The moon hung high over the Bright Manor, casting a shimmering reflection upon the lake, from which the sound of a qin drifted across the water.

String upon string of lanterns illuminated the covered walkway, coiled like long, serpentine dragons hovering above the lake.

As the melodious qin music flowed, Li Muzhan walked toward a small pavilion. Inside, the three women were gathered: Mei Ruolan strummed the instrument, Gong Qingyun was absorbed in a book, and Xiao Yuan embroidered.

The moment he stepped into the pavilion, Mei Ruolan pressed her hands onto the strings, and the music ceased abruptly.

She frowned, fixing her gaze on Li Muzhan. "Mingkong, have you killed someone?"

Li Muzhan, his azure robes flowing gently, walked in slowly, nodding with a sigh. "Yes. Feng Baishan had to be eliminated. It was best to strike first."

"Alas," Mei Ruolan sighed.

Xiao Yuan set down her embroidery hoop and said sweetly, "Good riddance! If you hadn't killed him, he would have killed us. This fellow only has a handsome face, but he is truly vile."

Gong Qingyun frowned. "Killing him might feel satisfying, but the Thunder Sword Peak is not to be trifled with."

Li Muzhan nodded. "You three must pack up quickly and leave for Canghai Mountain immediately."

Mei Ruolan’s delicate brows furrowed. After a moment of thought, she looked up. "Mingkong, what do you plan to do?"

"I'll wait and see. I'll take refuge in the military camp for a while first," Li Muzhan stated.

"That is wise," Mei Ruolan nodded slightly, gently stroking the qin strings. Amidst the soft, sustained sound, she spoke thoughtfully, "Do not underestimate the Thunder Sword Peak. Their status in the Western Zhao is no less than that of our Canghai Mountain. Should they seek revenge, it will be like a torrential downpour, impossible to resist."

"I understand," Li Muzhan acknowledged.

Gong Qingyun’s dark eyebrows were tightly knit. She murmured, "Why don't you return to Canghai Mountain with us? It would be under the radar."

Xiao Yuan quickly nodded, her bright eyes fixed on Li Muzhan. "Yes, yes, Mingkong, if you leave with us, they'll never find you. Staying here is far too dangerous."

Li Muzhan shook his head. "I haven't completed Great-Grand-Uncle's mission yet, so I cannot return. Don't worry, I have my own way to ensure my safety."

Mei Ruolan looked at him, then slowly nodded. She had absolute confidence in Li Muzhan's intellect; if he claimed to have a way to protect himself, it was surely true. She worried no longer, saying only, "I just fear you might be too soft-hearted. The Fan family might get implicated in this affair."

"What does the Fan family have to do with it?" Xiao Yuan tilted her head, confused. "No one else knows he had a falling out with Sister Fan, do they?"

Mei Ruolan replied, "The Thunder Sword Peak acts aggressively. No matter what, the Fan family cannot entirely escape responsibility."

Li Muzhan's expression grew solemn as he tapped lightly on the tabletop. His mind raced through possibilities, finally concluding with a shake of his head and a sigh. "We’ll see. We don't know how deep the Fan family’s ties with the Thunder Sword Peak run, and there’s no way to judge. However, even if the Thunder Sword Peak seeks retribution, it shouldn't come to that. It will be fine."

"I hope so," Mei Ruolan murmured, shaking her head.

At dawn, when Li Muzhan awoke in the manor, the sunlight was already streaming onto the windows, bathing the interior in a soft, bright, cheerful glow.

He rose and sat cross-legged for a while before stepping off the bed.

He suddenly felt the emptiness of the manor. The three women had departed. The Bright Manor was physically the same, yet it was no longer the same manor; even the air felt different, devoid of its sweet fragrance.

He opened the door, and Xiao Ya was already waiting outside, holding a wooden basin and a towel, ready to assist him with his ablutions. She said, "Young Master, did the Honorable Mistress Mei and the others leave?"

Li Muzhan lowered his head to wash his face. "Yes, they left for a while first."

