Damn it. He only had 66 points left—nowhere near enough to activate any skills.

Gu Qingyan made a silent resolution: from now on, he would always keep at least 100 points on hand, just in case. If things got critical, he could trigger a skill immediately.

Otherwise, the world was just too dangerous, and he was afraid he’d end up dead like a dog.

Wait a minute—after Bai Yu was eliminated, the Qingzhou Prefecture had issued an order, and the surrounding counties had worked together to sweep the nearby mountains several times.

Magistrate Hong had even mentioned that all the nearby bandits had already been wiped out.

“Brother Gu, you’re finally awake! There’s a bunch of people outside surrounding us, and they’re calling your name.”

Zhang Cheng rushed in flustered, but with an odd excitement in his voice. “It’s your time to shine again! Brother Gu, can you take on ten men at once?”

Gu Qingyan pushed through the crowd and stuck his head out.

One glance—and he lit up.

“Brother Pei!”

He hopped off the ox cart in a few quick steps.

Sitting atop a fine steed, exuding a sharp and cold aura that had the surrounding scholars trembling in fear—thinking they were being robbed—was none other than Pei Xuan.

Behind him were several others. Aside from Xia Liu, Gu Qingyan didn’t recognize any of them, but they all looked like rough types, definitely not ordinary folks.

Just standing there blocking the road, they looked downright terrifying.

But Gu Qingyan felt nothing but joy. Ever since their rushed farewell on New Year’s Eve, it had been nearly three months. He truly missed Pei Xuan.

Pei Xuan’s expression softened and he was about to speak, but Gu Qingyan was already looking behind him, enthusiastically waving.

“Xia Liu! Long time no see!” Gu Qingyan ran over.

“Young Master Gu!” Xia Liu called out happily.

But before he could finish his greeting, he caught sight of Pei Xuan’s disapproving gaze, and quickly backed up two steps, lowering his head like a wooden statue.

Gu Qingyan didn’t notice the small detail and eagerly asked, “Brother Pei, what a coincidence! What are you doing here? You’re not here looking for me, are you?”

Pei Xuan’s gaze softened. “Just passing by. It really is a coincidence.”

Behind them, Xia Liu rolled his eyes.

Who had been working nonstop through the New Year, never resting, handling affairs day and night?

And the moment it was done, the first thing he did wasn’t to return to the capital to report in—but to detour all the way to Lingchuan County.

Then he’d shown up at Gu Qingyan’s door, only to learn that the young master had already left for Qingzhou Prefecture to attend the exams.

Without even drinking a sip of water, the man immediately rushed to catch up, as if he feared that being late by even a moment would mean never seeing him again.

Xia Liu thought, something was definitely off with his lord. He was way too concerned about Young Master Gu.

Something was wrong. Seriously wrong.

Gu Qingyan, unaware of Xia Liu’s inner grumbling, really believed it was just coincidence.

“That’s really lucky! See, we’re fated.” He grinned so hard that his eyes curved into crescent moons.

Xia Liu just smiled without comment, thinking, That fate was dragged out through day and night, nonstop.

Gu Qingyan turned back and shouted, “Everyone, don’t worry! These are friends of mine, not bandits!”

Pei Xuan gave the caravan a glance. “We’re headed to Qingzhou Prefecture as well. We can escort you along the way.”

“That would be wonderful! I’ll go let everyone know—they’ll definitely agree.”

Gu Qingyan ran back and explained everything.

Zhang Cheng looked concerned. “Brother Gu, how do you know those people? They don’t look like normal folks.”

“Yeah, they all look like trained fighters—and they’re all on horseback. They look terrifying.”

Gu Qingyan patted his chest confidently. “Brother Pei is a good man. He works for the court. You can relax. Last time I came to Lingchuan County, I was lucky he escorted me, or I’d have been hacked to bits by bandits halfway.”

Zhang Cheng was skeptical. “With your skills, Brother Gu, you still needed protection?”

