That Fair-Faced 'Sage' {Completed}

74. Back to Jade City

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The next day, Zhao ChaoYun and the five cultivators with him, returned to Camellia City, where they received a warm welcome from the people.

It appeared they would be in the good graces of the people for a while, and Zhao ChaoYun wouldn't let it go to waste!

"The Zhao clan is willing to help anyone whose family has suffered permanent damage from the false plague, brought on by the Zhou family!" he announced.

"If the main breadwinner of your family was affected, please come to the Zhao clan for help!"

Meanwhile, LanFen, Shuǐ ChénLín and Lu FengHo had escorted him back to Camellia City.

This worked for them, since it was easier to get a boat from Camellia City's Port.

There were boats in Wu City, but they were usually fishing boats, and were mostly unwilling to go all the way to another region.

After Elder Zhao had settled back in, LanFen, Shuǐ ChénLín and Lu FengHo bade their farewells, booked an early boat, and were finally on their way back to Jade city.

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On the trip back, LanFen recounted what she had discovered, especially her suspicion that there was a spy in Jade city.

"Zhan YiZhen said they received 'word from Jade City' that we were coming.

"No one else knew about the mission, except me and Clan Leader Shuǐ." LanFen had shot them a guilty look, for keeping them in the dark, at first.

"Even the boat rower only found out where we were going, after we left the port."

This was true.

LanFen had booked a boat for Dahlia City, in the south, then had carried out negotiations with the rower himself, after they had left the port.

It was a common practice for people who didn't want their destination known, which was common in Xin Dao.

In fact, it was so expected the port official would sometimes ask,

"Would you like an experienced rower, who knows what is what, and where is where?"

Or say things like,

"If this is all you can afford, know that your rower would only go to the destination put down here!"

Shuǐ ChénLín and Lu FengHo looked at each other.

Lu FengHo, "We followed you before that day, but the dock records showed 'Dahlia City'. The only reason we knew where you were headed, was because we overheard your conversation with Clan Leader Shuǐ."

LanFen shot them a surprised look, particularly Shuǐ ChénLín, who looked away. "Elder brothers! You even did something as 'Improper' as eavesdropping?!"

But Shuǐ ChénLín ignored her, as he began to speak.

"Considering all this, I think we can assume that there is indeed a spy around us... And I don't want to jump to conclusions, but a few people come to mind.

"Who are those that follow my father everywhere he goes?"

Lu FengHo and LanFen looked at each other, then back at him.

"The Shining Four?!"

The four talented guards that followed Shuǐ ChangSheng everywhere he went, handpicked by him and rumoured to be trained so they would be Shuǐ ChénLín's strongest weapons, after he became clan Leader.

Apart from Shuǐ ChénLín and Lu FengHo, they were the only ones Shuǐ ChangSheng had ever personally trained.

Shuǐ ChénLín was more convinced, the more he thought about it. "Apart from father himself, no one knows how much they know, or how much he tells them.