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

"Passengers?"

"Yes, I usually work as a helper on the ferry at the dock. Today, when a ferry was about to depart, someone found me, handed me this letter, and asked me to deliver it here."

Mu Fangxu stared intently at him: "Do you remember what that person looked like?"

The male cultivator looked troubled, scratched his head, and thought for a long time before saying, "The ferry was about to leave at that time, and the passengers were in a hurry. That person stuffed the letter into my hand and left. I... I didn't see it very clearly."

He paused, then tried to recall, "I only know he was tall, and his cultivation level was probably around the fourth level of Qi Refining."

Li Ping and Mu Fangxu looked at each other again.

Tall man, fourth level of Qi Refining.

This amount of information is practically useless in a bustling place like Xikou Market.

The other party came prepared and had no intention of leaving any clues.

Li Ping, unwilling to accept this, asked again, "When did this happen?"

The male cultivator quickly replied, "Just now, about half an hour ago."

Half an hour.

Li Ping silently calculated the time.

From the cliff edge back to the courtyard, and then to finding Mu Fangxu, it only took him a little over an hour.

In other words, the news of Ruan Ling'er's arrest reached the ears of the person behind the scenes almost immediately.

That jade pendant.

Li Ping subconsciously glanced at the empty space around Ruan Ling'er's neck.

That flash of light was indeed a message.

"Did the passenger say anything else?" Li Ping suppressed his irritation and continued to ask.

The male cultivator shook his head.

Have you seen that person before?

"No."

"What distinctive features does he have? For example, his accent, clothing, or accessories?"

The male cultivator looked distressed and thought for a while, but finally shook his head: "I really can't remember. I was in too much of a hurry at the time. He slipped me a letter, gave me some spirit stones, and left. I only had time to glance at it."

Li Ping remained silent for a moment, knowing that he wouldn't get any more information by asking.

This person was indeed just an insignificant messenger. The other party deliberately chose such an honest and unassuming rogue cultivator because they were certain that nothing could be found on him.

"Alright, you can go now."

Li Ping waved his hand.

The male cultivator felt as if he had been granted a pardon, thanked him repeatedly, turned around and left quickly, as if afraid that he would change his mind.

The courtyard gate was closed again.

Li Ping and Mu Fangxu returned to the house.

Mu Fangxu held the letter, turning it over and over several times, and then held it up to the light to examine it closely.

The letter paper was just any kind of yellow paper that could be bought anywhere in the market; it had nothing special about it.

The words on it are crooked and scraggly, like a child's scribbles, but upon closer inspection, the handwriting of each word is different.

"One sentence, seven words, written in seven different handwritings." Mu Fangxu pointed to the words on the letter, his expression grave.

He shook his head, placed the letter on the table, and sighed.

"The person behind the scenes was very cautious and left no trace."

"It's very cautious."

Li Ping nodded, his gaze falling on the letter.

After a moment of silence, he suddenly changed the subject.

"But there are still some directions to follow."

"Oh?"

Mu Fangxu looked up, his face showing surprise.

Li Ping spoke slowly, his voice low but clear and articulate.

"There's a timing issue."

"From the time I captured Ruan Ling'er until now, it has been no more than two hours."

"From returning to the courtyard from the edge of the cliff, to going to find you, and then turning back. In the meantime, the other party not only received Ruan Ling'er's message, but also arranged for a completely unrelated rogue cultivator to deliver the message. Moreover, the rogue cultivator received the message at the ferry crossing where the boat was about to depart."

"Too fast."

Li Ping's gaze sharpened. "To do this, the other party must be extremely familiar with Xikou Market, know the ferry schedule, know which rogue cultivator can be bribed, and know where I live."

"More importantly, they must have a foothold in the market and enough manpower to be mobilized at any time. Otherwise, it would be impossible to arrange everything so perfectly within two hours."

After hearing what he said, Mu Fangxu's brows furrowed into a deep frown.

He rubbed his head, looking confused.

"According to your logic..."

Mu Fangxu looked up at Li Ping with a strange expression.

"It seems like I'm the one behind it all?"

Li Ping also sighed.

Following this line of thought, in Xikou Market, only Mu Fangxu truly possesses such power.

He was the son of the head of the Mu family, and he managed a group of people under his command. He knew the market and its surroundings like the back of his hand. The ferry, the independent cultivators, and their residences were all under his control.

But Mu Fangxu was clearly not the person behind it all.