“Zhang, you’re overestimating me. I really don’t know any martial arts,” Gu Qingyan said, trying to explain.

Still, hearing that Pei Xuan and his group were from the court eased the worries of the scholars. They agreed to travel together.

Gu Qingyan was overjoyed. Traveling together for the next three or four days meant he had company—and he could keep checking in for activity points.

“Brother Pei, riding must be exhausting. Why don’t you join me in the cart?” Gu Qingyan offered.

Xia Liu thought to himself, Everyone knows Lord Pei has no patience for sitting in carts. He doesn’t even like riding in carriages, let alone ox carts.

But the next second, he was eating his words.

Pei Xuan nodded without hesitation, got off his horse, and sat right down beside Gu Qingyan.

He glanced at the driver, Zhang Nian. The boy sat stiffly, lips pressed together, face tense with nervousness.

Gu Qingyan smiled and introduced them. “This is my page, Zhang Nian. A-Nian, this is Brother Pei—the one I told Mother about.”

Zhang Nian stiffly nodded, not daring to look at Pei Xuan.

Pei Xuan’s brows furrowed slightly. Suddenly, he asked, “You’ve trained in martial arts?”

Gu Qingyan lit up with delight. “Brother Pei, you can tell I’ve been training? I always feel like I’m not doing it quite right. You’ve got to give me some pointers later—see if I’ve got the talent!”

If Pei Xuan could tell at a glance, maybe he really was a martial arts prodigy!

Gu Qingyan was practically glowing with hope.

But Pei Xuan’s eyes flashed with quiet resignation. That scrawny little body of his—not exactly martial arts material.

He looked at Zhang Nian. “Your pageboy is the one who’s had some training.”

Gu Qingyan was startled. “A-Nian, you’ve trained?”

“After my parents passed, I worked odd jobs at a martial arts hall. I picked up a few moves, but never trained formally,” Zhang Nian answered honestly.

Gu Qingyan thought back—Zhang Cheng had mentioned that after his parents died, Zhang Nian had taken whatever jobs he could find to survive. He must’ve learned it back then.

Still, Gu Qingyan was more curious: “Brother Pei, how could you tell? Just one look and you knew A-Nian had trained?”

Pei Xuan’s lips curved slightly. “The way someone trained in martial arts moves and holds themselves is different from ordinary people. Just now, he stepped in front of you instinctively—that movement gave it away.”

Gu Qingyan was even more amazed.

Just one little move from Zhang Nian, and Pei Xuan had seen right through it.

I definitely don’t have that kind of eye, he thought.

“Then what about me, Brother Pei?” Gu Qingyan looked up at him, eyes sparkling with hope.

Pei Xuan raised his eyebrows slightly. “All show and no substance.”

He didn’t want to discourage Gu Qingyan, but no matter how he looked at him, the young man in front of him seemed like a frail scholar.

Gu Qingyan didn’t catch the hidden meaning behind his words at all and was instead quite pleased. “You noticed! Ever since we parted ways, I’ve been practicing every day. I’ve actually picked up some skills.”

“Come on, feel my bones! Don’t those storybooks always say you can tell if someone has talent for martial arts by touching their bones?”

“Brother Pei, I think I really do have that kind of talent.”

Pei Xuan didn’t know how to respond.

If he told the truth, would those bright, sparkling eyes of Gu Qingyan’s be filled with disappointment? Would he cry?

Just imagining the scene made Pei Xuan unable to open his mouth.

When Gu Qingyan saw he wasn’t making a move, he proactively grabbed his hand. “Brother Pei, do you know how to read bones?”

Of course Pei Xuan did.

Take Zhang Nian, their coachman, for example—just one look and you could tell he was a natural for martial arts.

But now, holding this soft, slender, fair hand in his own, Pei Xuan was momentarily dazed.

“Brother Pei?” Gu Qingyan asked in confusion, seeing him staring at his hand without speaking.

Pei Xuan gave a light cough and let go of his hand. “These are hands meant for writing.”

