Thin mist swirled around the mountain peaks, and in the cool air, nameless insects chirped softly. As the morning dew dripped, early birds flew out of the woods, traversing the open fields above. Search: \(Complete\ Book\ God\ Station\) to read quality literature for free.

Night turned into day.

As the early-rising farmers opened their doors, officers and constables from nearby prefectures and counties were emerging from Dabie Mountain in droves. Many outlaws stealthily chose less crowded paths to escape.

After a night of turmoil, this side of Dabie Mountain remained unsettled. Fang Qifo was beheaded, and Fang Baihua met her end – the constables even retrieved some of her shattered corpse from the cliff below. With the primary target of this encirclement gone, the situation became delicate. Sikong Nan and the Ming Cult followers he led dared not approach the Ministry of Justice officers – who knew if those lunatics from the Secret Intelligence Division had genuinely stirred up the chief constables? As for the outlaws who had come to join the fun, their identities were now even more precarious.

Some martial arts heroes with established reputations and good relations with the government might still interact with the constables and officers. However, as for the bandits who were already wanted criminals, the Ministry of Justice had initially turned a blind eye to them, but now that there was no need to be considerate, they became ruthless. They immediately drew their blades and began a sweeping cleanup across the mountains.

This operation, which had involved dozens of days of planning and several days of encirclement, ultimately eliminated Fang Baihua but lost the living Fang Qifo, whose head was still in the hands of the Secret Intelligence Division. On careful reflection, all the mobilization and effort had resulted in a loss. In their anger, the chief constables could only seek compensation from the bandits and robbers, and many people were out of luck.

Amidst the widespread arrests, the Ministry of Justice only dispatched a small number of people to pursue Chen Fan and the others who had already escaped, merely going through the motions. The main force of the pursuit was still Sikong Nan's faction. Ning Yi and the Secret Intelligence Division members harassed them for a while from the rear, but seeing the Ministry of Justice's strength dwindling around them, they gave up provoking them and quickly retreated.

Subsequently, several intense but strange battles broke out in the mountain forests that night, all revolving around the ledgers found on Deng Yuanjue's corpse. It was difficult to determine which side the participants belonged to; they either knew each other or were strangers, and even internal personnel from the Ministry of Justice were involved. One of the ledgers was torn apart, with several pages scattered, but it was difficult to ascertain the authenticity of all the accounts.

Everyone tacitly adopted an ambiguous attitude towards this matter. Their existence was omitted from upward reports, and none of the participating parties would ever mention them again. Ning Yi was not involved in this matter. He understood that if these ledgers fell into the hands of those families, it would only trigger internal strife, but if they fell into the hands of the Right Chancellor's office, it would provoke covert attacks and hatred. Although Qin嗣源 had mentioned wanting to use the ledgers to control these families before the operation, Ning Yi chose to stay out of it, since it wasn't a mandatory task. He would simply say that the mission had failed.

As for the Secret Intelligence Division and the Ministry of Justice, they also began to distance themselves from each other. Fan Zhong, one of the three chief constables who didn't have much interaction with Ning Yi, came as a peacemaker, wanting to retrieve the head, but Ning Yi naturally refused. They parted on bad terms. But overall, in officialdom, reconciliation after a falling out was commonplace. As long as he didn't push people to the brink, Ning Yi didn't mind tearing up with a few chief constables.

As the sky lightened with the first hint of dawn, five carriages and eight or nine riders traveled slowly along the post road. This morning, with its refreshing breeze, had slightly more travelers on the post road than usual. Although the three or two figures seen ahead and behind were mostly dressed as farmers with little martial arts aura, the riders remained vigilant.

Ning Yi sat in the second carriage, his gaze peeking through a gap in the curtain, looking askance at the fields, rivers, and gently turning waterwheels in the distance. Zhu Biao sat in the front as the driver, his gaze still vigilant but much more relaxed than when they were in the mountains.

The Secret Intelligence Division was now guarding not only against the Ministry of Justice, which might come to steal Fang Qifo's head, but even more against Sikong Nan and Lin Echan, who they had offended and might launch a counterattack. A few days ago, upon hearing the name Lin Zongwu, Ning Yi and the others had laughed, saying they would give him a beating. Now it seemed impossible to beat those two grandmaster-level experts; they could only hope to stay alive. Thinking about this, Ning Yi felt like laughing.

