Zhou Zishu was silent for a while. “You aren’t after the Fengshan Sword Manual, but the Yin Yang Manual.”

She had many faces, but her own face was one that could never see the light of day in her lifetime. It was the natural law of the universe for a woman to be vain about her appearance; an ordinary woman could perform many appalling acts for a good-looking face, much less her.

If a person well-versed in the art of disguise did not guard their own heart well and became obsessed with their physical appearance--swapping out a thousand masks until they couldn’t remember their own name most of the time, or whether they were originally pretty or ugly, wasn’t that close to insanity?

Zhou Zishu shook his head. “The Zhang family’s piece of the Lapis Armour really isn’t with any of us.”

Liu Qianqiao chuckled coldly. A dagger flashed in her hand, and without warning, struck towards Zhou Zishu. Whirling around, Zhou Zishu dodged the strike, curling his fingers to catch her wrist. Unexpectedly, a circle of needles like those of a porcupine shot out around her wrist, shining with a blue light, and a gust of fog poured from her sleeve. Zhou Zishu hastily retracted his hand, retreating in three quick steps as he held his breath. Liu Qianqiao’s figure flashed, and was gone.

She only left the words, “Wait and see!”

Zhou Zishu sighed, suddenly anxious about the road ahead. There was the Green Vixen today; who knew, who would come tomorrow? Zhang Chengling, this person, was the biggest trouble on earth--no wonder the two old foxes Gao Chong and Zhao Jing had let him take this nuisance away so freely that day.

He turned to leave, and had just pushed the courtyard door open when a hand reached out from one side and grabbed his shoulder as quickly as lightning. Reflexively, Zhou Zishu sunk his shoulder and retracted his arm; missing the hit, he instantly changed postures, striking with the blade of his palm. That person took the hit, made a low sound of pain, and latched onto him, moaning, “Mariticide…”

Zhou Zishu kicked him away, crossing his arms, frowning. “Valley Master Wen, have you forgotten to take the medication for your madness today?”

Wen Kexing bared his teeth as he pressed his hand against his ribs as if they were going to break, but insisted, “You left with another woman right in front of me! How dare you meet her clandestinely in this sort of place? A single bachelor and an unmarried woman alone together in broad daylight…”

Zhou Zishu casually said, “Isn’t it time for you to go mess around in the brothel for the whole day?”

Once these words left his mouth, Zhou Zishu nearly swallowed his tongue in regret, thinking that he must have been too muddled by anger, to even say this sort of thing.