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Junyu pondered that his vacation was coming to an end, and investigating this inexplicable feud in the martial arts world would not be an easy task. There were also some matters to be dealt with at Phoenix Village, so it was not advisable to stay any longer. Therefore, he decided to set off as planned the next day.

After dinner, the two went their separate ways to rest.

In the middle of the night, Shu Zhenzhen was suddenly awakened by a sharp scream. She recognized it as coming from Junyu's room next door and was immediately startled, leaping up and rushing to Junyu's room. Junyu was always composed and calm, and even if she were on the verge of death, she would never scream like that, yet the sound was unmistakably hers.

Shu Zhenzhen pushed open the door, but it was locked. After knocking a few times, Jun Yu opened the door. Shu Zhenzhen lit a lamp, and in the dim light, she saw that Jun Yu was covered in sweat, his expression was pale, and he was in a state of unprecedented panic.

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Chapter 167: Observing (1)

Shu Zhenzhen took her hand and found that her hand was trembling slightly.

"Junyu, what's wrong?"

Junyu's voice trembled slightly, just like her hands: "Sister Shu, I dreamt that Tuosang died, Tuosang died!"

Seeing her panicked state, Shu Zhenzhen sighed, "With Tuosang's abilities, he won't die. What you think about during the day, you dream about at night. Junyu, you're worrying too much..."

"Maybe!"

Junyu sat down on a chair nearby and casually poured himself a cup of cold tea. Although it was summer, the cold tea seemed to chill even his heart.

She had calmed down considerably and said in a low voice, "Sister Shu, I'm fine, you should go and rest."

Shu Zhenzhen nodded, knowing that Junyu wanted some peace and quiet, so she quietly went out. When she reached the door, she saw that Junyu had already gotten up and was standing by the window. She sighed inwardly and gently closed the door for her.

As the sun rose, Shu Zhenzhen got up to settle the inn bills, and the two were about to set off again.

She had just stepped out when she suddenly heard the waiter say, "Sir, who are you looking for so early in the morning?"

Shu Zhenzhen glanced over casually and saw that the person was Meng Yuanjing. At this moment, Meng Yuanjing also saw her and said with great joy, "Sister Shu, you haven't left yet, that's perfect."

Knowing that he and Junyu were on good terms, Shu Zhenzhen immediately said, "Are you here to see Junyu? She's in her room, go ahead."

Just as Meng Yuanjing was about to knock on the door, it opened, and Jun Yu was pushing it open, ready to come out.

When Meng Yuanjing suddenly saw this face, he was so surprised that he couldn't speak for a moment. In the more than ten years he had known Junyu, she had always been radiant and dashing. Even when she was seriously injured in Hanjing Garden, he had never seen her with such a gloomy and haggard expression.

He asked in surprise, "Junyu, what happened? Why do you look so pale?"

Jun Yuqiang smiled and shook his head. After a while, he whispered, "I dreamt that a friend died. It's nothing, just a dream."

Meng Yuanjing stared at her: "Who is this friend? Is it Tuosang?"

Junyu met his gaze and nodded.

In an instant, Meng Yuanjing's heart sank into an ice cellar. Before this, he had held onto a considerable hope. He knew that there was absolutely no possibility between Junyu and Tuosang. As long as Tuosang was no longer in this world, slowly, as time would dilute everything, with the deep affection between himself and Junyu, as long as he waited patiently, there would always be a chance.

Although he was ordered to hunt down Tuosang, he was fully aware that while the imperial decree was one reason, his own selfish desire to eliminate his rival was another. However, he unfortunately ran into Junyu, and no matter how he used the "imperial decree" as an excuse, he still felt uneasy.

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Chapter 168: Observing (2)

Junyu was no ordinary girl; she was not only his childhood sweetheart and confidante, but also the woman he dreamed of spending his life with. Therefore, he had to consider her feelings. He had never done anything to hurt her in his life, yet now he was going to great lengths to kill the lover with whom she was destined never to be together. How heartbroken would she be if she found out afterward? After seeing Junyu off, he became increasingly uneasy, so he rushed over early in the morning. He had no particular purpose, but he felt he needed to see her one last time to feel at ease.

