It was close to noon by the time Ning Chen got home.

One look at how worn out he was and it hurt them all.

"Old Pan, go to the Inspectorate. Tell Old Gao and Old Chen to get ready. We leave for Suzhou tonight."

Pan Yucheng opened his mouth and closed it again. He badly wanted Ning Chen to rest properly. A month and a half on the road, and not an hour off since he got back — a body of forged iron couldn't hold out.

But he knew Ning Chen's temper well enough to know it would do no good. He nodded. "Right. I'll go now."

"You all talk. I'm going to get some sleep."

Ning Chen said his goodbyes to the rest of them and came out of the hall. He was heading for his room when he stopped short and looked up at the roof.

"Handsome, up on the roof. Come down and talk."

Xie Siyu pushed off with a toe, turned a somersault in the air, and came down solidly in front of him.

"Brother Xie. Have you been to the Great Beginning Pavilion?"

Xie Siyu nodded. "Got back a few days ago."

"And? Does the Great Beginning Pavilion have any lead on the higher martial arts?"

Xie Siyu shook his head. "They said no."

The corner of Ning Chen's mouth twitched. "They said no, and then you came home?"

Xie Siyu shook his head. "I drank half a cup of tea first."

Ning Chen had no answer to that.

"Didn't you tell them you were asking for me?"

"I did." Xie Siyu added coolly, "It would have gone better if I hadn't."

"Hm? What's that supposed to mean?"

Xie Siyu said, "You killed Young Master Marvel."

That explained it. He had killed the Great Beginning Pavilion's Young Master Marvel at the Hidden Sword Manor, and the Pavilion was never going to be friendly to him after that.

A cold laugh got out of him. "Young Master Marvel threw in with traitors. I haven't even gone after the Great Beginning Pavilion over it, and…