Something was very, very wrong…
Fu Yunmo’s mind raced. She didn’t remember any mention of a man in black appearing at the inn in the original novel. And that salted fish… she certainly didn’t remember that being part of the plot either.
Judging by Ye Xihan’s tone, Fu Yunmo felt she had been marked. She surmised that Ye Xihan had been tracking the man in black for a long time and suspected he had made contact with her. Why was the “Night Devil” so certain she had been given something? Perhaps because the man was searched and found empty-handed… or perhaps because he was already dead.
Fu Yunmo instinctively touched her neck, a cold shiver running down her spine. The thought made her skin crawl.
She hurried back to her room, but her heart wouldn’t stop pounding even after she lay down. She kept glancing at the window, unable to find rest. Finally, she took several large gulps of the medicinal wine Boss Li had given her, draining more than half the jar.
As the alcohol took hold, her fear began to dull. She lay back on the bed; beside her, Xiao Yu’er was fast asleep, thankfully undisturbed by her movements.
Fu Yunmo closed her eyes, but the image of Ye Xihan’s stunning yet terrifying face flashed before her, forcing her eyes open again. It was like a living nightmare.
After a few more minutes of struggling, she gave up on sleep. She pulled the salted fish from beneath the bed, unwrapped the cloth, and sat at the wooden table, staring at it under the moonlight. Aside from being slightly harder than a typical dried fish, it looked entirely ordinary. It was just a salted fish!
She spent the rest of the night examining every inch of it but found nothing. Finally, she wrapped it back up, stowed it under the bed, washed her hands, and managed to fall into a fitful, dream-filled sleep.
The next day, Ning Buqu came to check on her injury. Thanks to everyone’s care, she had mostly recovered. However, because her shoulder was still healing, Ning Buqu focused on consolidating her internal breathing rather than teaching her swordplay. Fu Yunmo had a knack for it; once she understood the principles, her progress was rapid, earning her a look of genuine admiration from the Master.
“Miss Fu learns exceptionally well,” Ning Buqu said, stroking his beard.
Fu Yunmo gave an awkward laugh. I guess you thought I was a lost cause before this. “You flatter me, Master Ning. It is only because you are such a skilled teacher.” She knew how to speak the right words to the right people; years in front of the camera and being categorized as a “high EQ actress” by netizens had taught her how to handle social situations gracefully.
“Sister Fu,” Ning Min’er chimed in. “We’ll be returning to the Cangyun Sect in a few days. If you ever need help, come find me. If I can help, I will.”
Ning Min’er was actually quite pleasant despite her occasional bouts of arrogance. She was kind-hearted and believed in repaying debts. Thinking about how the original novel depicted her turning “dark” because of Nan Kunlun made Fu Yunmo feel a twinge of pity for her.
“I will. Thank you,” Fu Yunmo replied. Looking at Min’er felt surreal—this was the character she was originally supposed to play, yet now she might never return to her own world.
After Ning Buqu left, Fu Yunmo found herself missing Mo Lixi—that cool, distant voice that always carried a hint of warmth.
The door pushed open again shortly after. Fu Yunmo looked up with anticipation, but her expression fell when she saw the visitor.
“What are you doing, Nan Kunlun? You didn’t even knock. What if I was changing clothes?” she scolded. While she wasn’t overly modest, she valued privacy and manners.
“I’m sorry, Sister Mo, I was just in a hurry.” Nan Kunlun wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve and rushed to her side. “There are a lot of people in the front hall looking for you.”
Fu Yunmo’s brow furrowed, a sense of dread settling in her gut. “What’s going on?”
“It’s about that night… when you told me about the man in black. Somehow, the news got out. Now the people at the Sihai Inn are saying they want to find you. They say you have the ‘Fengyun Manual’ or something.”
Fu Yunmo’s face went pale. Her mind buzzed. The Fengyun Manual? That peerless martial arts technique is the Fengyun Manual?
“That’s not right… how could this happen?” She looked dazed.
Nan Kunlun immediately raised three fingers. “Sister Mo, I swear I never told anyone!”
“It’s okay, I know it wasn’t you.” Nan Kunlun wasn’t a gossip, and she had only told him.
Wait… there was one other person.
Ye Xihan!
Why would Ye Xihan do this?
“Then who else could it be?” Nan Kunlun asked.