To my surprise, when I rushed over, I was met with her horribly pale and haggard appearance! She had already become so haggard just because of a premonition or a nightmare. If it really came true, how could she bear it?

Looking into her eyes, filled with suppressed sorrow and despair, Meng Yuanjing suddenly realized that in this life, whether Tuosang was alive or dead, he or anyone else was ultimately destined to be apart from her.

When the last glimmer of hope turned into complete despair, Meng Yuanjing found himself calm.

He looked at Junyu and said softly, "Don't worry too much. With Tuosang's abilities, what could possibly happen to him? After you've taken care of your own affairs, I will return to the capital as soon as possible. Although it's not a big deal if you resign from your post, if you can resign safely, you'll have a wider scope for your future. Don't you want to start an academy? I will definitely support you then."

Junyu laughed: "When you retire and return to your hometown, come and be a teacher at my academy."

“Okay. When the time comes, I will definitely bring my whole family and become a traditional old teacher at your academy.”

"With a family in tow? Is Yuan Jing getting married? Has he found a woman he likes?"

"She's the woman in the painting you saw last time. She'll be engaged after returning to the capital."

Junyu bowed to him with boundless joy: "Congratulations! I will definitely come to have a drink at your wedding."

This smile dispelled the gloom and weariness on her face, and in an instant, the person in front of him became radiant and dazzling like the morning sun. Meng Yuanjing looked away, wanting to burst into tears, but still smiled and said, "At that time, even if no one else invites me, I will invite you, Junyu, my best friend in this life!"

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Chapter 169: Observing (3)

Junyu suddenly remembered a question and immediately said, "Yuanjing, yesterday when Sister Shu was tracking that bandit, although she didn't find any clues about the robbery, she discovered that they were plotting to ambush an important figure, and it seems that they have mobilized a lot of skilled men. The bandits from Sichuan and Shaanxi are extremely powerful. Although you have also brought a lot of elite soldiers, even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake. When you are investigating the case here, you must be more careful and pay attention to your safety."

Hearing her earnest concern, Meng Yuanjing felt a warmth in his heart and nodded: "I will be careful. You just go back to Phoenix Village and take care of everything."

At the end of the town's main street, Meng Yuanjing watched her and Shu Zhenzhen ride away at full speed. After a long while, he whispered, "Junyu, I'm sorry, I still haven't told you the truth. From now on, whether you hate me or resent me, I will never let you be in danger, or end up disgraced and forced to flee to the ends of the earth!"

As soon as he returned to the inn, Zhu Lei rushed out and whispered, "The robbery of the funds is still unsolved, but we have pinpointed Bokdo's location. I have already dispatched 180 skilled men..."

Meng Yuanjing resolutely said, "Immediately order the withdrawal of the ambushes along the way!"

Zhu Lei said in surprise, "This matter does not conflict with the robbery of the funds. We have already paid a large sum of money for this. Those underworld figures are not someone we can summon and dismiss at will..."

“I have a crucial lead regarding the theft of military funds. From this day forward, all personnel must be concentrated to investigate this matter with all their might. I believe this matter is far more important than the pursuit and killing of Bokdo, and the rewards paid will not be in vain. If any problems arise in the future, Lord Zhu need not worry; I will personally report to the Emperor.”

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Chapter 170: The Battle of Tiema Temple (1)

Junyu had been having nightmares for the past few days, and her unease was growing stronger. The terrifying feeling intensified: Had something happened to Tuosang? She realized that with each mile she rode north, she would be further from Tuosang, making it even harder to hear from him. She reined in her horse and stopped. Shu Zhenzhen also stopped. Seeing Junyu's still deathly pale face, she knew Junyu had been worried about Tuosang these past few days, but couldn't think of anything to comfort her.

Junyu looked back and wondered why he had been so restless lately, never having been so indecisive before.

