The next morning, Wan Lei left early.
He had long stopped attending the classes at the Thunder Hall; they were utterly uninteresting and taught him nothing.
He was going to visit the other halls.
He didn't expect to see Fairy Maiden today. This outing was for reconnaissance.
On his way back and forth, Wan Lei had pondered the likelihood that the other party would not want to see him or help him. After all, he had analyzed that the other party must have known about his arrival but had not summoned him.
Although he knew the chances were slim, Wan Lei still wanted to try.
The result of his efforts all morning was that he learned most of the Hall Masters were generally not present in their halls; daily affairs were managed by other Deputy Hall Masters and the like.
As for where the Hall Masters went, Wan Lei looked up at the towering Five Elements Hall’s main peak.
The main peak was hazy, as if shrouded in mist, and the situation within was unclear.
But everyone knew that was the Sacred Hall.
Saints were qualified to go to the Sacred Hall, but it wasn't exclusively for Saints; the founding elders of the Five Elements Hall were also qualified to reside there.
It was the power core of the Five Elements Hall and the origin point for the will of the main plane.
Helpless, he had to give up. However, Wan Lei contacted Xiao Jin, asking him to help keep an eye out for any of the five Hall Masters returning to their respective halls, and to notify him immediately.
It didn't have to be the Water Hall Master; any of the other Halls' Masters would do.
Back in his cave, Wan Lei continued to cultivate.
When evening came, he left his cave and flew towards the southern mountain gate. After swiping his disciple identification token, he successfully passed through.
He made a detour to cover his tracks.
Flying eastward for ten thousand li, Wan Lei, with great effort, found the swamp at the edge of the mountain range and the large banyan tree within it.
He waited anxiously for over half an hour, and finally saw Qi Heng flying towards him.
Fortunately, he hadn't been caught.
As for whether Qi Heng would turn him in, he had considered that too, but it was a risk he had to take. Besides, his crime was merely bribery, which shouldn't be too serious.
Qi Heng first looked left and right, ensuring no one was following, then approached the banyan tree and squatted down with Wan Lei.
In the darkness, the two furtive figures squatting under the tree looked very much like villains engaged in a shady transaction.
"How did it go? Was it successful?"
Wan Lei asked eagerly.
"Can I fail when I take action? I almost got discovered. Fortunately, I managed to trick the girl from the archives out, otherwise it would have been difficult.
I couldn't bring the files out, and there's no printer there, so I took photos. Pictures will suffice."
"That's good then."
Wan Lei nodded.
"By the way, I went to see Fang Xiaoyu this morning."
Upon hearing this, Wan Lei became nervous and quickly asked,
"How is she?"
"How could she be? When I called her, she still ignored me, and the food on the table remained untouched.
Then I said, 'Wan Lei asked me to come find you.'"
"And then? What happened then?"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, she looked at me. But her gaze... you wouldn't believe how sharp it was. I felt like that gaze could kill me.
Then, she spoke for the first time."
"What did she say?"
"'You guys arrested him too? He didn't commit any crime, why did you arrest him!'"
"Her tone must have been very anxious."
"Not anxious, just filled with killing intent. I think she wanted to rush out and kill me."
"..."
"I quickly explained, saying you weren't arrested and that you were now a disciple of the Five Elements Hall.
I even recounted your glorious achievements, like your Origin-level aptitude, passing the first trial in one and a half minutes, the second trial in twenty-nine minutes, the third trial with a single punch, and your clever victory over the Fire Hall disciples. I told them all about it."
Qi Heng chuckled. After all, the very beautiful girl, who had been ignoring everyone, suddenly spoke, making him naturally more talkative. Even though he knew he had no chance, being able to talk to such a beautiful girl was quite enjoyable.
"So... did she have any reaction?"
Wan Lei asked with concern.
"She..."
At this point, Qi Heng's expression turned a little strange. After a moment of hesitation, he continued,
"She didn't believe me at first, so I told her what you said, and that you had instructed her to eat well and not to worry about you.
Only then did she believe me, but she showed no sign of happiness. Instead, she looked very worried."
Wan Lei fell silent upon hearing this.
He knew Fang Xiaoyu well and knew she was very intelligent.
At this moment, she had likely guessed his intention to break her out of prison from the fact that he had entered the Five Elements Hall and contacted Qi Heng, the group leader of the guards.
"Did she say anything else?"
"She asked me to convey a message to you."
"What is it?"
"'Please, don't do anything foolish for my sake.'"
Wan Lei's expression grew somber. She had indeed guessed it, but she couldn't say it directly, so she could only try to persuade him not to act impulsively in this way.
"Oh, and one more thing."
Qi Heng interrupted Wan Lei's thoughts.
"What is it?"
"She told me not to worry about her, that she would live well.
She also asked me to give you a mobile residence from her storage bag, saying that without this small residence, with your personality, you'd probably go back to living in a cave, babbling about how living in a cave is bad, not getting sunlight, easily making one depressed, and breeding inner demons..."
Wan Lei's nose felt a sting, and tears almost fell.
Even though she was imprisoned and her life was in jeopardy, she still remembered to care about trivial matters concerning him.
Seeing Wan Lei's reaction, Qi Heng was surprised.
"You didn't actually live in a cave, did you?"
"No, no, how could that be?"
"Hmm, judging by your reaction, you definitely did. What a pity, personal belongings of those awaiting trial cannot be transferred to family members, otherwise, I could have brought you that small courtyard."
"It's alright, as cultivators, we absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. It doesn't matter where we live."
Wan Lei waved his hand dismissively, but his eyes grew deeper.
"Brother Qi, can I see that information now?"
Qi Heng took out his spiritual tablet but did not hand it to Wan Lei, his expression becoming very serious.
"Before I give it to you, I have a question to ask."
"What question?"
Wan Lei frowned, thinking to himself that it was only natural for him to sell information and for Wan Lei to buy it; why ask so many questions.
However, what Qi Heng said next plunged Wan Lei into an abyss of ice.
"You... are you planning to break her out of prison?"
This single sentence struck Wan Lei like a thunderclap, exposing his most shameful secret.