The sound of gunfire and dust billowed through the streets and alleys of Fuzhou at noon. Before long, police whistles sounded, flags waved atop the city's corner towers, and the sounds of a large number of people mobilizing began to rise one after another.

Half of Fuzhou City was stirred up by this commotion.

Far and near, many people from both the legitimate and illegitimate worlds were alarmed by the uproar and came out to see what was happening. In Huaiyun Alley in the east of the city, Ning Ji, who should be temporarily classified as an evil sect expert, climbed onto the roof and gazed into the distance for a while. Qu Longjun, dressed in a coarse grey linen dress, stood in the courtyard holding a half-read storybook. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know where... they've even used guns... and haven't caught anyone yet. Whoever is causing trouble is very powerful..."

Like a summer sirocco, the commotion swept across the city.

In the afternoon, between Wei and Shen hours, a horse galloped through the sunny streets.

Arriving at the side gate of the Princess's mansion, Yue Yun, dressed in scruffy short clothes and sporting a bit of a beard that made him look like a bandit, dismounted and stunned the guards at the gate.

"Yue... Brother Yue?"

"How about it? Am I manly enough now, brothers?" Yue Yun patted his chest, striking a heroic pose, causing the guards to give him thumbs up.

"Enough, enough manly, enough heroic."

"Brother Yue is really manly!"

Amidst the continuous praise, someone led him inside to see Yue Yinping, who was in charge of security.

Reaching a small courtyard near the side hall, the gatekeeper left with a smile after Yinping emerged in a smart white dress, a long spear on her back. Sure enough, seeing her brother's appearance, a murderous aura appeared in Yinping's eyes. "How many days haven't you changed your clothes! How many days haven't you washed your face!" She tried to grab him and beat him.

The siblings had grown up in the army camp with their father since they were young. They were often unkempt and slovenly when there were battles or concentrated training. However, away from the army camp, the younger brother was usually looked after by his sister. These years were a crucial period for the two to get married, and Yue Fei required the siblings—mainly the younger brother—to act like proper people. Therefore, Yinping usually took care of Yue Yun's personal hygiene. However, these days, Yinping had been requisitioned by the Princess's mansion to take charge of security, and Yue Yun, who was still mixing in the Jianghu, had gained freedom. Looking at him now, he really didn't look like a person.

Yue Yun had grown up among a group of rough soldiers, and his values seemed to have been taught by Liu Dabiao. In this era, not bathing or changing clothes for ten or fifteen days wasn't a big deal. He felt that he had returned to his true manly nature. He was now thick-skinned and didn't get angry when his sister was furious. He ran around the tree in the courtyard, giggling, and didn't mind being kicked on the butt. He said, "Something happened, something happened..."

"Who doesn't know something happened? Haven't you seen the enhanced security today?"

"No, sis. Dad arranged for Xu Guisheng to meet with Lord Niu's daughter for a matchmaking session. After meeting her, Xu Guisheng rejected the marriage."

"..." Yue Yinping was silent for a moment, and couldn't help but want to kick him again. "What's that got to do with me!"

"You know what Xu Guisheng is thinking. He's waiting for the day you lose to him."

Yue Yun said this, glancing at his sister. Yinping frowned, speechless.

Xu Guisheng, whom Yue Yun mentioned, was a close guard of a Beiwei Army general of similar age to Yinping. He was also an orphan rescued from the war against the Jin, and could be considered Yinping and Yue Yun's childhood friend. He was also highly valued by Yue Fei. During the days when Yinping reached the age of marriage, there were many proposals from various parties, and there were also those who admired her from her friends. Most of them were dispelled by Yinping with violence, but there were also those like Xu Guisheng who had known her since childhood and couldn't be beaten away, which made her have a headache.

After Yinping pretended to make a vow that she would only marry someone who could beat her, Xu Guisheng found Yinping many times in the name of martial arts sparring. He followed Yue Fei and was considered a good fighter on the battlefield, but his spear skills were not as good as Yinping's in single combat. He lost repeatedly, but he was not discouraged. After a period of time, he would happily find Yinping again to ask for advice. Over time, everyone understood Xu Guisheng's intentions, and even Yue Fei personally came to talk to Yinping about this matter, but Yinping had a deep friendship with him but not love, and finally did not agree. Thus, their relationship continued.

