Li Muzhan frowned. With his Void Eyes sweeping below, he pinpointed a luxurious manor, slipped inside, and settled honestly behind a rockery, transforming himself into a stone statue, sitting perfectly still.

At first glance, he was just a rock, difficult to discern as human.

The manor was heavily guarded, with people constantly moving to and fro, carrying torches that lit the surroundings brightly as day, even leading dogs along.

However, Li Muzhan possessed Clairvoyance; his spirit was like a dragon. Any dog that encountered him fell instantly silent, daring not to bark, and no one detected his presence.

As time passed, soldiers finally patrolled to this area, then paused.

Li Muzhan sat on the rockery, listening to the noise outside. Someone was arguing. "Master Li's residence requires no further search!" one soldier stated.

Another snorted, "Higher-ups ordered that not a single household be missed. This guy is cunning!"

"There are orders, yes, but we must be flexible in execution. We can't be rigidly thorough; even the Commander wouldn't dare search here!"

"Nonsense!"

"Am I talking nonsense? Then search it. If you get beaten, our Commander won't only fail to back you up, he'll beat you again to placate Old Master Li!"

The crowd fell silent, stopping outside the manor, motionless.

"In my view, let's not add unnecessary trouble. Li Manor is heavily fortified; not even a bird could slip in, what with the men and dogs!"

"Exactly. If he were here, there would have been movement already. Li Manor's guards are all masters; even the Black Eagle Riders aren't their match!"

"A bit worse than our White Horse Camp!" The crowd burst into laughter and then turned away.

Li Muzhan let out a long breath. It was best they were sensible; it saved him the trouble of slipping away again. He hadn't expected those four old rogues to strike so fiercely, stirring up such chaos, showing no fear of embarrassing him.

The martial arts of those four were peerless; he couldn't fight them head-on. Fortunately, he possessed the Lamp-Lighting Art, coupled with deep internal power, making his strikes even more potent, which allowed him to escape in that sudden moment.

If they had been prepared, escaping would have been difficult. They must have had their own secret methods.

He waited until just before dawn, when the activity outside gradually subsided. Li Muzhan sat cross-legged on the rockery, unmoving, his Void Eyes surveying the surroundings.

As dawn approached, the patrols began to withdraw separately. The Black Eagle Riders and White Horse Riders retreated, but the four old men were nowhere to be seen. Li Muzhan dared not probe too far, remaining only near this residence.

He estimated that the four elders could sense when someone was spying on them; once detected, they could trace the probe back to its source and find him.

When the sky was fully bright, the city quieted down, and the common folk began to emerge for their daily labors.

Li Muzhan floated out of Li Manor, undetected, and then sought out an inn.

The inn was neither too large nor too small, not the best in Lingyun City, but commendable for its cleanliness and simple, elegant décor.

While having his meal, Li Muzhan listened to the surrounding discussions. After a while, he suddenly inquired of a middle-aged man beside him where one might buy falcons in Lingyun City; he wanted to acquire one for sport.

The middle-aged man had a large nose, a burly build, reeked of alcohol, yet his eyes were clear. He smiled, "Buying a falcon? Brother, what do you need a falcon for?"

Li Muzhan chuckled, "I enjoy hunting; getting an eagle would save time!"

The middle-aged man nodded. "Hmm, that's true enough. How about this: I'm very familiar with the city's bird market. I'll take you later!"

Li Muzhan smiled, "Couldn't be better. Thank you. Waiter! Bring a jar of Rolling Gold Blade!"

Rolling Gold Blade was the inn's signature wine. Li Muzhan had tried it; he found the flavor ordinary, the mouthfeel average, but one thing stood out—its potency.

It seemed this Rolling Gold Blade was very popular; most people ordered a jar. However, the price for a jar wasn't cheap; even ordinary folk had to think twice.

Judging by the middle-aged man's appearance, Li Muzhan knew he was fond of drink. Offering him money was less effective than offering him wine.

Indeed, the middle-aged man instantly broke into a wide smile, carrying his bowl over to sit opposite Li Muzhan. He took the jar delivered by the waiter, wiped away the sealing clay with his palm, took a few appreciative sniffs, and laughed ecstatically, "Brother, you truly are generous! Come, Old Guan toasts Brother with a bowl!"

He poured two large bowls full and downed them in one go. Li Muzhan accompanied him.

They finished three bowls straight before setting down their bowls to talk. The middle-aged man introduced himself: Guan Buping, a guard for a security escort agency.

Li Muzhan also gave his name: Li Mingkong, formerly a monk who later returned to secular life and became a wealthy gentleman, living for leisure and enjoyment.

Guan Buping laughed heartily. Though perhaps slightly dismissive of Li Muzhan, he felt a strong kinship. He understood that those who indulged in leisure were usually wealthy; ordinary people lacked the qualifications for such extravagance.

Like himself, despite possessing good martial skill, a single escort job earned him a decent sum, but it couldn't keep up with his drinking habits; he'd finish it quickly, and the money wouldn't last.

They soon finished the first jar, with Guan Buping drinking the majority; Li Muzhan drank little, finding the wine's flavor slightly off. Guan Buping saw this and suspected nothing further.

