Once I enter the pass, great Confucian scholars will surely debate the classics for me.

The following morning, on the way to Ravenburg.

Zhou Qingfeng remained silent, still resentful about the old cripple's scheme against him.

A man with such lofty ambitions as him would never take trivial matters to heart.

However, the old cripple's existence had a different meaning for him. He had known the old cripple since he was a teenager, and the two had a relationship that was like that of friends and mentors. He had been able to turn danger into safety and get out of trouble several times with the old cripple's help. Over the years, he had accumulated a lot of favors and a very deep bond with him.

To repay a favor, Zhou Qingfeng was willing to disregard personal gain and risk angering his mother by helping to make connections.

But at the very least, we shouldn't have kept it from him or schemed against him, which directly led to him being caught in a trap and falling into a very passive situation.

Even without malice, the fact is that Zhou Qingfeng's current situation is very precarious.

Zhou Qingfeng was deeply involved in the First Red Leaf incident and even played a key role in pushing things forward. If he hadn't used his position to facilitate communication between the First Red Leaf and the Old Cripple, none of what happened afterward would have occurred.

First Red Leaf went alone to find Jun Moting to demand an explanation, but what kind of explanation could Jun Moting possibly give her?

Jun Moting has already declared that they will never see each other again, so he will definitely not see First Red Leaf again. Moreover, the Jinshan Sect is the number one sect in Taoism, with many skilled disciples. They are not afraid of the Sword Tower at all. Given First Red Leaf's personality and temper, she might just burn down the Jinshan Sect.

If a fight breaks out, how can First Red Leaf withstand the siege of Jinshan Sect masters? It will definitely suffer a great loss.

By then, everyone in the world would know that the eldest daughter of the most noble family in Sword Tower City had been seduced and abandoned by the junior brother of the leader of the Golden Mountain Sect. She shamelessly went to the sect to demand an explanation, but was eventually beaten up and kicked out by the Golden Mountain Sect.

If things really escalate to that point, it would be a truly shocking scandal, causing upheaval and drawing the attention of the entire world.

If we don't take any action, what about the reputation of the number one family with a history of thousands of years?

If necessary, then we must send troops to attack and destroy the Jinshan Sect.

However, the Jinshan Sect is not some nobody in the martial arts world. It is the legitimate number one sect of Taoism, on par with the Buddhist Daci Dabei Temple. Both are full of powerful figures, have extremely high prestige, and have enormous influence. Even if the number one family wanted to destroy the Jinshan Sect's lineage, they would have to consider whether they could withstand the wrath of Emperor Gengshi, the public outcry, and whether hostile forces would take the opportunity to destroy the Sword Tower.

Zhou Qingfeng merely did a simple matchmaking job, yet it directly influenced the changing landscape of the world.

If the situation develops in a positive direction, then naturally no one will retaliate, and Zhou Qingfeng will land safely.

However, if the situation deteriorates, the hidden enemies will definitely seize the opportunity to bring down Zhou Qingfeng and pin a blame on him. They will use one incident to argue that without Zhou Qingfeng's mediation, the Third Miss would still be in the Dragon-Imprisoning Well, and there would be no trouble at all.

The old cripple, though he didn't intend to conceal anything malicious, had indirectly planted a time bomb under Zhou Qingfeng's feet, which could be blown to pieces at any moment.

"Sigh..." Zhou Qingfeng sighed unconsciously.

Jin Wei followed slowly beside him and said, "Young Master, if you have something on your mind, feel free to speak up."

Zhou Qingfeng: "Is it that obvious?"

Jin Wei: "This is your seventy-ninth sigh."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingfeng sighed again.

Seeing this, Jin Wei said, "Young Master, I guess you're still upset about what Mr. Liao kept from you."

Zhou Qingfeng shook his head slightly, without revealing his true feelings. He had felt upset, but that was all in the past. In recent days, he had been reflecting on whether he had been too sensitive and emotional, and whether he had been too harsh on Mr. Liao's words.

However, he quickly and decisively banished these thoughts from his mind. Since he had already made the decision, he would not regret it, nor would he choose to forgive Mr. Liao's deception, because he could not accept being deceived by someone close to him, even if it was not a malicious deception.

Perhaps we are often very harsh on those closest to us, not so magnanimous, and not so easy to forgive, while we are often very lenient, generous, and easy to forgive strangers. This is a manifestation of human nature.

From a psychological perspective, in close relationships, because we have higher expectations and emotional investment in those close to us, we are prone to strong feelings of disappointment when these expectations are not met, which in turn leads to critical and harsh attitudes.

At the same time, because we feel safe, we are more likely to freely express our dissatisfaction or negative emotions in front of loved ones without worrying about losing the relationship; in contrast, we are more careful about our words and actions in front of strangers to avoid conflict.

This emotional dependence makes the behavior of those closest to us have a more profound impact on our emotions. Furthermore, frequent daily interactions increase the chances of friction, often leading to stronger reactions. In addition, inner stress and anxiety can sometimes be unconsciously projected onto those closest to us, resulting in more demanding behavior.

Raven Castle is a military fortress situated atop a convex mountain. The mountain's shape resembles a moat, only without water. The only way to enter Raven Castle is via a hundred-foot-long iron chain drawbridge, with two armored guards standing watch on either side.

Zhou Qingfeng and Jin Wei were stopped by armored guards as soon as they arrived at the suspension bridge.

Jin Wei took out his travel document and said, "Sir, we are wandering cultivators who just happened to be passing by and would like to rest in the fort for the night."

The armored guard took the travel document, glanced at it, and said, "Jiang Dong, Cui Yu, people from Wangyou Town in Donghai Paradise City, what are you doing here? Never mind, it's none of my business. The Baron has given a strict order that outsiders are not allowed to enter the castle, so go back to where you came from and don't cause trouble for yourselves."

After speaking, the armored soldier returned the travel permit to Jin Wei. Considering that the two men were skilled in martial arts and their clothes did not resemble those of poor bumpkins, he guessed that they were not easy to bully. Therefore, he did not deliberately make things difficult for them or say any trashy words. He simply waved his hand to signal them to leave.

Jin Wei put away the travel document, turned around and looked at Zhou Qingfeng, giving him an inquiring look.

Zhou Qingfeng stepped forward and calmly asked, "Sir, why are outsiders not allowed to enter the city?"

Upon hearing the young master's question, Jin Wei skillfully pulled out two strings of banknotes and tossed them over.

The two armored guards skillfully collected the money without showing any unusual behavior. One of them gave the other a look that said, "You talk to them," and then slowly walked to the side, pretending not to hear or see anything.

The armored guard coughed twice and said, "Ahem, I'm not very clear on the specifics. To be honest, I'm just a gatekeeper, just trying to make a living. I can't possibly know too many details. We just do what we're told. But I heard that it seems to be related to a man with many knives at his waist. He's a wandering monk like you. Ever since he came to Ravencrest, the Baron ordered that outsiders be prohibited from entering the city."