The implication was clear—don’t waste your time thinking about martial arts.

But Gu Qingyan misunderstood. “Brother Pei, do you already know I passed the county-level exam? I even placed first!”

“When I get to Qingzhou Prefecture and take the provincial exam, I’ll aim for first place again. I’m determined to earn my student title in one go!”

Seeing how cheerful he was, Pei Xuan couldn’t help but smile.

Not wanting to hurt his enthusiasm, he went along with it instead. “Studying and martial arts both require perseverance. If you keep training regularly, over time your skills will definitely be better than most.”

Even if he couldn’t become a martial arts master, it would still be good for Gu Qingyan to move around more and strengthen his body—it was better than staying weak and frail.

Gu Qingyan took the words to heart and laughed, “Then I’ll surely be both a scholar and a warrior in the future. Ah, if only there were more than twelve hours in a day. Then I could study for six hours and practice martial arts for another six—both would get done!”

Thinking back, he realized his slow progress in martial arts was definitely due to lack of time.

There were only 24 hours in a day—he had to study, attend classes, earn merit points, sign in… there really wasn’t much time left for martial arts practice.

He told himself his talent was sufficient—it was just time that was lacking.

Otherwise, why would Pei Xuan approve of him?

This was a man who, with the skills granted by King Huai himself, could take on a whole gang single-handedly—a true master.

Pei Xuan laughed along.

Afraid Gu Qingyan would feel disheartened, he added, “You’re busy with the imperial exams now, so it’s true you don’t have time to train. But your study attendant can practice more. Strengthening his body will help him protect you as well.”

After a pause, he said, “Have Xia Liu teach him a few moves on the road.”

Gu Qingyan turned and asked, “A-Nian, would you like to learn martial arts?”

Zhang Nian grew a little excited. “Of course I would.”

He looked at Pei Xuan. “I want to become stronger so I can better protect Brother Gu.”

Gu Qingyan smiled and nodded. “Then we’ll trouble Xia Liu.”

“It’s no trouble. He’s got nothing else to do anyway,” Pei Xuan said indifferently.

Unaware that his master had just volunteered him for a new task, Xia Liu was currently being cornered and interrogated by the other guards.

“Come on, tell us—who is that young lord?”

“Last New Year’s Eve when the master disappeared, did he go see him?”

“Why’s it a guy? I thought the master finally caught feelings and went off to find some girl.”

Xia Liu put on a stern face. “Scram, scram. If you’ve got the guts, go ask the master yourself.”

The others snickered—they definitely didn’t dare ask. But their curiosity only grew, and they kept sneaking glances behind them.

One such glance, however, showed them something quite shocking—Gu Qingyan had just grabbed Pei Xuan’s hand and was pulling him into the ox cart.

“Did I just see that? That little lord actually grabbed our master’s hand!”

“Where, where? Let me see!”

“No way. Master hates being touched. You must’ve seen it wrong.”

“I didn’t. My eyes are fine—I saw it clear as day!”

Xia Liu snapped, “Quit making a racket. What are you, a bunch of gossiping old hens? Get moving.”

But deep down he thought, This is nothing yet, you clueless fools.

Gu Qingyan had indeed pulled Pei Xuan into the carriage, intending to sit and catch up.

The last time they met, it had been in the middle of the night—he hadn’t even gotten a clear look at Pei Xuan’s face before the man disappeared again.

“Brother Pei, is your task finished? Where are you headed now? Will you be staying long in Qingzhou Prefecture?”

Pei Xuan’s gaze dropped to their interlocked hands. “It’s done, but I’ll be heading to the capital soon. I can’t stay long.”

“That’s such a shame. I thought we could spend more time together this time,” Gu Qingyan sighed. “But it’s fine—once I go to the capital for the exams, I’ll come find you and we can catch up then.”

Pei Xuan also felt it was a shame.

It was rare to find someone he genuinely got along with, yet every meeting was fleeting.