Xiao Ya asked no further questions, instead tidying his bedding. Seeing that he had finished washing, she quickly reappeared, handed him a fresh towel, and then carried the basin out.

Li Muzhan took his fishing rod and left the Bright Manor, heading to the riverbank on the east side, settling under a willow tree to fish.

The sunlight was bright and warm on his body. The river flowed placidly, its surface—about two zhang wide—sparkling like scattered jewels rolling over each other.

Weeping willows lined both banks, swaying gently in the breeze, already showing signs of dryness. After all, it was autumn; the river was shallow, the sky clear, and the willows were due to shed their leaves.

Li Muzhan held his fishing rod, his eyes narrowed, appearing utterly tranquil.

Not long after, a woman approached from the distance. She wore a lake-green padded jacket over a dark-colored ruqun, moving with an elegant, graceful gait, her presence captivating.

As she drew near, she stopped beside Li Muzhan and smiled. "Master, what a pleasant mood you are in."

Li Muzhan kept his hand steady on the rod and turned, smiling back. "Thirteen Niang, good morning."

Thirteen Niang brushed a strand of hair from her temples, her exquisite face holding a faint, enigmatic smile. "It is rare for the Master to venture out. What brings you this pleasure today?"

Li Muzhan smiled. "I needed to clear my mind. The scenery here is lovely, and the river puts one at ease."

"Indeed," Thirteen Niang nodded, laughing. "The Master feels this too? Looking at that serene water certainly washes worries away!"

Li Muzhan chuckled. "Does Thirteen Niang have worries?"

"I am but a singing girl; my life is as thin as paper. How could I not have worries?" Thirteen Niang pouted and smiled. The sunlight illuminated her delicate features, making her dazzlingly beautiful.

Li Muzhan smiled and shook his head.

Thirteen Niang raised her delicate eyebrows. "The Master disagrees?"

Li Muzhan smiled. "Thirteen Niang, you navigate the mortal world with such grace; you are hardly an ordinary woman."

"The Master overpraises me," Thirteen Niang replied with a faint smile.

Li Muzhan patted a smooth stone beside him. "Thirteen Niang, I need a favor. Sit and talk with me."

There were several large stones near him, about half a person's height, shaped like pedestals, their surfaces polished smooth and lustrous from years of people sitting upon them.

"How may I help?" Thirteen Niang raised her eyebrows and gracefully sat down.

Waves of subtle fragrance drifted to his nose, refreshing and stirring the heart.

Li Muzhan sighed softly. "I have offended someone and need to hide in the military camp for a time."

"Offended whom? Someone from the Fan family?" Thirteen Niang asked, surprised, then immediately smiled. "Ah, well, I shouldn't pry. If you don't wish to say, never mind."

Li Muzhan turned, gazing intently at her, looking deep into her clear eyes.

Thirteen Niang did not look away, meeting his gaze steadily.

After a long moment, Li Muzhan said with gravity, "It is the Thunder Sword Peak."

"The Thunder Sword Peak of the Western Zhao?" Thirteen Niang blurted out.

Li Muzhan revealed a faint smile. "Thirteen Niang, an ordinary person would not know of the Thunder Sword Peak."

Thirteen Niang’s delicate eyebrows knitted together as she glared at him. "Look at the time, and you still have the mind for jokes! The Thunder Sword Peak of the Western Zhao—how could you have offended them?!"

Her features were exquisite and striking, and her current expression of charming displeasure held a unique allure that made the heart stir.

Li Muzhan remained unmoved, smiling faintly. "I killed Feng Baishan."

"Feng Baishan, the direct disciple of the Thunder Sword Peak?" Thirteen Niang’s brows furrowed even tighter, creasing together. "You... you actually killed him?"

She was both shocked and deeply worried. Feng Baishan was renowned as the foremost young master in the Western Zhao, having fully inherited the True Thunder Sword technique, poised to become a future leader among them. Killing Feng Baishan showed the monk Mingkong's martial arts were astonishing, but the consequences would be immense; the Thunder Sword Peak would surely not let the matter rest!

