Chapter 349: Arriving

Dogwa, hoe slung over his shoulder, walked light-heartedly down the mountain. Despite having just buried many bodies, he wasn't acquainted with the deceased, so it didn't dampen his cheerful spirits in the least.

He now owned a house and land, and more importantly, his wife was due to give birth soon. Everything he had ever dreamed of had, at this moment, come to fruition.

Dogwa boasted to himself that he was a brilliant strategist, having made every correct move. He believed that if he weren't so clever, none of these things would have come his way. If the journey hadn't been so long, he would have truly wanted to return to his hometown, tell everyone about his success, and make a glorious comeback.

He furtively glanced at the people behind him, then quickened his pace, putting more distance between them. After that, he carefully pulled a book from his inner pocket.

Just as he joyfully ran his fingers over the incomprehensible characters on the book, a hand covered in black hair suddenly reached out and snatched it away.

Dogwa anxiously questioned the person's actions, and as he was about to snatch the book back, Chun Xiaoman's fierce glare made him hesitate. Indignant, Dogwa retracted his hand. He muttered that when the tiger was absent from the mountain, the monkey became king, adding sarcastically that one would think Chun Xiaoman had been the one to rescue them from Qingfeng Temple, given her assertiveness.

Chun Xiaoman questioned the book's origin.

Dogwa stammered that he had bought it from a peddler, intending to use it for his future son's calligraphy practice and basic education.

Xiaoman dismissed his claim, stating that peddlers had only visited twice recently and none of them sold books. She took the book, flipping through its pages and examining the incomprehensible text. With Gao Zhijian translating nearby, Chun Xiaoman immediately learned the book's title: "Recitations for Arduous Enlightenment."

Even though Chun Xiaoman was illiterate, she could tell that the book's title seemed off, feeling like some sort of cultivation technique.

She demanded to know where the item had come from, stating she had observed Dogwa acting suspiciously for some time. Sensing something amiss, Gao Zhijian, who was holding a shovel, raised an eyebrow and took a step forward.

Dogwa indignantly protested, asking if he had broken any law to warrant such a commotion, and declared that he had merely picked up the book. With a swift motion, he snatched the book back from Xiaoman's hand.

"Picked up?" she questioned, "Can this kind of book really be found so casually?"

"Of course it was picked up!" Dogwa insisted, his voice dropping slightly. "It was just... found in the cellar beneath the Bai family ancestral temple..."

"You—!" Chun Xiaoman began, but the extremely nervous Dogwa immediately put a finger to his lips, shushing her. He discreetly glanced at the disheartened Bai Lingmiao behind him, then leaned closer to Chun Xiaoman. He urged her to consider if the Bai family would have gone to such great lengths simply for amusement.

He pressed on, reminding her of Senior Brother Li's terrible state upon his return. Given Senior Brother Li's known mastery of divine powers, it seemed impossible that the Bai family, if truly unremarkable, could have pushed him to such an extent. "They must have some secret backing," he concluded.

"And finally, think about this!" he continued, his expression becoming animated. "Regardless of what they used or knew before, they're all dead now, so everything they had belongs to us!"

Chun Xiaoman's expression remained cold. She questioned the utility of learning such things, specifically if it meant using living people as foundations, as the Bai family had. She warned him that if he dared to learn such methods, she would not hesitate to disregard their familial ties.

"Oh, you're not being flexible!" he countered. "We just learn the methods that aren't immoral, right? We simply won't learn the ones that involve killing people."

He added, "I'm telling you, there are so many things in those houses! And lots of books too; they must contain divine martial arts!"

"Once we learn these easier, non-lethal techniques, who would dare bully us?"

Xiaoman looked down at the long sword at her waist, a hint of hesitation appearing on her face. Senior Brother Li had truly left now. If a real crisis arose in the future, could her long sword truly protect them?

She reached out and snatched the book back from Dogwa's hand. After carefully examining it, she stated that they shouldn't tell Miaomiao yet, as her current state wasn't good. They should first clarify the situation among the three of them before making any decisions.

"Alright, I'll follow your lead," he agreed. "This opportunity is big enough for the three of us to share."

In Yinling City, a dusty Li Huowang dismounted, tethering his horse in the inn's stable. He was somewhat surprised, however, not to see Mantou, the dog, with its characteristic head bob.

He circled his carriage a few times, then spotted the dog with its paws on a feeding trough, stealing beans from another horse.

"So fat and still eating?" Li Huowang questioned, picking up the dog. "I brought you along to guard the carriage, not to gorge yourself."

"Woof woof woof!" Mantou barked excitedly. Seeing its long-absent master, it wagged its tail and wiggled its body like a maggot. Just as Mantou's tongue reached for Li Huowang's boots, he firmly pressed down on its head.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt? Who did this?" Li Huowang asked, his brow furrowing slightly as he noticed a notch on Mantou's pointed ear. Mantou clearly didn't understand what Li Huowang was saying, instead wagging its tail and attempting to burrow into his arms.

"Come here!" Li Huowang commanded, lifting the dog by the scruff of its neck and carrying it towards the main hall.

"Innkeeper," Li Huowang addressed him, "didn't I pay you enough silver? Why couldn't you even keep an eye on a dog?" The stout innkeeper faced Li Huowang's questioning with a look of helplessness.

"Ah, respected guest," he sighed, "this truly isn't my fault; your dog ran off on its own." "You know, your dog is a female," the innkeeper explained. "She ran into the street and got into a fight with another female dog over a male dog. She didn't win, and that other dog bit her like this."

Mantou, oblivious to the conversation between the two men, sat innocently, looking up at Li Huowang. This situation left Li Huowang utterly speechless, unsure how to express his frustration. He eventually asked about the female dog that had bitten Mantou.

"It ran off long ago," the innkeeper replied. "Those are wild dogs; they just run off after mating."

A speechless Li Huowang gently patted Mantou's head, then turned and walked towards his upstairs room.

Having rushed day and night, barely pausing to eat or sleep, a weary Li Huowang lay on the bed and slept for a full day and night. Upon waking, he ordered some seasonal dishes from the kitchen. After washing up, Li Huowang began to eat heartily.

As he ate, Li Huowang pondered what pretext he could use to subtly approach Grand Secretary Ji Xiang and inquire about Zhuge Yuan. Li Huowang hadn't considered going to the extreme of directly asking Grand Secretary Ji Xiang who Zhuge Yuan was. He concluded it would be better to contact Tuoba Danqing first, and then assess Grand Secretary Ji Xiang's current situation. Based on his previous demeanor, Li Huowang suspected the mission failure was quite severe.

Just as Li Huowang thought this, the cooing of pigeons sounded from the rafters.