She originally thought that Linghu Zhou's words were entirely sincere, but she never expected that he had simply chosen the option that he thought would minimize the danger from the two most unusual choices.

The old Valley Master was old and should have more people with him, so he was asked to return on a spirit boat. When Xu Yuehuai heard Linghu Zhou about to start a long explanation of why he did this, he interrupted him as quickly as possible.

"I don't want to hear your words, and you don't need to explain so much to me. I feel that agreeing to this is a good thing on my own."

...

On the day they left Duancheng, the weather was fine and the surroundings were peaceful. As soon as Xu Yuehuai and Linghuzhou stepped out of the inn, a group of people came to see Xu Yuehuai off.

Xu Yuehuai is a savior to the people of Duancheng. They want to help Xu Yuehuai within their own capabilities, but unexpectedly, they have accomplished nothing in so many days and have even shown signs of causing trouble for Xu Yuehuai.

As she was leaving, everyone should, by custom, come to see her off. Most of the people standing in front of her were those who had been at the competition that day. Xu Yuehuai had experienced such a scene before, so she wasn't flustered at all and handled it with ease. Looking at the people who wanted to thank her, she said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Thank you so much for being liked by so many of you. See you again next time."

She neither rejected everyone's kindness nor accepted their gifts.

Looking at Xu Yuehuai, who was as unchanging as ever, Linghuzhou felt a strange sensation spreading through his heart.

The two set off, and the journey was relatively peaceful. The old valley master was even more so. He sat alone in his wheelchair on the edge of the spirit boat, watching the scenery flash by. He hadn't seen such a view in a long time. During this time, he had been imprisoned by Long Di and had almost forgotten what the outside world was like. He sighed with emotion and looked out at the scenery with satisfaction.

Shi Mu was pushed forward to accompany and look after the old valley master. He scratched his head, thinking about the highly respected senior in front of him. For a moment, he didn't know what to say to ease the awkward atmosphere between them. Just as he was about to back down, he glanced behind him and found Fu Ziyi with his arms crossed and his eyes fixed on him. Shi Mu twisted his fingers and could only reluctantly step forward.

“Senior, it’s windy here. Why don’t you go back inside?” Shi Mu cautiously tried to strike up a conversation with the old valley master. Although he had seen that the old valley master was not strict and had no airs these past few days, he was afraid that he couldn’t overcome this instinct.

The old valley master turned to look at Shi Mu and said with a smile, "They sent you out to bring me back, didn't they?"

Shi Mu, who hadn't expected to be exposed so directly, showed a hint of embarrassment. "Senior, please don't mind. Everyone was just worried about your safety. After all, it's easy to be attacked on this deck. If you were inside, we would have more time to rescue you."

The old valley master didn't stubbornly stay. He wheeled himself away, knowing full well his current status and that it wasn't appropriate for him to cause trouble for others. He knew there was a limit to how much he should trouble people.

Shi Mu successfully persuaded the old valley master, and felt a surge of relief and joy.

He followed the old valley master back to the inner room. Everyone stayed inside and did not come out. Shi Mu stayed by the old valley master's side the whole time. The old valley master could not get rid of him and could only let him go.

Unlike the peaceful and tranquil scene here, Xu Yuehuai and Linghu Zhou were met with the expected assassination attempt, which came even faster than expected. Xu Yuehuai could clearly sense that this group of people was different from the previous ten; rather, it resembled the attack of the lone lone attacker.

The things revealed in their actions and expressions were unmistakable. Moreover, Xu Yuehuai had carefully studied their movements and found them to be completely professional assassins. For a moment, the two were overwhelmed. Xu Yuehuai and Linghu Zhou stood back to back, surrounded by six assassins, each with murderous intent in their eyes. They were not wearing masks, but their faces were very ordinary. They were the kind of people who could be easily lost in a crowd.

"Be careful, these people are not simple, they came prepared," Xu Yuehua warned.

They were assassinated as soon as they left Duancheng. This was definitely a well-timed attack. Linghu Zhou replied, "Don't worry. I may not be good at other things, but I'm quite good at protecting myself. The fact that I'm still alive is the best proof of that."

Xu Yuehuai was amused by the sudden lame joke, a faint smile spreading across her face. She looked at the men in black in front of her with a serious expression. The next second, the six men attacked the two of them from different directions.

Xu Yuehuai did not try to be brave and summoned Bai Ze. Bai Ze had already started resting two days ago and told Xu Yuehuai about the latest developments in his cultivation. However, Yuan Shui had not yet woken up from his evolution and even seemed to be sleeping more and more deeply.

When Bai Ze came out, the six people showed no surprise, as if they already knew she had some trump cards up her sleeve. "Today is your death day."

One of the men on the other side sneered, "Do you really believe that you two greenhorns could kill so many of us? Stop daydreaming and indulging in wishful thinking."

The other party's mocking tone completely looked down on the two of them, but Xu Yuehuai was not provoked. Her dark eyes stared into his eyes. "You can try and see if we have the ability. Think about it yourself. If we really don't have that much ability, why would your master send so many people? Isn't it because he's afraid of our strength? What else is there to say?"

The man was taken aback by Xu Yuehuai's words, his eyes gleaming as he looked at Xu Yuehuai with interest. "You are an interesting person, but unfortunately, you are about to die."

As soon as he finished speaking, the men in black rushed towards Xu Yuehuai, as if they were determined to kill him there. Xu Yuehuai caught their attacks, and the two sides fought back and forth. With the help of Bai Ze, the men in black did not gain any advantage over Xu Yuehuai for the time being.

But in the end, she was outnumbered. Her arm was slashed by the man in black next to her, and blood immediately began to flow. A dense, stinging pain surged through her, and she felt a slight urge to lose her grip on the sword. Xu Yuehuai did not show weakness or the slightest fear. Her moves became more and more ferocious. With her arms outstretched, she swung her sword, and a swift sword aura shot towards the man in black.

The men in black attempted a backflip to escape, but before they could land, another attack followed.