Fu Yunmo closed her eyes and sighed. “Someone… we can’t afford to offend.” She sat on the edge of the bed, clutching her forehead. She thought of the salted fish under the bed. She had never wanted this “Fengyun Manual”; it had been shoved into her hands by a stranger, and it was literally a piece of dried seafood.
She had been set up.
The problem wasn’t that she didn’t want to hand it over; it was that if she handed over a salted fish, no one would believe her. They would think she was mocking them.
“What do we do, Sister Mo? There aren’t many people yet, but once the word spreads, even Boss Li won’t be able to hold them back,” Nan Kunlun said worriedly. The martial artists in the front hall were already acting aggressive, coveting a manual supposedly held by a mere shop assistant. Only the inn’s strict rule against fighting kept them in check for now, but they were loitering in the lobby, scaring away regular customers.
“What does Boss Li say?”
Fu Yunmo was at a loss. She hadn’t expected Ye Xihan to play such a dirty trick on her.
“The Boss is standing his ground, of course. You know him—he calculates every penny, but he always protects his own when trouble strikes.” Nan Kunlun recalled the Boss dealing with the rowdy crowd and felt exhausted just thinking about it.
Fu Yunmo fell into deep thought. She couldn’t let the Sihai Inn suffer because of her. Even though she hadn’t asked for this, she couldn’t drag her friends into it.
“Nan Kunlun, I don’t think I can stay at the Sihai Inn anymore.”
Her heart felt heavy. This was the place she had lived since arriving in this world. She had good companions and a good boss. Realizing she had to leave felt like sinking into a dark, bottomless ocean.
“Sister Mo, don’t say that! No matter what happens, everyone in the inn will back you up!”
Fu Yunmo shook her head. “That’s exactly why I have to leave.” She knew the staff would stand by her, but they were just ordinary people trying to make a living. She couldn’t let them get caught in this mess.
“If you’re leaving, I’m coming too!” Nan Kunlun said firmly.
Fu Yunmo felt a surge of warmth, but she just rolled her eyes at him. “Why do you have to be such a tag-along?”
She had refused the Cangyun Sect and now she was leaving the inn. If people didn’t know better, they’d think Nan Kunlun had feelings for her!
“You’re family to me! Ever since the Nan family was wiped out, you’re the only one who’s been good to me. I already think of you as my sister!” Nan Kunlun’s eyes welled with tears.
Fu Yunmo felt a lump in her own throat. She waved him off. “Alright, alright, don’t get mushy on me.” Looking at his sudden grin, she thought the boy actually had potential as an actor.
Knock, knock.
“Is Miss Fu in?”
Both of them looked toward the door. A slender silhouette stood outside. Fu Yunmo recognized the voice immediately.
“I’m here,” she called out.
Mo Lixi pushed the door open. Seeing Nan Kunlun, her brow furrowed—a tiny movement, but Fu Yunmo caught it. Does she mind him being here?
“I heard some news in the front hall. Why are people saying you have the Fengyun Manual?” Mo Lixi knew Fu Yunmo had been recovering; how could a shop assistant have obtained such a legendary item?
“…I was framed,” Fu Yunmo said, unable to offer a better explanation for her current misery.
“Could it be that Zhang Pockmark?” That was the only person Mo Lixi knew who disliked Fu Yunmo.
“No.” Zhang didn’t have the capability, and even if he wanted to frame her, he wouldn’t be that clever. He was brainless.
“Sect Leader Mo, there is something I need to tell you.” Fu Yunmo looked at Nan Kunlun. Understanding the hint, he immediately stepped out and closed the door.
“Speak,” Mo Lixi said softly.
Fu Yunmo felt an impulse to throw herself into the woman’s arms and have a good cry. It was so unfair—a salted fish was about to cost her her home and her job.
“I’m leaving the Sihai Inn.”
As soon as she spoke, she saw a spark of light in Mo Lixi’s eyes. But she knew her next words would likely extinguish it.
“But… I cannot go to the Tianyuan Sect either.”
As expected, disappointment clouded Mo Lixi’s face, and Fu Yunmo felt a pang of guilt.
“Why?” Mo Lixi asked, bewildered. If she was leaving the inn, why not go to the sect? Does she… dislike me that much?
“Too many people believe I have the manual now. If I stay here, I bring trouble to the inn. If I go to the Tianyuan Sect, I bring that trouble to you,” Fu Yunmo sighed. Even if she produced the salted fish now, it would be useless. No one would believe it was the manual; they would only think she was playing them for fools.
“…I would protect you,” Mo Lixi said firmly.