Chapter 233: The Enemy of My Enemy

Zhang Weiliang stood up and said: "What else could it be? She must've noticed these people have blood on their hands and wants to use them for her assignment."

He sneered: "Look at how much you weigh before barging into a bandit den. Send her a letter—make sure they get out fast."

Zhang Weiqin hurried after him, whispering: "Many martial artists have come to the Jianghu lately. I heard even Zhang Weiyi and a few others who've graduated are here. It doesn't feel like this is just about suppressing bandits. The Jianghu's stirring so much—these pirates might've heard the news. No one dares move now, afraid of alerting the snake."

He watched Zhang Weiliang's expression carefully: "Pan Yun is arrogant as hell, and we've got a grudge against her. Even if we send the letter, she might not listen. Why not let her go? Maybe she'll earn merit and finish her field study assignment."

Zhang Weiliang remembered his second uncle's curse: "You're incompetent, yet jealous of talent—do you think you can kill every genius under heaven?"

"You were born into the Zhang family—you already have a massive advantage. Why do you want to claim every good thing in the world?"

When he learned it was Zhang Weiliang who paid Nong Zhiyi to trouble Pan Yun, he added: "You're venomous and stupid. You'll never achieve anything."

He outright disowned him as a nephew and expelled him from Long Hushan.

As soon as Zhang Weiqin spoke, Zhang Weiliang's breath quickened. He whirled on him: "Do you really see me as such a foolish and venomous man?"

Zhang Weiqin blinked, then said: "Weiliang, are you misunderstanding? I didn't mean it that way."

Zhang Weiliang: "You said this not to stir my anger and hatred, to let Pan Yun and the others stay in the bandit den—and even hoped I'd use those pirates to kill her, didn't you?"

Zhang Weiqin's face darkened. "Weiliang, how can you accuse me of such malice? I never meant that."

Zhang Weiliang sneered: "You and I both know the truth. If you hadn't mentioned Nong Zhiyi, I wouldn't have thought to pay him to watch Pan Yun and give her trouble now and then. I'm resentful—but I've never wanted to hurt those around her to torment her. How exactly did you and Nong Zhiyi pass messages?"

Zhang Weiqin looked wounded. "You doubt me? Nong Zhiyi himself said he wanted to please you—and he couldn't stand how arrogant Pan Yun was. That's why he acted."

Zhang Weiliang sneered: "He even claimed he wasn't bribed by me. But did I really not bribe him?"

Zhang Weiqin: …

Zhang Weiliang said: "I'll send Pan Yun a message to make her come out. And I'll tell you this—if those three are in danger, I will intervene to save them."

Zhang Weiqin nearly lost his composure. "You're insane?"

Zhang Weiliang sneered: "You still won't admit you harbor deep malice toward Pan Yun? Zhang Weiqin, don't forget—we're outside. No matter how much we feud in the Academy, out here, we're fellow disciples."

Zhang Weiqin: "So you'll protect her forever outside the Academy? Weiliang, you're making me think the wrong thing."

Zhang Weiliang pressed forward: "Zhang Weiqin, Song Bei and his crew aren't ordinary pirates. They're Wō people—Wō pretending to be Han. If Pan Yun dies in the Jianghu, I don't care who kills her. But she won't die by their hands."

Zhang Weiqin's expression shifted several times. He remained silent for a long while.

Zhang Weiliang finally sneered, shouldered past him, and walked away.

At that moment, his insides burned—his heart, liver, spleen, stomach, kidneys all seared by fire. Zhang Weiliang swore fiercely: he would tell his second uncle—he was narrow-minded, but not stupid, and not that venomous…

Zhang Weiliang gritted his teeth in silent fury: "I can tolerate her. I can tolerate her!"

At that moment, images flashed through Zhang Weiliang's mind: Pan Yun in danger, him descending from the heavens to save her, then Pan Yun kneeling to beg him to take her as his junior sister. He would bring her back to Long Hushan and tell his second uncle—he was clever, resilient, and capable!

He was worthy of being a Zhang descendant.

Zhang Weiliang held his breath—he would get Pan Yun out of that bandit den.

The convoy passed an open field where a group of youths played cuju. A bamboo ball flew through the air, spinning rapidly toward Pan Yun.

Pan Yun sat in the carriage, reached out, and caught the bamboo ball with a sharp *thump*.

She glanced at the ball and saw the Long Hushan emblem drawn on the bamboo strips. With a finger, she rubbed it away.

Pan Yun raised an eyebrow, spun the ball—and a paper strip tied to a stone slipped into view.

Pan Yun spotted Song Bei lifting the curtain. Her fingers deftly hooked the strip, pulled it free, and as Song Bei leaned out to look, she tossed the ball back toward the field.

The youths sprinted over, leaped into the air, kicked the ball with their feet, and waved happily at her: "Thank you, Miss!"

Then they kicked the ball back into the field and resumed their match.

Song Bei glanced once, dismissed it. He knew these youths—wealthy and official sons from Quanzhou, playing cuju every day out of boredom. He'd seen them eight out of ten times he passed. Sometimes balls flew onto the road.

So even though it was odd the ball landed in Pan Yun's hands, Song Bei didn't think twice.

