When three hours was up, Qiu Yunru quickly grabbed the incense and leapt off the roof, disposing of it in a small hole in the ground and covering it in dirt.
It truly didn't take long for word to spread throughout the city. When Qiu Yunru took Pan Fa out of the inn at late morning time, commoners whispered left and right, their voices filled with scandal and excitement:
"Did you hear? Li Fengguang--he's fallen ill! They say they don't know how it happened!"
"They say he can barely walk or speak! He looks as pale as a ghost!"
"Serves him right! We won't have anyone paying off the provincial governor to hoard grain away from us common people! Pah!"
Qiu Yunru rubbed his temples. How can word about a private event spread so fast?! Was this video game logic, or the magic of commoners' nosy nature? Suddenly, he heard someone nearby murmur:
"Do you think it was that boy, Li Chenyuan? Hasn't he been abused by his uncle for years? Wouldn't it only make sense for him to try and get rid of him?"
Qiu Yunru's heart seized. If people started suspecting Li Chenyuan of putting his uncle out of the public eye, his plan to "Save the Abused Nephew" would just go sideways, making that kid look like a dangerous criminal! He turned around to that person who had been talking and put on a smile. "How would such a thing be possible? As I've heard, Li Fengguang is disabled and not dead, without evidence of foul play. How would a boy know how to so perfectly carry out that kind of revenge?"
The commoners did a double-take, looking him up and down. Here was a young man in silk cultivation robes, with an intelligent face that was undoubtedly pleasant to look at. The commoners immediately felt embarrassed. Clearly, their speculations must be stupid if refuted so sincerely by an upright young man like this! They profusely agreed.
"What the young master says makes sense! How could it be?"
"Exactly! What abused child has time to concoct such an elaborate plan? Li Fengguang must just be getting old!"
Relived, Qiu Yunru turned away. He and Pan Fa walked for some time, hearing whispers about Lord Li all the way. Pan Fa looked incredibly worried. His eyebrows were furrowed, and his large eyes were wide with concern. Eventually, he tugged on Qiu Yunru's sleeve.
"Shixiong...Do you think Lord Li will be okay? This shidi worries..."
Qiu Yunru sighed, patting Pan Fa's head. Of course there was the saying that you shouldn't touch women's waists and men's heads, but Pan Fa was a cute little kid with eyes like a puppy. Qiu Yunru simply couldn't resist. "Don't worry, shidi. Whatever happens to Li Fengguang, Jin He city will be all right. Besides, why do you care so much? Even if an adult extends kindness a few times to you, you shouldn't idolize them."
After spending some time walking the streets of the city, Qiu Yunru decided to retire back to the inn. They hadn't received any summons from the Jade Clouds Sect, so they likely wouldn't need to leave the city today. Pan Fa agreed to stay on the streets around the inn, and Qiu Yunru made sure he was familiar with the inn's name and location before seeing him off. When he was finally alone, Qiu Yunru lied down in bed and closed his eyes.
Somehow, sleep came to him. He hadn't slept in days and wasn't tired, but his body had at last decided to give him a little mercy. The rest of sleep was truly like nothing else! However, he had strange and uncomfortable dreams. Running through a dreamscape, he felt like he was being watched by piercing eyes wherever he went. In the late afternoon, he awoke in a cold sweat.
Qiu Yunru was irritated by this cold sweat. In his past life, he'd woken up in many cold sweats from sleep migraines, nightmares, and body aches. Why did he have to wake up in a cold sweat even in a new body, in a world that shouldn't require pain from him? Annoyed, he sat up, wiping his face on his sleeve.
Qiu Yunru froze. His heart leapt up his throat.
"Who's there?!"
As soon as he called out, they were gone. Just a moment ago, a figure with piercing, dark eyes had been peering into his window. They flew away like a flock of birds dispersing, leaving Qiu Yunru sitting in both old and new sweat.
What the hell?!
Though Qiu Yunru checked outside his window and all around the inn, even working up the courage to ask the inn owner if she had seen anything, he came up empty-handed. His room was on the second floor of the inn--how had someone managed to crawl up and stare at him unless they had really meant to? Why was it that he had he been here for only three days and already had a stalker?!
What's more, no quest markers had shown up around this incident anywhere. Qiu Yunru sat on his bed and held his head. Wasn't it a plot-significant occurrence to be stalked?! Why had the AI not picked up on this as a quest plotline?! In the end, all he could do to comfort himself was pat himself on the back and convince himself that someone had truly climbed up to his window by accident, not meaning to see him specifically. Still, he closed the windows and placed a cabinet in front of them for good measure. He wasn't about to die before getting to live his peaceful life!
When Pan Fa returned, he could tell something was wrong with his shixiong. Qiu Yunru was still sitting on the inn bed, holding his head, his pretty face contorted with thought to the point of being scrunched up like a peony! "Shixiong! Shixiong, what's wrong? I brought you a meat bun, shixiong! Is shixiong hungry?"
Qiu Yunru was already stressed to the point of frustration. When Qiu Yunru saw that this good boy Pan Fa had though of him and brought him food, he nearly burst into tears. He waved his hand. "This shixiong is fine. It's just a headache. This shixiong has had headaches since he was little. Pan-shidi is sweet to think of me! But...where did you get this...? Don't you not have any money?"
Pan Fa sheepishly kicked at the ground. "...This shidi stole it..."
Qiu Yunru pinched his ear. "Shidi! How can you steal so openly? Don't you know you represent the sect now? Shameful!" Then, as Pan Fa rubbed his ear shamefully, Qiu Yunru scarfed down the bun.
The next morning, they received a summons to gather with the other Jade Clouds Sect disciples at the west edge of the city to head to the Li Hua Mountains.