Fortunately, the twenty-odd crossbows and the elm-wood cannons had just shown their power, and given that the opponents didn't know his capabilities, they probably wouldn't act rashly.

On the other hand, after this battle, if he were to promote himself, the name "Heart Demon" (Xin Mo) might be comparable to grandmasters like Iron Arms Zhou Tong, and even more terrifying given a background.

"I really didn't expect that at that time… Brother Ning, you could actually do it."

The carriage moved forward, and Zhu Biao, near the curtain, sighed and glanced over. Beside Ning Yi was the box containing Fang Qifo's head. Ning Yi was lost in thought and only registered it a moment later.

"Wasn't me killing Fang Qifo the best outcome…"

"Ah…"

Ning Yi looked out the window: "This Secret Intelligence Division operation against the Ming Cult is justifiable on the surface, but it's actually improper. The Ministry of Justice losing Fang Qifo's life isn't a big deal, but if they also lost the head, it would be a real problem. So I forced the Ministry of Justice to admit that I cleaned up their mess for them. Once they admit it, the matter is settled. I don't mind admitting that this was a cooperative effort…"

He paused, then continued looking outside, his tone even: "The Ministry of Justice lowering their heads can drive a wedge between them and Sikong Nan… There's actually more to it than that, but no matter how you look at it, Fang Qifo's head being in my hands is the best outcome… It's a good opportunity…"

Zhu Biao sat there, pursing his lips: "I mean… I didn't think you could actually do it…"

With this emphasis, Ning Yi understood what the other meant and turned to smile.

Zhu Biao cracked his whip: "But no matter what, Brother Ning, you're a real man! I admire you… Hey, do you smart people really think of so many things at once?"

"Of course not, it's just intuition born from experience." Ning Yi smiled, then remembered something, "Speaking of which, when we started firing the cannons, I think I saw the Devouring Cloud Monk… What happened to him? Is he dead?"

"I saw him too." Zhu Biao laughed heartily, "That guy was stunned for a moment, but he didn't die. I don't know if he ran away later; it was too chaotic, and I didn't pay attention."

"That bastard, it would have been good to blast him to death and rid the people of a scourge…" Ning Yi also laughed, then rubbed his forehead casually, "But speaking of which, there's one thing that's a bit strange."

"What?"

"How did that kid Chen Fan actually rescue Fang Qifo…"

He was only slightly puzzled and said it casually, but ultimately, due to a lack of information, he couldn't think about it in detail for the time being.

*****************

The wind moved the clouds, and the sun rose into the sky, gradually growing larger. In the afternoon, in a room at an inn in a small town, Zuo Houwen flipped through the ledger he had obtained, nodding calmly. After a moment, he spoke softly: "So, that Heart Demon Ning Yi interfered in this matter…"

In the room, Fan Zhong nodded: "Yes."

"Is that Ning Yi very powerful?"

Fan Zhong carefully considered for a moment before finally nodding: "Somewhat… terrifying."

"Oh?" Zuo Houwen raised his eyebrows. "I heard he has some schemes, but even the most resourceful scholar can't withstand a brute's attack. Does he have martial arts skills?"

"I heard… his martial arts skills are very high, perhaps… comparable to Sikong Nan, Lin Echan, Wang Nanda, and others…"

"Oh? And how powerful are these people?"

"Like Grandmaster Iron Arms Zhou Tong, probably no less impressive than anyone I've ever seen."

After Fan Zhong said this, the room was silent for a moment. Zuo Houwen looked at him, and after a while, he realized a word: "Then you say… heard? Have you seen him take action?"

"I haven't seen it myself. This news was passed down by Iron Eagle's subordinates, who said…"

Fan Zhong quickly explained, and Zuo Houwen waited for him to finish before smiling and waving his hand: "Alright, alright, I don't understand martial arts matters, I was just asking casually, Chief Constable Fan doesn't need to be so serious. Thank you for the ledger. Go, and when you come to the capital in the future, please spare some time to visit my residence so I can formally express my gratitude."