“I received the New Year’s gift you sent. Everything was great—my men all loved the food,” Pei Xuan said.

Gu Qingyan was delighted to hear that. Since he hadn’t run into Xia Liu, he’d mailed the package from the courier station to Guangzhou Prefecture.

“That’s great! I was afraid it got lost along the way. By the way, why did you send me such expensive pearls?”

As he asked, he fixed Pei Xuan with a pair of bright, inquisitive eyes.

The black pearl is as bright as your eyes.

The moment I saw it, I thought it suited you.

Pei Xuan thought to himself.

He couldn’t help but lower his eyes, avoiding Gu Qingyan’s gaze. “Guangzhou Prefecture is by the sea—pearls are common and cheap. I didn’t know what else to send, so I just picked something randomly.”

Then he added to cover it up, “Just a casual choice. Do whatever you want with them.”

The Guangzhou Prefecture really was near the sea—no wonder pearls were cheaper there.

Gu Qingyan believed this explanation and said sincerely, “Those black pearls in the box are big and shiny. When we get back, I’ll have a jeweler make them into accessories—perfect for my mother and sister. Thank you, Brother Pei.”

Pei Xuan gave a light cough. “I still have plenty of white pearls. They’re more suitable for women to wear. I’ll have someone send them over later.”

Gu Qingyan didn’t like taking advantage of others and refused immediately. “No need. One box of black pearls is more than enough.”

For the first time in his life, Pei Xuan experienced the feeling of wanting to say something but holding back.

Meanwhile, Gu Qingyan had secretly checked in with the system.

[You have successfully checked in with Pei Xuan and received a box of natural white pearls.]

Gu Qingyan was speechless.

What was this, a pearl conference? Brother Pei had already gifted him a large box of black pearls, and now here came another big box of white pearls—and Brother Pei even wanted to keep sending more.

What was he supposed to do with so many pearls? Grind them into powder for face masks?

Gu Qingyan found it excessive, but someone else had their eyes on the pearls.

Shangguan Ling, for some reason, kept thinking about that missing box of black pearls.

Taking advantage of Zhang Menghuai’s good mood, he asked again, “Lord Zhang, what happened to the finest batch of black pearls—the biggest ones? Why are they missing?”

The moment Zhang Menghuai heard this, his expression darkened. “Lord Shangguan, really now. Those belonged to the commander. He can put them wherever he wants. Even if he scattered them around for fun, what’s it to us?”

Shangguan Ling didn’t believe it.

Pei Xuan had always been indifferent to worldly possessions. He handled countless treasures—gold, silver, pearls—and never cared for them.

Those items were usually handled by Zhang Menghuai, who would sell most of them to fund the army.

But this time, the finest batch of pearls had vanished.

Shangguan Ling couldn’t help but speculate. “I was thinking, that batch of black pearls is truly rare. It would be perfect if presented to the palace.”

“Then go look for them yourself. Why are you always so concerned about the commander’s belongings?” Zhang Menghuai said irritably, feeling very frustrated.

The commander had left early, taking only that little brat Xia Liu, and left him behind to deal with Shangguan Ling.

Heaven knew how annoying Shangguan Ling could be—with those eyes and that mouth, it was like he was born to scrutinize people. No wonder he came from the Imperial Investigation Bureau—he was tailor-made for surveillance work.

Shangguan Ling frowned. “Lord Zhang, I merely asked a few questions. Was there a need to be so impatient?”

“You’re the one nagging nonstop. Am I not allowed to complain?” Zhang Menghuai wasn’t afraid of him at all.

Shangguan Ling glared coldly at him. “Then tell me—where exactly did Pei Xuan go, leaving the main force behind?”

“Why should I tell you?” Zhang Menghuai snorted coldly.

Shangguan Ling said in a low voice, “Because I was sent by His Majesty to supervise your operations.”

“Then go report to His Majesty and His Highness the Crown Prince. We’re returning to the capital anyway—you can file all the complaints you want,” Zhang Menghuai replied indifferently.

