Since ancient times, there has been no first pce in literature and no second pce in martial arts.

  Chun Qiong came from the Royal City this time, and everyone accompanying him was personally handpicked by him. Wu Xie, in particur, had served the family as a guest elder for over twenty years. Chun Qiong was well aware of his true strength.

  He couldn't understand why such a formidable expert would be in a remote pce like Kuhai County. For a moment, his mind was in turmoil, imagining the worst-case scenario—that perhaps a noble from the pace had discovered some clues and secretly dispatched one of the three heads of the White Dragon Guards to investigate.

  According to rumors, one of the three heads of the White Dragon Guards was a woman with unfathomable martial skills. She had once single-handedly fought against eighteen hundred bandits in the Western Frontier, ultimately killing their leader and escaping unscathed!

  Could it be that the person who came to examine Liu Jinshi's body was the female head of the White Dragon Guards?

  Chun Qiong's thoughts were in disarray, and he ignored many details. At this moment, he felt as if his feet were on steel needles, making his whole body tingle with each step.

  Beside him, Wu Xie sensed Chun Qiong's chaotic aura and hoarsely comforted him:

  "Do not panic, my lord. Concern leads to confusion. Today, I observed that woman dressed in tattered clothes, resembling a refugee, with many arming wounds on her body. It seems she carries significant troubles of her own. Such a person is unlikely to be connected to the pace. Once in the martial world, any major issue becomes a minor one."

  Wu Xie's words gradually calmed Chun Qiong's chaotic thoughts. He took a few deep breaths, turned to face Liu Jinshi's body, and said:

  "You have a point..."

  "Today, while discussing the events of the previous night with Lu Chuan at the Mandarin Duck Tower, he told me a secret. He said that recently, a major bounty appeared on the Heaven-Rank Bounty list at Wangchuan, worth a hundred thousand gold. It was also for a woman, eight feet tall, covered in wounds. Now that I think about it, the person who came to the County Office to examine the body today is likely her."

  "But why would she be so concerned about Liu Jinshi's life and death?"

  Chun Qiong's eyes flickered with uncertainty. He was still uneasy. Liu Jinshi's body, along with the case files, must be handed over to the judicial authorities of Guanghan City, a major city. Only after confirmation from them could all the procedures be sent back to the Royal City for a complete understanding of the matter.

  If he showed any obvious abnormality, who knows if those accompanying White Dragon Guards would notice him.

  Chun Qiong did not fear the White Dragon Guards.

  His visit to Kuhai County was partly to seek an opportunity to help him pass the Langan Pavilion's exam this year and partly to handle some minor troubles for a high-ranking figure.

  Whenever he needed, Lu Chuan would extend a helping hand, mobilizing all his avaible resources to assist him.

  What truly made Chun Qiong apprehensive was the power behind the White Dragon Guards and the potential disaster that could be brought to the high-ranking figure if any clues were leaked.

  If this matter was not handled well, it would not only be his downfall but could also implicate the entire family.

  Although the Qi Kingdom had revered Confucianism and Taoism for centuries, those who reached the heights of power did not rely on mere words to defend their status and authority. Chun Qiong believed he understood this more deeply than anyone. Seventy-six years ago, during a coup in the Qi Kingdom's royal family, an unprecedented turmoil occurred. At that time, the court was unstable, and his grandfather, who overly trusted the Confucian and Taoist ideals, refused to take sides, form factions, or engage in corruption. Ultimately, he was ostracized by all sides, lost his life, his position, and the family's status declined to its current state.

  "If you want to know, my lord, why not cooperate with Lu Chuan to investigate?"

  Wu Xie also didn't understand. Liu Jinshi, a mere magistrate of a small border county, couldn't possibly know such powerful figures from the martial world.

  The motive behind the person's visit to examine Liu Jinshi's body today was too strange.

  Chun Qiong csped his hands behind his back, his fingers gently rubbing together as if in indecision. After a long while, he exhaled deeply:

  "Today, I initially didn't agree to Lu Chuan's proposal. The lord he serves is too dangerous for me to offend. I don't want to do anything that might complicate matters."

  "If we were to provoke trouble out of thin air, it wouldn't just affect me personally."

  "But now, it seems I have no choice."

  "Wu Xie, tomorrow I'll write a letter. Please deliver it for me."

  ...

  Wen Chaoshen sat in the loquat garden, engaging in a second round of chess with Lü Zhiming.

  This time, he became like Lü Zhiming, distracted and unfocused during the game. After seventy moves, Lü Zhiming suddenly asked:

  "Chaoshen, why have you become like me today?"

  Wen Chaoshen snapped back to reality, sighed, and smiled wryly:

  "Yes, I took a nap and now have worries."

  Lü Zhiming looked at him with interest:

  "What worries do you have?"

  Wen Chaoshen took a sip of tea and replied:

  "Shouldn't you know?"

  Lü Zhiming ughed:

  "I'm not a worm in your stomach. If you don't tell me, how would I know?"

  Wen Chaoshen sighed and shook his head:

  "Mr. Lü, I don't have a dantian."

  "Without cultivation, I'm destined for an ordinary life."

  Lü Zhiming also took a light sip of tea.

  "Who says you can't cultivate without a dantian?"

  "I don't have a dantian either."

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