This Sword Cultivator is Somewhat Dependable

With that thought, Lu Qingshan suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Following closely behind him and lost in her own thoughts, Zang Xiaojian was caught off-guard and bumped straight into Lu Qingshan's back.

"What are you doing?!" Zang Xiaojian, holding her nose, stared at Lu Qingshan with wide innocent and aggrieved eyes.

"Still following me, huh? We've found the person we were looking for, and it's about time we went our separate ways," Lu Qingshan said with a light laugh.

"Ah?" Zang Xiaojian blinked several times before it dawned on her, and she mumbled somewhat embarrassingly, "I just got used to it..."

"Then, let's part ways here. From here on out, everyone relies on their own abilities," Lu Qingshan said, then turned and walked away cleanly and decisively.

"Wait!" Zang Xiaojian instinctively grabbed Lu Qingshan, who was about to leave.

Lu Qingshan turned around, "Hmm?"

The young girl looked up and fixed her gaze on Lu Qingshan's eyes without blinking, thought for a moment, and then said earnestly, "Finding Xue Zhuyong was mostly thanks to you. I, Zang Xiaojian, won't take advantage of others. Consider this as owing you a favor."

Seeing the seriousness on Zang Xiaojian's face, Lu Qingshan smiled slightly and nodded, "Alright, I'll remember that."

This time, Lu Qingshan really left.

Watching Lu Qingshan's figure grow distant, Zang Xiaojian clenched her fist and pumped herself up, "Though you, Lu Qingshan, are full of tricks, I, Zang Xiaojian, won't admit defeat easily, and besides... hmph, just you watch!"

Lowering her fist, Zang Xiaojian's thoughts returned to Xue Zhuyong's mocking tone, and her spirits instantly fell to rock bottom, her brow furrowed in frustration, "But how am I supposed to do it?"

...

"So we're really splitting up, huh?" The Rat King found it hard to part with Zang Xiaojian.

He had always regarded Zang Xiaojian as a confidante.

"It's because we both want the Three-feet Edge," Lu Qingshan was quite philosophical about it.

"It's just a sword, is it really necessary..." muttered the Rat King, who in his view, valued a hearty meal over any sword.

"Huh?" The Rat King looked up and around at the surroundings, puzzled, "Are we heading back?"

"Yes," Lu Qingshan nodded.

To obtain the Three-feet Edge from Xue Zhuyong, first of all, a direct robbery would definitely not work.

Just the fact that Xue Zhuyong could imbue intent into mundane wood carvings suggested that at least on Jiaolong Island, his strength ranked among the top three, or he could even be the leader.

That Xue Zhuyong hung the Three-feet Edge casually on the wall didn't mean he undervalued it, but rather that he was confident no one could take the sword from him.

That left only one option, a trade.

Although Xue Zhuyong clearly stated that the Three-feet Edge was not for sale, Lu Qingshan knew well that if it's material, nothing in the world is not for sale.

The so-called non-sale items are simply that the buyer's offer is not sufficient.

To meet Xue Zhuyong's price, first, one must understand his needs, then tailor the solution accordingly.

If he has no other desires, then it's necessary to create a need for him.

The very ambiguous origin of Mo Yan and Madam Mo, and the carving of Madam Mo displayed in Xue Zhuyong's shop, suggested a very likely breakthrough.

Moreover, the strange thing the tailor shop owner mentioned also gave Lu Qingshan a vague idea.

Among all these, he was just lacking one thread; once he found it, he would be able to understand the entire storyline and the truth behind the Mo Family's downfall.

...

"Young Master Lu, your return was quite quick. It seems you have gained a lot?" Mo Yan opened the door, saw Lu Qingshan standing at the doorstep, and jokingly remarked in a leisurely tone. Then he peeked outside and noticed that Zang Xiaojian, who usually followed closely behind Lu Qingshan, hadn't returned with him, which led him to exclaim in surprise, "Where's Miss Zang?

Why didn't she come back with you?"

"Let's not worry about her for now," Lu Qingshan raised his hand and began, "I'm here on serious business this time, I've got some questions I hope to get answers to from Mrs. Mo."

"You mean my mother?" Mo Yan's eyebrows furrowed, sensing something unusual from Lu Qingshan's casual remarks.

Lu Qingshan nodded, "Yes, if it's convenient."

Silence.

Mo Yan remained silent for a long time, eventually relaxing his brows and agreeing, "Come in."

Less than a day later, Lu Qingshan entered Mo Yan's home again, but his state of mind this time was completely different from the last.

"I'll go speak to my mother." Having brought Lu Qingshan to the hall, Mo Yan left first.

In order to prevent Mrs. Mo from having many concerns due to the presence of the King of the Western Rats, Lu Qingshan first returned the King to the Spirit Beast Bag, and then began to leisurely sip clear tea, quietly awaiting news in the hall.

In less than a moment.

Mrs. Mo, dressed in a light green silk shirt, walked gracefully into the room.

"Yan'er said you had something to discuss with me?" Mrs. Mo's tone full of curiosity, she scrutinized Lu Qingshan.

Lu Qingshan pondered for a moment, finally deciding to cut straight to the chase, "Mrs. Mo, could you speak about your identity in the Mo Family at Dragon Spring and your relationship with the current Family Head of the Mo Family?"

As soon as Lu Qingshan's question was voiced, Mrs. Mo's expression immediately stiffened.

"Why this sudden question?" Mrs. Mo understood that Lu Qingshan must have some basis for his question and thus didn't deny his statement.

"I met the Mo Family Head," Lu Qingshan said, "but the circumstances were so peculiar that I became very curious about the events of those years."

Upon hearing that Lu Qingshan had seen the Mo Family Head, Mrs. Mo's expression grew complex. After hesitating for a moment, she struggled to speak, "How is Zhuyong doing?"

Lu Qingshan noted Mrs. Mo's reference.

Zhuyong.

So the name Xue Zhuyong wasn't an alias after all?

Then why had the Mo Family Head not changed his first name but had instead changed his surname from Mo to Xue?

"He seems to be doing quite well," Lu Qingshan recalled Xue Zhuyong's daily life and thus said.

As soon as Lu Qingshan finished speaking, Mrs. Mo seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, patted her chest, pondered for a moment, and then shook her head apologetically towards Lu Qingshan, "I prefer not to talk about the events of those years.

Lu Qingshan was not in a hurry, nodded and replied, "If Mrs. Mo is not willing to discuss the past, so be it."

"Young Master Lu, could you please not mention this matter to Yan'er," Mrs. Mo bit her lip and said, "I have never spoken to him about the affairs of the Mo Family."

"Naturally," Lu Qingshan promised with a bow, "I'll keep this confidential."

This trip to see Mrs. Mo did not yield any meaningful answers, but it couldn't be said to be entirely unfruitful either.

Because in many cases, it isn't necessary for the respondent to provide a specific answer to make sense of an issue; simply understanding their attitude towards the matter can already reveal a lot.