"What is that?"
From the corner of the office, Ye Ling's expression shifted slightly as he saw the photograph that Venerable Qing Mu produced.
He clearly remembered that the photo was taken by Xiao You shortly before the Ye family incident.
Xiao You had even used that photo as her phone wallpaper!
"How does she have this photo?"
Seeing the picture, a storm of shock surged through Ye Ling's heart, but he suppressed the urge to confront Venerable Qing Mu. He remained hidden, quietly observing the unfolding events.
Sun Zheng was also taken aback when Venerable Qing Mu suddenly produced a photograph, wondering what Venerable Qing Mu was up to.
However, Sun Zheng dared not question him. He took a couple of steps forward to examine the photograph closely.
"Isn't this Mr. Kong?" Sun Zheng exclaimed upon seeing Ye Ling in the photo. "Mr. Kong is about to do business with your pavilion, isn't he? I thought Lord Qing Mu had already met him."
"Mr. Kong..." Venerable Qing Mu's eyes narrowed slightly. "Are you sure?"
Sun Zheng was puzzled by Venerable Qing Mu's seemingly obvious question but dared not show any impatience. He nodded, "I am sure... Although the person in the photo is much younger, it is indeed Kong Xuhan. I've met him."
Upon hearing Sun Zheng's affirmative answer, Venerable Qing Mu lowered his head slightly, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes. "Ye Ling becoming Kong Xuhan, how interesting..."
"Then, could Ye Ling also be responsible for what happened to the Sun family?"
Seeing that Venerable Qing Mu had suddenly stopped paying attention to him and was talking to himself, Sun Zheng couldn't help but ask, "Lord Qing Mu, do you have any other instructions?"
"No, you may leave."
Seeing that Venerable Qing Mu had summoned him from afar just to ask a question devoid of substance, Sun Zheng could no longer maintain his composure and was on the verge of an outburst.
Was he being toyed with?
However, Sun Zheng dared not act out here. He quickly bid farewell to Venerable Qing Mu and swiftly exited the office.
At this moment, his hatred for Venerable Qing Mu was at its peak. He feared that if he stayed any longer, he might lose control and attack Venerable Qing Mu, thus sealing his own doom.
After Sun Zheng left, Venerable Qing Mu regained his senses and lightly tapped the desk three times.
A long-haired man in a dark ancient robe, also wearing a mask, appeared in the office and knelt on one knee before Venerable Qing Mu. "What are your orders, my lord?"
Venerable Qing Mu said faintly, "Find a secluded place and kill Sun Zheng and his assistant downstairs. Make it clean."
"Yes."
The masked man responded indifferently, vanished from the office, and was then pulled back by some peculiar force.
Seeing the masked man return, Venerable Qing Mu frowned slightly. "Do you have any other questions?"
The masked man, however, was filled with terror, completely unaware of what had happened. He exclaimed, "My lord, I..."
But before he could finish speaking, he directly fainted and collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
"Who?"
Seeing the masked man suddenly faint, Venerable Qing Mu realized there was someone else in the office. He abruptly stood up from his chair and shouted sternly.
"Don't be nervous, it's me."
At this moment, Ye Ling emerged from the corner of the office, smiling at Venerable Qing Mu. "I think you should recognize me."
"Ye Ling!"
Seeing Ye Ling suddenly appear, Venerable Qing Mu's heart was thrown into turmoil.
Without any hesitation, she turned and fled the office, escaping into the distance.
Ye Ling hadn't expected Venerable Qing Mu to flee upon their first encounter, and he was momentarily stunned.
After regaining his senses, Ye Ling could only smile wryly, distorting the space in front of Venerable Qing Mu and pulling her back.
Seeing herself back in the office, Venerable Qing Mu's expression changed drastically, and she looked at Ye Ling with utter horror. "You!!!"
"Young lady, you shouldn't wear a mask all the time; it affects your temperament to appear so gloomy."
Ye Ling looked at Venerable Qing Mu and smiled, then instantly moved in front of her and removed her mask.
As expected, this Venerable Qing Mu not only had a similar aura to Xiao You but also looked exactly the same!
Seeing this Venerable Qing Mu, Ye Ling, in a moment of daze, even thought Ye You had returned.
Meanwhile, Venerable Qing Mu seized the opportunity while Ye Ling was lost in thought and retreated repeatedly, creating distance between them.
However, knowing she couldn't escape Ye Ling's grasp, she stopped fleeing to conserve her strength.
Ye Ling came back to his senses and looked at the wary Venerable Qing Mu. "I wanted to ask you last time, what is your relationship with Ye You?"
"I don't know her," Venerable Qing Mu replied without hesitation.
Although Venerable Qing Mu said so, Ye Ling could read other emotions in her eyes.
Moreover, she had just produced a photograph that only Ye You possessed. Ye Ling couldn't possibly believe she didn't know Ye You.
This Venerable Qing Mu must have some connection with Ye You.
"Sigh..."
Ye Ling looked at Venerable Qing Mu and sighed softly. "Don't force me. I don't want to resort to violence against you."
Venerable Qing Mu stared at Ye Ling with apprehension, slowly backing away. She said sternly, "Ye Ling, this is not a domain you should meddle with. If you truly wish to live, stop investigating Hongchen Pavilion and Ye You."
"If you continue to investigate, you will surely die!"
Hearing Venerable Qing Mu's warning, Ye Ling's interest was piqued, and he showed no sign of retreating. He instantly appeared before Venerable Qing Mu again. "You do know about Xiao You!"
"Who are you, why do you look exactly like Xiao You, why are you investigating me, and where is Xiao You?"
Ye Ling's sudden barrage of questions startled Venerable Qing Mu, causing her to retreat repeatedly.
Soon, Venerable Qing Mu retreated to the wall, with nowhere left to go!
Ye Ling pressed closer!
Seeing Ye Ling approach, a hint of panic clearly flashed in Venerable Qing Mu's eyes. She quickly condensed a short sword in her hand and then held it to her neck. "Don't force me!"
Seeing Venerable Qing Mu's posture, Ye Ling finally stopped, realizing he had been a bit too aggressive.
He composed himself, sighed slightly, and looked at Venerable Qing Mu. "You should know that your threats are meaningless to me."
Venerable Qing Mu said sternly, "You, you don't come any closer!"
However, as soon as she spoke, the short sword in her hand was rapidly engulfed in black demonic flames.
Then, within a second, the short sword turned to ashes!
Venerable Qing Mu's face changed drastically!
Ye Ling said, "In front of me, you cannot die, nor can you escape. Cooperate with me obediently."
This Venerable Qing Mu looked exactly like Ye You, and even had a similar aura. Ye Ling couldn't bring himself to use soul-searching techniques on her, so he could only try to persuade her to cooperate willingly.
But as soon as Ye Ling finished speaking, Venerable Qing Mu's eyes suddenly turned red, and tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.
The next moment, she let out a loud cry and began to sob uncontrollably!
"I told you to leave! Why didn't you listen to me!!!"