Zhou Qingmei's warning came a step too late.
The man's Swordsmanship was exceptionally fierce. He forced the man in black into a corner, leaving him with no way to defend himself. In the end, he exposed a fatal opening and was struck through the heart, dying on the spot.
By the time Zhou Qingmei rushed over, the man was sheathing his sword. He grinned when he saw her.
"Junior Sister Zhou, long time no see."
Zhou Qingmei ignored him, instead crouching down to inspect the man in black.
After confirming he was dead, she sighed helplessly.
"Senior Brother Zhang, I told you to show mercy! Why did you kill him?"
"Huh? He's a lecher. Why would you want to keep him alive?"
Senior Brother Zhang was confused.
Zhou Qingmei wanted to explain, but for a moment, she didn't know where to begin.
She could only ask helplessly:
"What are you doing here?"
"I heard Junior Sister Zhou was in trouble, so naturally, I couldn't just stand by and do nothing. I came down from the mountain specifically to help you resolve your difficulties."
Senior Brother Zhang said with a smile:
"Junior Sister, what trouble have you gotten into? Tell me, and I'll take care of it for you."
"I've run afoul of the Black Death Sect."
"Hahaha, is that all? A mere Black Death Sect is noth— What?"
His confident voice came to an abrupt halt. Senior Brother Zhang was dumbfounded.
"Are you talking about the same Black Death Sect from thirty years ago?
"But wait, weren't they wiped out thirty years ago? When did they resurface?"
Zhou Qingmei was too impatient to explain.
The Fang Family was a lead she was following. She had happened upon the situation tonight and thought she could capture the man in black, but then, of all the rotten luck, this Senior Brother Zhang had to arrive at that exact moment.
He even killed the man in black before she could act, bringing the lead to a dead end.
She was in a foul mood now and had no patience to explain everything from the beginning.
She walked over to Fang Shuwen. He looked up at her and gestured for her to look at the girl in his arms in the dim moonlight.
"This is the Fang Family's young miss?"
"That's right."
Zhou Qingmei nodded.
"How is she?"
"She was likely drugged with some kind of knockout powder. It's not serious. She'll wake up once the effects wear off."
"That's good."
At this point, Senior Brother Zhang sidled up to them, looking from Fang Shuwen to Zhou Qingmei.
"Junior Sister Zhou, who is this gentleman?"
"I am Fang Shuwen."
Fang Shuwen glanced at Zhou Qingmei.
"I am currently employed to protect Miss Zhou."
"Employed…"
Senior Brother Zhang glanced at Zhou Qingmei in surprise.
Zhou Qingmei said:
"It's a long story, and this isn't the place to talk. Miss Fang was kidnapped, and the Fang Family must be frantic right now. We should head back first and talk later."
"Alright."
Senior Brother Zhang nodded.
But as they walked, he couldn't help but ask about this and that.
If he wasn't asking about the Black Death Sect, he was asking about Fang Shuwen.
Thanks to the man's incessant chatter, Fang Shuwen learned a few things about him.
He learned that this Senior Brother Zhang was named Zhang Fang.
He and Zhou Qingmei didn't share the same master; rather, he was a True Disciple of her master's senior brother, Xu Chongshan.
Among the disciples of Zhou Qingmei's generation in Zhuji Pavilion, the first was Li Nanchen, the eldest and personal disciple of the Pavilion Master.
The second was Zhou Qingmei's senior sister, Lu Xiaoqing.
And the third was this very Zhang Fang.
His Martial Arts were outstanding, and he had a free-spirited personality.
The only problem was… he talked way too much.
Fang Shuwen had a moment of realization. No wonder Zhuji Pavilion dared to send him down the mountain alone to assist Zhou Qingmei.
As they spoke, the three of them returned to the city and ran right into a search party from the Fang Family.
The Fang Family's steward then simply led the group back to the Fang estate.
Patriarch Fang, Fang Mingxuan, was pacing back and forth in front of the main gate. When he saw the group return and laid eyes on the apple of his eye, he finally let out a long sigh of relief.
He ushered everyone inside and had his daughter taken back to her chambers before coming to the main hall to receive his guests.
"Thank you all for what you've done tonight."
Fang Mingxuan cupped his fist in a salute.
Fang Shuwen silently watched him.
'He isn't quite the same as the man from my memories.'
'He's older, heavier, and without that same vibrant spirit.'
'But it's definitely him…'
He gave a wry smile. 'So the Fang Family really is my family.'
'What a curious twist of fate.'
He covertly sized up Fang Mingxuan, wondering how to handle their relationship.
'We were separated when I was just an infant in swaddling clothes. I can't just run up, crying and calling him 'Father.' Aside from the fact that I couldn't bring myself to do it, he probably wouldn't believe me even if I did.'
'What baby in swaddling clothes could possibly remember their parents' faces?'
'I'd more likely be seen as an impostor with ulterior motives and thrown out on the spot, right?'
'As for a token of proof, I used to have one.'
'But the old beggar pawned it long ago. After changing hands so many times, who knows where it's ended up?'
'Without any proof, it's better to say nothing at all.'
'Besides, with my current abilities, I can live well whether we acknowledge each other or not.'
'Rather than agonizing over it, it's better to set the matter aside for now.'
'As for the future, I'll let fate decide.'
"Young brother, may I ask your name?
"I heard it was you who saved my young daughter tonight. I cannot thank you enough."
Fang Mingxuan had, at some point, walked up to Fang Shuwen.
As he studied the face before him, he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity and couldn't help but feel a flicker of fondness.
Fang Shuwen smiled.
"I am Fang Shuwen. It is an honor to meet you, Master Fang."
"Your surname is Fang as well?"
Fang Mingxuan laughed heartily.
"In that case, we must have been from the same family five hundred years ago."
It was a polite pleasantry from Fang Mingxuan, but to Fang Shuwen's ears, it was ironically amusing.
He could only give a perfunctory nod in response.
Zhou Qingmei then spoke up:
"Patriarch Fang, if it's not too much trouble, could you tell us Miss Fang's Eight Characters of birth?"
Fang Mingxuan was taken aback.
"Heroine, your question… could it be related to the two incidents involving my daughter?"
"It's just a suspicion."
Zhou Qingmei said in a low voice:
"So please, Patriarch Fang, if it is convenient, tell us her Eight Characters of birth."
Fang Mingxuan nodded immediately and recited his daughter's Eight Characters of birth.
Zhou Qingmei counted on her fingers for a moment, then suddenly sucked in a sharp breath.
"This… This is a Yin Year, Yin Month, Yin Day, and Yin Hour!
"A body of extreme quadruple Yin. No wonder the Black Death Sect is targeting her."
"It really is the Black Death Sect?"
Zhang Fang's expression suddenly turned grave.
"If this involves the Black Death Sect, then it's no small matter. I'm afraid it's beyond what the two of us can handle.
"We should return to the sect at once and ask the Pavilion Master for guidance!"
Zhou Qingmei looked at Fang Shuwen.
Fang Shuwen shook his head gently.
"Distant water won't quench a nearby thirst. You two could leave, but what would happen to the Fang Family?"
His words left Zhang Fang speechless.
Zhou Qingmei said:
"In that case, we'll write a letter back to the sect explaining the situation."
"Alright, leave it to me."
Zhang Fang volunteered eagerly.
Fang Shuwen then turned to Fang Mingxuan.
"Patriarch Fang, your Fang Family is deeply rooted in Guangning City. Your information network must be extensive.
"I was wondering, have you heard of the Da Xuan Bank?"
"The Da Xuan Bank? Of course, I know of it."
Fang Mingxuan was a little curious.
"But why do you ask, young hero?"