Though he had exchanged little speech with the man, he instantly discerned the speaker as one of the two most outstanding talents among the Xu family's third generation: Xu Yude.

Xu Yinjie responded softly, "Yude, the treasures within the Inner Treasury have been meticulously collected by generations of your elders. Since they are entrusted to your care, you must maintain them diligently, ensuring not the slightest damage."

Xu Yude acknowledged respectfully. The rules of the Xu Family Fort were far more stringent than those of the He Family Village.

Due to its history, the He Family Village only boasted nine disciples in the third generation. However, the Xu and Cheng families had been established for over a century; counting only the brothers who were contemporaries of the Old Master, there were already more than nine.

Consequently, Xu Yude and others stood in awe before the patriarch, terrified of making any misstep. Should any matter displease the elders, they could be marginalized instantly.

Xu Yinjie's voice continued, "Anzhi, how many years have you been assisting Yude with the Inner Treasury?"

Another voice responded cautiously, "Reporting to the Old Master, Anzhi has been responsible for cleaning the Inner Treasury for a full two years now."

He Yiming, eavesdropping in the distance, suddenly widened his eyes. He would never forget this voice; indeed, he was even more familiar with it than Xu Yude's.

That very night, during the birthday celebration at the Cheng residence, the owner of this voice had handed the secret manual of the Fierce Fire Technique to the man in black. However, the man in black had not managed to leave with the manual; He Yiming had intercepted him halfway.

His primary reason for coming to the Xu Family Fort was to find this man. He hadn't expected to encounter him on his very first day inside the Inner Fort. Truly, it was a case of searching everywhere for something only to find it where one least expected it.

"Two years, very good. Yude tells me that during these two years, you have been diligent and conscientious, performing no worse than your grandfather and father." Xu Yinjie expressed satisfaction. "If you have any requests, state them. Our Xu family does not mistreat those who are faithful."

The man demurred, seemingly wanting to speak but hesitant.

Xu Xiangqian laughed and chided, "Hong Anzhi, three generations of your family have served the Xu family. Your grandfather and father were such straightforward men; how is it that your generation has become such a coward?"

The man seemed to draw himself up, "Old Master, ever since I began managing the Inner Treasury under Young Master Yude, I have only left the Fort twice in two years. However, I have taken a liking to a woman in the town ahead named Hehua, so... so..."

"Hehua?" Xu Yinjie paused, inquiring, "You already have someone you favor?"

"Yes," Hong Anzhi replied quietly.

Xu Yinjie mused for a moment. "When did this begin?"

"About half a year ago, when I accompanied Young Master Yude out, I met Hehua in Xu Family Town, and we took a liking to each other. Over these past six months, Hehua has sometimes come to the Outer Fort, but due to the rules, we can meet at most once a month," Hong Anzhi murmured.

Xu Yinjie did not scold him but stated, "Anzhi, you are mindful of the rules and have not violated the Fort's regulations. I shall stand in for your late father regarding your marriage."

"Thank you, Old Master," Hong Anzhi immediately knelt and kowtowed deeply.

Once his obeisance was complete, Xu Yinjie added, "However, according to the Fort's regulations, since you are marrying someone from outside the Fort, you can no longer manage the Inner Treasury matters."

Hong Anzhi lowered his head and suddenly pleaded, "Old Master, this disciple is willing to move to the Outer Fort to reside, but I beg you to allow me to continue following Young Master Yude."

Xu Yinjie let out an 'Mm,' clearly very pleased with his choice. "Very well, I grant your request. Rise."

"Yes." He Yiming could tell from Hong Anzhi's voice that he was overjoyed.

However, outside, He Yiming was utterly astonished. If he hadn't overheard the conversation between this Hong Anzhi and the man in black previously, he would never have guessed that this retainer, who had served the Xu family for three generations, was actually such a deeply hidden mole.

At the same time, he finally understood how Hong Anzhi had managed to obtain the Xu family's two great secret arts.

The Fierce Fire Technique and the Withered Wood Technique were not arts that could simply be placed in an ordinary library, much like the thirty-six foundational stances. Based on their conversation, those two manuals must have been stored in the Inner Treasury.

This provided Hong Anzhi, responsible for cleaning the Inner Treasury, the opportunity to sneak a look. He wondered what method he had used to transcribe the books, but it must have come at a significant cost.

Yet, at this moment, He Yiming had no intention of exposing the matter.

Whether the Xu family had a mole or not was none of his concern. As long as he could acquire those two books, he needn't worry about anything else.

