In a moment of impulse, I forcibly kissed my brother's best friend.

Cui Yutang listened intently, discerning the sounds of the wind to gauge the number and location of the approaching people. He quickly made a judgment: "Put on masks, split into two teams, and ambush them from the shadows."

Cui Yutang and Cui Shijiu each led a team, disappearing into the bushes on the left and right. The shadows of the trees swayed, and moonlight filtered through the gaps in the branches and leaves, casting dappled light and shadow on the ground.

Everyone held their breath, their fingers resting on the bowstring, waiting for their prey to arrive.

Not long after, an eight-person team came riding by.

The sound of horses' hooves grew louder as they approached, echoing across the empty Ba Bridge.

"How did he disappear?" a rough voice asked, tinged with doubt and anger.

Before the words were even finished, a hail of arrows rained down from both sides. The whistling sound of arrows cutting through the air was sharp and piercing, followed by a continuous stream of screams, howls, and the neighing of horses, creating utter chaos. Some fell from their horses, while others tried to draw their swords to fight back but were struck by the next volley of arrows.

Before long, the surroundings became quiet.

Only the river flowed gently under the bridge, as if nothing had happened.

"Amitabha." Monk Xuanji chanted a Buddhist prayer over the corpses scattered on the ground, his expression unusually calm, as if he had long been accustomed to life and death.

"Let's keep going and rest in Lintong."

They rode at breakneck speed and arrived in Lintong just as the morning star was already in the sky.

When the monk Xuanji dismounted, his steps were unsteady, and he almost lost his footing. Cui Yutang quickly went over to help him. The group then rested on the ground among some secluded rocks. The rugged rocks and overgrown weeds formed a natural shelter.

At this moment, Baoyu had already gone to report the matter to Cui Zhinuan before he went to court.

After hearing this, Cui Zhinu's expression tightened, and his gaze became serious: "Who is leading the Imperial Guard?"

"I heard it's Zheng Jingyuan, the deputy commander of the Right Imperial Guard."

"Heh." Cui Zhinuan let out a strange, cold snort from her chest, tinged with mockery and understanding. "The Crown Prince has only been deposed for a short time, and the Zheng family is already so impatient."

Cui Yutang and his entourage continued their journey after daybreak.

When they reached the section from Tongguan to Shanzhou, the Yellow River made a sharp 90-degree turn eastward. The south bank was a steep loess plateau with crisscrossing gullies, and the road conditions were extremely poor, so their horses slowed down.

Upon arriving at Tongguan, Cui Yutang felt that the surroundings were too quiet, and even the sound of the wind seemed to have been swallowed up by something.

"Master, something's not right here," Cui Shijiu said in a low voice, his hand already on the hilt of his sword.

"All personnel on alert, proceed at a faster pace," Cui Yutang said in a deep voice.

They surrounded the monk Xuanji and Cui Yutang, forming a defensive formation, and cautiously advanced.

Suddenly, an arrow flew and pierced the ground, and the horses neighed in alarm.

A group of soldiers suddenly appeared from behind the mountain pass. The leader was a burly man who held a long spear and shouted, "We're here to arrest a monk! All of you stop now and let us verify your identity!"

Cui Yutang and Cui Shijiu exchanged a glance—this man was clearly a local garrison soldier, probably sent here on orders to intercept someone after receiving a message by carrier pigeon.

Cui Shijiu clasped his hands in greeting and said, "We are from Zhengfeng Escort Agency. Please do us a favor, sir."

"Stop talking nonsense! Get down here!"

Suddenly, Cui Yutang pulled out a handful of small silver ingots, imbued with internal force, and struck them directly at the soldiers next to the leader.

The silver ingots whistled through the air, striking several soldiers precisely at their pressure points, causing them to collapse instantly. The others, seeing the gleaming white silver ingots, stirred slightly; some bent down to pick them up, while others exchanged bewildered glances.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Cui Shijiu darted to the leader's side, put his knife to his neck, and lifted him onto the horse.

"You leaders, lend me some money! You can divide the silver among yourselves, or your heads will roll!"

After saying that, Cui Yutang sprinkled another handful of small silver ingots.

The scene immediately descended into chaos—the soldiers scrambled for the silver on the ground, no longer bothering to stop them. The group of them quickly rode away from the area.

After walking for most of the day, they finally knocked out the leading soldier and left him in a ravine to fend for himself.

"May Buddha have mercy, good, good." Before leaving, the monk Xuanji did not forget to chant a Buddhist prayer.

Cui Yutang couldn't help but twitch his lips.

They didn't arrive in Wenxiang until nightfall.

I was lucky tonight; I found a sheltered hillside. A faint campfire rose in the night, its flames flickering.

They sat around the fire, drying their soaked clothes and boots.

The group of people were all in a sorry state, their clothes covered in mud and blood, and their faces showed signs of exhaustion.

Cui Yutang sat quietly by the fire, staring blankly, holding something in his hand.

The firelight illuminated his profile, casting dappled light into his eyes.

"Is what you're holding in your hand a gift from Benefactor Xie?" Monk Xuanji noticed his somber expression and asked.

"Yes, it's the jade pendant she gave me. I'm so far away from her, I miss her so much."

Cui Yutang gently stroked the warm, smooth texture with his fingertips.

"Everything in this world is like a dream, a bubble, a shadow. Those who are destined to meet will meet, and those who are not, there is no need to force it," the monk Xuanji said softly. "You are people destined to meet."

"Why didn't you force it, Master?" Cui Yutang suddenly asked, looking directly at the monk Xuanji. "If I don't force it, I'll never see you again in this life." He seemed to have thought of something, and his eyes became a little melancholy.

"If it were me, I would ask for not only this life, but also the next. To demand it is still to ask."

After hearing this, the monk Xuanji lowered his head and remained silent for a long time. Suddenly, a tear fell to the ground.

"I'm about to take up my new post and can no longer accompany you on your journey," Cui Yutang sighed.

"You'll be safe once you pass Shanzhou. Doctor Zhao in Donglin City is a good friend of my grandmother and a trustworthy person. Once you arrive in Donglin, you can change your identity and practice medicine at his clinic. If you encounter any problems, you can go to this address to find my father-in-law and mother-in-law."

He took out a slip of paper from his pocket and handed it to the monk Xuanji, saying, "Their identities are not simple; they should be able to help you."

"Alright." Monk Xuanji took the note, glanced at him, and said nothing more.

The following day, Cui Yutang led a group of men back to the capital. Cui Shijiu, on the other hand, led a group to protect the monk Xuanji as they traveled to Donglin.

When Cui Yutang passed through a small county town, his group washed up and changed into clean clothes.

He transformed back into that refined and elegant young gentleman, dressed in a moon-white robe, a soft sword concealed in a jade belt at his waist, followed by six servants in tight-fitting clothes. No one would guess that this was the same person who had waded through muddy waters and fought off pursuers just two days prior.

They thought they would arrive in the capital safely without any trouble, but unexpectedly, when they reached the riverbank area, something unexpected happened.

The area is open and covered with reeds that rustle in the wind, creating a peaceful and serene atmosphere.

Suddenly, a group of men in black emerged from the reeds! Their blades gleamed coldly in the sunlight, carrying an intense killing intent.