29: Chapter 29 Cold Frost Worries, Secretly Protects

The next day, Chen Xuan stood at the entrance of the weapon shop, looking up at the crooked characters "Old Li's Hammers" on the plaque, and walked inside.

He had slept soundly last night, and the first thing he did upon waking was to see if there were any newly forged long swords. Though whether he needed one was another matter, taking a look wasn't against the law.

The shop was filled with the constant clanging of metal; the blacksmith was hammering away with his shirt off, sparks flying everywhere.

Chen Xuan strolled around with his hands behind his back, touched a scabbard, casually asked the price, then shook his head with a smile: "Too expensive, can't afford it."

After saying that, he turned and left, his steps light, humming a tuneless little ditty.

No one noticed that in the shadow of the eaves at the street corner, a white figure stood quietly.

Leng Shuang wore a plain veil, dressed in dark, tight-fitting attire; she moved along the wall like a wisp of cold wind.

Her gaze was locked on Chen Xuan's back, her eyes cold, but her fingers were slightly clenched.

She had clearly seen a gray shadow flash past the back window of the blacksmith shop earlier. That person hadn't come to forge weapons, nor did they carry any, yet they kept staring at Chen Xuan.

She didn't make a sound, nor did she get close, just followed from a distance, maintaining a ten-zhang gap.

Wherever Chen Xuan went, she followed. When passing a tea stall, someone poured hot soup out, and she paused slightly, judging whether it was an accident or a deliberate probe.

When turning into a small alley, two men walked toward them, and she immediately gathered her Qi and focused, only relaxing when she saw they were just ordinary commoners.

Chen Xuan was completely oblivious. After leaving the weapon shop, he went to look at the tournament notice and even chatted with the gatekeeper about the day's match schedule.

He always rubbed his chin when talking, and when he smiled, the corner of his mouth tilted up—a lazy look, as if the sky falling wouldn't make him rush for a moment.

But just as he turned to leave the tournament area, his peripheral vision swept across the second floor of the restaurant across the street.

In that instant, he didn't stop, but he made a mental note: that man in gray clothes carrying a long sword had appeared in his line of sight for the third time today.

He remained calm and continued walking, but his hand brushed past the tip of his nose—this was his way of reminding himself: someone has targeted me.

But he didn't look back, nor did he panic. Instead, he went into a roadside bun shop, bought five meat buns, and munched on them as he walked.

He knew that if there were real danger, they wouldn't choose to act in a place like this. These people wanted an opportunity, to wait until he lowered his guard before attacking.

And all of this was seen by Leng Shuang.

That night, the moonlight was faint, and the inn's backyard was quiet. Zhao Hongling came out in her outer robe to pour water and immediately saw someone sitting on the roof—it was Leng Shuang.

She was hugging her arms, her legs bent, with her chin resting on her knees, her gaze scanning the surrounding streets like a white cat on night watch.

"What are you doing here?" Zhao Hongling asked in a low voice.

Leng Shuang didn't move, only replied calmly: "Someone finds him an eyesore."

"Who?"

"Chen Xuan."

Zhao Hongling was stunned for a moment, then sneered: "Then what are you doing squatting on the roof alone? Guarding the courtyard?"

"I'm worried." Leng Shuang finally turned to look at her, "At least three people have been following him today. One uses a sword, and the other two have unrecognizable techniques. They aren't ordinary onlookers."

Zhao Hongling frowned: "Then why don't you tell him?"

"What's the use of telling him?"

Leng Shuang's voice was calm, "He will smile and say it's nothing, then go about eating and drinking. But I don't believe it's really nothing."

Zhao Hongling opened her mouth but didn't retort. She remembered what Chen Xuan said at the tea stall yesterday: "Trouble? I'm afraid no one will come to cause trouble. If no one comes, it's just lonely."

These words sounded heroic, but she knew he was deliberately making it sound easy to put others at ease.

She was silent for a moment, put down the basin, jumped onto the roof, and sat next to Leng Shuang: "Then do you plan to keep watch all the time?"

"Mm."

"Then I'll come too." Zhao Hongling crossed her arms, "I can't let you take all the credit alone."

