Xu Guangmao nodded, recalling the matters in the intelligence report; with a solemn heart, he said in a deep voice, "Subordinate discovered traces of White Tiger Hall disciples and guessed some of the opponent's intentions. Not daring to delay, I returned immediately, but perhaps due to anxiety, my actions were detected..." Wang Anfeng thought to himself, as expected, his expression unchanged, he said blandly: "White Tiger Hall? Those fellows, what are they up to this time?" Xu Guangmao, by now, had full confidence in his identity and responded: "White Tiger Hall is a Jianghu force; this time they infiltrated Xiong City in the Northwest. Ten days later, there is a martial arts competition there. In the past, it was a contest among Jianghu sects and noble clans in the Northwest, determining the major Jianghu matters by martial arts skills. The Huangfu Clan has established its position as one of the Four Great Clans through this, as well as its role in overseeing the Northwest Jianghu." Is it Huangfu Xiong's family? Wang Anfeng's heart stirred slightly, suddenly noticing the White Tiger Hall's movement, a thought surfacing, he said, "Is the White Tiger Hall planning to interfere in this matter?" Xu Guangmao said, "Indeed, according to what subordinate has investigated, they intend to defeat the Huangfu lineage in this Northwest martial arts event, trample the reputation of one of the Four Great Clans, and meddle to establish a foothold in the Northwest Jianghu..." "As for deeper motives, subordinate's abilities are limited; I couldn't investigate thoroughly." Wang Anfeng silently contemplated, sensing something amiss, he mentally listed one by one the actions that White Tiger Hall had taken—during the time in Fufeng County, they tried to seize the Heavenly Book; initially, the major sect Danfeng Valley was their subordinate, afterwards, they planned to swallow the ancestral grounds of the Heavenly Sword Sect, and now they are competing for the speech rights in the Northwest Jianghu with the Huangfu Clan. The distances between the three counties nearly stretch across half of Great Qin, in other words, half of Great Qin's Jianghu. Do they intend to control Jianghu forces? If these people gain speech rights in Jianghu, it will inevitably lead to turmoil in Jianghu with bloodshed, but what is their purpose? Wang Anfeng furrowed his brows slightly, suddenly realizing something he had always overlooked— Within the territory of Great Qin, the Jianghu and the Imperial Court coexist without conflict, but the Great Qin Imperial Court would only take action against the area where White Tiger Hall is located. Previously, he considered this normal. Now reflecting carefully, he realized that members of White Tiger Hall are listed on the Ministry of Punishment's secret investigation list, meaning they are harmful to Great Qin's society and order. If such a force gains speech rights in Jianghu of Great Qin, the direct consequence would be that the contradiction between the Imperial Court and Jianghu would completely intensify. Within ten years, a military confrontation would be inevitable, and the Xiongnu tribes beyond the borders gaze covetously, with the Great Qin only having been settled for over twenty years. Internal conflict within Great Qin might arise swiftly. Wang Anfeng squinted his eyes slightly, glancing sideways at Xu Guangmao, unsure if the latter is aware of the importance of the intelligence in his hand, but regardless, he needs to ensure this intelligence is safely delivered. He then said: "Do you have a residence here?" Xu Guangmao nodded and said, "Subordinate has a separate courtyard here, and I often rest there." Xu Guangmao was momentarily stunned. Wang Anfeng was already walking forward, his voice still cold, saying: "Your current location is no longer safe; stay at a certain place tonight." "Tomorrow, I'll escort you." Xu Guangmao opened his mouth, clasped his hands in salute, suddenly realizing that despite the superior being arrogant, he is actually someone with a cold exterior but a warm heart, and expressed gratitude: "Subordinate, thank you, sir." Wang Anfeng and Xu Guangmao entered the inn separately, Wang Anfeng remained outside until he booked a guest room, then walked in. From a distance, he could hear Sun Ren's hearty laughter. The young girl encountered today is already more lively than at the beginning, the fearful aura dispelled, making her even more endearing. The smiles on the faces of the merchants around, who often traveled far and wide, seemed never-ending. Beside Sun Ren, there was another woman whose age was much younger than Sun Ren, merely twenty-seven or eight years old. Perhaps she followed Sun Ren since she was sixteen or seventeen, now over ten years. Her appearance is indeed quite dainty, yet not like the gentle beauty of the Jiangnan rainy willows, but more akin to the trees in the Northwest desert, showcasing daintiness through resilience and composure in the sand and dust, earning subtle respect from