9: When I first met Lu Xiaofeng, when I told him a secret, someone would always sneak up on me.

Flames licked at the wooden beams of the dye house, crackling crisply.

Lu Jiuyuan stood quietly outside the courtyard, watching the thick smoke billow upwards, illuminating a small patch of sky.

There was no moon in the sky, not even a crescent moon; although it wasn't too late, it was very dark.

Walking back at night, with the dark sky and dim roads, strange shadows abounded, making it quite frightening.

After walking for a quarter of an hour, he reached the city wall, leaped over it, and entered the city, where Lu Jiuyuan's pace suddenly slowed.

Just as he was using his triple speed to jump over the wall, he heard a barely perceptible footstep.

The footsteps were extremely light, almost blending with the sound of the wind; if his Internal Energy hadn't improved and he hadn't activated triple speed, making his senses extremely sharp, he wouldn't have noticed it at all.

Someone was following him.

Lu Jiuyuan remained calm, continuing forward, his left hand on his waist, pressing against the embroidery needle, while his right hand had already quietly rested on the sword hilt.

Turning a street corner, he suddenly accelerated, his figure flashing into a narrow alley.

The alley was deep and winding; Lu Jiuyuan disappeared into the shadows after a few leaps, holding his breath and pressing his ear against the wall.

One breath, two breaths, three breaths... the alley entrance was empty.

Lu Jiuyuan frowned slightly. He was certain he hadn't misheard; someone was indeed following him.

But the fact that the opponent could remain traceless under such circumstances indicated a level of Qinggong rarely seen in the Jianghu.

"Interesting," he murmured, stepping out of the shadows.

Just then, a very strong scent of wine wafted over.

Lu Jiuyuan looked up and saw that at the end of the alley was an unassuming small tavern, lit by firelight, with a tattered flag hanging at the entrance that read "Three Mouthfuls to Topple a Donkey."

His stomach rumbled at the opportune moment. Lu Jiuyuan rubbed his belly; he hadn't eaten anything since leaving the Golden Phoenix Villa.

Opening for business during curfew hours, this wasn't a tavern for ordinary people; it was for the people of the Jianghu.

After a brief thought, he walked towards the tavern.

Inside, the tavern was dimly lit, with only two or three tables occupied by patrons, all indeed dressed in strong, practical attire.

Lu Jiuyuan chose the innermost seat, placing his satchel on the table, the clinking sound inside making everyone present perk up their ears simultaneously.

"Customer, would you like a taste of our wine? Our wine is famously strong, one cup per mouthful, if you can drink three cups without falling, all food and drink are free," the waiter asked with a grin, wiping the gleaming table.

"No, thank you, I never drink wine!" Lu Jiuyuan shook his head and said, "Bring two of your best dishes and four steamed buns."

"Alright! One stewed chicken, one braised pork, one bowl of chicken soup, and four steamed buns!" the waiter called out the dishes.

Not long after, the kitchen had prepared and served everything.

He hadn't brought Little Mouse with him, but he did have silver. After a quick test to confirm it wasn't poisoned, he grabbed a steamed bun, ready to dig in.

Suddenly, his movements paused... a person had, at some point, sat down in the chair opposite him.

The man was about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a handsome face. What was most striking were his two neatly trimmed mustaches,

which looked as if his eyebrows had grown in the wrong place, making his entire face appear to have four eyebrows.

He was dressed in a green robe and held a beautiful golden cup in his hand.

"You don't mind if I sit here, do you?" the man with four eyebrows smiled, his voice clear and pleasant.

"Of course I mind. You're a big trouble, and nothing good ever comes from you sitting opposite me!" Lu Jiuyuan said with a smile.

"If I can't sit, then I'll just stand," Lu Xiaofeng shrugged, but showed no intention of getting up.

He took out a flask, poured himself a cup, and said,

"Good wine!

The 'Topple a Donkey' here is famously potent, and dining and drinking here is famously safe.

No need to be so cautious. If one lives every day so carefully, life becomes too dull.

One must enjoy life to the fullest when things go well, and not let the golden goblet stand empty before the moon!"

Lu Jiuyuan stared at him: "Was it you who followed me just now?"

Lu Xiaofeng blinked: "Followed? My friend, you are mistaken. We merely happened to be going the same way."

"What an honor, that you actually know me?"

"Fast Sword Lu Jiuyuan, your sword strikes like lightning, its blade four-edged, with only the tip sharp, and you most enjoy piercing throats," the man took a sip of wine.

"Especially seeing you go in and seeing you come out, that was even more shocking."

"You have a bit of a strong killing intent, but I must say, you killed well. Those scumbags truly deserved to die."

"When we met that day, I truly mistook you for a flower boy. I failed to recognize a hero, I should be punished, I should be punished." Lu Xiaofeng placed the golden cup on the table, took a breath, and the wine in the cup turned into a stream that flew into his mouth.

He displayed an extraordinary and profound Internal Energy.

"Excellent skill!" Lu Jiuyuan praised, "Though the Phoenix has no wings to fly together, the heart has a Lingxi Finger that connects. It is said that Lu Xiaofeng's greatest strengths are his Qinggong and his Lingxi Finger, with which he can grasp anything between his two fingers.

Now it seems, this Internal Skill is also top-notch in the world."

"Don't praise me so much, that's an exaggeration! There are quite a few things these two fingers can't grasp," Lu Xiaofeng shook his head repeatedly. "Not to mention anything far-fetched, I'm not confident I could grasp Ximen Chuixue's sword."

"How long have you been tracking me?"

"Since Ninth Girl called out to you!"

"What do you want to know?"

"What exactly happened in that villa, and why did two great masters, Liu Yuhang and Dugu Fang, die?

Why did you leave that villa after their deaths?" Lu Xiaofeng asked seriously.

"Liu Yuhang wanted to kill me, so I killed Liu Yuhang. Dugu Fang wanted to kill me, so I killed Dugu Fang.

After killing them, I left! It's that simple."

"Why did they want to kill you?"

"Because I learned a secret!"

"What secret?"

Clang! Lu Jiuyuan's Guhong Sword flicked three flying needles from behind him, then he laughed loudly: "I knew it, when I got to the crucial part, someone would definitely jump out to silence me."