The fairy forced me to marry into her family, so I retorted by throwing myself into the Pool of Fate

Night has fallen over Xikou Market.

Inside the small courtyard where the Mu family was stationed, three oil lamps illuminated the house brightly.

As soon as Mu Junyi stepped through the door, he casually tossed aside the sword at his waist, leaned back in his chair, and let out a long sigh: "Having been stationed at Xikou Market for so long, this is the first time I've patrolled so easily."

"Indeed." Mu Chengyuan sat down, picked up the teapot on the table and poured himself a cup of spiritual tea. "No need to run around, just wait for Brother Li to call you. In the past, when we patrolled, we were always exhausted like dogs. Today, it's great that we even have the leisure to buy spiritual food."

As he spoke, he suddenly paused, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes, and looked at the two of them: "Why do you think Brother Li was able to detect the movement from so far away?"

Mu Junyi raised an eyebrow, leaned closer, and lowered his voice, saying, "I suspect Brother Li secretly planted puppets. Think about it, how large is the sea area we're patrolling? If there weren't puppets watching over everything, how could he possibly manage it all by himself?"

"A puppet?" Mu Chengyuan was taken aback. "What kind of puppet can be placed that far away?"

"You don't understand," Mu Junyi said confidently. "I've heard that some high-level puppets can lurk underwater and have an extremely wide sensing range. Brother Li might have such a treasure."

Mu Ming hadn't spoken until he heard this, then shook his head.

"Brother Ming, it's not a puppet?" Mu Junyi turned to look at him.

Mu Ming pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Puppets alone won't do. Puppets require spirit stones to operate, and spending long periods at sea consumes a considerable amount of energy. Moreover, the sensing range of puppets is limited; to cover the entire patrol area, at least seven or eight puppets would be needed. Where would Brother Li get so many spirit stones to operate so many puppets simultaneously?"

"What is that?" Mu Junyi pressed.

Mu Ming's eyes flickered slightly, as if recalling something: "Do you all remember that Brother Li once subdued an Ironback Whale?"

"I know, but aren't iron-spined whales used for transporting cargo?" Mu Chengyuan asked.

"Brother Li's whale is different; it's quite extraordinary. When we wiped out the Hong family, it was it that led us," Mu Ming said. "I'm wondering if Brother Li sent that whale to patrol and monitor the area?"

After hearing this, Mu Junyi frowned: "That's not right, Brother Ming. The area we're patrolling is so big, how can one spirit beast possibly keep an eye on it?"

Mu Chengyuan added, "Yes, and there's also a distance limit to how spirit beasts can sense their masters. If they're too far apart, they won't be able to send messages back, right?"

Mu Ming remained silent for a moment, then gave a wry smile: "I don't know. Brother Li's methods are more numerous than we thought."

He changed the subject, glancing around the room: "By the way, where's Brother Li?"

"He's not back yet." Mu Chengyuan shook his head. "He said he'd be back in half an hour at most, and told us to wait."

As soon as he finished speaking, all three of them turned their gazes to the table.

There were several dishes of spiritual food laid out there: braised spirit beast meat, steamed sea fish, a plate of spiritual vegetables, and a pot of spiritual wine. They had bought them at the market on their way back, planning to have a good meal with Li Ping tonight.

The aroma is so enticing that it makes one's mouth water.

Mu Junyi swallowed hard and forced himself to say, "Then we'll wait for Brother Li to return."

But this wait lasted a very long time.

The heat from the spiritual meal gradually dissipated, and the aroma of the spiritual wine also faded.

Mu Junyi stared longingly, his stomach growling twice.

Mu Chengyuan was no better off; he would glance at the doorway every now and then, only to look away in disappointment.

About half an hour later.

Mu Junyi finally couldn't hold back any longer and shouted, "Why isn't Brother Li back yet? Didn't we agree that it would be at most half an hour? It's been almost an hour and a half."

He stood up and paced back and forth in the room, his steps becoming increasingly hurried.

Mu Chengyuan chimed in, "Indeed, Brother Li is always punctual. Why have you been delayed so long today?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Mu Ming's expression suddenly changed.

He suddenly stood up, knocking over the chair and startling Mu Junyi and Mu Chengyuan.

"Something might have happened to Li Ping."

Mu Junyi was taken aback, then waved his hand and laughed, "Brother Ming, you're making a big fuss over nothing. Although Brother Li's cultivation isn't high, he has many tricks up his sleeve. What could possibly happen?"

Mu Chengyuan also said, "Yes, maybe something trivial happened and caused the delay."

But Mu Ming's expression grew increasingly solemn.

"Think about it," he said in a deep voice, "Brother Li has been in Xikou Market for so long, when has he ever been late? If he has something to do, he always gives advance notice. Today he said he would be back in half an hour, but he is late. This is not like him."

Upon hearing this, the smiles on Mu Junyi and Mu Chengyuan's faces froze.

A thought flashed through Mu Chengyuan's mind, and his face turned pale: "Brother Ming, those puppet-transforming talismans we saw during the patrol this afternoon...could they have been sent for Brother Li?"

Upon hearing this, Mu Ming's pupils suddenly contracted.

Without saying another word, he strode towards the door: "Let's go find someone."

The three of them had just rushed out of the courtyard when Mu Ming suddenly stopped.

"etc."

Mu Junyi grew anxious: "Brother Ming, what are we waiting for? If we wait any longer, Brother Li might..."

"I'm going to find Mu Fangxu," Mu Ming interrupted him. "You two wait here."

"Looking for Mu Fangxu?" Mu Junyi's expression changed. "Brother Ming, that's not a good idea. If we look for Senior Brother Fangxu, we won't be able to keep today's patrol a secret. Then, the four of us will probably be in trouble."

Mu Ming took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over the two men's faces, his tone unusually stern: "If those talismans today were truly aimed at Brother Li, then the person who came is definitely not simple. What use are the three of us? Not going to find Senior Brother Fang Xu would be doing Brother Li a disservice."

Mu Junyi opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

"And another thing," Mu Ming lowered his voice, a sharp glint in his eyes, "you are not allowed to utter a single word about today's patrol. Brother Li's methods must not be revealed in the slightest. Understood?"

Mu Junyi and Mu Chengyuan exchanged a glance and nodded repeatedly.

"Don't worry, Brother Ming, we'd rather die than tell."

Mu Ming gave the two of them a deep look, then turned and left.

In the darkness, his figure quickly disappeared at the alley entrance.

Mu Junyi and Mu Chengyuan stood in the courtyard, looking at each other in bewilderment.

"Could something really have happened?" Mu Chengyuan asked in a low voice.

Mu Junyi didn't speak, but just stared in the direction Mu Ming left, his gaze lingering for a long time.

……

……

The atmosphere inside the cabin was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

Mu Ming and the other two stood ramrod straight, not daring to breathe.

Across from him, Mu Fangxu sat upright in his chair, his fingers lightly tapping the table.

He had just been called out from his cultivation, still carrying the aura of that time. His hair was casually tied up, and his complexion was not good.

Mu Fangxu's gaze swept across the three faces, and his brows gradually furrowed.

"According to you, Li Ping didn't just disappear, but someone specifically targeted him?"

Mu Ming nodded and recounted the details again, from the puppet-transforming talisman they encountered during the afternoon patrol, to Li Ping telling them to go back first, and then to their delayed return.

He didn't mention a word about how Li Ping discovered the commotion from a distance or about today's patrol.