Chapter 58: Within Three Days, I Want All His Information!

In the evening, the four of them shared a meal together. Perhaps their moods had improved, for Shi Ya seemed much better; Qian Wu, on the other hand, kept a stern face, his movements stiff and awkward, likely still unused to his new role.

After a restful afternoon, Xia Ningshang's complexion was no longer so pale. She and Ji Huo had both been exhausted from their journey, unable to properly tend to their injuries.

When the meal was over, each returned to their rooms to rest.

As night deepened, a shadow slipped noiselessly out the inn’s window. With a faint creak, the window next door opened, and Ji Huo watched calmly as the figure receded into the distance.

He, too, nimbly climbed out his window and vanished in the opposite direction.

After all, being in the heartland was nothing like the capital, where the Six Doors patrolled everywhere. Here, Ji Huo dashed across rooftops, spotting various others like him darting over the tiles. Though many wore nightclothes, all had some martial skill, and it was easy to make them out with the naked eye.

The more indifferent ones would pretend not to see each other as they passed. The friendlier sorts might exchange glances mid-leap, nodding or offering a brief greeting.

In the Central Plains, it was not flying cockroaches but shadowy figures in black who were most common on the roofs. Occasionally, when footsteps thudded across their tiles, the locals would merely roll over in bed and go back to sleep, perhaps grumbling, “Such poor lightness skill, how embarrassing.”

When Ji Huo vaulted into a small courtyard, several people were already waiting. They greeted him with a bow.

“Boss.”

Ji Huo asked, “How are things lately?”

“The Killing Heart Sword Manual has been distributed as you instructed; both the Heavenly Gang and Earth Fiend squads are cultivating it. All is well within the sect; nothing unusual has occurred.”

“How is the situation developing in the Dragon Kingdom?” Ji Huo pressed.

The man bowed lower. “The Dragon Kingdom is far from us, and news is scarce, especially with the Zhao Kingdom in between. The two nations are tense—borders are closed. Our people can barely cross the lines into the Dragon Kingdom. Even if they do, word likely won’t get back, and no carrier pigeon can fly that far.”

Ji Huo sat, fingers drumming on the table, thinking for a moment before saying, “Send Qian Fifteen, Qian Twenty, Kun Seven, Kun Thirty, and Kun Thirty-One to stand by at the outpost outside Violet Lightning Peak. Also, pick fifty skilled disciples from the Earth Fiend group to join them.”

The man’s heart skipped—this was a call to arms. He answered softly, “Yes.”

…

Meanwhile, Xia Ningshang leapt lightly to the entrance of a grain shop, knocking in a rhythmic pattern.

The wooden door swung open. Glancing around, she slipped inside and the door closed behind her.

“Miss! You’re finally here!” The shopkeeper dropped to one knee, his face alight with excitement.

“Get up and speak. Where is my brother?” Xia Ningshang walked to the table, quickly scribbling on a sheet of paper as she asked casually.

“The young master is nearly at the Great Zhou border,” the shopkeeper replied with a wry smile. “We didn’t dare tell him you’d gone missing. Had you not shown up soon, he’d have fought his way back from the border…”

“Don’t mind him. Just say I’ve gone into hiding to recover and all is proceeding as planned,” Xia Ningshang replied indifferently.

The shopkeeper’s face was etched with helplessness. The young miss always had her own ideas and rarely followed the plan. Disappearances were routine, yet the young master was forever worried about his sister, so everyone constantly hid the truth from him.

If she was gone too long and he found out, he’d fly into a rage and rush back to search for her, turning everything upside down.

This time, her absence hadn’t been long; the staff were well-practiced at covering for her. The only concern was that her injuries were severe—her strength barely a tenth of what it should be. And being in the Central Plains, if the young master started asking for detailed reports, matters could quickly unravel.

“Just do as I say,” Xia Ningshang said offhandedly.

“Yes, Miss.” The shopkeeper bowed respectfully, then added, “Miss, a letter arrived from the young master two days ago. He thought you were near the capital, and asked if you’d found a way in yet.”

Xia Ningshang blinked. She’d been wandering the Central Plains all this time, nowhere near the capital, so she made up an excuse on the spot: “Tell him that with the Great Zhou’s national fate protecting the capital, I tried several times but couldn’t enter—nearly got caught even. I’m searching for another way. Make sure you embellish the details—describe even what I ate around there.”

“…Understood,” the shopkeeper said, head lowered.

Murmuring to herself, Xia Ningshang said, “Searching for a way in? That sort of thing could easily drag on for half a year without result.”

…

She filled a whole page with writing and handed it to the shopkeeper. “Find these medicines quickly and send them to the outpost near Violet Lightning Peak. I’ll need to recover there.”

She suddenly coughed harshly, a trace of crimson appearing between her fingers, her face turning paler still.

“Miss, are your wounds so grave? Have you not been able to rest and heal?” The shopkeeper’s concern and anxiety were plain.

Wiping the blood from her lips, Xia Ningshang’s eyes showed fatigue, her voice weak: “A full-force strike from the Sword Saint—few in this world could survive it. To be alive is luck enough. For now, I’m only barely suppressing my injuries.”

The shopkeeper urged, “Then perhaps you should stay here and focus on healing.”

“No need.” A faint smile touched her lips as she replied vaguely, “I’ve discovered something interesting lately. Just follow my instructions.”

The shopkeeper could only nod helplessly. “Yes, Miss.”

“One more thing: investigate someone named Ji Huo. I want everything there is to know about him within three days.”

The name sounded familiar to the shopkeeper, as if he’d heard it somewhere before, but he couldn’t quite place it.

“Yes.”

Xia Ningshang rose to leave, but paused at the door. Her expression shifted oddly, and after a moment’s hesitation she spoke in a cold voice, “Do you… have any romance novels here? The widely circulated kind.”

The shopkeeper was stunned.

“Don’t misunderstand—it’s for a friend,” Xia Ningshang said, face frosty.

After a moment’s thought, the shopkeeper silently took a book from the counter, keeping his head bowed as he handed it over, not daring to meet her gaze, though his voice trembled slightly. “This is the most popular novel on the market right now.”

Xia Ningshang only glanced at the title and instantly sensed that this must be Ji Huo’s work—“The Overbearing Grandmaster Fell for Me.”

The book’s dog-eared state suggested it was well-read.

She cast a deep look at her robust, middle-aged subordinate, as if uncovering some hidden secret.

Without another word, Xia Ningshang slipped the book into her sleeve and vanished into the night.