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Fan Zhong finally took his leave. Zuo Houwen sat there, flipping through the ledger for a few more pages before casually tossing it onto the table: "If he were truly such a figure, why would he become a Son-in-Law." He shook his head, "People who believe rumors…"

******************

Not long after, the night descended, dark and silent. It was a good, peaceful day, as if no one could perceive the events of the previous night. The next day, the weather was still fine, and on a mountain range in the vast Dabie Mountain, more than a dozen figures were moving forward.

The sunlight shone down, and a woman named Xigua (Watermelon) raised her head slightly, continuing to walk forward without a word. The team was moving, and the members were all injured, mostly in poor condition, but they would occasionally exchange a few words. Only Xigua had not spoken in more than a day. A few members of the Badao (Overlord's Blade) exchanged a few words in low voices, and Luo Bingren came up from the side.

After walking with her for a long time, Luo Bingren said seemingly unintentionally: "I think… he had no choice…"

Xigua was still walking, turning her head to stare at him. Her eyes were like those of a dead person. The next moment, because she wasn't watching the road, her body jolted. She raised her hand to her forehead, but before she could touch it, her body fell forward…

The others exclaimed and rushed over.

Although she was a woman, Xigua's foundation, laid personally by Liu Dabiao since childhood, was extremely solid, and her physical fitness was actually better than most of the team. While some in the team thought she had fallen because she was weak, only those familiar with her understood that if she hadn't been so mentally disturbed that her Qi and blood had become chaotic, she would never have lost consciousness at this time.

Such a thing had only happened once before, more than a year ago, on the night she "married" a certain man. But as time flowed and fate played tricks, what kind of feelings would arise when such memories were recalled? No one could say for sure…

***************

"I'm leaving."

"Where to?"

"Going back. I have something to take care of."

In the mountain stream, the conversation between Chen Fan and Luo Bingren was vaguely heard. Not long ago, they had witnessed Fang Qifo, whom they regarded as a father, die before their eyes. Chen Fan had not spoken much in the past day or so, but now it seemed that he had made some kind of decision.

In the shade on the other side of the mountain stream, Xigua opened her eyes, staring coldly at the sky above. As the members of Badao approached, she lay on the boulder, turning her head to the side, looking at the mountain wall, not allowing the others to see her expression.

Chen Fan walked over from not far away, and the Badao members consciously retreated a little.

This was the first conversation between the two since Fang Qifo's death.

"I have something to go back and take care of. You take them back to Miaojiang (Miao Region). After I've taken care of things, I'll go over and fulfill my promise."

Xigua didn't look at him, remaining silent for a moment before saying coldly: "If you're going for revenge… don't worry about me, just kill him."

"I will."

Chen Fan answered simply, bending down slightly to look at Xigua's face. Now Xigua was lying down and he was standing, a posture that was somewhat awkward. After only being looked at once, Xigua turned her head sharply, glaring at Chen Fan to express her anger, but in the next moment, Chen Fan's expression became serious, and he suddenly waved his hand. There was a loud smack, and Xigua was backhanded with a slap.

The sound of the slap startled some of the Badao members nearby, and those further away who were not part of the Badao system also seemed confused. Xigua tilted her head, looking at Chen Fan, but did not immediately launch a counterattack. She slowly got up, standing there and looking down at Chen Fan, her eyes waiting for an explanation.

Chen Fan pointed his finger at her, waving it in the air, and said in a low voice: "You are his woman, hitting you is hitting him!"

After all, more than half of the people in the group didn't have deep ties to Badao, and Chen Fan's words were low enough that only the two of them could hear. However, after hearing these words, Xigua's gaze suddenly became fierce. She bit her lips, and her left hand swung out a punch, Chen Fan's right hand punched towards her fist!

Both of them were highly skilled in martial arts, and this battle of life and death had led to breakthroughs in their skills. As the two fists collided, there was a muffled thud. Xigua was using her left fist and retreated two steps, while Chen Fan's body only swayed.

He waved his hand dismissively, turned and left in the direction he had come from. The sunlight was warm and pleasant, and before long, he disappeared into the spring hills.

Xigua pursed her lips, her expression complex, cold yet sorrowful. In the end, she said nothing more…

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