Chief Liu was not surprised when he saw this and called out: “Xiao Lan, no need to serve any more dishes. Just sit beside the envoy.”

Xiao Lan showed no shyness at all. She set down the plate and moved to sit beside the envoy. The envoy quickly waved his hand and said: “Chief Liu, you misunderstand. I was merely joking, just joking.”

Chief Liu laughed and said: “I thought as much—how could the envoy’s tastes have changed so suddenly? Alright, Xiao Lan, you may leave.”

Xiao Lan seemed slightly disappointed, but after bowing, she withdrew.

Chief Liu then said: “Envoy, please enjoy the wine. I have already arranged for a charming young lady in the honored guest chamber at the rear hall. I assure you, she will be to your satisfaction.”

The envoy raised his brows and said: “Oh? Chief Liu is far too courteous—this humble one feels rather undeserving. Come, Chief Liu, let us drink to that.”

Chief Liu quickly lifted his cup.

Upon hearing mention of the honored guest chamber at the rear hall, Zhang Xiaohua’s brows furrowed. That so-called ‘charming young lady’ was likely referring to Li Yinfeng. At that thought, Zhang Xiaohua immediately prepared to rush toward the rear of the hall. Just then, another sentence from the envoy reached his ears: “Chief Liu, I have been here for half a day, and I heard that your stronghold’s brothers have already obtained that item from Shaolin Temple. I wonder when I might have the chance to see it? This time, I have come especially for it.”

Chief Liu chuckled and said: “Envoy, you only just arrived today and have yet to receive a proper welcome. Tonight, let us talk only of wine and merriment. As for other matters, we can discuss them tomorrow.”

To Zhang Xiaohua, these words were nothing but wind past his ears. He paid them no heed and did not hesitate in the slightest, his figure streaking through the darkness like a shadow as he shot toward the rear courtyard.

One had to marvel at the wonder of the Piaomiao Step. Even though Zhang Xiaohua had only just begun learning it, he moved through West Cui Mountain as though it were uninhabited. Just as Zhang Xiaohua disappeared into the darkness of the rear courtyard, the envoy spoke once more in the great hall: “Chief Liu, rest assured. The Divine Cult will fulfill every condition we promised you. Furthermore, to show our sincerity, the sect has already dispatched an important figure. I am merely here to pave the way.”

“Ah? Really?” Chief Liu’s hand trembled, spilling wine from his cup. His face lit up with surprise and delight as he asked: “Do you know when your esteemed superior will arrive?”

Envoy Ying frowned slightly, his tone displeased. “How could the movements of such an esteemed figure be within our grasp? Perhaps he has already arrived. Perhaps it will be tonight, or perhaps tomorrow—who can say?”

“Yes, yes, I was rude. I was simply eager to witness the grace of a senior from the martial world.” Chief Liu awkwardly responded.

“A senior of the martial world? Hehe.” Envoy Ying chuckled ambiguously.

Meanwhile, Zhang Xiaohua had already entered the rear courtyard. He spread out his divine sense, scanning the area. The courtyard was quite large and eerily quiet, with only a few dimly lit spots. Without hesitation, he leaped gracefully, checking each of the lighted areas, yet saw no sign of Li Yinfeng. At that moment, two servant girls emerged from one of the rooms, carrying lanterns as they walked and chatted: “Such a pity—an innocent young girl, as beautiful as a flower, yet she hasn’t even had the chance to enjoy life before being forced to leave this world.”

“Sister, what nonsense are you talking about? Weren’t we the same back then? You get used to it after a while. Besides, Chief Liu isn’t that much of a lecher—maybe he’ll just take her into his household.”

“You’re mistaken, sister. She isn’t meant to serve someone from the stronghold this time. I heard from the others that she’s been given to some envoy from the so-called Divine Cult. That cult is notorious for Harvesting Yin to Supplement Yang. By the time the night is over, she’ll be nothing but a pile of bones.”

“What? That terrifying? Sigh… Just this morning, I was ordered by the chief to persuade her in the embroidery tower of the garden. Such a shame—what a pure and flawless beauty. If only it had been given to me instead.”

The two continued their conversation as they walked away.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiaohua swept his divine sense into the distance. Sure enough, in the southwest corner of the courtyard, there was a garden shrouded in darkness. Without hesitation, he executed his Qinggong and swiftly leaped over. As he neared the small buildings within the garden, he scanned them with his divine sense. In the central building, there was indeed a lone figure lying still—surely the “she” the servant girls had spoken of.

Zhang Xiaohua dared not be careless. He landed lightly on the roof and carefully scanned the surroundings with his divine sense. After confirming that only the bound girl was inside, he flipped down gracefully and stepped quietly into the room. The moment he entered, the person on the bed stirred, sensing someone’s approach. Zhang Xiaohua walked up to the bedside, took out a flint, and struck a small flame. As the dim glow illuminated the room, he saw a young woman tightly bound on the bed, her back facing him, struggling with all her might.

Zhang Xiaohua stepped forward and whispered: “Li Yinfeng? Big Sister Li?”

The young woman was still struggling, but the moment she heard his voice, her body stiffened. Zhang Xiaohua stepped forward, turned her over, and brought the flint close. Under the dim glow, he saw Li Yinfeng’s tear-streaked face, her mouth stuffed with cloth. But the instant she recognized Zhang Xiaohua’s face, her eyes filled with overwhelming surprise and joy. Zhang Xiaohua lowered his voice and said: “Sister Li, I’m a friend of your brother, Li Jinfeng. I’ve come to rescue you—don’t speak.”

