Returning to Chen Qiaorou's home, the two went to their respective rooms on the second floor to rest.
Inside his room, Yu Daohan turned on the light and sat on the bed, about to sleep, when he suddenly noticed a piece of red cloth in front of the pillow.
Yu Daohan picked up the red cloth and examined it closely. He found nothing special about it, except that it was embroidered with a silkworm, one that was about to break out of its cocoon and transform into a butterfly.
"Was this thing here before?" Yu Daohan frowned and tried to recall.
He remembered Chen Yanbo telling him that if he received a red cloth, he had to return it.
But was this thing placed there before, or was it a gift?
If it was a gift, it could only be from that girl, Chen Qiaorou.
But was that the case?
No, he had to ask about it.
Yu Daohan took out his phone and realized he hadn't added Chen Yanbo on WeChat.
Never mind, he would find Shi Bingzhi tomorrow and have him ask Chen Yanbo.
Yu Daohan placed the red cloth on the table and lay down to sleep.
Meanwhile, in the guest rooms of a farmhouse restaurant, two men were present.
A man sat in a chair, looking grimly at the two severely injured men lying on the bed.
"You say that person was powerful and used a sword qi technique with flames?"
One of the men on the bed, clutching his chest, nodded in pain. "That's right. That person was powerful. We were lucky to have returned to report."
Li Tiandao pondered for a moment and then asked, "Did you see his face clearly?"
The man on the bed shook his head. "No, but judging by his voice, he should be young."
"Young, and using flame techniques."
Li Tiandao's brow furrowed. He suddenly thought of something and spoke slowly, "Could it be him?"
If it was indeed him, this would be a significant complication!
At this moment, the man on the bed spoke again, "My lord, I have a request."
Li Tiandao looked at the man and nodded. "Speak. What is your request?"
The man's eyes were firm. "Our injuries are beyond recovery. Rather than be tormented by pain, it would be better to die a quick death."
Li Tiandao's eyes narrowed. "You intend to seek death?"
The man nodded proudly. "From the first day I joined the Divine Cult, I cast aside the thought of death. To die for the cult is the greatest honor."
Li Tiandao did not agree immediately. Instead, he turned to an old man beside him and asked, "Are their injuries truly beyond recovery?"
The old man shook his head helplessly. "Their meridians are all severed, and their internal organs show signs of decay. They are beyond recovery."
Li Tiandao closed his eyes in resignation and let out a long sigh.
The man on the bed pleaded again, "I beg my lord to grant us death!"
The other man on the bed also struggled to utter two words: "Grant... death."
"Alright!"
Li Tiandao nodded in agreement, looking at the two men with determined eyes. "Your sacrifice will not be in vain. I grant your request!"
Seeing Li Tiandao agree, the man's face broke into a blissful smile. "Thank you, my lord."
The sadness on Li Tiandao's face vanished in an instant. He stood up and looked at the old man beside him, commanding, "Give them a peaceful death. They are the pride of the Divine Cult."
"Yes." The old man nodded.
Li Tiandao glanced back at the two men on the bed one last time, then strode out of the room.
Such incidents happened daily, and it was impossible to count how many times.
Yet, despite this, their faith remained unshaken.
Perhaps this was the nature of fanatics, willing to die for their cause.
Outside the door, Chen Shanhe had been waiting for a long time. Seeing Li Tiandao emerge, his face turned ashen with anger. "Li Tiandao, what do you mean by this?"
Li Tiandao looked at Chen Shanhe, somewhat puzzled. "Patriarch Chen, why are you so enraged?"
Chen Shanhe grabbed Li Tiandao by the collar, his anger reaching its peak. "This is not what we agreed upon in the plan! Why did you expose yourself prematurely?"
Li Tiandao smiled faintly and explained, "I merely sent someone to scout the terrain beforehand. They were accidentally discovered. This will not affect our plan."
Seeing Li Tiandao's nonchalant demeanor, Chen Shanhe became even more furious. "Chen Shanshui has just become the patriarch, and someone is already causing trouble. The clansmen will immediately suspect me."
Li Tiandao shook his head and chuckled. "No, the moment he accepted the compass, he understood that the Chen family was already on the Divine Cult's kill list. Chen Shanshui knows this. He knows it couldn't have been you who sent people to cause trouble; even if you had, he would attribute it to the Divine Cult."
"Hmph!"
Chen Shanhe snorted coldly and released his grip on Li Tiandao's collar, reminding him, "Don't forget what you promised me."
Li Tiandao nodded and smiled. "Of course. We want the compass, and you want to reclaim the position of patriarch. Our goals do not conflict. We are on the same side now."
Chen Shanhe looked at Li Tiandao, displeased. "I am not on the same side as you. I am doing this for the Chen family!"
Li Tiandao smiled faintly and said, "I understand. Patriarch Chen is acting to save the Chen family, and incidentally, to regain the position of patriarch."
Chen Shanhe stopped speaking but felt a surge of resentment in his heart.
How would he explain this to the elder?
He was already suspected by the elder. If the elder were to discover his collusion with the Divine Cult...
He would truly have nowhere to hide.
Li Tiandao continued, "This operation was not entirely without merit."
Hearing this, Chen Shanhe frowned, confused. "What do you mean?"
Li Tiandao spoke slowly, "An old friend has arrived here."
"An old friend?"
Chen Shanhe's brow furrowed, and he immediately asked, "Who?"
Li Tiandao smiled mysteriously. "Someone you hate the most."
"Are you referring to Yu Daohan?"
Chen Shanhe's expression turned grim. "What is he doing here?"
Li Tiandao shook his head. "I don't know, but I am ninety percent certain that person is Yu Daohan."
Seeing Li Tiandao's ninety percent certainty, Chen Shanhe clenched his fists, his eyes filled with murderous intent. But then, he seemed to recall something and said nervously, "Could it be that he discovered my cooperation with you?"
Li Tiandao shook his head. "It's unlikely. The matter of the compass was a very intricate setup by those three elders. If Chen Shanshui hadn't told Chen Guojun about the compass, and then you found out, even our Divine Cult wouldn't have known that the Chen family possessed a compass."
Upon hearing this, Chen Shanhe let out a sigh of relief but then became puzzled. "Since he's not here for the compass, why is he here?"
Li Tiandao also shook his head in confusion. "That's unclear for now. But regardless of why he's here, it's another complication."
Chen Shanhe nodded in agreement. "This kid is always a complication, no matter where he is. We must be vigilant!"