Shangguan Ling’s expression grew even darker.

He had followed Pei Xuan for over a year, and yet never managed to integrate with the team. Instead, he was always being excluded.

Now he was full of frustration with nowhere to vent, so he could only hope to return to the capital soon and report to the Crown Prince.

Realizing he wouldn’t get anything out of Zhang Menghuai, Shangguan Ling gave the order to continue the journey, face dark with displeasure.

Zhang Menghuai called loudly behind him, “Walking around with that long face—someone might think I owe him something. Like hell I wanted to be left behind! Did I complain or blame anyone for that?”

Over the next few days of traveling together, Gu Qingyan continued checking in diligently.

The only issue was that Pei Xuan seemed dead set on pearls this time.

Day one: [You have checked in with Pei Xuan and received a box of natural white pearls.]
Day two: [You have checked in with Pei Xuan and received a box of golden pearls.]
Day three: [You have checked in with Pei Xuan and received a box of pink pearls.]

Gu Qingyan thought, even if he had a few more beloved sisters, he still wouldn’t be able to use up this many pearls.

He couldn’t help but ask, “Brother Pei, do you really like pearls?”

When Pei Xuan looked down, he was met with Gu Qingyan’s clear, radiant black eyes.

Pei Xuan gave a light cough and nodded. “I do like them.”

Gu Qingyan sighed.

He didn’t need pearls, but he couldn’t change Brother Pei’s preferences. Fine—pearls it is. At least they were high quality and could be sold for money. If nothing else, they could be made into accessories for his mother or saved for his sister’s dowry.

Taking advantage of some free time, Gu Qingyan seized the chance to ask Pei Xuan for martial arts instruction.

Whenever they took a break, one could see Gu Qingyan sparring with Pei Xuan.

A group of scholarly types who didn’t know any martial arts watched them go back and forth, and they all cheered.

Zhang Cheng, in particular, boasted proudly, “See? I told you Brother Gu is a hidden expert. He’s been keeping a low profile all along!”

The other scholars agreed. Gu Qingyan looked delicate, but who would’ve thought his skills were so impressive?

Little did they know, Summer Liu and the others were secretly shocked watching the scene.

Was this really the same Lord Pei who could send people flying with one kick, whose blade always drew blood? The same cold-faced young general who had trained them to the brink of death and beyond?

Why was it that everything changed when it came to Young Master Gu?

He was clearly just humoring a child—look at that move, he didn’t even use any strength.

Xia Liu couldn’t bear to watch and simply went to the other side to instruct Zhang Nian.

At first, he thought Lord Pei was just humoring Young Master Gu. A mere pageboy, looking as delicate as a baby chick—how could he possibly be suitable for martial arts?

But once he actually began teaching, Xia Liu was stunned.

Zhang Nian was young, thin, and not very tall. What little flesh he had on his face had only been gained after arriving at the Gu household.

Yet he was a natural martial arts talent. Whatever Xia Liu taught, he understood instantly.

After a few days, Xia Liu developed a deep appreciation for his potential and couldn’t help suggesting, “My lord, Young Master Gu—this boy has real promise. It’s a waste for him to be a pageboy. Why not let him come with us? He might really achieve something in the future.”

As soon as he said this, before Gu Qingyan could respond, Zhang Nian immediately objected.

“No! I’m not going!”

Zhang Nian said anxiously, “I belong to Brother Gu in life and in death. I want to be his pageboy forever.”

Pei Xuan frowned slightly when he heard this, his gaze thoughtful.

Xia Liu just felt a toothache from the sentimentality. “Alright, alright, I was meddling.”

But Gu Qingyan actually felt it was a shame. In private, he asked, “Ah-Nian, this is a great opportunity. Brother Pei and Xia Liu are both good people—if you follow them, your future will be limitless.”

“Brother Gu, you don’t want me anymore?” Zhang Nian looked miserable, as if on the verge of tears.

