Bai Ming's eyebrows furrowed tightly, and his heart inexplicably skipped a beat. He silently took two steps back.

As if avoiding something dirty.

This action delighted the yellow-robed scholar on the donkey even more.

He hurriedly jumped down, shamelessly approaching:

"Let me read your fortune, young man. I haven't started today, so I'll give you a discount, just three wen coins."

Bai Ming looked up and examined him carefully. The other was fair and handsome, with a decent appearance, but his demeanor was strange, not like an upright person.

"A new face, never seen him before."

Bai Ming waved his hand, remembering that his brother once said there are no free pies falling from the sky.

If someone isn't after your money, they must be eyeing something else.

The free stuff is actually the most expensive!

Holding the purchased pen, ink, paper, and inkstone, he stepped aside and continued walking toward the old house by Erxian Bridge.

Uncle Changshun would later send a servant to deliver precious fish, and his brother had promised to make him some spicy sliced fish. The thought made his mouth water, leaving no time to deal with a charlatan pretending on the Jianghu.

"Hey, young man..."

The yellow-robed scholar still wanted to pester him, but Bai Ming's face fell, showing a trace of displeasure.

This fellow is so annoying!

As he was thinking about how to shake him off, he suddenly heard a voice calling:

"Ah Ming, why are you here alone?"

Bai Ming turned his head and saw that it was Deng Yong from the Broken Blade Sect. He was surrounded by a group of martial arts disciples, his face flushed as if he had just finished drinking.

The sturdy men in their martial outfits pushed forward, making the not-so-wide bluestone street suddenly crowded.

"Greetings, Brother Yong. I just came back from the East Market Pier. The fish stall business was good today, caught a lot of precious fish. Remember to take two to replenish yourself."

Deng Yong's family sold salted fish as a guise for dealing in illegal salt, so he often dealt with the fish stall, and Bai Ming certainly recognized him.

"Alright, let Uncle Changshun keep two full-weight ones for tonight's soup."

As if afraid the smell of alcohol would reach Bai Ming, Deng Yong deliberately kept a few steps away. He glanced sideways at the yellow-robed scholar leading the donkey:

"Ah Ming, is this rascal known to you?"

Bai Ming shook his head:

"He insisted on blocking my way to read my fortune."

Deng Yong, sharp-eyed, looked at the yellow-robed scholar's sneaky appearance, seeming like a lowly trickster and possibly even someone involved in criminal activities. Otherwise, why would he pester Bai Qilang's younger brother?

"Good gracious! A wretched outsider, begging for food in Black River County! For running into me, consider your ancestors ill-fortuned!"

He rubbed his fists, the joints crackling, standing forcefully between Bai Ming and the yellow-robed scholar:

"Ah Ming, you head home. My junior brothers and I will deal with this fellow."

Bai Ming nodded slightly, glancing at the yellow-robed scholar who wanted to argue, and said softly:

"Thanks, Brother Yong, just don't go too far."

Deng Yong grinned:

"I know my limits."

He placed his large hand on the yellow-robed scholar's shoulder and said with a cold smile:

"Where are you from? What's your deal? What mountain do you belong to, what temple do you enter? Speak up."

Watching Bai Ming's figure grow distant, the yellow-robed scholar raised his head and said:

"My surname is Ning, and my name is Hai Chan..."

Deng Yong twitched his eyes, this rascal was really daring, impersonating a Tongwen Hall instructor?

Claiming to be King Yama right in front of Black and White Impermanence?

"Won't shed tears until you see the coffin! Drag him into the alley, and teach him a proper lesson!"

...

...

A moment later.

Qiu Changtian shook out his robe, brushed off the dust, and mounted the donkey:

"Did you remember that kid's aura?"

The donkey trotted with small steps, speaking in a muffled voice:

"It's so distinctive, how could I forget? That child carries a clean incense aura, should be a promising seedling with good potential for cultivation.

However, it's clear that he already belongs to someone."

Qiu Changtian swayed as he rode the donkey:

"As the saying goes, although the flower is claimed, I can still loosen the soil. Once I announce my lineage, I'm sure he'll bow his head to me. I'm a true disciple of the Observatory Tower! Do you understand the weight of the Taoist Sect?"

The donkey curled its lips, revealing a set of big white teeth:

"Ninghai Chan holds the grand plaque of Yihai's hidden dragons, a famous name, and you're not far behind, just one step away from engraving 'Plague Deity' on your forehead."

Qiu Changtian ignored the donkey's mockery, recalling how the child avoided him, clicking his tongue in appreciation:

"The first time we met, he could faintly sense my misfortune, a promising talent indeed! Truly rare to nurture such good talent in the poor outskirts of the county city.

Could it be that Ninghai Chan also knows geomancy and discovered this treasured feng shui land?"

The donkey fell silent, knowing its master was infamous for trickery, and that the Nu Yun River Water Monarch Palace had erected that monument, publicly naming "Ninghai and Qiu Changtian, do not enter."

Never mind that the former often demanded offerings, nearly emptying Old Dragon's property, while the latter kidnapped a promising offspring expected to transform into a dragon.

That Old Dragon took an oath to the heavens, branding Taixu, cursing Qiu Changtian with disaster whenever he encountered water.

"One deceives, the other abducts, worthy of both dragon and phoenix. Yihai Prefecture with these two has truly committed great sins."

The donkey grumbled internally, suspecting that that disaster ten years ago might have been brought by heaven, using the Meridian Sword Sect to rid of these two calamities.

"Forget it, I'll visit Ninghai Chan first. I've recently made a good poem for critique, and I'll mention I've found a good seedling."

Qiu Changtian's mouth curled up as he abruptly turned and headed straight for Tongwen Hall.

"Could it be the master enjoys getting beaten?"

Recalling Qiu Changtian's black eye from last time, the donkey couldn't help quickening its pace. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

...

...

"Insights into Symbol Arts?"

Bai Qi once again emerged from the Ink and Water World, having just punched Lv Nan to death, revealing insights into creating symbols.