Li Muzhan ordered another jar, took it, and left the inn, walking north with Guan Buping.

They walked clear out of the city gate to a patch of woods outside. From a distance, they could hear the chirping of birds, the calls of crickets, the clear songs of larks, a cacophony of various birdsongs rising and falling together.

Guan Buping cradled the wine jar and chuckled, "Brother Li, this is where the birds are sold. They have everything, plenty of falcons too. Let's look at them one by one."

Li Muzhan nodded and walked in. He saw people scattered throughout the woods; cages hung from branches, and some were placed directly on the ground, containing various birds.

Li Muzhan walked slowly, stopping frequently. He saw quite a few falcons, standing stiffly in their cages, their eyes bright, radiating untamed spirit.

Guan Buping whistled in appreciation. All the good falcons they saw along the way were impressive, but Li Muzhan seemed indifferent, showing no interest.

"Brother Li, what kind of falcon are you actually looking for?" Guan Buping approached, his breath heavy with alcohol.

Li Muzhan shook his head. "Let's look everywhere first."

"Hmm, that makes sense. Then let's tour the whole area first!" Guan Buping found the logic sound.

Li Muzhan walked slowly. His prerequisite for training an eagle in internal energy was that the bird had to be extremely intelligent, otherwise, it wouldn't learn. As he looked around, he found nothing satisfactory.

He shook his head. Guan Buping, seeing this, felt perplexed. All these falcons looked fine; perhaps this young master from a rich family truly had high standards.

Suddenly, Li Muzhan stopped. Before him stood a disheartened youth, wearing ragged, short clothes that barely covered his body. Though crouched on the ground, hunched over, his frame was tall, but his face was sallow and thin, as if starved for a long time, appearing ready to collapse at any moment.

Beside him was a cage containing two falcons. Their feathers were messy and yellowed, both kept their eyes closed, shivering slightly, looking ready to fall over at any second. One falcon was strong, the other small, but both were trembling violently, on the verge of collapse.

Seeing this, Guan Buping frowned and snorted, "Young man, your two falcons are about to die. Why do you still have them out here?"

The youth quickly stood up; his height directly surpassed Guan Buping's, carrying a subtle air of authority. He forced a simple smile, "Sirs, please look at my falcons!"

"What's wrong with these falcons?" Li Muzhan asked, pointing.

The youth rubbed his hands, hesitated for a moment, and then sighed helplessly, "They are a pair. The female is sick, and the male won't eat either. So, they are starved like this."

Li Muzhan frowned, studying him deeply.

"Eagles behave like that?" Guan Buping sounded incredulous.

The youth quickly swore an oath, "If I speak falsely, may heaven strike me with lightning!" Guan Buping glanced at the two falcons in the cage and shook his head, "A pity, they won't last long."

In this era, there were no veterinarians. Most illnesses in humans couldn't be cured, let alone those affecting eagles.

The youth showed a sad expression and sighed, "These two eagles were raised by my grandfather since they were small. Sadly, my grandfather passed away last year, and these two birds are nearly gone too."

"How much for these eagles?" Li Muzhan asked coolly, scrutinizing them. Guan Buping quickly interjected, "Brother Li, two dying eagles? What do you want with them?"

The youth watched Li Muzhan nervously and quickly said, "Just ten taels of silver!" Li Muzhan reached into his robes, pulled out a silver ingot, and tossed it over, "Take it."

Guan Buping stared dumbfounded, finding it incredible. The youth snatched up the silver, quickly tucking it into his robes, and said hastily, "They are the young master's now, farewell!"

With that, he flashed away, his steps hurried, afraid Li Muzhan might change his mind. Despite his emaciated look, he moved like a gust of wind and vanished into the woods in an instant.

If these two eagles hadn't been sick, they wouldn't have sold for a hundred taels. Now that they were near death, and he couldn't afford treatment, selling them for ten taels was already a blessing from heaven. If the young master woke up and regretted the sale, no one else would dare buy them!

Guan Buping closed his mouth, snapping back to reality, and hurriedly said, "Brother Li, how could you do that!"

Li Muzhan walked over, lifted the birdcage, and said, "It's rare to find such loyal eagles; they are worth the price."

Guan Buping rushed, "Brother Li, the problem is, they are almost gone! Once you take them home, they might die immediately!" He felt obligated, having drunk two jars of Li Muzhan's wine, to help him buy a good hawk, but instead, in a moment of impulse, he had bought two birds on the brink of death.

Li Muzhan smiled, "I find them rare and wish to save them."

"No one can save them in this state," Guan Buping shook his head, pointing at the eagles' feathers, "Look at how yellow and dry their plumage is; they are terminally ill, with little time left!"

Li Muzhan smiled without speaking, just looking down at the cage. The two eagles stood there trembling, eyes closed, utterly still.

Li Muzhan clasped his hands and smiled, "Brother Guan, let us part for now. You're with the Kuiwei Escort Agency, right? I'll look for you another day for a drink."

"Brother Li..." Guan Buping tried to persuade him further, but Li Muzhan waved his hand and walked away leisurely. (To be continued)