Gu Qingyan quickly said, “How could I not want you? I just think this is a rare chance. It would be a pity to miss it.”

“You’re still young. If you give this up now, what if you regret it in the future?”

“I won’t regret it.”

“It was Brother Gu who avenged my parents, who pays me wages, who makes me clothes, who makes sure I eat well and stay warm every day. In my heart, I’ve already treated Brother Gu like my own brother. I want to stay in the Gu household.”

Zhang Nian declared firmly, “I just want to stay by your side, be your pageboy, call you ‘young master,’ and do things for you. Even if going with them would be better, I still don’t want to leave.”

With that, he threw his arms around Gu Qingyan and refused to let go.

Gu Qingyan was both amused and exasperated. He had no choice but to pat Zhang Nian’s back and comfort him, “Alright, alright. If you want to stay, you can stay. If you ever change your mind, just let me know.”

He really was thinking about Zhang Nian’s future. But then again, Zhang Nian had lost his parents at a young age and had only just found stability. Now suddenly asking him to go off with strangers—of course the child would be scared.

When he grew up, if he changed his mind, it wouldn’t be too late to revisit the idea then.

“I won’t change my mind,” Zhang Nian sniffled, determined.

Seeing the two of them hugging tightly, Pei Xuan frowned slightly and pulled them apart with one hand.

“In that case, make sure to learn as much as you can in the coming days. Otherwise, if you can’t even protect yourself, how will you protect him?”

As expected, Zhang Nian wiped his tears upon hearing this and, puffing out his cheeks, walked toward Xia Liu. “Master Xia, please teach me.”

Gu Qingyan watched the scene with a deep sense of emotion.

“Don’t spoil those around you too much. It’s not good in the long run,” Pei Xuan advised.

Gu Qingyan didn’t mind and smiled, saying, “Ah-Nian may call himself my pageboy, but he’s actually a clansman of the same generation. He’s never been sold to me—we’re more like brothers.”

This made Pei Xuan even more uneasy.

Gu Qingyan chuckled and bumped Pei Xuan lightly. “Brother Pei, why do you keep saying he needs to protect me? With my martial arts talent, in the future I’ll be the one protecting him.”

Pei Xuan fell silent at those words.

He felt like the past few days of indulgence had been totally misguided—it had only inflated Gu Qingyan’s blind confidence. It was time for a reality check.

“But if someone has to protect someone,” Gu Qingyan added cheerfully, “it should be you protecting me, Brother Pei. After all, your martial arts are the best, right? You’ll protect me, won’t you?”

Over the past few days, he had finally emerged from his martial arts frenzy and gained a more realistic view of his abilities.

Of course, that was under normal circumstances.

When things weren’t normal, he had a system cheat. With the King of Huai’s possession, he’d be just as strong as Pei Xuan.

If Pei Xuan was the best in the world, then so was he!

Gu Qingyan smiled gleefully. Who could beat him?

“Brother Pei, you’ve got to work hard and train diligently. Strive to become the top martial artist in the world. That way, I can just ride your coattails and use your reputation to intimidate everyone else!”

Such a fortunate turn of events made Gu Qingyan smile uncontrollably— the more he thought about it, the happier he became.

Pei Xuan, on the other hand, could no longer bring himself to speak; faced with those bright, smiling eyes, he simply couldn’t say no.

“Mm.”

“What?”

Pei Xuan opened his mouth and said, “If anyone dares to hurt you, just report my name.”

Gu Qingyan was even more delighted, clapping him on the shoulder in approval. “Loyal! A true brother for life.”

That kind of intimate gesture made Pei Xuan feel uncomfortable, but his expression relaxed, and there was unmistakable joy in his eyes.

With Pei Xuan and his men escorting them, they didn’t encounter even a stray cat along the way, let alone bandits.

Gu Qingyan would have liked to travel with them longer, but unfortunately, the distance from Lingchuan County to Qingzhou Prefecture wasn’t far. Before long, the gates of Qingzhou Prefecture came into view.