Unbeknownst to Zhou You, an incident had occurred during his absence. Upon exiting his room with Xuan Jue, he noticed the peculiar stares from the staff. After inquiring, he pondered: "Should I have not taken a male disciple?"

Chapter 200: Another Encounter with the Swarm.

Over the next few days, it was Xuan Jue's turn to seclude himself. Long Gan's men brought news that Ren Yanko was on the move. That night, he and Long Gan discreetly approached the Ren residence.

Watching Zhou You effortlessly ascend the roof and find an optimal spot, adhering to the surface motionless, he epitomized the phrase 'thief in the night.'

Following suit, after almost half an hour, Long Gan began hearing voices. Apart from the Ren siblings, another raspy-voiced man was in the study.

"Young Master Ren, it's been a while. Did you summon me to fulfill the contract we signed previously?"

"Mr. Li, considering our current situation, this shipment is crucial. We can't trust others with it. We need your expertise."

"Ha, no need for flattery. I promised Commander Ren I'd do this job. He has already compensated me. Just ensure you don't have second thoughts."

"Why would you say that, Mr. Li?"

"No reason. Just notify me of the departure date. On the road, I'm only responsible for safeguarding the shipment, not the people."

"You jest. Without people, how would the goods be transported to their destination?"

"Then leave someone who can drive," Mr. Li said and left arrogantly. However, the Ren siblings treated him with great respect.

Zhou You scribbled on Long Gan's hand, "Who is this Mr. Li?"

Long Gan pondered for a moment and responded, "I've never heard of any expert with the surname 'Li' at the Jiangnan base."

Zhou You temporarily set aside his suspicions and continued listening to the Ren siblings' conversation. It lacked any significant information, revealing only that they planned to depart in three days, which coincided with the day the Jiangnan base would award the Hero Medals.

Zhou You had received his invitation. He was also to receive an award that day. The day chosen by Ren Yan Ke was clever, as most would be distracted from the departure of a trade caravan from the base.

Once the two left, Zhou You voiced his concerns about Mr. Li. "If even you haven't heard of him, then this man might be a threat."

"I'll return and inquire if any new experts have emerged in the past months. If there's no mention of this Mr. Li, he might have come from another region."

"It's also possible he chose to remain anonymous in the past. Not every expert seeks fame."

"True. I'll immediately have someone investigate his background. So, are we planning to ambush their shipment in three days?"

"We'll split into two groups. One will keep an eye on the Ren siblings, and the others will join me in the interception. Given Mr. Li's arrogance, he's likely quite capable." Zhou You, standing beside Long Gan, appeared particularly slender. Passersby would glance at the pair more than once, but Long Gan always shielded Zhou You from prying eyes to prevent recognition.

Zhou You's fame in the Jiangnan base was widespread, nearly a household name. Some even erected longevity plaques for him. Especially the former followers of the Tian Shen Sect. Despite being deceived by Zhou You and Shao Qi, they genuinely admired the duo. After the sect was dissolved, some followers continued their faithful lives in a new manner.

These individuals would gather periodically to exchange martial arts experiences, believing in the prowess of martial arts masters. They trained hard, with Li Yan Qing and Mi Ai among them.

The two had not ventured out since they hitched a ride back with Zhou You. But today was different; it was their monthly hunting excursion, held at the mutated beast farm.

They expected it to be a routine hunt. Everyone would select a beast, test their combat abilities against it, and leave when done. But unexpectedly, during the hunt, someone suddenly fell, their neck snapped by a beast.

If it had been just one individual, no one would have been suspicious. A single misstep in a fight with these creatures could result in death. But when more fell in succession, it was clearly unusual.

Everyone hastily retreated from the hunting grounds. Even the farm's security rushed to assist. Once all the mutated beasts were killed, people continued to drop.

"What's attacking them?"

When Li Yan Qing spotted a fast-moving insect beneath a corpse, he had a sinking feeling. Could this be the bug that Mr. Zhou mentioned?

"Retreat! Back to the base!"

The group hurriedly retreated to the base. After informing the city's defense team, everyone dispersed. Li Yan Qing and Mi Ai, still shaken, decided to seek out Zhou You.

In their view, a swarm of bugs that even Zhou You was wary of might be too much for the city's defenses. Their words might not get attention, but Mr. Zhou's would.

When Zhou You returned to his hotel, he saw two men waiting at the entrance. Security wouldn't let them in, so they waited outside, rushing toward him when they saw him. Security personnel, thinking they were threats, stopped them.

"Mr. Zhou..." Both waved and shouted, but Zhou You, recently bombarded by fan attention, didn’t recognize the voices.

Mi Ai quickly called out again, "Mr. Zhou, it's Mi Ai! We encountered those bugs outside the base today, the same kind you've seen!"

Zhou You turned in surprise upon hearing this, recognizing the two individuals, he quickly instructed the security to release them. He then led them upstairs into a room.

"What happened?" Zhou You noticed their disheveled appearance and tossed each a towel.