Yue Yun, who grew up with his sister, knew her weakness best. One sentence extinguished Yinping's anger. He was secretly pleased for a while, went to the room next to the courtyard, scooped a large spoonful of water and drank it all, and then came out to talk about serious matters: "The incident at noon was a big deal, sis. What did they say over there?"

"Aren't you out mixing in the Jianghu? Have you heard anything?" Yinping's cultivation was good, and she sat down on the stone bench in the shade of the trees in the courtyard.

"What can I hear? I'm a good person." Yue Yun frowned slightly and scratched his cheek. "Now everyone outside calls me Little Yama, Little Yama Yue Yun! All the bad guys know me, and few dare to give me information... well, I beat them too badly last year."

"Then why are you mixing in the Jianghu? Isn't it just that you don't do any serious business and run out to play?"

"It's not like that. There's progress." Yue Yun moved to the side and sat down on the stone bench, leaning over. "I have a brother who may have successfully infiltrated the bad guys, but I haven't been able to contact him these days, so I can't be sure yet."

"Hmm?"

"That time in Yinqiao Alley..."

Yue Yun lowered his voice. He had not explained the details of his plans with Zuo Xingzhou to Yinping, but he had not completely kept it secret from his sister, so Yinping knew some of it, but did not know the identity and details.

"...Then you're somewhat useful?"

"Of course I'm somewhat useful." Yue Yun nodded to himself. "But about the incident at noon, I heard that someone assassinated someone in front of the Wubei Academy..."

"Assassinated Mr. Li."

"...Hmm?" Yue Yun frowned.

Yinping looked around the courtyard, and then said: "Mr. Li is fine. Luo Zhenren blocked the assassin. The people from the Wubei Academy used guns and almost launched a hot air balloon. The Ministry of Justice locked down two streets, but the assassin was very skilled. According to Luo Zhenren, his Qinggong is the best, his hand skills are like Flowing Cloud Iron Sleeves, and when he left, he used thunderclap bombs that could create smoke..." Yinping paused slightly here: "Does that remind you of anything?"

Yue Yun frowned, and after a while, he said: "...Jiangning, Jinlou Street?"

"Hmm." Yinping nodded. "Apart from the Southwest, there are not many in the Jianghu who like to use thunderclap bombs, and even fewer with high Qinggong. This person suddenly took action in Jiangning, killing the messenger sent by Liu Guangshi, disrupting the situation at the time, but then He Wen went crazy himself, and the whole of Jiangning was in chaos. These things all became a mess, and no one ever found out who this guy was. But according to the news from the Ministry of Justice, Iron Master said that Qinggong combined with Flowing Cloud Iron Sleeves is very similar to the style of the evil master Tunyun Monk in those years. This person is good at Iron Kasaya, but his trump card is Qinggong. It is said that Teacher-Grandfather once attacked him, but he ran away. If it is really him causing trouble in Fuzhou City, the situation will be very tricky. If his skills have not declined over the years, he can be considered a Green Forest Grandmaster..."

"..." Yue Yun thought for a while, "Could it be... that those great clans hired him?"

"Possible." Yinping said, "This person had no principles in his actions back then, liked pleasure and women, and was notorious. He would go wherever there were benefits. The assassination in Jiangning City was well-paid after it succeeded, which was suitable for people like him. And Fuzhou today is also the same. The various great clans have money but no one, so his name is even more valuable. But... there are also some questions..."

"What?"

"The assassination at noon seemed a bit reckless. With his superb skills, he hid in a carriage on the side of the road, assassinated Mr. Li single-handedly, and ran away in full view of everyone after failing. It was a bit stupid to kill someone like that... Last year's assassination in Jiangning was much more impressive. At that time, he succeeded in one blow in front of the great experts such as 'Measuring Ruler' Meng Zhetao, 'Heavenly Saber' Tan Zheng, 'Monkey King' Li Yanfeng, and 'Mount Tai Pan' Jin Yongsheng. This time... if it's the same person, it feels a bit reckless."

"There are many reckless people in the Green Forest," Yue Yun said. "Perhaps this kind of great expert is unwilling to be commanded, or perhaps he just took action to prove his power, or perhaps he is simply acting on impulse. All of these are possible."

"But it is also possible that Chen Shuangran and others are taking the opportunity to check the layout of the city in order to prepare for the details of the real action," Yinping said. "Also, you need to be careful. You've been fighting too much lately and being too high-profile. If a great expert whose skills are comparable to Father and General Gao comes to Fuzhou to kill someone to establish their prestige, you will be the first to be targeted. I'm not by your side, so you need to be careful."

