughts. How do you intend to persuade me?"

"I don't intend to persuade Father. I've brought the person here; they're waiting outside." Zuo Shaojun feigned ease. "My plan..."

"Are you going to pass the trouble that Zhi Shuang caused onto your father?" Zuo Feichen glanced at Zuo Shaojun.

Zuo Shaojun's words caught in his throat, while Zuo Zhishuang gently tugged at her brother's sleeve, "Brother... let it go."

Zuo Shaojun was silent for a moment. Looking at his father's expression, which was neither sad nor happy, he felt a little hesitant. He thought to himself that he shouldn't make such a judgment, after all, he was just the young master of the manor, not the master of the sword manor.

However, his father's rhetorical question made him suddenly understand something.

He thought of Chu Xunfeng, who might have already left Yongzhou, and of everything the Sword Manor had suffered during this time. He should have been the one standing by his father's side, helping him through his troubles, but...

An outsider took that position and helped Longquan Sword Manor withstand all the pressure; even his father was helped.

Seeing his son's eyes darting around as if he were deep in thought, Zuo Feichen remained silent for a long time until Zuo Shaojun raised his head and looked at him. Only then did the man, who was over forty, slowly speak, "Shaojun, what were you thinking about just now?"

Zuo Shaojun took a deep breath, composed himself, and looked up at his father. "I'm thinking that I should make the decision on this matter, since Zhishuang came to me."

"Do you think you can make that decision?" Zuo Feichen asked again.

This time, Zuo Shaojun remained silent for an even longer period. Perhaps he lacked confidence in his earlier guess and was trying hard to think about and judge his father's attitude.

Zuo Zhishuang shrank behind her brother and gripped his clothes tightly.

In the young girl's mind, this was just a trouble she couldn't handle. After the sword appraisal competition ended today, Ning Qiu Ning brought her master to visit the workshop that was still under reconstruction, and directly pointed out that she wanted the blank of that broken sword.

However, Zuo Zhishuang dared not make this decision. She was bound by the rules set by her grandfather, so she went to her brother instead... She was essentially afraid that if she went to her father, she would be scolded by her stern father.

The older brother also went to their father. At this point, the father should have just made a decision—whether to give it or not—and the whole matter would have been over.

But... the whole thing seems to be heading in an unpredictable direction for the little girl.

In the long silence, Zuo Feichen simply waited for his son's answer, and Zuo Shaojun finally let out a long sigh of relief, "I can. Although the person who asked for the broken sword is only of my generation, he has his master accompanying him. Even if there is a problem with a broken sword, we will not have to bear the responsibility."

"Now Longquan Sword Manor must actively seek change. We have voluntarily fled from the imperial court, so we must actively embrace cultivation sects. A broken sword does not violate the principles of the sword manor."

"Do you think these judgments are enough?" Zuo Feichen pressed on.

Even though she wasn't confronting her father in person, Zuo Zhishuang felt an overwhelming pressure on her brother as her father asked this question.

"That's enough. We can't throw the baby out with the bathwater. I've learned something from Chu Xunfeng: it's okay to think a lot, but when making a decision, you can't let too much thinking make you indecisive. The world's development is unknown. Even if you think a lot, Chu Xunfeng couldn't have foreseen the matter of Number Three."

“Some things are beyond human control.” Zuo Shaojun answered almost without hesitation. It seems that during his long period of thought, he not only considered the current situation, but also figured out what his father wanted him to do, and even anticipated the questions that Zuo Feichen might ask.

"Well done." Zuo Feichen let out a long sigh of relief. His face softened, and his gaze towards his son was no longer heavy, but rather carried a hint of a smile. "It seems that you have learned a lot and grown a lot from this ordeal at Sword Manor."

"I'm far from good enough." Zuo Shaojun shook his head with a wry smile. "It took me so long to figure these things out."

The atmosphere immediately eased.

The father and son didn't exchange many pleasantries, and Zuo Feichen chose to leave his daughter's minor trouble to his son to handle.

Although it was a minor inconvenience, Zuo Shaojun took it very seriously.

After all, he represented the face of Longquan Sword Manor, and he was not only dealing with disciples who came to seek swords, but also with cultivation sects in Bianzhou.

After leaving the study, Zuo Shaojun, along with his sister, invited the three members of the Supreme Sword Sect who had been waiting outside the door to the reception room.

On behalf of her younger sister, she apologized to Li Shuhua and solemnly inquired again about the master and disciple's views on nurturing the broken sword and their confirmation of its seriousness.

After confirming the attitudes of the master and disciple, Zuo Shaojun took the initiative to give the broken sword blank to Ning Qiuning. He repeatedly instructed her that if she had a choice, it would be best not to nurture the broken sword. He also took the initiative to give her a Longquan sword of at least the sixth grade, and would send someone to deliver it to the Supreme Sword Sect later.

Thus, the whole matter was not only resolved smoothly and happily for all parties involved, but it also sowed the seeds for future interactions and relationships.

This even caused Ning Qiuning and Li Shuhua to owe Longquan Sword Manor a favor, though not insignificant.

Finally, after seeing off the three members of the Supreme Sword Sect, the matter was considered closed.

That same night, Zuo Zhishuang informed Xu Bailing, who already knew about the broken sword embryo, that Ning Qiuning had taken it away.

"She really did take it." Xu Bailing had already let it go. She was a mature person, and the slight jealousy she felt back then wouldn't linger now.

“The Broken Sword Regret.” Yao Jiangshu didn’t have much ill will towards Ning Qiuning. On the contrary, she still vividly remembered the look in Ning Qiuning’s eyes when she looked at the broken sword embryo in the workshop. “Cultivating this kind of evil path has always led to rapid progress. I’m afraid it won’t be long before she can return to the peak of the fourth realm, or even break through to the third realm.”

“That’s already far behind, nothing to worry about. On the contrary, I’m more concerned about Ao Hanli…” Xu Bailing shook her head, her tone somewhat low. “From what she said, the Azure Dragon God Lord is very fond of Chu Xunfeng. On the other hand, it seems that we… can’t help him at all.”