Leng Shuang glanced at her without speaking, but the corners of her mouth twitched ever so slightly.

The next night, Dugu Xue appeared on the backyard wall. She didn't go up to the roof, just stood in the shadows, hand on her sword hilt, her gaze scanning the street steadily.

She stood for an hour without saying a word. On the third night, she switched to the alley at the front entrance and began her shift.

Liu Ruyan didn't show up, but she sent word that the Iron Dragon Gate in the west of the city had recently finished recruiting, and many failed Martial Artists were wandering outside, with several of them acting suspiciously and often loitering in places Chen Xuan frequented.

She also sent a message: "Don't try to handle it alone; we're in this together now."

So, from that day on, the four of them didn't discuss it, but naturally divided their shifts.

During the day, Leng Shuang followed in secret; in the evening, Zhao Hongling accompanied him shopping openly; at night, Dugu Xue patrolled the streets; and Liu Ruyan sat in her flower boat, listening to news from all directions.

Chen Xuan still went out every day, watching matches as he should, chatting as he should.

He walked through familiar streets, through bustling crowds, occasionally stopping to look at food stalls or meeting up with Lu Shan and the others for a cup of coarse tea.

He didn't know that every time he walked into a secluded alley, a black shadow would sweep across the eaves opposite; every time he sat down at a tea stall, a pair of eyes would watch quietly from a distant building; every time the night was deep and quiet, there were people guarding him silently outside his roof, window, and courtyard wall.

He only knew that Zhao Hongling had been particularly fond of shopping with him these past few days, Leng Shuang's gaze seemed to hold something more, Dugu Xue would occasionally bump into him on the road, and even Liu Ruyan had someone send a bag of new tea with a note: "To refresh the mind and ward off villains."

He accepted them with a smile, thinking these young ladies were quite concerned about him lately.

Until one noon, he was watching a match by the ring and suddenly heard Zhao Hongling muttering behind him: "You run out every day; aren't you tired?"

He turned back with a smile: "If I don't run around, how can I make friends?"

"With many friends come many enemies."

Leng Shuang stood on his left at some point, her voice faint, "Some people call you brother to your face but sharpen their blades behind your back."

Chen Xuan shrugged: "That's perfect; I'm missing someone to practice with."

He was about to leave after saying this, but Leng Shuang suddenly spoke: "Let us know in advance where you're going from now on."

He paused and looked back at her: "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Leng Shuang withdrew her gaze, "Just... don't want anything to happen to you."

The air suddenly went quiet for a moment. Zhao Hongling didn't speak, Dugu Xue stood not far away and gently gripped her sword hilt. Liu Ruyan sat in the tea stall, her hand fanning herself also stopped.

Chen Xuan looked at them, scanning them one by one, and suddenly laughed: "You... wouldn't happen to be protecting me, would you?"

No one answered.

He scratched his head and grinned: "I was wondering why everything has been going so smoothly lately; so it's because I have four great experts taking turns to escort me?"

His tone was relaxed, as if he were joking, but he knew very well that those faint, lingering gazes and seemingly coincidental meetings these days were not accidental.

He didn't ask further, just handed the candied hawthorn he had just bought to Zhao Hongling: "Here, it's sweet, to calm your temper."

Zhao Hongling took it, bit into it hard, and muttered: "Who wants you to curry favor."

Leng Shuang turned and left, her back straight, but the tips of her ears were slightly red.

Dugu Xue lowered her head to tidy her sword tassel, and Liu Ruyan gently swayed her round fan and smiled.

The sun rose to the zenith, and the venue was buzzing with noise.

Chen Xuan stood in the middle of the crowd, flanked by noisy spectators, with the sound of drums from the new round of matches ahead. He looked up at the sky; the sun was bright, and the breeze wasn't dry.

What he didn't know was that in places he couldn't see, four figures were quietly distributed in the streets and alleys, like four unsheathed sharp blades, quietly guarding his every move.

And in a corner of the tea stall, a new note was quietly pressed under a tea bowl, with a line of small text written on it: Chen Xuan has been noticed by many, it is recommended to increase vigilance.

A gust of wind blew, the corner of the paper flipped up, only to be firmly pressed down by a stone again.