The bus ride to Lijiang was uneventful, and we arrived at around 4:30 PM.
Yu Daochen took out his phone and dialed Zhang Xiaoqiang's number.
The call was answered after two rings.
"I'm in Lijiang Ancient Town, where are you?" Yu Daochen asked.
Zhang Xiaoqiang paused on the other end before replying, "I'm coming to pick you up, Gu Ye."
Yu Daochen grunted and hung up.
About twenty minutes later, a figure approached the bus station.
Yu Daochen frowned as he looked at the approaching figure. The person was wearing a black jacket, a baseball cap pulled low, and a black mask.
"What's with the getup? Are you a secret agent?"
Yu Daochen couldn't understand Zhang Xiaoqiang's attire. Ever since he had known the guy, he wore a suit every single day of the year, regardless of whether it was a sweltering thirty degrees Celsius in the summer or heavy snow in the winter. He had never seen him change his clothes.
"Gu Ye, it's not convenient to talk here. Follow me." As he spoke, Zhang Xiaoqiang glanced around.
Yu Daochen's smile faded. Zhang Xiaoqiang, usually so jovial, was acting strangely, suggesting that this matter was quite troublesome for him.
Yu Daochen followed Zhang Xiaoqiang into a taxi. Zhang Xiaoqiang gave the driver an address, and the taxi started moving.
Lijiang Ancient Town, a city with a brilliant history.
Yu Daochen looked at the ancient-style architecture outside the window, admitting that it had a truly captivating charm.
The taxi slowly stopped at the entrance of a narrow alley. Zhang Xiaoqiang paid the fare and led Yu Daochen into the alley.
Yu Daochen followed behind Zhang Xiaoqiang, winding through one alley and then another.
Yu Daochen was becoming disoriented by the turns when Zhang Xiaoqiang suddenly stopped. He checked both sides to ensure no one was around, then pushed open a door and walked inside.
After circling around to the back, they stopped in front of a house. Zhang Xiaoqiang took out a key, inserted it into the lock, turned it, and gently pushed the door open.
Yu Daochen followed him inside, and a chill washed over him, causing him to frown. This wasn't the coldness one felt when a ghost was nearby, but rather the biting cold of heavy snow.
The interior of the house was decorated in an ancient style, with a bathroom and a bedroom. The kitchen and living room were combined.
Zhang Xiaoqiang let out a sigh of relief, tossed his baseball cap onto the sofa, and removed his mask.
Before Zhang Xiaoqiang could speak, Yu Daochen asked with a furrowed brow, "Xiaoqiang, what happened to you?"
On the left side of Zhang Xiaoqiang's face was a ten-centimeter scar, running from his jaw almost to his ear. Although it had scabbed over, the skin around the scar was a deep purple.
Zhang Xiaoqiang forced a smile. "Gu Ye, please sit down first."
As Yu Daochen sat on the sofa, Zhang Xiaoqiang moved to make tea, but Yu Daochen stopped him.
"Xiaoqiang, you should know that your life is in danger," Yu Daochen said, his voice becoming serious.
He hadn't been sure if Zhang Xiaoqiang was poisoned earlier, but upon seeing the purple discoloration on Zhang Xiaoqiang's wrist, Yu Daochen was certain that Zhang Xiaoqiang was not only poisoned but also in grave danger.
Zhang Xiaoqiang didn't explain but let out a heavy sigh. "Gu Ye, come with me."
He stood up and led Yu Daochen towards the bedroom.
Zhang Xiaoqiang pushed open the bedroom door, and Yu Daochen followed. A wave of coldness made him shiver involuntarily.
Inside the room, on a small wooden bed, lay a woman dressed in ethnic minority clothing. Her eyes were closed. While not breathtakingly beautiful, she was the type of woman who grew more attractive the longer you looked at her.
Yu Daochen gazed at the woman on the bed, his expression becoming grave. Her complexion was ruddy, but her breathing was almost nonexistent, like that of a dead person. Looking at the bronze bracelet on her wrist and the spirit pearl placed next to her pillow, Yu Daochen finally understood.
"You took the Longevity Pill from the Yan Shu Sect and the Soul Protection Copper Ring from the Zhen Bao Sect?"
Zhang Xiaoqiang didn't hide anything and admitted directly, "That's right. This injury was inflicted by the Zhen Bao Sect."
Although the Zhen Bao Sect was not as renowned as the Maoshan Heavenly Master Mansion, they were still a prominent sect in the martial world, and the Soul Protection Copper Ring was one of their five great treasures.
The Yan Shu Sect, on the other hand, was a recently emerged sect that had recruited Shen Tongchou, ranked tenth on the Black List, to oversee it. With Zhang Xiaoqiang's strength, it was impossible for him to have taken the Soul Protection Copper Ring and the Longevity Pill from both sects.
"Xiaoqiang, what exactly happened?" Yu Daochen asked.
Zhang Xiaoqiang remained silent for a long time before recounting the entire story.
The woman lying on the wooden bed was Zhang Xiaoqiang's fiancée, Su Qing.
A year ago, Zhang Xiaoqiang had accompanied his master to Yunnan to discuss matters with a family that raised spirit beasts. Spirit beasts were essentially sentient pets, similar to police dogs, and Su Qing was a member of that family.
After a few days of getting to know each other, they developed feelings for each other, and their romance quickly blossomed. They soon confirmed their relationship.