The deflated cultivator refused to give up and vowed to turn the tables.

Inside the house was a middle-aged man named Zhou Shuzhong, who was of average height and looked travel-worn. He was a light-footed and long-legged man from the Yellow River Manor who was skilled in light-footed martial arts and was responsible for going out to deliver messages and gather information.

"Second Young Master, the Eldest Young Master is seriously ill. The Master of the Manor has ordered me to find you and bring you back immediately." Uncle Zhou bowed respectfully.

"Why would my elder brother suddenly fall seriously ill? How could someone who cultivates immortality suddenly fall seriously ill?" Huang Chenghe said, puzzled. People who cultivate immortality like his elder brother rarely suffer from minor illnesses such as colds or pains. It is rare to hear of someone suddenly falling seriously ill.

"I don't know the specific reason either. Suddenly, I lost all feeling in my body and couldn't move. The situation is getting worse every day, and now I'm barely breathing. We've consulted Physician Lu, but he couldn't figure out what's wrong. Please come back quickly, Second Young Master." Uncle Zhou frowned, it seemed that the eldest young master was indeed seriously ill.

"Uncle Zhou is well-informed and should know that I'm being hunted. There must be someone lurking near our Yellow River Manor." Huang Chenghe couldn't help but worry, but he had to deal with such a serious matter and find a way.

“Their main target is me; you’re just collateral damage. Here’s what we’ll do: I’ll reveal my identity here and make a scene. You two can travel at top speed, day and night, and get back in five or six days. Once news of my appearance reaches the manor, the enemy will immediately leave. Be careful and cautious when you get back, and remember to disguise yourself,” Su Zinong suggested.

"You say you dragged me into this? It's more like I dragged you into this. If I hadn't asked you to investigate that locked-room murder, you wouldn't be in such danger. If you had revealed your identity, you would have been hunted down and put in a difficult situation." Huang Chenghe was even more worried.

“It’s alright. I only need to reveal my identity for two or three days. It will take them quite a while to get here from Yellow River Manor. By then, I will have already gone somewhere else and disguised myself again.” Su Zinong strongly urged Huang Chenghe to accept his suggestion.

Uncle Zhou and Qin Xiangxue, who were standing nearby, also agreed with Su Zinong's suggestion and tried to persuade Huang Chenghe.

Huang Chenghe had no choice but to reluctantly agree, and told Su Zinong to be extremely careful and to leave after revealing his identity for one day.

“Sister Xiangxue, you must also be careful. It’s dangerous to hang out with Brother Su. You should leave him as soon as possible and return to Qin Tianzhuang by yourself. Don’t go off to play elsewhere, or I really won’t know how to explain it to your parents,” Huang Chenghe said to Qin Xiangxue.

"Don't worry," Xiang Xue said, "I'll go straight back to Qin Tianzhuang in a day or two."

After Huang Chenghe and Uncle Zhou left, Su Zinong and Qin Xiangxue found an inn to stay at.

By this time, some guests had already left the city, so there were some empty rooms, and the two of them found two rooms.

Su Zinong washed away his disguise, removed his mask, and washed himself before putting on a white robe.

Qin Xiangxue was stunned by his appearance. "Wow, Brother Zinong, you're so handsome! I never noticed before."

"Haven't you already seen everything? You've seen me completely naked, so why are you only saying I'm handsome now?" Su Zinong muttered to himself.

"Oh dear, you're so naughty! How could I possibly look closely back then? I was too busy hiding to even glance at you. How could I possibly stare at you openly?" Qin Xiangxue blushed deeply.

“I know I’m handsome, but I have to hide my true appearance to avoid being hunted down by powerful enemies. By the way, you should go back to Qin Tian Manor first thing tomorrow morning. It’s really dangerous for you to come with me. I’ll come find you to play again later,” Su Zinong advised.

"Didn't you say the enemy is lurking around Yellow River Manor? It would take them at least five or six days to get here, so I'll stay here for three days. I'll naturally return to the manor after that." Qin Xiangxue was reluctant to leave, suddenly finding Su Zinong so handsome that she seemed unable to move on. Besides, she was getting incredibly bored staying in Qin Tian Manor.

Despite repeated attempts to persuade him, Su Zinong said, "Then you said you would leave in three days."

The two of them strolled around the streets in a high-profile manner, just to attract attention.

Whenever Su Zinong saw someone he knew, he would take the initiative to greet them and say a few words, all in order to spread the message as quickly as possible: Su Zinong is here.

Actually, he and Qin Xiangxue were quite eye-catching on the street; he was handsome and she was beautiful.

The following day, Qin Xiangxue met a group of scions of prominent families and invited Su Zinong and Qin Xiangxue to have dinner and drinks together.

The young masters from those aristocratic families were quite fond of Qin Xiangxue's delicate beauty and were a little jealous of Su Zinong. They kept pouring wine for Su Zinong until he was completely drunk.

Later, it was actually Qin Xiangxue who helped him back to the inn.

They even tripped and fell halfway there. Qin Xiangxue sighed and carried Su Zinong back to the inn.

Fortunately, Qin Xiangxue's cultivation level was not weak, and she also had a certain amount of strength; otherwise, it would have been really difficult for a grown man to carry her back to the inn.

The next morning, Su Zinong woke up with a dry mouth and a splitting headache.

I opened my eyes and looked around, wondering: How did I get back? I lifted the covers and was relieved to find that my clothes were still intact and I didn't have to hold anyone responsible.

Qin Xiangxue went into the room and brought out a large pot of water, saying, "Why do you drink so much?"

“Everyone keeps coming to toast me, and I feel bad refusing. Besides, I can tell those young men are interested in you. They're jealous that you're with me and think we're in that kind of relationship, so they deliberately got me drunk.” Su Zinong wasn't stupid.

"You knew this all along, so why did you still drink it?" Qin Xiangxue asked, puzzled.

“Since I came with you, even though we’re not in that kind of relationship, I can’t let you lose face, can I?” Su Zinong said with a slight smile.

"Fool!" Qin Xiangxue sighed. "There's no need to go to such lengths. I already have enough face just being with you, because you're more handsome than all of them!"

“Today is the third day, you should go back now. After these two days, the enemy should know I’m in this city and will definitely come to hunt me down. There might be enemies elsewhere besides those near Yellow River Manor,” Su Zinong urged again.

"Let me stay one more day, just one more day," Qin Xiangxue bargained.

"You're really naughty," Su Zinong shook his head and sighed.

"Let's go get something to eat. A little porridge after drinking will make you feel better," Qin Xiangxue suggested.

Su Zinong felt a bit dizzy when he went outside; the sun was blinding, and his steps were unsteady. He had definitely drunk too much.

He didn't have much of an appetite, only drank half a bowl of plain porridge, but kept drinking water.

Qin Xiangxue shook her head and asked, "Do all men in the world like to ply women with wine like this?"

"It depends on the situation. I usually do this for a beautiful woman," Su Zinong admitted.

Qin Xiangxue was overjoyed, feeling sweet inside, like she had just eaten a big honey date.

Just then, a brown horse came from afar, galloping across the street, causing passersby to scatter. Upon closer inspection, the rider was dressed in black, wearing a straw hat and an owl mask.

Su Zinong quickly lowered his head and covered his face with his hand. After the horse passed, he put down a silver ingot, grabbed Qin Xiangxue, and galloped away...