With that, he reached out and removed the gag from her mouth. Li Yinfeng gasped for air a few times, then, with a mix of astonishment and choked sobs, asked: “Aren’t you a lay disciple of Dalin Temple? How do you know my brother?”

Zhang Xiaohua nodded. “There’s no time for questions. I met Brother Li in Pingyang City. But this isn’t the time to talk. Let’s get you out of here first—everything else can wait until we’re safe.”

Li Yinfeng nodded vigorously. Zhang Xiaohua examined the ropes binding her, but instead of searching for the knot, he simply pulled out his small sword. Infusing it with True Qi, he lightly slashed—the ropes snapped instantly. Zhang Xiaohua was quite pleased as he glanced at the seemingly unsharpened blade before slipping it back into his robe.

With her limbs freed, Li Yinfeng tried to stand, but having been tied up for too long, her blood circulation was sluggish. She struggled a few times but failed. Zhang Xiaohua stepped forward to support her, helping her move her arms and legs a little. Then, she hesitated before asking softly: “That… little brother, what about my parents…?”

Her voice carried deep uncertainty.

Zhang Xiaohua reassured her in a gentle tone: “Don’t worry. I’ll rescue Uncle and Aunt right away. Stay here for now—once I bring them here, we’ll leave together. Oh, by the way, Sister Li, my name is Zhang Xiaohua.”

Hearing this, Li Yinfeng glanced around fearfully, then took a small step closer to Zhang Xiaohua and whispered: “Zhang Xiaohua, I’m scared of staying here. Instead of waiting for you to bring my parents over, why don’t I go with you? Before noon, I was still with them, so I have an idea of where they might be. I can guide you.”

Zhang Xiaohua thought for a moment before nodding. “Alright, Sister Li, you’ll come with me. Since we’ll need to bring them here anyway, we might as well go together now. But first, tell me roughly where they are.”

Li Yinfeng softly described the location. Zhang Xiaohua considered it and said: “Alright, I have a general idea.”

With that, he blew out the flint’s flame and instructed: “Sister Li, don’t make a sound on the way.”

Li Yinfeng was surprised and thought: “If I don’t speak, how will I guide him?”

Still, she softly murmured an “Mm” in agreement and followed him out of the room. Just as she was about to head toward the stairs, Zhang Xiaohua whispered: “Sister Li, don’t move. Don’t speak.”

The next moment, she felt a small hand grasp her shoulder, and suddenly, her entire body lifted into the air, soaring straight toward the rooftop. Li Yinfeng was so startled that she nearly cried out. But then, she suddenly recalled the first time she had met this young man—hadn’t he leaped from horseback like a great bird? Could this be the legendary Qinggong?

Before Li Yinfeng could process a second thought, she had already been carried to the rooftop by Zhang Xiaohua. With only a brief pause, he leaped forward like a shooting star, heading straight for the location she had mentioned earlier. Her plain clothing stood out starkly in the night, but in this bandit stronghold—lax on the inside and only tight on the outside—who would even notice?

Throughout the journey, Li Yinfeng kept her lips tightly shut, fearing that even the slightest sound would alert the bandits. Her body was stiff with tension, not daring to move, worried that any disturbance might interfere with Zhang Xiaohua’s Qinggong. After a while, the two of them crossed over numerous rooftops and corridors, finally stopping at a row of run-down houses. Zhang Xiaohua hesitated briefly before flipping down gracefully, landing without so much as a trace of dust. Pointing at a house with a lit lantern inside, he whispered: “Sister Li, is it here?”

Li Yinfeng immediately recognized the house where she had been held earlier. She was secretly astonished—she had only given a rough description, yet this young man had pinpointed it with uncanny precision. If he hadn’t already saved her, she might have suspected him of being one of the bandits.

She nodded firmly. Zhang Xiaohua pushed open the door and stepped inside.

The room was mostly empty, with straw strewn across the ground. Two elderly figures sat in the dimness, weeping silently. The sudden creak of the door made them both lift their heads in alarm, their eyes glaring with defiance. But when they saw that the intruder was just an ordinary-looking youth, they were stunned. Since when did the bandits recruit young boys? Moreover, his expression was calm and warm—completely different from the viciousness of the bandits they had seen before. What was this young man up to?

Before the elders could speak, a figure suddenly rushed past Zhang Xiaohua, weeping as she cried out: “Father, Mother!”

Who else could it be but their daughter, Li Yinfeng? What was going on?

The youth casually shut the door behind him and said: “Sister Li, this isn’t the time for tears. You can cry all you want once we’re safely down the mountain.”

Shopkeeper Li was startled by the young man’s familiar tone, but then he was overjoyed. Could this be the hero sent to rescue them? Then, he suddenly recalled—wasn’t his daughter originally rescued by a young lay disciple of Dalin Temple? Could it be this very person?

Had he not returned to Dalin Temple?

Li Yinfeng quickly wiped her tears and said: “Father, Mother, this is my elder brother’s good friend, Zhang Xiaohua. He’s come to rescue us. Let’s leave with him now.”

The elderly couple understood the gravity of the situation. Without asking any further questions, they prepared to leave immediately.

But Zhang Xiaohua frowned and said: “Um… Uncle, Aunt, please wait a moment. I need to figure out how to get you out safely.”

Shopkeeper Li was taken aback. Without thinking, he blurted out: “Nephew, can’t we just follow behind you and leave?”