A few moments later, Xu Yude and Hong Anzhi retreated together. As for Xu Xiangqian, he remained inside the room consulting with the Xu family patriarch, but He Yiming had completely lost interest in eavesdropping.

He slowly rose, still maintaining the focus of his internal energy in his ears, keeping Xu Yude and Hong Anzhi's every movement under surveillance.

Soon, the two parted ways at an intersection. Xu Yude headed toward the center of the Inner Fort, while Hong Anzhi walked towards the outermost ring of courtyards.

Even within the Inner Fort, there was a clear hierarchy. Someone like Hong Anzhi naturally did not have the standing to enter the central area.

He Yiming tailed this man closely, knowing that since Hong Anzhi had actively requested to be removed from Inner Treasury duties, it implied he had already transcribed the other secret manual. Otherwise, he wouldn't have brought up the matter.

After entering a modest room, Hong Anzhi washed up, blew out the candle, and the sound of clothes being shed followed, indicating he was settling in for sleep.

However, his breathing, filtered through He Yiming's enhanced hearing, suggested he wasn't truly asleep.

A moment later, faint sounds emanated from his room. Fortunately, when He Yiming channeled his internal energy to his ears, the auditory input alone allowed him to construct a rudimentary three-dimensional mental image of the activity.

While the image wasn't perfectly vivid, it allowed him to vaguely deduce what Hong Anzhi was doing.

The man seemed to be rummaging for something beneath the bed, but he was extremely restrained, his movements almost soundless—only someone like He Yiming would have noticed what he was doing amidst such quiet.

Finally, Hong Anzhi settled back into his bed. This time, he slept soundly, and soon a man's contented snoring filled the air.

He Yiming's eyes darted around. He did not strike immediately but retraced his path back.

Even though Hong Anzhi had lost his post in the Inner Treasury and might have to move out of the Inner Fort, this process wouldn't happen overnight. He had plenty of time and no need to rush.

He left the Inner Fort and returned to his room in the Outer Fort, still undetected.

In fact, once he focused his internal energy into his ears, not even the crawl of an ant within a ten-zhang radius could escape him, let alone detection by visible or hidden guards.

Furthermore, the Xu Family Fort currently held such sway in Taichang County that they actively discouraged petty criminals from causing trouble. Although there were routine patrols and secret vigilance, these guards mostly operated with a perfunctory attitude, making it almost impossible for them to detect He Yiming's movements.

This trip into the Inner Fort had yielded great results. If he had only had a ten percent chance of obtaining the Withered Wood Technique when he first arrived, he now had at least a fifty percent certainty.

Calming his mind, he fell asleep peacefully in moments.

Of course, at his level of cultivation, if anyone were to approach or enter his room, they would have to be a master more powerful than his grandfather or Xu Yinjie to avoid detection.

The next morning, He Yiming opened his eyes, feeling refreshed, and headed to the vast plaza in the Outer Fort.

This plaza was considerably larger than the training yard behind the He Family Village. Though the sky had only just begun to lighten, many retainers and fort guards were already there for their morning exercises.

He Yiming casually practiced a set of Cotton Palm, drawing envious glances from those around him while he performed the drill.

Even among these retainers, cliques existed. A newcomer needed either to quickly align with an established group or possess formidable strength to secure his standing here.

And the best way to display strength was undoubtedly by showing off a bit in this dedicated training area reserved for the retainers every morning.

Although the Cotton Palm wasn't an esoteric technique, mastering its true essence was far beyond the capabilities of ordinary practitioners.

Thus, after demonstrating the core essence of the style using the peak of his fourth-layer internal strength, no further trouble sought him out.

However, everyone currently maintained a deliberate distance from him. He understood this was because his identity had not yet been validated. Once the Xu family sent people to Taichong County to confirm his background, that would be the time for him to integrate into the Xu Family Fort and receive his assigned duties.

But no one knew that there was no person named Xiao Qin at that location. And long before any informants returned with news, he would have already packed his bags and left.

After languishing aimlessly until noon approached, He Yiming deftly slipped away from everyone's notice and arrived at a section of the Inner Fort wall obscured by large trees. With a single leap, he scaled the wall without a soul knowing.

He inwardly sighed, thinking the Xu Family Fort had been peaceful for far too long; such large trees growing right up to the edge of the Inner Fort walls had gone unattended.

With a few quick movements, he reached Hong Anzhi's dwelling. Tilting his ears slightly, he immediately knew the man was not inside.

Smiling faintly, he swaggered in. Although a gleaming padlock was fastened on the door, it was no match for his brute force. A gentle pull, and the brass lock, meant to deter honest men but not the reckless, yielded instantly.