After hearing the commotion outside, Shi Chun immediately got up.
He was about to head towards Bian Weikang's place.
As he passed under the covered walkway of the small courtyard, he suddenly heard a faint "psst" sound coming from a room.
Turning his head, he saw a familiar face peeking from a half-opened window—it was none other than Cen Futong.
Shi Chun glanced around quickly, feigning a casual stroll as he moved closer to the window, murmuring softly, "Why are you staying here?"
"I moved in last night. I'm all set on my end."
"Just follow the original plan."
"Alright, I just came to reassure you."
"Brother Cen is reliable, a man for big matters," Shi Chun praised, though he cursed inwardly at him for being overly conspicuous.
After leaving the area, Shi Chun twisted and turned his way directly to Bian Weikang's room and knocked at the door.
Those inside were already up, and as soon as the door was tapped, it opened.
They quickly set the departure time.
Each then went to make their preparations.
Shi Chun and the others even found time to sample the breakfast, though the time was brief.
With so many things still unexplored, they decided to focus only on the crucial matters and leave the rest for later.
Departing from the Carefree Pavilion, a group of four set out.
Except for Xiang Lan'er, who wore a cloak to cover her face, the others appeared unchanged.
The couple wished to avoid further encounters, prompting Shi Chun to respect their decision and take a path skipping the bustling town below, ascending directly from the cliff above the Carefree Pavilion into the vast, primitive forest.
Once they began their journey, the difference in cultivation levels became apparent.
Among them, only Bian Weikang had reached the Advanced Martial Realm, while the others were not even worth mentioning.
Yet Bian Weikang, untroubled by whether they were men or women, slowed his pace to accompany them...
Over at Bowang Pavilion, Che Si quickly arrived outside of Miss Miao Yilan's office to report, "Miss Miao."
"Come in," Miao Yilan's voice called out.
Che Si entered immediately, approaching Miao Yilan's desk, casting a brief glance at the beautifully arranged feathers once more before reporting, "Miss Miao, Shi Chun and the others have left with Bian Weikang and Xiang Lan'er. It looks like they've left Sky-Illuminating City. I couldn't continue following them."
"They left?" Miao Yilan paused with a ledger open, turning to Che Si in disbelief.
"Didn't they promise to repay their debts within three days? How can they repay if they've left?"
She found it hard to believe Shi Chun would act so faithlessly and consider himself free upon leaving the Exile Lands, possibly underestimating her ability to deal with them.
For her, the money wasn't a big deal; she just didn't want to be treated as a fool.
Che Si replied, "I'm not sure what happened, but I noticed Old Dong and Big Stone acting suspiciously around them yesterday. They might know more."
Miao Yilan pondered for a moment, set aside her work, and stood up.
"Bring them to me."
"Yes," responded Che Si as he left.
Old Dong and Big Stone, who had taken a leave of absence yesterday, had returned to their positions, responsible for warehouse stocking and dispatching—as nothing more than porters.
Regardless of their willingness, Che Si utilized Miao Yilan's authority to easily bring them along from the warehouse.
They didn't know why they'd been summoned, but upon reaching Miao Yilan's office, they made their greetings.
Standing by the balcony bathed in sunlight, Miao Yilan, enveloped in radiance, awaited them.
Without much small talk, she turned and asked, "Did you know Shi Chun left Sky-Illuminating City today?"
"No."
"Yes."
Their voices conflicted; Old Dong denied it, while Big Stone admitted it.
Old Dong's face flushed with embarrassment, his gaze unsure where to land, avoiding Miao Yilan's eyes, feeling an urge to strangle Big Stone.
Big Stone, equally awkward, roughly guessed Old Dong's intention to hide it, not wanting to leak information.
However, he thought there was no need to conceal Shi Chun's departure; otherwise, why question them?
Known for her gentle demeanor, even Miao Yilan couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at the stark contradiction.
She was genuinely surprised the two men dared to lie so blatantly.
Che Si, with a cold snort, cast a chilly glance at Old Dong, suspecting deception from the one who denied knowing.
Before he could further pressure Old Dong, the latter suddenly slapped his own forehead, feigning realization, "Thanks to Big Stone's reminder, I almost forgot in my drunken stupor. Yes, yes, Shi Chun did mention at the table they'd leave today."