"Hey, that's good. Sis, my Qinggong may not be as good as his, but I'm thick-skinned..."

Yue Yun patted his chest, about to be complacent, when Yinping's eyes narrowed, and she silently started her attack. The long spear was like a giant python rising up, rolling over and stabbing straight at Yue Yun's face. Yue Yun used his feet and hands to support himself, rolling and crawling backwards. The tabletop of the stone table was pressed by his hand, and the base slammed to the side. Yinping's spear retracted, and Yue Yun got up more than ten feet away, breaking out in a cold sweat: "Are you trying to murder your own brother!"

"This is to tell you that in a contest between experts, if you really want to determine life and death, it won't take too long. Taking your vitals has nothing to do with your thick skin."

"...Anyway, I will protect myself. I came from the battlefield..."

Yue Yun muttered, then went over to restore the stone table and chairs that he had knocked over. Yinping sat next to him, thinking.

"The assassination at noon shows that the assassin may indeed take action against Mr. Li, the Princess, and others. Since this is the case, I can't leave Her Highness's side even more. You go outside and first... first take a bath and change your clothes, and dress yourself like a human being. Then remember to be low-key, and don't get caught and killed for fame. Father and I can't afford to lose face..."

"Yes, yes, yes." Yue Yun put the stone table in place. "I will definitely not disgrace the elders."

Yinping glared at him, then was silent for a moment. When Yue Yun was about to leave, she remembered something.

"By the way, speaking of Yinqiao Alley, there's something I want to tell you."

"Hmm?"

"On the day you were acting in Yinqiao Alley, according to you, there was an ignorant little kid who came to trouble you later and wanted to extort money from you, right?"

"Hmm, there was such a thing, but he was just a fool. I'm too generous to argue with him."

"You're the fool!" Yinping glared at him. "I told the Princess about this as a joke. The Princess said that you fought with someone in Yinqiao Alley and made the ground bloody. Later, you went to pay compensation. The people in Yinqiao Alley were either respectful or fearful, how dare they extort money from you. We went to Yinqiao Alley that day and saw a young pair of brothers next to the rice cake stall. The shorter one looked frivolous and noisy, but his inner strength was extremely deep. When our qi connected, we almost fought. He deliberately teased you that day, my silly brother."

"Uh..." Yue Yun frowned and thought, "Then this person... that day... he..."

"Not necessarily a bad person," Yinping said. "Recently, the situation in Fuzhou has been turbulent, and there are righteous and evil people coming from outside. It's not strange to see a few powerful ones. This person has martial arts skills and is willing to set up a stall in Yinqiao Alley. At most, he just wanted to tease you for being arrogant. That can't be considered malicious. I just suddenly remembered this and wanted to inform you, so you don't look like a blockhead and get teased again in the future while you're still smug."

"...Hmm."

The afternoon sun fell from the shade of the trees, Yue Yun stood there thinking, and then replied in a muffled voice.

"Under the current environment,..."

"...I know."

After that, his sister gave him another round of instructions about things like taking a bath, changing clothes, and shaving his beard.

Fleeing from the Princess's mansion with his head in his hands, Yue Yun took a breath of fresh air on the road, and then rode away somewhat blankly.

He had not made much progress during this time in Fuzhou City. On the one hand, there was still not much progress in the case of Zhong Ergui being framed, and on the other hand, everyone in the Green Forest now feared him, which also meant that he had no news to inquire about. Although Zuo Xingzhou seemed to have successfully infiltrated the enemy's side, he was not personally involved after all. Next, apart from being slightly freer after leaving his sister, there was really not much he could do.

Perhaps he could continue to make trouble and attract masters like Tunyun Monk to assassinate him, but after careful consideration, he still had reason. If a strategist like his sister was by his side, and he found a few helpers, he might be able to do something to lure the snake out of its hole, but if he was alone, attracting the assassination of a grandmaster-level expert would not result in much other than losing face.

As for the kid who caused trouble in Yinqiao Alley, he remembered him in his heart, but he didn't pay too much attention to him for the time being.

He returned to his residence and the gatekeeper reported that someone had come to visit in the afternoon. Seeing that he was not at home, they left a note and went back.

He took the note and saw that it was Zuo Wenxuan from the Zuo family who wanted to see him.

Yue Yun frowned.

He knew something was wrong.