"Is it possible that there's a ghost in the house?" Mu Fangxu suddenly asked.

Li Ping thought for a moment and then shook his head.

"An insider couldn't have done that."

He explained, "An inside man might be able to pass on messages, or mobilize some manpower, but to arrange things so meticulously within two hours, and leave no trace..."

"With such great authority, why would you be a mole?"

Upon hearing this, Mu Fangxu fell silent.

For a moment, the room was quiet, with only the whistling sound of the sea breeze seeping in through the cracks in the window.

Ruan Ling'er was still sitting on the stone bench, her head down, a faint smile on her lips, as if mocking their futile efforts.

Li Ping stared at the letter on the table, his brows furrowed.

All the clues pointed in one direction, but then came to an abrupt end at the last step.

The person behind the scenes is too well hidden; there's simply no way to get to them.

Finding it is simply a pipe dream.

Li Ping silently sentenced this path to death in his heart.

Since we can't find it, let's try a different approach.

He looked up and his gaze fell on the letter.

"This young lady is unruly; please be lenient with her."

Please be lenient.

The meaning conveyed by these four words is to yield.

The other party wants him to release the person.

Thinking of this, a sudden inspiration flashed in Li Ping's mind, and an idea popped into his head.

He suddenly stood up, walked to the table, and picked up a pen.

Mu Fangxu was taken aback by his sudden action and quickly came over to take a look.

Li Ping turned the letter over, dipped his brush in ink, and wrote a line of text.

"Meet me on the desolate island in three days."

Mu Fangxu looked at the line of text and pondered for a moment.

"Luring the snake out of its hole?"

He looked up, somewhat puzzled. "Did it even work? The other party is so cautious, why would they willingly take the bait?"

Li Ping put down his pen, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"The fact that they came to deliver this letter means that the person behind it all definitely wants to save her."

He tilted his head and gestured to Ruan Ling'er, who was sitting on the stone bench.

"Didn't you say this woman has mermaid blood?"

Mu Fangxu nodded.

"This kind of rare item is quite valuable," Li Ping said calmly. "They won't give it up easily."

Upon hearing this, Mu Fangxu's eyes gradually brightened.

He clapped his hands and laughed, praising, "Brother Li, you've thought this through so clearly. How come I didn't think of that?"

"It's just a different approach."

Li Ping brushed it off lightly, showing no sign of smugness.

Just as Mu Fangxu was about to say something more, he suddenly remembered something and a look of confusion appeared on his face.

"We don't know who the recipient is, how do we send this letter back?"

Li Ping glanced at him and said in a flat tone, "That cultivator from earlier."

"Let him stand where he received the letter before, and someone will naturally look for him."

Mu Fangxu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized.

Since the other party was able to send the message through that rogue cultivator, it means that the rogue cultivator was the person they chose.

As long as that rogue cultivator returns to his original location, the person behind the scenes will naturally send someone to retrieve the letter.

"Leave this to me."

Mu Fangxu put the letter away and turned to leave.

He had just reached the door when he suddenly stopped.

"Should we assign someone to keep an eye on it?"

Mu Fangxu turned around, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes. "When they retrieve the letter, just grab them."

Li Ping thought for a moment and then shook his head.

"Since they used insignificant rogue cultivators to deliver the message, they will most likely use the same method to retrieve it."

"This move is inappropriate and risks alerting the enemy."

Li Ping paused, his gaze becoming deep and unfathomable.

"We should still focus on the deserted island three days from now."

After listening, Mu Fangxu nodded, said nothing more, and left.

The room fell silent again.

Li Ping stood in front of the table, his gaze shifting to Ruan Ling'er.

The woman kept her head down, her blue eyes half-closed, as if she were resting or waiting for something.

Li Ping looked at her and suddenly found something interesting.

A woman with mermaid blood, a behind-the-scenes person who can arrange everything to send messages within two hours, and a crescent-shaped jade pendant that can transmit messages.

The water was much deeper than he had imagined.

But it's okay.

Three days later, on the desolate rocky island.

Whoever the other party is, they will eventually reveal their true colors.

Li Ping withdrew his gaze and walked to the window.

Outside the window, the setting sun painted half the sky orange-red.

The sea shimmered, and several fishing boats were returning to port, their sails glowing red in the sunset.

The hustle and bustle of the market gradually subsided, replaced by a languid tranquility.

Everything seemed peaceful.

But Li Ping knew that beneath this calm surface, undercurrents were surging.