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

After eliminating the nine members of the Skinning Clan, they set off again.

Cai Nianxiong, Jiang Qing'er, Ye Tingxiu and their group followed the rugged, muddy road to a hillside.

Driven by an unseen connection to his bloodline and the call of his kin, Cai Nianxiong reined in his horse and brought it to an abrupt halt.

He rolled to the ground and pointed to a narrow fork in the road on the right, barely wide enough for one person to walk on: "Brother Qingfeng, walk this way. I can feel that sensation getting stronger and stronger."

Ye Tingxiu placed one hand on the horse's back, leaped into the air, and dismounted cleanly. He then walked to Jiang Qing'er's side and coldly extended a hand: "Dismount."

"Hmm." Jiang Qing'er looked at Ye Tingxiu's feigned indifference, but felt a little sweet inside. She smiled and placed her hand in Ye Tingxiu's palm. With Ye Tingxiu's half-support and half-carry, she dismounted and landed on the ground.

Seeing this, Cai Nianxiong couldn't help but feel a little jealous. Qingmei was his goddess: "Men and women should not touch each other. What kind of behavior is it to hug and kiss in broad daylight?"

Jiang Qing'er was indulging in a lovesick daze when she heard Cai Nianxiong's spoilsport words. She immediately turned around and glared at him, saying, "Mind your own business, you're so annoying!"

Ye Tingxiu coldly withdrew his hand, pressed down on the knife with one hand, and strode towards the path: "Follow behind. If there is danger, run immediately and don't worry about me."

Seeing this, Jiang Qing'er angrily stomped on Cai Nianxiong's instep: "Will you die if you don't talk?"

Cai Nianxiong immediately grimaced, clutching his foot, and hopped forward, shouting, "Qingmei, wait for me~~~"

Jiang Qing'er convinced herself to give up the idea, but emotions that can be controlled cannot be called emotions. When she thought about it, she thought very clearly and secretly vowed never to have any more delusional thoughts.

However, when in contact with someone you like, you always subconsciously want to get closer and be more intimate with them.

Getting closer makes my heart race, and the scent of the other person makes my body go weak, my heart flutter, and a sweet feeling rise in my heart.

Ye Tingxiu slowly paved the way, his hair standing on end involuntarily. Then, his sharp eyes swept around his left and right, and he pressed down on the hilt of his sword with one hand, ready to draw it at any moment.

His years of fighting in the wild and constantly walking the line between life and death had made him extremely sensitive to danger.

Once the surroundings are dangerous, the body will instinctively give a warning. He suddenly turned around and urged Cai and Jiang, "There's danger, run!"

The recollection ended abruptly here; Cai Guozhong would not continue speaking after this point.

"What happened to him? What danger did he encounter?" Zhou Qingfeng asked, frowning.

Cai Guozhong said, "He was ambushed. It was a trap set for Nianxiong. Someone wanted to harm Nianxiong, so they used magic to call out to him in his dreams, making him mistakenly believe that his mother was still alive, thus luring him into their trap."

Zhou Qingfeng slammed his hand on the table, his eyes sharp: "Cai Guozhong, I'm not asking about your son, I'm asking what happened to him, whether he's still alive."

Cai Guozhong paused for a moment, then nodded: "Still alive."

Zhou Qingfeng secretly breathed a sigh of relief, regained his calm demeanor, and took a sip of his lychee black tea.

Cai Guozhong said quietly, "Nianxiong was ambushed. He led Qing'er and Nianxiong to break through the encirclement and fought from night to day. I didn't see how fierce that battle was."

"But by the time I led my troops to find Nianxiong, he had already killed all the enemies."

“The scene was littered with severed limbs and corpses. He was seriously injured and on the verge of death while protecting Qing’er and Nianxiong.”

“I took him back to Ravencrest and sent the best physicians to treat him properly. He was saved.”

Hearing this, Zhou Qingfeng felt a little relieved: "And then?"

Cai Guozhong said, "Then he recuperated and rested at my Crow Fort. Qing'er volunteered to take care of him for a period of time. During this period, some things happened that are hard to describe."

Zhou Qingfeng's gossip instincts were piqued, and he asked, "What's so hard to describe? Tell me in detail!"

Cai Guozhong said with some helplessness, "Mr. Jiang should understand matters of love and affection."

Zhou Qingfeng: "..." What do you know? You didn't say anything, so what am I supposed to know?

Cai Guozhong coughed twice, glanced at Ning Cha, and tactfully extended his hands to clasp them together: "In short, on a certain night, a man and a woman, alone and impulsive, made a mistake and consummated their marriage. Young people, you know, are like dry wood and a raging fire, it's understandable."

What I haven't mentioned is that Cai Nianxiong was furious about this incident. His beloved Qingmei had been defiled, and he was so angry that he drew his sword on the spot and challenged the other party to a duel.

Unfortunately, he was no match for Cai Nianxiong, who easily defeated him with a single hand.

This is too shameful to talk about; family scandals shouldn't be aired in public.

That being said, no one is perfect, and everyone makes mistakes.

Ye Tingxiu made a mistake unintentionally, but his heart was small, small enough to hold only one person, and he could only focus on loving one person.

He cannot juggle two relationships at the same time until one relationship has completely ended.

He was able to face his own feelings. Faced with Jiang Qing'er's passionate and youthful love, he repeatedly rejected and avoided her, feigning indifference and keeping her at arm's length.

But that was when he was conscious. When his injuries were severe and he was unconscious, Jiang Qing'er took meticulous care of him day and night.

Jiang Qing'er and Lan Yue from back then look so alike—both are young, both are doctors, and both are beautiful.

In the dead of night, half-asleep, he mistook Jiang Qing'er for Lan Yue and made a mistake without realizing it.

After a passionate night of lovemaking, Ye Tingxiu was overwhelmed with mixed feelings upon waking up. He felt as if the sky had fallen, his brain completely overloaded, and he had no idea how to handle the current situation.

It was mainly because Jiang Qing'er was a young girl who admired Ye Tingxiu and took advantage of his vulnerability, half-heartedly accepting his advances.

Otherwise, if he were slapped, Ye Tingxiu would immediately wake up, making it impossible for them to consummate their marriage.

"Oh~~~" Zhou Qingfeng, Ning Cha, Zhan Qi, and Zhan Fu all suddenly realized.

When Zhou Qingfeng learned that Ye Tingxiu was alright, he became even more gossipy and was genuinely happy for Ye Tingxiu. If he could let go of Lan Yue and be with Jiang Qing'er, wouldn't that be a good thing for Ye Tingxiu? "What happened between him and Jiang Qing'er later?"

Cai Guozhong shrugged: "The two were sweet for a while. After his injuries improved, I hosted a banquet to thank him for saving Nianxiong and Qing'er's lives."

"At the banquet, he told me that his real name was Ye Tingxiu, and that he came from the Sixth Division of the Demon Suppression Bureau of the Sword Tower Censorate. He had come here specifically to find a woman named Lan Yue."

After a pause, Cai Guozhong chuckled and said, "I had actually suspected his identity and background a long time ago, but since he was the savior of Nianxiong and the daughter of an old friend, I could only pretend not to know."

"His sudden confession actually made me feel better about him. I'm genuinely happy for Qing'er that she has found a good man."

"It's a pity that young people never know how to cherish the people in front of them, and only regret it when they lose them."

Cai Guozhong looked somewhat somber, and couldn't help but think of his deceased wife.