I don't want to be trained by my senior sister!

When Fang Xuan and Ning Qian returned to the inn, it was still early.

The two tacitly began to put on an act—since it was just a formality, they might as well make it look convincing.

They spread out the dossiers copied from the garrison headquarters in the room and then pretended to discuss for a while the possible activity patterns of the heretical practitioners.

Fang Xuan gestured with his fingers on the table to indicate possible retreat routes while keeping an eye on Ning Qian out of the corner of his eye.

She looked down at the file, her profile calm, occasionally nodding or adding in a soft voice.

About an hour later, Fang Xuan's divine sense stirred slightly.

Shen Qingqing's presence has left the next room.

He gave Ning Qian a wink.

Ning Qian immediately put down her pen and looked up at him.

She nodded, stood up, walked to the window, and looked down at the street through the crack in the window.

Shen Qingqing changed her clothes and disappeared into the crowd, heading west of the town.

"It was agreed that it was just a test."

Ning Qian turned around, her voice very low.

She walked up to Fang Xuan and looked up at him.

"Don't alert the enemy, and even more so, don't... put yourself in danger."

"Okay," Fang Xuan replied.

He knew, of course, that it was just a test. Shen Chen was so confident that he only sent Shen Qingqing, a Foundation Establishment cultivator, to look after his nascent core, so he must have a backup plan.

Ning Qian frowned slightly as she watched him readily agree.

She knew this junior brother too well; the more readily he agreed, the more audacious his plans were probably.

She suddenly reached out and gently tugged at Fang Xuan's sleeve, her voice lowering further: "I'll wait for you to come back..."

Fang Xuan listened, and his heart stirred slightly.

What my senior sister said... it sounds a bit like... cough cough...

The young wife gave her husband some instructions before he left...

He quickly suppressed that strange thought and nodded:

"Don't worry, senior sister, I know what I'm doing."

Ning Qian then released her grip, took a half step back, and resumed her aloof demeanor, though her ears had quietly turned red again.

.......

outside.

The rain started falling without me noticing.

Fine as needles, it casts a chill over Qing Shi Town in late autumn.

Pedestrians hurried along the street, holding up colorful paper umbrellas.

Fang Xuan followed Shen Qingqing at a leisurely pace, about several dozen feet behind her.

The rain and the crowds provided the best cover.

Shen Qingqing seemed quite familiar with the town, and after several twists and turns, she finally stopped in front of a shop that looked quite old.

The shop sign bears three simple, large characters: Jishetang.

The storefront was small and had the smell of an old, run-down pharmacy.

Shen Qingqing looked around to make sure no one was paying attention, then pushed open the door and went inside.

Fang Xuan did not follow up immediately.

He walked to a stall across the street selling umbrellas and raincoats, pretending to choose some, but in reality, his divine sense quietly spread over and enveloped the "Jishetang" stall.

The interior was somewhat dimly lit.

Behind the counter sat a gaunt-faced old man wearing glasses, slowly grinding medicinal powder.

Shen Qingqing walked to the counter without speaking, but gently placed a black wooden plaque, about half the size of her palm, on the counter.

The old man stopped what he was doing, raised his eyelids, and his cloudy gaze lingered on the wooden sign for a moment.

He looked at Shen Qingqing again and then nodded.

He put away the wooden sign, stood up, and walked shakily to the medicine cabinet, pressing a button in an inconspicuous corner.

A soft "click" sounded.

On the side of the medicine cabinet, a wooden board slid open, revealing a dark passage behind it.

Without hesitation, Shen Qingqing slipped inside.

The wooden planks immediately closed, fitting together perfectly, as if they had never been opened.

Fang Xuan withdrew his divine sense, a cold smile curling at the corner of his lips.

"Jishetang"... What kind of worldly thing is being helped by it?

It's probably Ji Shenchen's personal desire.

The newly bought paper umbrella covered most of his face, leaving only his face exposed.

