Comprehending Myriad Techniques as Woodcutter

Hearing Xie Yuan’s question, Peng Wei grunted and said with a pout,

"It’s not like he came to see me. How would I know?"

Slightly displeased, Xie Yuan deliberately said,

"It seems Young Master Peng doesn’t know much after all. Never mind, then."

The moment he heard that, Peng Wei’s eyes shot open.

"Who says? That Yu Chunsheng has come several times, and it’s always about getting a promotion. But this time, he couldn’t find my dad, so he had a long chat with the steward in the study."

Xie Yuan glanced at Peng Wei. ’This guy will say anything,’ he thought.

’The Inspector General sure has a son who loves to cause him trouble... but that’s perfect for me.’

He asked again,

"Is that all? I suppose Young Master Peng doesn’t know what they actually talked about."

"Hmph. He wanted to be the County Captain before, that’s why he came several times. What else would it be about? Hmm, although... this time I saw a Pharmacist coming and going. Maybe he’s got some kind of hidden disease. It’s possible you people couldn’t cure it!

"Wait a minute, why are you asking so many questions?"

Peng Wei, finally catching on, asked with a trace of caution.

’A Pharmacist? A hidden disease?’

Xie Yuan immediately thought of Yu Chunsheng’s peculiar habits, and a feeling of disgust washed over him.

’But no matter how bad it is, he wouldn’t go to his direct superior for help with... ’

He replied casually,

"I was just hoping to find out what’s troubling the County Captain. If I could help him with his worries, he might look after our Escort Agency a little when I return. Do you happen to know what ailment he’s suffering from?"

Peng Wei’s expression cleared with understanding. "Heh," he chuckled.

"I see. So you’ve got that kind of ambition."

He was about to boast that he could settle such a trivial matter with a single word, but after glancing at Xie Yuan again, he felt a competitive pique and simply snorted.

"I have no idea! Who knows what kind of sickness he has?"

Seeing he wouldn’t get any more information from Peng Wei, Xie Yuan gave a faint smile and backed away.

The day of the arena competition was almost here, and the entire power dynamic of Yunzhao would be decided by it.

’At a critical juncture like this, what is Yu Chunsheng doing here?’

In a true contest of strength, the Vajra Sect was a clear step below the Longteng Escort Agency, yet Peng Jie had decisively scheduled the competition.

The Escort Agency had been wondering what tricks they might pull, what their underlying scheme was. In a fair fight, they were clearly no match for Longteng. There had to be a conspiracy!

Xie Yuan felt like he had just caught hold of a clue. His intuition told him Yu Chunsheng’s visit to the provincial capital was related to all this, and a sense of unease grew within him.

’If I don’t get to the bottom of this, something irreversible might happen during the competition.’

As Xie Yuan was lost in thought, Situ Qin approached him, her eyes crinkling into a smile.

"Did you enjoy the food today?"

"Thanks to you, Miss Qin, it was a magnificent feast."

Xie Yuan snapped out of his thoughts and replied with a faint smile.

"That’s good. It’s about time, so your escort job can be considered a complete success!"

Situ Qin let out a soft laugh. She took Xie Yuan’s arm to bid farewell to the others, and then, with a group seeing them off, they boarded a carriage and departed from the manor.

With Situ Qin gone, the other banquet guests also began to disperse, bidding farewell to Xue Yanwen one by one.

After everyone had departed, Xue Yanwen stood at the manor entrance, gazing in the direction they had left. His expression was calm, his mind clearly at work.

With a slight wave of his hand, he summoned a sharp-looking man dressed in black.

"Go investigate that Xie Yuan. Find out his history, his background. To think he’s so close with Sister Qin..."

The attendant bowed his head in acknowledgment, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince, once we’ve investigated... should we..."

He made a throat-slitting gesture with his hand, the meaning perfectly clear.

Xue Yanwen looked at his attendant, hesitating for a moment as he sank into thought.

Then, he lashed out with a kick that sent the attendant sprawling to the ground. "You’re a lost cause!" he said, fuming.

"I just don’t get it! When will you people ever learn to think about something other than assassination and tying up loose ends?

"The martial world isn’t just about fighting and killing! It’s about connections and understanding people!

"Someone with Sister Qin’s judgment thinks that highly of Xie Yuan. When has she ever shown such favor to anyone else? It can’t be as simple as him just being talented.

"Instead of thinking about how to investigate and help me recruit talented people, all you think about is killing this person and taking out that one. Sooner or later, you’re all going to be the death of me!"

Xue Yanwen jabbed a finger at his attendants, spit flying as he berated them. The men in black kept their heads bowed, not daring to make a sound.

’They felt it was terribly unfair. They had been trained to do exactly this kind of work. He wanted them to *think* more? They couldn’t. They just didn’t have that capacity.’

Exhausted from his tirade, Xue Yanwen straightened his clothes and huffed,

"I’m not one of those ruthless, ambitious types who has to cling to Sister Qin to secure my position. Being the Crown Prince of a Prince is perfectly fine. Stop making trouble for me!"

「The wheels of Situ Qin’s carriage creaked as it rolled onward.」

Inside the carriage, Situ Qin leaned against a soft cushion and asked,

"Master Xie, did you feel a bit aggrieved today?"

Xie Yuan shook his head.

"Not at all. Your admirers are far more restrained than I imagined. So much so that I almost feel guilty taking my payment."

Aside from some faint glares and veiled hostility, most of the young heirs hadn’t done anything to him, which frankly made him uncomfortable.

The only exception was Peng Wei, who was clearly a few screws loose...

Thinking of the information he’d revealed, a glint appeared in Xie Yuan’s eyes.

Situ Qin covered her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter.

"You really are something else, Master Xie. After today, I imagine those annoying fellows will have to think twice about their own qualifications."

Hearing this, Xie Yuan sounded a bit doubtful.

"Is that all it takes? I’m afraid I don’t carry that much weight."

"It’s more than enough. I’ve already told them: from now on, anyone who invites me to a banquet on the pretext of discussing the Martial Dao had better have the talent to break through three stages in half a year."

Situ Qin’s eyes curved into crescents.

"And for those who try to invite me on the pretext of romance, well, they’ll have to be as handsome as Master Xie."

"Er... ’Handsome’ isn’t the right word for me. ’Beautiful,’ however, is perfect for you, Miss Qin."

"The feeling is mutual."

Situ Qin propped her face in her hands on the small table, gazing at Xie Yuan so openly that he once again had to admit defeat.

She gave a charming smile, produced an envelope from the folds of her dress, and handed it to Xie Yuan.

"Here you go. You’ve protected me very well, Master Xie, so as promised, here is your payment. The prescription recorded inside is very useful for nourishing your vital energy."