Yuan Fang stood guard at the door. After Niu Youdao left, he had been waiting there.
Niu Youdao returned, and Yuan Fang followed him into the house. The moment the door closed, he went up to Niu Youdao and asked, "Daoye, are you alright?"
Niu Youdao shook his head, but he looked at Yuan Fang with an inexplicable gaze. He sighed inwardly. The monkey was very vigilant and good at scouting. If the monkey was by his side, it would be hard for any abnormalities in the surrounding people to escape his eyes. This was the difference between Yuan Fang and the monkey.
However, he didn't say anything to Yuan Fang. Yuan Fang still lacked experience in this area. Needless to say, when the incident happened, it would naturally give Yuan Fang a boost. The next time something like this happened, Yuan Fang wouldn't remain indifferent. He would naturally think of a way to keep an eye on it. At the very least, he would have to maintain the necessary vigilance.
Some things weren't always explained clearly. The person in question had to understand it on their own. This was experience.
Waving his hand to extinguish the lights in the house, Niu Youdao slowly walked to the window and pushed it open. He looked at the lights of the ancient city with his hands behind his back, his expression calm.
There was actually someone by his side secretly colluding with the Immortal Retaining Sect. There was no need to guess what they were plotting.
It couldn't be considered a betrayal. They hadn't known each other for long, and they hadn't even walked the same path. They couldn't be considered as betrayal. Perhaps they were working for different masters!
However, he was thinking about a question. Could it be that he had misjudged Black Peony?
After some consideration, he could basically confirm that he had only been discovered by the Immortal Retaining Sect after he arrived at Star picking City. If they had discovered him earlier, they probably wouldn't have allowed him to come to Star picking City and would have attacked him on the way.
Then, there were only two possibilities for Black Peony and the Immortal Retaining Sect to secretly collude with each other. Either it was a trap set by the Immortal Retaining Sect, and they intentionally let Black Peony and the others get close to him, or they found Black Peony afterwards.
After he arrived at Star picking City, he had gone straight to the Moonseeking Inn. He had also immediately discovered Black Peony and the others waiting outside the inn. It wasn't likely that the Immortal Retaining Sect had set this up beforehand. In this case, the possibility that the Immortal Retaining Sect had deliberately let Black Peony and the others get close to him could be ruled out. That left only one possibility.
After clearing his thoughts, Niu Youdao said faintly, "Light the lamp."
Yuan Fang, who was immersed in the darkness, could tell that Niu Youdao had something on his mind, so he didn't disturb him. "Oh," he replied, and the lights in the room lit up again.
Niu Youdao reached out to close the window and said: "Show me the map."
Yuan Fang immediately took out a map from his bag and spread it out on the table. He then brought a lamp to the side to illuminate the area.
Niu Youdao walked to the table and located the location of Star picking City within the borders of the State of Zhao. His gaze followed the established route from the northeast to the borders of the Republic of Korea. After pausing for a moment, he shifted his gaze from the southeast to the Green Mountain County within the borders of the Yan Kingdom.
Then, he placed his finger on the map and walked along the route. He moved back and forth several times before stopping at a place called Shanhu County, which was close to the route that he had to pass through. His finger lightly tapped on the county twice, as if he had made up his mind.
"Old Bear, ask them to come over," Niu Youdao said as he stared at the map.
Yuan Fang put down the oil lamp. Just as he turned around, Niu Youdao added, "Don't waste your breath. Just ask them to come over."
"Yes!" Yuan Fang quickly left. He was wondering what Daoye was up to.
When Yuan Fang arrived outside, he directly knocked on Black Peony's door. He didn't go in but called out to Black Peony at the door, "Call your men. Daoye wants to see you."
Black Peony asked curiously, "What's the matter?"
Yuan Fang replied, "I don't know." He turned around and left.
Black Peony could only do as he was told. Soon, Duan Hu, Wu Sanliang, and Lei Zongkang were all called out.
When Lei Zongkang learned that Niu Youdao was looking for them, he couldn't help but ask, "Boss, why are you looking for us so late at night?"
"I don't know." Black Peony shook her head.
The few of them arrived at Niu Youdao's door and knocked. Yuan Fang opened the door and let them in.
When they entered, they saw Niu Youdao standing in front of the map beside the table. They surrounded him. Black Peony glanced at Niu Youdao's expression and said with a smile, "Daoye, what are your orders?"
Niu Youdao looked around at the few of them and sighed. "I just remembered something. When you guys came with me this time, you guys seemed to have caused quite a commotion. When you go in and out of the inn, you've attracted a lot of attention. I'm worried that when we leave, we'll be targeted by people with bad intentions."
Lei Zongkang's heart tightened when he heard this. The others looked at each other and nodded slightly. This was true. It was entirely possible.
Black Peony tried asking, "Daoye, what do you mean?"
Niu Youdao said, "To be on the safe side, I'm going to make some changes to our plan of leaving. We'll leave separately! To avoid being targeted, don't go to the nearby horse farms. We'll leave on foot. We'll choose a random direction and leave secretly. "
Black Peony nodded in agreement. In fact, this was also the method many cultivators used to leave Star picking City. They would hide in the surrounding mountain ranges and leave stealthily under the cover of the terrain. If they were to disguise themselves, they would be like a grain of sand in the sea. It would be very difficult for outsiders to discover them. Unless a large number of people were mobilized to surround them, it would be very difficult for outsiders to know which direction they had slipped away.