The holiday is almost over, and if she continues to hesitate and delay along the way, she doesn't know when she will be able to return to Phoenix Village. Besides urgently needing to know the progress of the academy's preparations, she also has some things to explain to Lu Ling and the others. Only after everything is arranged can she leave unscathed. Last time she left, she didn't tell anyone her whereabouts, spending some time in that mysterious place, and after setting off again, she almost completely lost contact with Phoenix Village.

She glanced at Shu Zhenzhen, smiled at her, and whipped the horse again, and the two of them finally sped off on their way.

Junyu was preoccupied, so Shu Zhenzhen pointed out scenic spots along the way to cheer her up. The two did not travel very fast, and it was only three days later that they approached Shanxi Province.

Just as she passed through a grove of trees, she suddenly heard the distinctive sound of carrier pigeons in the sky. Junyu looked up and saw a flock of pigeons soaring higher and higher. Along the way, whenever she recognized the sound of carrier pigeons, she would whistle, but she hadn't heard any Phoenix Village carrier pigeons in the several provinces she passed through. This time, she casually whistled a special signal—the special signal of the intelligence carrier pigeons trained by Dongfang Jiong. Upon hearing this signal, any carrier pigeons from Phoenix Village would fly down.

After a few distinctive whistles, two pigeons flew down from the sky. Junyu was overjoyed; these were the two most skilled carrier pigeons from Phoenix Village, known for their long-distance and high-flying abilities.

She took the small note tied to the leg of one of the carrier pigeons. It contained only some information about village affairs and words of concern from Mo Feiyan, Zhao Manqing, and others.

She guessed that everyone had sent out countless carrier pigeons to no avail because they had been cut off from their communications, which was why they had resorted to this "last resort". Otherwise, given Dongfang Jiong's "affection" for these two carrier pigeons, why would he let them deliver such an unimportant message?

She then took out the message from another pigeon. This small note contained only two brief sentences: one, that the emperor had bestowed upon her a large amount of rewards after she left the capital; and two, that the current Bokdo had been deposed.

Although Phoenix Village frequently gathered information about the Holy Palace, Dongfang Jiong and the others never knew what significant relationship she had with the Holy Palace. Therefore, they reported the news of the current Bokdo's deposition in a very understated manner.

She stared at the note, lost in thought for a long time. Seeing her dazed expression, Shu Zhenzhen was about to ask her something when Junyu handed her the note. Shu Zhenzhen read it and her face changed drastically. She murmured, "Tuosang really is in trouble!"

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Chapter 171: The Battle of Tiema Temple (2)

Junyu felt dizzy and her mind went blank; she suddenly lost her composure. She remembered that Tuosang had been secretly investigated by the Thousand Machine Sect before, and since he had missed the robe-changing festival, she feared that something had happened to him as soon as he returned from Bajiao Town.

She suddenly remembered Zhu Yu. After the avalanche, Zhu Yu jumped in to save her, clearly having been tracking her all along. Otherwise, how could she have coincidentally appeared at the moment of the avalanche? If Zhu Yu had been following her, she probably had also discovered Tuosang's whereabouts. Later, when she arrived in Sichuan, Zhu Yu reappeared at Hanjing Garden. Zhu Yu said, "You have no idea what heinous things I've done."

—My chaotic mind suddenly started to make sense, but the clearer the clues became, the colder my heart felt.

Shu Zhenzhen thought for a moment and said, "That day, I found out that the notorious bandit who robbed the supplies said that he had ambushed a large number of underworld figures along the way to hunt down an important person..."

Junyu had already considered this point, and upon hearing Shu Zhenzhen say it, she said in a low voice with a look of despair, "If it weren't for dealing with Tuosang, I'm afraid they wouldn't have mobilized such a large number of people..."

Junyu looked into the distance, then suddenly calmed down and looked at Shu Zhenzhen, saying calmly, "Sister Shu, I'd like to trouble you to make a trip to Phoenix Village for me and explain some things to Lu Ling and Mo Feiyan."

"Junyu, I can still lend you a hand if I stay."

Junyu shook her head and said, "It's no use. Tuosang will never run away halfway. Sister Shu, I can't care about anything else now, so I have to ask you to help me with these trivial matters."