As soon as Song Bei lowered the curtain, Pan Yun looked down at her palm.

Seeing Miao Zhen and Miao He shifted their bodies, subtly blocking the view.

Pan Yun unfolded the paper strip and raised an eyebrow.

She dropped the strip into her Spirit Realm.

Seeing Miao Zhen and Miao He stared at her expectantly: "Is it Master (Teacher)?" "No. It's Zhang Weiliang."

Seeing Miao Zhen's face twisted as if she'd seen dung. "What does he want?"

"He says the convoy is in danger. Tells us to leave quickly."

Miao He also doubted: "Would he be this kind?"

"No matter his motive, it means someone else is watching Song Bei. I wonder if they'll act first—whether they can kill Song Bei and his crew."

Seeing Miao Zhen: "Should we still act? What if we ruin their setup…"

Pan Yun lowered her gaze, thought a moment, then said: "Go with the flow."

She didn't care about Zhang Weiliang—but if he was backed by a faction with a larger goal—to use Song Bei to uncover deeper secrets—then she couldn't interfere.

Otherwise, it wouldn't be accumulating virtue. It would be creating sin.

As she pondered, the convoy turned onto a narrow path.

On both sides rose thorny vines three meters high. The path was barely wide enough for one cart, and as they passed, the vines scraped the sides, thorns striking the riders with stinging blows.

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Pan Yun studied the vines, quietly attaching or dropping small objects along them.

Especially at the fork.

The road was uneven; the cart jolted violently. Pan Yun felt like her soul was being shaken loose. She shouted: "Stop—!"

The convoy slowed to a halt. Song Bei yanked open the curtain and leaned out: "What's wrong? Danger?"

Pan Yun clutched her chest, gripped the carriage edge, and stepped down, exhaling sharply: "The convoy isn't in danger. I am. I'm about to be jolted to death."

She said: "I'm getting out and walking."

Seeing Miao Zhen and Miao He climbed down too, exhaling in relief.

Song Bei glanced at the three of them, who were stuck together like conjoined twins, and smiled as he nodded and said, "Sorry for the trouble, everyone. We're almost there—just a little more effort."

With that, he called out loudly, "Move out!"

The caravan started moving again. This time the three of them led their horses behind Song Bei's carriage. The pace wasn't slow, but they had time to observe their surroundings.

As they went deeper, Pan Yun noticed the guards' expressions growing more and more solemn, and their footsteps slowing, so that a relatively wide gap opened up behind her carriage as well.

Seeing Miao Zhen noticed too. The two exchanged a discreet glance, shifted their steps, and in an instant had Miao He sandwiched between them—one on the left, one on the right.

Miao He: "Huh? What's going on?"

Before Pan Yun could explain, Song Bei's carriage jolted violently. Pan Yun saw it seem to enter some kind of otherworldly space.

And the moment she stepped forward, a wave of Yin Qi rushed at her face.

Song Bei had never expected the anomalous zone to have expanded again. The instant the carriage jolted, he flung open the curtain, leapt down, and called to Pan Yun, "Daoist Sanzhu, something's wrong here—it's your time to shine."

Pan Yun raised her eyes and surveyed the surroundings. The vines and trees on either side of the road had long vanished, leaving only barren graves and white bones. "Doesn't the employer think he's a bit late saying that? Why didn't you tell me in advance that there was an anomaly like this here?"

Song Bei: "That was only a rumor. I didn't know whether we'd actually run into it. Who knew my luck would be this bad this time?"

He turned sideways and said, "Daoist Sanzhu, my silver isn't spent for nothing. Since you've taken the money, you'll have to settle the matter for me, won't you?"

Pan Yun raised an eyebrow, took a step forward—and suddenly mist rose up, Yin Qi seeping into her bones. Pan Yun looked back: the caravan, which had been visible just moments ago, was now like flowers seen through fog, vanishing from sight in the blink of an eye.

Pan Yun suddenly understood and said softly, "From the very start, you wanted me to come in here alone and deal with it?"

Song Bei certainly wouldn't admit it, and hurriedly said, "Daoist Sanzhu, you've misunderstood. If that were really the case, why would I have come in as well?"

Seeing Miao Zhen gave him a cold laugh and looked at him. "Utterly hypocritical. Even now you won't tell the truth. This Yin Qi contains a massive amount of resentful Qi, and it's all drilling into your body. Concealing information only means you'll die faster."

Pan Yun said with a smile, "Why bother warning him? Wouldn't it be better to just let him stew in it a while longer? We've got dharma artifacts on us anyway—none of this Yin-resentful Qi can get close."

Song Bei lowered his eyes and laughed softly. "Is that so?"

He looked up at Pan Yun, making no attempt to hide the malice in his eyes. Pan Yun raised an eyebrow, just waiting for him to continue—when suddenly Song Bei violently shook his head. The malice vanished from his eyes, and his face changed drastically as he cried, "Daoist Sanzhu, save me! Just now, just now that person wasn't me…"

Pan Yun watched him in silence. After a moment, she suddenly laughed, grabbed the black cat in Miao He's arms, and hurled it forward.

Pan Xiao Hei, having been tossed out, raised a little paw and slashed hard at his face, letting out a piercing "Meow!" at the same time.

(End of chapter)