Chapter78

A white tiger cub sat by Zhou You's side. It always clung to him during his training sessions, drawn to the aura Zhou You emitted. Its loyalty to Zhou You was rooted in this unique attraction.

At midnight, a knock echoed at the door. Zhou You called out, "Who is it?"

"It's me, Li Hongxi."

Zhou You approached and opened the door, meeting a frantic Li Hongxi who asked, "Mr. Zhou, have you seen Yunxi?"

Zhou You handed over a letter to Li Hongxi, "Recognize this as Yunxi's handwriting?"

In an age where handwritten notes were rare, Li Hongxi struggled to remember his sister's writing. The only familiar part was her name. While the signature didn't seem like her handwriting, the content resonated with her tone.

"Mr. Zhou, have you been to the lakeside?" The letter suggested Li Yunxi had invited Zhou You for a midnight rendezvous. She hadn't disappeared but had sneaked out. However, her date seemed to have stood her up.

"No, I've been in my room the entire time."

With a sigh, Li Hongxi felt pity for his sister. But perhaps it was for the best, to let Li Yunxi see reality. He had doubted Li Yunxi's feelings for Zhou You, but now there was no room for skepticism.

Li Hongxi tore up the letter and said coldly to Zhou You, "Let's pretend you never saw this letter, Mr. Zhou."

Zhou You had a different perspective on the matter. There was no reason for Li Yunxi to secretly meet him, so he believed the letter was a hoax. However, with Li Yunxi not at the guesthouse, he closed the door, saying, "I'll come with you."

Li Hongxi didn't object but sprinted away, assuming Zhou You wouldn't keep up. To his surprise, every time he glanced back, Zhou You was only a few steps behind, running effortlessly.

Today, he learned that Zhou You had left a substantial amount of money for hospitalized patients. Initially, like everyone else, he thought the money came from Shao Qi. Now, he's not so sure.

They quickly reached the designated spot. Not seeing Li Yunxi by the lakeside, which had a clear view, intensified Zhou You's doubts about the letter. The area didn't seem apt for a rendezvous either.

"Perhaps she left when she didn't see you?" They weren't familiar with the Jiangnan military zone's routes; there was more than one way from the guesthouse.

Zhou You expanded his senses. The lake was surrounded by walls, and outside of them lay the city. Along the walls stood what seemed like storage buildings, populated by quite a few people.

Some were gathered for cards and drinks, some were lazing around or sneaking in a nap, and others were clandestinely running errands. In such a male-dominated military, spontaneous flings weren't unusual.

Zhou You didn't spot Li Yunxi. But to him, the defenses of the Jiangnan base seemed porous. No wonder Shao Qi said Ren Zhiyuan was unreliable, managing the military zone this way made it vulnerable.

Zhou You spotted Ning Xufeng on a narrow path, shouldering what looked like a person in a sack. Unsure if he was related to Li Yunxi's disappearance, Zhou You still pursued.

Before leaving, he told Li Hongxi, "Captain Li, maybe Yunxi has returned. I'll look around."

Before Li Hongxi could respond, Zhou You had darted off at a pace beyond human capabilities. It seemed Zhou You was the real mastermind in hiding.

This could explain how Zhou You was alone in the mountains yet unscathed.

A patrol passed by, almost colliding with Zhou You. With no trees for cover, he ducked behind a building until they moved on.

"Doesn't it feel unusually chilly tonight?" a soldier from the patrol remarked.

"It's several degrees below zero. Isn't that cold enough?"

"Stay alert, guys. Several people have gone missing recently, all from our military zone. With no leads yet, things don't look good."

"Some speculate there's a man-eating mutant beast hiding in our base. If it left no remains, that'd be hard to trace."

"Nonsense. How could a mutant beast go unnoticed in a base with tens of thousands of soldiers? I suspect those strangers who appeared in Qiu Shui Square today. They're skilled and mysterious, teaching martial arts to locals. They're up to something."

"I've seen some videos. Their training style is militaristic, and quite intense. Even for us, it would be hard to handle."

"When our shift ends, let's go see for ourselves. Our instructors, hired from various sects, teach rubbish. And we can't even criticize them."

"That's called overestimating one's worth. Let's move on, or we'll freeze!"

Zhou You emerged after they'd left, focusing again on Ning Xufeng's location. Arriving just yesterday, they likely weren't connected to the disappearances. Maybe knowing this, Ning Xufeng dared act against Li Yunxi, which reduced his suspicion.

Ning Xufeng carried the person farther off the path. Zhou You wasn't familiar with the terrain here, but he could tell that this area was seldom visited. He knocked on a door, and after stepping inside, a sliver of light leaked out from the cracks.

Zhou You leaped onto the balcony of the house's second floor, crouching down to listen to the movement below.

"Why did you bring her here? ... Why her?"

"I couldn’t draw out the one we wanted. I had no choice but to bring her."

"Is she the sister of your team leader? She's quite attractive. Did she see you?"

"No, I administered a sedative. She won't wake up for another three hours."

"Presenting her as a gift to our master might not be a bad idea. I initially thought Zhou had a good look and, after seeing his skills at the square today, realized he's no ordinary man. My master has been keen on studying martial arts from different schools lately. We've brought him a few candidates, but he's been unsatisfied. However, approaching Zhou has been difficult since he's always with Mr. Shao."