Li Muzhan shook his head. "I wouldn't have stirred this hornet's nest unless it was absolutely necessary, but it is done. I will hide in the barracks and leave. My only current worry is for the servants in my manor."

"What do you want me to do?" Thirteen Niang asked, frowning.

Li Muzhan said, "I need you to temporarily take in Xiao Ya and the others. Tell everyone outside that I have sold my residence to someone else."

"Very well," Thirteen Niang deliberated briefly, then slowly nodded.

Li Muzhan smiled. "Thirteen Niang, I will remember this favor."

Thirteen Niang cast a sidelong glance, her eyes sparkling as she gave a charming smile. "Wonderful. Just make sure you don't forget to repay this kindness someday."

Li Muzhan rubbed his nose and chuckled.

Thirteen Niang stopped talking, watching him fish. After a while with no activity, she reached out, snatched the rod, and pulled it up to look. It was baited with a bare hook.

She chided him playfully. "Is this how you fish?"

Li Muzhan laughed. "Of course, I am fishing."

Thirteen Niang squinted at him. "You expect to catch anything like that?"

Li Muzhan reached out, snatched the rod back, lowered it into the water, and moments later yanked it up. A palm-sized carp leaped into the air, wriggling fiercely on the hook.

Li Muzhan reeled it in and smiled. "How about that?"

The bare hook had snagged the carp fast; no matter how hard it struggled, it was useless.

"Impressive, excellent skill," Thirteen Niang said with a sweet smile, thinking that while she could manage the feat, she couldn't do it with such casual ease and composure.

As they spoke and laughed freely, a sudden intimacy bloomed between them.

Li Muzhan flicked his wrist, and the carp arced through the air, landing back in the river with a splash. With a flick of its tail, it vanished into the depths.

Li Muzhan reeled in his rod, stood up, and smiled. "That's enough for today."

Thirteen Niang quickly asked, "You killed Feng Baishan; the trouble is considerable. It's best you don't leave the military camp."

Li Muzhan smiled. "Cracking an egg against a boulder—I won't do anything so foolish. You should be careful too."

"Me?" Thirteen Niang pursed her lips into a smile, stood up, smoothed her ruqun, and laughed. "It won't matter much for me. No matter how tyrannical the Thunder Sword Peak is, they won't bother a little woman like me."

Li Muzhan cautioned, "It's better to be safe."

He packed up his rod, and walked back toward their respective residences with Thirteen Niang. Soon, Li Muzhan informed Xiao Ya and the others to move to the neighboring house for the time being and not to leave until he sent for them.

He acted swiftly and decisively, arranging everything quickly. He settled them securely in Thirteen Niang's compound, then mounted Chi Ying and rode out of the South City Gate.

Around noon, just as he cleared the South City Gate, he encountered a caravan head-on—about thirty people, ten carriages. Every member looked refined, their cultivation not ordinary.

The middle-aged man leading the group had a square face, faintly suffused with purple energy, presenting a stern and dignified air. He walked with the imposing stride of a dragon, his presence commanding, looking less like a traveling merchant and more like a high-ranking noble.

Li Muzhan reined in his horse and observed. A thought sparked in his mind: these must be people from the Thunder Sword Peak.

The leading man’s cultivation seemed unfathomable; perhaps he was Feng Baishan’s master, the head of the Thunder Sword Peak—Li Tianlei. Li Muzhan had already looked into this Li Tianlei; he was indeed an extraordinary figure, and the great renown of the Thunder Sword Peak was largely due to him.

Li Tianlei walked slowly toward the South City Gate, his eyes sharp and hawk-like. As his gaze swept over Li Muzhan, he paused, and their eyes met.

Li Muzhan’s heart jolted. What a powerful gaze—deep, resolute, his will as solid as bedrock.

Just then, the sound of galloping hooves came from behind him as a group of people charged out of the South City Gate. In Tianlong City, only a select few had the privilege of riding at full gallop within the city gates.

Li Muzhan turned his head and saw Fan Peiyao. (To be continued)