A slight twitch graced Miao Yilan's lips as she asked, "Now that they're gone, are they planning not to repay their borrowed money?"
Old Dong responded quickly, "They will repay. If all goes well, they'll send someone over with the money today."
Miao Yilan, puzzled, wondered, "How could Bian Weikang repay so quickly?"
Big Stone lowered his gaze, unsure what to add.
Old Dong, without missing a beat, replied, "Bian Weikang has no money. Shi Chun arranged with Lu Taizhen to sell Xiang Lan'er to Lu Taizhen to raise the funds."
Big Stone turned sharply to Old Dong before swiftly looking down, trying to mask his astonishment.
Miao Yilan and Che Si were both bewildered and couldn't fathom the notion of taking and reselling Lu Taizhen's chosen one to him—the convoluted turn of events made no sense.
Old Dong bore a sincere expression, as if speaking pure truth.
Che Si couldn't resist asking, "How exactly did they sell?"
Old Dong explained, "I don't know the specifics of their deal, but it was secretly arranged with Cen Futong, Cao Puqing's nephew. He didn't tell us."
Che Si inquired further, "A secret deal? Why would this need secrecy? Did they steal someone Lu Taizhen wanted, only to sell her back? Do they think Lu Taizhen is so idle?"
Old Dong retorted, "It's different. Lu Taizhen would've spent fifty thousand gold to buy from Graceful Cloud Pavilion, but with Shi Chun, it's just twenty thousand gold."
"..."
The bizarre scheme left Miao Yilan and Che Si stunned.
But they soon grasped the underlying scheme, finding themselves dumbfounded.
After a while, Miao Yilan awoke from her stupor, staring at Old Dong and Big Stone.
"Do you know where the transaction is happening?"
It was clear she intended to intervene.
Old Dong shook his head, "We truly don't know the specifics; he wouldn't tell us. When he first borrowed the money, we didn’t know his intentions. It was only after freeing the person he let us in on it. He said that now we're people of Bowang Pavilion, we shouldn't be involved, only help return the money."
Miao Yilan sighed with a complex expression, "But we're talking about a living person. How can they be traded like this?"
Old Dong and Big Stone were both stunned, surprised at her reaction.
If they couldn't even do this much, they'd starve in the Exile Lands long ago.
Big Stone ventured a reminder, "Miss Miao, she was originally a courtesan, living by being sold."
Old Dong nodded, agreeing, "Graceful Cloud Pavilion selling her to Lu Taizhen is a sale, and so is Shi Chun selling her to Lu Taizhen. No difference there. Shi Chun just earned some profit."
Miao Yilan was speechless; she found it absurd to sell someone she barely invested in while destroying a blossoming romance.
That notion she found hard to accept.
She had been swayed before by Shi Chun’s claim of "greater than money" romance between the couple.
What a deception! His cultured demeanor was truly a façade, what a scoundrel!
Old Dong and Big Stone's reactions were predictable, but Che Si's response to her was unexpectedly delighted; he seemed to admire Shi Chun's cunning.
With nothing more to say, she waved everyone off.
As they reached the corner of the hallway for the stairs, they unexpectedly encountered someone, causing them to step aside, bowing together, "Madam."
Ascending from below was none other than the caretaker of Exile Lands’ Bowang Pavilion, Lan Qiaoyan.
Visiting her daughter, she was unhindered in coming or going as she pleased, spending most of her time outside.
Acknowledging Che Si, she glanced over Old Dong and Big Stone, pausing in surprise, "Why are you two here?"
Having personally recommended them, it was impossible not to recognize them within the Exile Lands.
Old Dong replied, "The manager inquired if we knew Miss Miao since you recommended us. Once he found out we were acquainted, he thought it would be good to place us here for familiar communication."
Lan Qiaoyan was momentarily speechless, but she dismissed it as no issue, waving them on to their tasks.
Entering her daughter’s office, she found Miao Yilan dazing at the balcony.
Her approach went unnoticed until she tapped her daughter’s shoulder to awaken her from reverie, asking what happened.
Miao Yilan recounted the entire story of Shi Chun borrowing money for selling the top courtesan of Graceful Cloud Pavilion.
(The chapter ends here.)