Seeing Su Mu fall asleep without warning, Qing’er was also panicked.
She momentarily forgot to watch her words.
But sharp-eared Wu Zigi wouldn’t miss that sensitive term.
“Chief, what’s wrong with you…”
The moment he heard the words “Chief,” Wu Zigi knew he had hooked a big fish.
The bad news was that the fish was even larger than he’d imagined, and most likely one he couldn’t touch.
The Chief—how many people in the world were qualified to be called the Chief?
Only those from the One Prefecture, the Two Towers, and the Four Great Sects.
In any case, he, Wu Zigi, was absolutely unworthy, not even in twenty years.
Recalling how quickly the pink-haired scholar had gone from drinking to collapsing, the more he thought about it, the more unsettling it seemed.
Most likely, she was trying to trick him—playing a double act with that little green-haired girl to lure him into making a move.
Wu Zigi felt a chill run through his body, and he couldn’t help but shiver.
His instincts, honed from years of traveling the martial world, told him he was now walking on a string that could snap at any moment, and with one misstep he would fall into a bottomless abyss.
And so, the eight-foot-tall, fully bearded man crept nervously with tiny steps toward the table where Su Mu was lying.
Wu Zigi listened to Su Mu’s even, long breaths.
They clearly lacked any pattern, no different from an ordinary person’s, but he didn’t dare speculate in that ridiculous direction.
‘On the contrary, she must be deliberately hiding her inner energy, disrupting the breathing rhythm of her martial arts practice—all to lure me in!’
If Wu Zigi were an ordinary man, he probably wouldn’t have guessed in that direction.
After all, the small fry of the martial world knew their place, and none thought they were worth a “big shot” lowering their bait.
But Wu Zigi happened to be that valuable.
A few nights ago, he had met an ambitious young dragon, attended a feast that could change the martial world’s landscape, and witnessed the absolute force at his command.
Every offer of recruitment was enough to make Wu Zigi submit, and that young dragon had specifically extended his hand to him.
This inevitably stirred awe in the heart of this crude bandit who had roamed the martial world for years.
He decisively accepted the recruitment and plotted to murder a certain renowned swordsman—the very one currently stewing in the pot—intending to use his invitation to enter the Heavenly Martial Arts Tournament.
But in the martial world, no wall is airtight.
Countless eyes watch their surroundings at all times, and even a hint of suspicion will spread like wildfire.
Fortunately, the various factions were intertwined in a complex web, so he might not necessarily be in danger.
However, Wu Zigi had now become a person with a sensitive identity—a target that the entire martial world wanted dead: a lackey of the Imperial Court.
No sect, no hero could tolerate the Imperial Court spreading its hawks into the martial world.
If anyone found out, it would surely bring him a death sentence.
Looking at Su Mu’s scholar attire, the more Wu Zigi looked, the more he thought she resembled the leader of the Xiaoyao Sect, or at least the senior disciple.
Whoever it was, they could capture him with a flick of the hand.
Wu Zigi might look big and strong, but his martial arts were mediocre.
Perhaps elsewhere he could prop up a reputation with his second-rate skills, but here in Jingyuan Town, he was nothing more than a weed on the roadside—getting crushed underfoot wouldn’t even raise an eyebrow.
His only advantage was his cunning methods and various poisonous techniques that caught people off guard.
It was only through years of struggle and a few lucky encounters that he had honed his skills.
Otherwise, why would those Imperial Court officials have taken an interest in him?
But Wu Zigi knew very well that his underhanded tricks were just laughable parlor tricks to someone with top-tier martial arts.
Those people could gulp down three cups of poison in front of him and still be perfectly fine—just like the scholar before him.
Meanwhile, Qing’er only realized the slip after a long pause, and she froze on the spot.
‘Damn it, Chief, I let it slip…’
“Hey… customer, wake up. No sleeping here.”
‘Can I let her nap for a while?’ Wu Zigi didn’t dare.
He was afraid the Chief was listening intently.
After some hesitation, Qing’er decided to play dumb.
“C-could I… can he refuse? Sorry, boss, our young master can’t hold his liquor. Could I borrow your place…”
“It’s fine, haha. No one comes here anyway…”
And so, Wu Zigi stared blankly at the drunken Su Mu, not daring to do anything, inwardly praying that this plague god would wake up soon.
‘Maybe this is his test for me. I have to endure it.’
Just then, there was movement at the door.
Wu Zigi’s heart tightened.
He quickly looked at the entrance and saw two figures approaching.
The black-haired girl’s face was as calm as a still lake.
Her ink-dark eyes swept across the room indifferently, lingering on him, making Wu Zigi feel a prickling sensation on his back again.
This single glance from the female swordsman was enough to scare him off.
‘She must be a troublesome character too. Why did they all have to come today? Seriously…’
The other person was hunched over, hiding behind the black-haired girl, apparently concealing something under his clothes.
His yellow hair was quite well-maintained.
‘With that shoddy makeup and fake beard… does this little boy really think he’s disguised well?’
After confirming there was only one sleeping Su Mu inside, Lu Shan subtly patted the yellow-haired girl behind her.
“Not many people. Come out.”
Hearing this, Ye Xiaobei finally relaxed.
Lu Shan had offered to run errands, so she just followed along.
Not wanting to eat in a crowded place but unwilling to let Xing Jin’s food go to waste—besides, this place was probably fine too.
‘After all… as they say, good wine needs no bush. The wine in this deep alley…’
He gathered his clothes and adjusted his beard, fearing the other party might spot something.
Thus, under Wu Zigi’s strange gaze, Ye Xiaobei could only give a rough acknowledgment.
Pressed by Lu Shan’s cold voice, Wu Zigi could only sweat profusely.
“Sure, coming right away.”
“What food do you have? Just serve whatever is fine.”
Hiding his unease, Wu Zigi slipped into the kitchen, closed the door, and stared at the half-human body on the chopping block, feeling troubled again.
‘What do I do with this… I can’t really serve that white meat to them. Let me see if there’s any noodles or something…’
After a moment, Wu Zigi found a lump of dough and felt a burst of joy inside.
‘No matter how I shape it, at least I can stuff their mouths with it.’
On the other side, Lu Shan noticed Qing’er, who was pacing anxiously beside Su Mu like a cat on a hot tin roof.
Seeing the little girl’s cute round face, she couldn’t help but feel sympathy.
“Little miss, are you in some trouble? If your master is unwell, I can take a look.”
Qing’er hesitated, scrutinizing Lu Shan.
After seeing a trustworthy gleam in the calm, ink-black eyes, her face suddenly lit up with a smile.
“That would be wonderful. Qing’er thanks you in advance on behalf of my young master.”
Lu Shan nodded slightly, then gently took hold of Su Mu’s slender wrist to check her pulse.
Since Su Mu’s disguise was far more professional than Ye Xiaobei’s, even Lu Shan didn’t see through it.
But after a moment, Lu Shan’s face showed the same strange expression as last night.
‘You’re also having irregular periods, and you’ve overindulged?’