He turned around, not intending to alert the enemy at this moment.

Now that we know the location of the hideout and figure out how to get in, our objective has been achieved.

The rain slanted down, making the sky appear even more gloomy.

Fang Xuan walked back along the path he had come from.

He paused slightly as he turned into a relatively quiet alley.

Under the eaves at the alley entrance, a figure in pure white stood quietly.

It is Ningxian.

She was also holding a plain paper umbrella, the canopy tilted slightly, obscuring most of her face.

The drizzle formed a beaded curtain along the edge of her umbrella, as if she had been waiting for a while.

Fang Xuan felt a sudden warmth in his heart, and much of the scheming and coldness he had felt earlier dissipated instantly.

He quickened his pace and came to Ning Qian.

He casually and naturally put away the paper umbrella in his hand, and then reached out to take the plain umbrella from Ning Qian's hand.

Ning Qian was taken aback by his action, and before she knew it, the white umbrella was in Fang Xuan's hands.

He was a bit taller than Ning Qian, and when he opened the umbrella, he naturally sheltered her under it as well.

The two were brought closer together by sharing an umbrella.

"The rain is getting heavier," Ning Qian said softly, looking away at the rainwater flowing deep in the alley.

"After buying the umbrella, I'll stop by and take a look around."

Drop by?

It's not convenient at all to get from the inn to this remote alleyway.

Fang Xuan chuckled inwardly, but didn't say anything.

My senior sister's stubbornness is so cute...

"Let's go back to the inn for dinner," Ning Qian suddenly said softly.

"Um."

Fang Xuan responded and turned to look at her.

Her profile looked exceptionally gentle under the umbrella, and her long eyelashes seemed to still have a bit of lingering moisture on them.

He held up the umbrella and naturally adjusted the angle to ensure that Ning Qian wouldn't be hit by the raindrops drifting in.

The two walked side by side, slowly through the gradually drizzling rain.

Peaceful and serene times, this is generally how it is.

.......

In the afternoon, the rain gradually subsided, but the sky remained overcast.

Fang Xuan changed into more practical clothes and said to Ning Qian beside him, "Senior Sister, I'm going to take another look at Jishetang."

Ning Qian was wiping her green bamboo sword branch when she heard this. She stopped and looked up at him, saying, "Be careful."

"I know." Fang Xuan smiled and pushed open the door to leave.

.......

The streets were deserted and quiet after the rain, with few pedestrians.

The main door of Jishetang was ajar.

Fang Xuan straightened his clothes, put on a slightly wary expression like a young cultivator, and pushed open the door to go inside.

"jingle--"

The brass bell hanging above the door rang.

The withered old man behind the counter raised his eyelids, his cloudy gaze falling on Fang Xuan with a scrutinizing look:

"Sir/Madam...would you like to get medicine or see a doctor?"

Fang Xuan walked to the counter, his gaze sweeping over the densely packed medicine cabinets, and then he took something out of his pocket.

The black wooden plaque was almost identical to Shen Qingqing's.

He secretly memorized it that morning and quickly replicated it using his magic.

He gently placed the wooden plaque on the counter and, following Shen Qingqing's technique, tapped it three times on a seemingly natural wood grain.

The withered old man's eyes suddenly narrowed.

He picked up the wooden plaque, examined it carefully, and then looked up at Fang Xuan with a deep gaze.

The young man before me had an unfamiliar face, and his aura... seemed to be only at the late stage of Qi Refining?

But both the wooden sign and the code are correct.

Were they other people arranged by the Peak Master?

Or... has something unexpected happened?

The old man was filled with doubt and unease, but he showed no sign of it on his face.

He put down the wooden sign, slowly got up, walked to the medicine cabinet, and pressed it in that inconspicuous corner as well.

"Click".

The wooden planks slid open, revealing a deep passageway.

The old man stepped aside, gestured for them to proceed, and said in a hoarse voice:

"Please come in, guest."

......