Why do I have so many masters?

"The person you're looking for is Xu Sixing, right?"

"Rest assured, though he is seriously injured, he's still breathing. His life is not in danger, and in a few days, he should recover his consciousness. As for questioning him, that might take some more time. You need to be cautious..."

Wuxin turned to look at Wang Anfeng, a hint of fatigue showing in his expression.

He shook his head and said:

"It's not Xu Sixing."

Wang Anfeng paused.

He took a moment to understand the meaning in Wuxin's words, and a look of surprise appeared on his face. "Not Xu Sixing? What do you mean..."

Wuxin closed his eyes briefly and calmly said:

"Just as it sounds."

"I wasn't supposed to tell you this, but it's no longer a problem at this point. This time, Tie Lin and I are targeting two Class A wanted criminals. One is a young scholar in his twenties, and the other is a burly old man."

"Xu Sixing is not among them."

Wang Anfeng said, "Xu Sixing... isn't he with them?"

Wuxin shook his head and said, "No, although Xu Sixing's whereabouts are secretive, our secret tracker, who's been following him, reported that he seems to have been trailing Dongfang Ningxin, disappearing for several days along the way."

"He arrived yesterday purely by coincidence, and his route is entirely different from those two Class A criminals."

Wang Anfeng's expression changed.

Wuxin sighed, looking into the distance, and said:

"Just as you thought, I initially also focused on Xu Sixing, but it seems, in this matter, Xu Sixing is just a pawn."

"The other party used Xu Sixing's movements to distract us, taking the opportunity to carry out their plans. Thus, I immediately ordered the entire city to be on lockdown, tight on the inside but loose on the outside, assuming the other party wouldn't take reckless risks."

His voice paused, recalling the provincial official's questions earlier today.

The one to be captured, is it Xu Sixing?

Of course not.

This is far more troublesome and tricky than Xu Sixing...

Wuxin slowly exhaled a breath of stale air. He originally planned to intercept Xu Sixing directly and then go to the traps he had set, making a backward lance strike.

But the provincial official, being too clever, didn't provide support, wasting time, and by the time he arrived, it was too late. The traps didn't leave any valuable clues, and by the time he followed the traces to investigate, the leads had already been wiped clean.

His thoughts flickered for a moment, and he looked at Wang Anfeng, saying:

"I came today mainly to tell you about this because I suspect that while Xu Sixing may not know about this, his arrival at this time and place is too coincidental, and he might have been led here by someone else."

"The other party might try to silence him."

"Because right now, only you can ensure his survival, so please take extra care to get him to recover his speech ability as quickly as possible."

Once he can speak, what Xu Sixing will face, Wuxin didn't say.

Wang Anfeng nodded.

Wuxin's expression softened a bit, and then he said:

"The secret tracker reported that Jiu Zizai appeared in Guan City of Xianping County and seemed to have had a confrontation with someone. He is currently on his way towards Liangzhou. You might as well wait here for a little while. I'll have a secret tracker deliver a message to Jiu Zizai, and in no more than five days, you will be able to meet him."

This time, Wang Anfeng, hiding his identity, made his way from Fufeng County, bypassing Jiangnan Road to reach Liangzhou City, just to meet Jiu Zizai with whom he had made a promise once, hoping to get information about the secret organization, White Tiger Hall.

And now, from what Wuxin said, he could actually contact Jiu Zizai directly.

One is a hermit grandmaster of Jianghu.

The other is a famed constable today, the future Chief Constable of the Ministry of Punishment.

Wang Anfeng's expression subtly shifted.

Wuxin continued speaking by himself: "Don't ask, I can't explain it to you in detail, or at least, I can't tell you right now."

He raised his hand, taking out a small oil-paper-wrapped package from his bosom, handing it to Wang Anfeng, and said: "This is a gift, containing some dried lilies from the Northwest. Your cousin was startled, you can make her some calming porridge."