the surrounding merchants. At this moment, the couple looked smilingly at Xiaoyan playing on the ground. The source of thɪs content is novel·fire.net Wang Anfeng entered, bringing a gust of cold wind. The little girl turned her head, saw him, and crisply called out, "Uncle!" Everyone around showed expressions of surprise and envy. The little girl ran back with small steps, took a small fruit platter, and ran to Wang Anfeng, holding it up with both hands. The apple inside was carefully cut into the shape of a rabbit, and she said: "Uncle, you are older, you eat the fruit..." Wang Anfeng was taken aback, guessing this was about teaching the child to respect elders. But he, looking , was at most twenty-six or seven, how is that old? Without looking, he could feel the embarrassment in Sun Ren and his wife's eyes. Wang Anfeng's expression remained as indifferent as Blade Madman, yet he still reached out to take a piece, nodded at the slightly embarrassed Sun Ren, and then turned upstairs. When out of everyone's sight, he tossed the apple piece, shaped like a cute rabbit, into his mouth. The next day, Wang Anfeng did not set out with the others but instead escorted Xu Guangmao to a location a hundred miles away. Due to the latter's injuries, even riding a horse could not be too fast. Even though Wang Anfeng only sent him to that family's courtyard, he declined the invitation to enter and returned. However, the round trip still wasted a lot of time. On the way, encountering flying dust and sand, he put on a dark cloak to force through. It was also thanks to the astonishing stamina of the lean horse that he still found the original trader along the predetermined route. The caravan's speed was far slower than Wang Anfeng anticipated, and much slower at that. From a considerable distance, Wang Anfeng could see the trader stopped on the road, and the air was thick with the almost pungent smell of blood. His expression changed slightly, yet his mount underneath became more spirited, galloping forward. He saw the marks of knife slashes on the carriage. The many traders and guards also bore injuries. Zhou Chao, who was at the forefront, was covered in more than a dozen wounds, radiating a murderous aura. Wang Anfeng frowned and swept his gaze, suddenly realizing someone was missing. He looked towards Zhou Chao, who was bandaging his wounds on the side, and said: "Where are Sun Ren and his wife?" Zhou Chao looked solemn. The thin man Ma Yu, who was always familiar with Sun Ren, shook his head, sighed, and said: "Old Sun's wife and daughter were taken by bandits... Enraged, he chased after them but got captured. They had many skillful fighters. If Zhou hadn't fought fiercely, we all might have been taken too." Zhou Chao's face was full of pain and anger. He pounded heavily on the carriage and hoarsely said: "If I had been more cautious, I could have avoided the scouts of the Great Wilderness Stronghold. If only I had decapitated that scout leader with that blade earlier, little Yan and the others wouldn't have been captured..." As he spoke, he couldn't continue. Wang Anfeng squinted his eyes. Others might not know, but he could see clearly that Zhou Chao wasn't an older Seventh Rank Martial Artist but a Sixth Rank martial artist with prolonged qi mechanics, able to fight vigorously even at seventy. For a Middle Third Rank expert, a small group of horse bandits should be no problem. Nor should he have suffered so many superficial injuries that didn't affect his core. Ma Yu consoled, "Don't be angry, Elder Zhou. The strongmen from the Great Wilderness Stronghold suddenly came down, and no one expected it. They are notorious Seventh Rank experts, numerous and powerful; we are not their match. There's nothing we could do..." "For now, we should leave this dangerous place immediately, report to the authorities, and wait for a few days at Xiong City by the border pass. If Old Sun and his family are safe, they will definitely come to find us." This suggestion sounds pleasant, but in reality, it is directly abandoning Sun Ren's family. The Great Wilderness Stronghold is the biggest threat to traders and travelers on this stretch of road, with the fortress leader being a Middle Third Rank expert. Yet everyone, including those who were previously close and brotherly with Sun Ren, remained silent. Ma Yu glanced at everyone and said, "As for the goods left by Old Sun, if we are to safeguard them, there will surely be dissatisfaction, so we will leave them with Elder Zhou. He has traveled the Western Regions for many years, is experienced, and has a good reputation..." "After turning a profit in the Western Regions, we'll send the earnings back to Old Sun's household." Everyone only wanted to leave this place, which might be visited by horse bandits at any time, as soon as possible, so there were no objections. No one noticed a lean chestnut horse that turned and galloped away into the distance. PS: The first update for today is here... Four thousand two hundred words~