Niu Youdao said, "It'll be too conspicuous if we leave together. Tomorrow, you guys will leave secretly through the river. Yuan Fang and I will stay for a few more days. Depending on the situation, we'll find a chance to leave secretly."
The so-called river was a river formed by the melting snow on the mountains. Many cultivators would first hide in the river when they left Star picking City. They would then come out of the river and hide in the vast mountain range after reaching a certain location. It would be very difficult for outsiders to discover them.
They looked at each other. Black Peony frowned and said, "Daoye, if we do this, how are we going to meet later?"
Niu Youdao pointed at a spot on the map. "Mountain Lake County. We'll meet at the largest inn in Mountain Lake County."
They looked at the map and memorized it. Black Peony nodded. "Alright!"
Niu Youdao said, "It's decided then. You guys still have to hurry on with your journey tomorrow. Rest early."
They then excused themselves.
After they left, Niu Youdao had Yuan Fang tidy up the map while he took the sword in his hand. He unsheathed the sword and scrutinized its sharpness. Then, he took a white handkerchief and sat in front of the lamp, slowly wiping it. He muttered in a low voice, "Jianghu …"
They left the room and gathered in Black Peony's room. They discussed how they were going to leave and then returned to their own rooms to rest.
After the time it took to finish a cup of tea, Lei Zongkang, who had returned to his room and sat quietly for a while, quietly opened the door and left.
He went downstairs, passed through the garden, and arrived at the opposite building. Without knocking on the door, he opened the door and entered Cui Yuan's room.
Cui Yuan had just returned and was thinking about looking for Lei Zongkang later. He didn't expect Lei Zongkang to take the initiative to look for him, so he was a little surprised. He immediately asked, "Could it be that the situation has changed?"
Lei Zongkang nodded. "Master Cui is wise. The situation has indeed changed. Niu Youdao has changed his departure plan and is preparing to leave in batches …" He revealed the entire plan that Niu Youdao had just laid out.
Cui Yuan muttered, "This guy is really careful."
Lei Zongkang said, "Master Cui, we have to leave first tomorrow. We can't stay by his side. I'm afraid we won't be able to report back in time if anything happens, and we won't be able to figure out his route."
"Leaving secretly is an expected option. It's not surprising! That's why I brought this with me. " Cui Yuan sneered, took out a sachet, and handed it to him. "Keep this with you as a backup."
Lei Zongkang took it and opened it. It was a bag of yellow granules the size of soybeans, wrapped in a thin layer of wax. He asked in surprise, "What's this?"
Cui Yuan said, "After the wax breaks, it will emit a strange fragrance, which will help me track your traces. Wait for an opportunity to place it on the road, and I will have a way to track you."
Lei Zongkang asked curiously, "That guy and I will work separately, and the meeting point is set in Shanhu County. Why does Master Cui still want to track me?"
Cui Yuan said, "What if he changes his plan again and doesn't want to meet you in Shanhu County? Will you be able to find a partner in the middle of the journey? It's not convenient for you to contact us on the way. This guy has repeatedly escaped from our pursuit, which shows how cunning he is. You have to be careful. It's better to keep this on you just in case! "
Lei Zongkang understood and nodded his head.
Cui Yuan suddenly smiled and patted his shoulder. "My Martial Uncle has already sent a message to the sect, and is trying his best to help you get a recommendation."
Lei Zongkang didn't know if the other party was trying to fool him. Why would the Immortal Retaining Sect care about a few itinerant cultivators? If they didn't help them, they wouldn't dare to say anything. Therefore, he didn't have much hope in this matter. He just wanted to help them get out of trouble. If the Immortal Retaining Sect was really benevolent, it could only be considered a pleasant surprise.
To him, the matter was clear. From the moment the Immortal Retaining Sect found him, he had no choice. The consequences of not agreeing could be imagined. Would the Immortal Retaining Sect let him go? Would they let them go?
But he still had to pretend to be happy. He cupped his fists and said, "Don't worry, Master Cui. I won't let you down!"
"Good! Go back quickly, lest any accidents happen. "Cui Yuan looked amiable.
After the two parted, Lei Zongkang quietly returned to his room, while Cui Yuan left the Moon Inviting Inn …
On the top floor of the inn, the old dog appeared and knocked on the innkeeper's door again.
Bai Yulou didn't rest. Instead, he set up an abacus and flipped through the account book, calculating under the light of the lamp.
With something on his mind, he didn't feel at ease. Therefore, he didn't rest. After all, he had accepted the other party's money. He had to remember the things that the other party asked him to do.
The old dog walked to the side and reported, "Innkeeper, Lei Zongkang snuck into Cui Yuan's room and met him again. After they separated, Cui Yuan returned to the Immortal Retaining Sect's shop."
Bai Yulou responded, "Got it."
After the old dog left, the sound of the abacus stopped. Bai Yulou leaned back on the chair and muttered, "He really guessed it. His foresight is quite accurate. What the hell is he doing …"
He stretched and left the room. With his hands clasped behind his back, he slowly walked to the front desk of the inn.
Seeing him, the waiter who was serving the counter stood up and laughed. "Innkeeper, it's so late. You haven't rested yet."
Bai Yulou said indifferently, "I was calculating some accounts and came out for a walk. Is everything alright here?"
The waiter said, "I'm fine. I'm fine."
Bai Yulou knocked on the counter. "I just met a guest in room B. He asked me to send a jar of wine over."
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