Shu Zhenzhen was unwilling to leave her, but she couldn't refuse. She knew that if she didn't go to the trouble for her, she would worry about both sides and become even more uneasy. So she nodded and said, "Just do your own thing and don't worry about anything else. I will take care of everything for you."

Junyu watched her leave. Shu Zhenzhen rode her horse a few steps, then stopped and turned back: "Junyu, you must be careful."

"Sister Shu, please take care too."

Junyu only turned his horse around after Shu Zhenzhen's figure had completely disappeared. It was midday, and the summer sun shone brightly on the grove. Xiao Shuai slowly walked out of the grove and into the sun. As if he could feel the heat, he started running, wanting to quickly find another shady spot.

The blazing sun shone down on her, but Junyu's mind slowly cleared. Since Zhu Yu had appeared at Hanjing Garden, and those assassins were lying in ambush along the Sichuan-Shaanxi line, she predicted that she could find Tuosang by following their trail.

She patted Xiao Shuai's head, and as if understanding his owner's feelings, Xiao Shuai started running wildly under the scorching sun.

She ran all the way back to the small town where she had met Meng Yuanjing by the third watch of the night. She went straight to the inn, but the doors were locked. She leaped onto the roof, ran to the second floor, and gently knocked on the window. A very old voice came from inside: "Who is it?"

It turned out that Meng Yuanjing and the others had already left. She immediately jumped down from the second floor, remembering that Meng Yuanjing did not want her to know what he was investigating, so she decided not to ask him for information anymore and immediately followed the information provided by Shu Zhenzhen in another direction.

Ahead lay a dense forest on the border of Sichuan and Shaanxi. Under the dew, a faint smell of blood lingered in the thick, almost impassable grass. Eight burly men in tight-fitting clothes trudged through the woods with some difficulty, finally reaching a main road. They whistled, and immediately eight fast horses waiting nearby sped off. The men mounted and rode away at full speed.

Xiao Shuai had already made proper arrangements, and Jun Yu leaped out of the bushes, following them as they sped away.

As we approached Sichuan province, it became completely dark.

The eight burly men stopped. Suddenly, a flame rose into the air. One of them gave a low command, and the group immediately headed toward the flame.

The sounds of fierce weapons clashing echoed across an open field. A sharp whistle rang out, and the eight men immediately joined the melee. It was the fourteenth of the day, with a full moon overhead. Jun Yu, hiding behind a large rock, could see clearly that dozens of corpses lay scattered on the ground, and nearly ten men were besieging three in the center. Among them, the white-clad man with a long sword swift as the wind was none other than Zhu Yu!

The eight burly men who arrived quickly assessed the situation, and most of their weapons immediately attacked Zhu Yu. Zhu Yu took a deep breath; by this time, his white clothes were splattered with blood, and it was impossible to tell whether it was from others or his own.

A burly man fell to the ground. Zhu Yu, seemingly blinded by rage, pierced another man's heart with his "Zhao Dan" sword. Seeing the situation was dire, the others abandoned their opponents and surrounded Zhu Yu, attacking him with several weapons simultaneously. Zhu Yu staggered, clearly already injured. Seeing no way to dodge, he suddenly used a very strange hand gesture to swing his sword backhand. The sword flashed coldly, revealing the move "Mo Ma Hua Shan" from the "Hand-Waving Five Strings" piece.

One man's shoulder was instantly pierced, and the other two immediately attacked. Suddenly, their vision blurred, and they saw a semi-circular, cold light in the moonlight. Another extremely ordinary iron sword was unleashing a move called "Wandering Heart of the Profound." This ordinary iron sword was one she had casually picked up from the ground. "Wandering Heart of the Profound" combined perfectly with "Mo Ma Hua Shan," creating a fierce and powerful sword aura. The two men were forced back three steps, their hands going numb as their weapons fell to the ground.

Zhu Yu caught up and swung his longsword repeatedly. Before the two could react, blood gushed from their chests, and they collapsed to the ground dead.