Wang Anfeng was stunned, instinctively raised his hand, and took this package from the cold and stern arrestor before him. The decisive nature of the execution and the ruthless official—called coercive by the nobles and viewed as a hound by the Jianghu people—delivered such a delicately thought-out gift, evoking a strange feeling of dissonance.

Wuxin's expression was indifferent as he withdrew his right hand and adjusted his collar.

"I'll say no more today."

"The package has two layers; one contains a small bottle of sandalwood for communication. When you return, open it and place it on the windowsill, and I will send a homing pigeon to you. In the next few days, this will be our only means of contact."

Wang Anfeng nodded.

Wuxin reminded him once or twice more before bidding farewell, and, unlike those knights, he didn't jump out of the window to show off his agility. Instead, Wuxin turned around, walking down the steps one by one, each step seeming like a repetition of the last.

Wang Anfeng watched Wuxin leave, placed the accompanying gift on the table, his smile fading from the corners of his mouth, fingers curling as he gently tapped on the table, creating a rhythmic sound.

He didn't follow his plan to inform Wuxin about Dongfang Ningxin.

It was not that he suddenly gained confidence in his tracking skills or doubted Wuxin's character; instead, he suddenly noticed a point he had overlooked, making him restrain his thoughts—

The person Wuxin was tracking coincidentally arrived in Liangzhou City at the same time as Xu Sixing, and used Xu Sixing to divert the attention of two arrestors to achieve his purpose.

The most likely scenario is as Wuxin thought, that another person, perhaps someone influential to Xu Sixing, exerted influence on him, prompting him to come to Liangzhou City and get involved during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

However, Wang Anfeng considered another possibility, another person.

Apart from someone who could actively contact and lure Xu Sixing's confidant, there is another person who could do similar things without arousing much suspicion.

Because she hadn't contacted Xu Sixing, she couldn't possibly be his confidant; indeed, she should be the greatest victim.

Unless she replaced herself with another person.

Wang Anfeng's eyes deepened as he muttered to himself:

"Dongfang Ningxin..."

Xu Sixing came to Liangzhou City to track her.

She herself is the least suspected victim, and if Xu Sixing indeed takes 'Dongfang Ningxin' away from Liangzhou City, the identity of Dongfang Ningxin will completely vanish in the judgments of Wuxin and Tie Lin.

Xu Sixing came because of her.

So, as long as she confirmed the timing, as long as she had some connection with those two Grade-A criminals, showing traces at the appointed time and coming to Liangzhou City would lure Xu Sixing like a moth to a flame, into the trap, allowing him to collide with Liangzhou at a sufficiently coincidental time.

And then be used to divert attention.

Finally, using Dongfang Ximing as the cost to 'exchange out' from this chess move, disappearing from the board.

Wang Anfeng's fingers fell, making a somewhat prolonged sound; his evaluation of 'Dongfang Ningxin' rose to a higher level, no longer merely seeing her as a ruthless noble child.

"Dongfang Clan..."

After contemplating for a long time, he regained his composure, exhaled a turbid breath, dispelling distracting thoughts, yet at this moment, a strange feeling emerged within him, making him feel as though he had forgotten something important.

After carefully thinking it over, Wang Anfeng shook his head, dismissing the thought.

Then he picked up the top-grade dried lily petals sent by Wuxin, prepared to head to the kitchen to borrow some good rice from the cook, and if soaked red beans were available, it would be best to make some congee.

.........

Xin De Lane, Liangzhou Wine Banquet.

The partitions previously separating sections in the lane were removed, and the wineries from various regions left either regretfully or satisfied, preparing to return next year, while the esteemed guests naturally departed early.

The place was deserted.

The once lively and prosperous pavilion from last night now bore a sense of bleakness.

An elderly man in a gray long robe stood alone at the top, clapping the railing with both hands, and looking up at the sky, he shouted:

"Where is everyone?!"

"Wang Anfeng, Li Qidao, have you all forgotten about me?!"

"Where is everyone!!!"

PS: Here's today's update... Due to writer's block, it's somewhat shorter, please bear with me, everyone.