"It seems they're gone."
Beneath the old mansion, however, lay a hidden palace.
Two people were hiding within the palace, not daring to even peek their heads out, speaking cautiously.
One of them appeared to possess extraordinary bearing, his brow furrowed with intense displeasure. He was clearly extremely dissatisfied with their current clandestine situation.
The one speaking wore a Taoist robe and a lotus-shaped Taoist crown. Such lotus-shaped crowns were not for just anyone to wear; only those with considerable prestige and profound cultivation within the Taoist sect were permitted to don them. Thus, this Taoist's status was undoubtedly high.
Yet, even with his high status, this Taoist appeared deferential in the face of the young man with the displeased expression.
"I know you are discontent, my lord, but one must bow to circumstances when under another's roof. The enemy this time is indeed powerful, and even by utilizing the divination arts of the Tian Ji Sect, I could not ascertain their origins. This indicates they came fully prepared."
"As your advisor, my primary duty is to protect your safety. If the enemy harbors ill intentions and has meticulously prepared, could their true target be you, my lord?"
"Would it not then be equivalent to harming you, my lord, if I allowed you to leave the palace?"
The Taoist spoke earnestly.
The young man scoffed, "I am not one to be obstinate and refuse counsel. I simply cannot stomach this indignity!"
"A pawn I painstakingly cultivated, and moreover, a crucial link to the Eastern lands, has been destroyed just like that!"
"If only Ashiya Doman had been killed, I could have accepted it. But to deceive that person's eyes, they even had to sacrifice Yan Hong, whom I had nurtured for so long!"
"I… I had genuine feelings for Yan Hong!"
It turned out the female ghost had been raised by this young man! And her actions just now were a proactive move to protect him!
A flicker of an unreadable emotion crossed the Taoist's eyes, and he quickly comforted, "My lord, do not grieve too much. It is precisely because of your genuine feelings for Yan Hong that she was willing to stand bravely and meet her death."
The young man nodded. "When we return, we must collect Yan Hong's lingering spirit and build her a proper tomb. If there is an opportunity in the future, I will spare no cost to resurrect Yan Hong!"
"Those who die for me, I never fail!"
He said this ostensibly to Yan Hong, but in reality, it was for the Taoist to hear.
Though the Taoist inwardly sneered, he feigned an expression of deep emotion. "Your benevolence is truly admirable, my lord. I knew I had chosen the right person!"
The young man patted the Taoist's shoulder. "Although you were expelled from the Tian Ji Sect, it does not mean you cannot return in the future. I promise you, upon the completion of this endeavor, I will personally bestow upon you the position of Sect Master of Tian Ji!"
The Taoist was genuinely moved. He quickly knelt on the ground and bowed deeply to the young man. "Thank you, my lord! This humble one will follow you for all eternity, willing to be your dog!"
"Good, good, good…" The young man laughed heartily.
But in the next moment, he seemed to recall something, and his expression turned extremely somber.
"Hu Quan'an, that useless wretch! I went to great lengths to cultivate him, even publicly taking a stance and offering my support and gifts for his wedding. Yet, not only did I fail to eliminate Old Man Hu, but he also lost his own life in the process!"
"Now, not only has my plan been forced to a halt, but the plans in the East have also been disrupted."
"Do I have to act personally?"
This young man was none other than the First Young Master of Yan Jing, who had sent gifts to Hu Quan'an's wedding! Little did anyone know, the First Young Master of Yan Jing was the mastermind behind everything.
"In my humble opinion, there is no urgency with the Eastern lands for now. Our cooperation with them is merely superficial. If they succeed, we will assist them and then seize the fruits of victory. If they fail, we lose nothing."
"If necessary, we can even betray them and use it as a merit to exchange for benefits with the upper echelons of Long Guo. In any case, we cannot lose."
"The immediate priority is to handle your personal matters, my lord. Of course, I do not know what these personal matters are, but the principle remains the same…"
The Taoist wisely refrained from inquiring about the personal matter the First Young Master intended to handle himself.
"Yes, we will do as you say! Let's go, we're returning."
The First Young Master pondered for a moment, then waved his hand.
The Taoist rose and walked towards the exit of the palace, stepping out.
The First Young Master, who had been following closely behind, suddenly stopped. For some unknown reason, a jade pendant on his chest emitted a red light, and a crack appeared on it.
Seeing this, the First Young Master was greatly alarmed and immediately halted his steps out of the palace. He then turned and fled towards the depths of the underground palace without looking back.
Meanwhile, the unsuspecting Taoist had already reached the surface of the old mansion. The Taoist was surprised that the First Young Master hadn't followed when he suddenly heard footsteps from a distance. Simultaneously, a voice echoed in his ear: "Hmm, I guessed correctly. There is indeed another rat here."
It was Ying Chen! Ying Chen had returned to the old mansion!
Upon seeing Ying Chen appear, the Taoist's face paled with terror. He instantly understood why Ying Chen had left so abruptly and hastily earlier. He had killed the female ghost and left without the slightest delay, all to create a diversion and lure out any hidden presences!
A bitter taste filled the Taoist's mouth. He hailed from the Tian Ji Sect, specializing in divination and astrology, not combat. If even the female ghost Yan Hong was no match for Ying Chen, how could he be?
However, the Taoist found it too humiliating to grovel and beg for mercy. After all, he was a distinguished master qualified to wear the lotus Taoist crown.
Ying Chen seemed exceptionally understanding, discerning the Taoist's predicament at a glance. Ying Chen smiled slightly. "How about you divine for me?"
"If you divine well, I will leave immediately and pretend I never saw you. If you divine poorly, then I apologize, I will have to take your life as compensation."
The Taoist was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed. Ying Chen was clearly giving him a chance! There was nothing else he excelled at, but in matters of divination, he had never feared anyone! He would have dared to accept even if his life, and the lives of his next few reincarnations, were wagered.
"Alright, I see you are a person of your word. Then it's settled!" the Taoist quickly agreed. "May I ask what you wish to divine, sir?"
Ying Chen answered without hesitation, "Who am I? Where do I come from? And where do I go?"
"One stick of incense time. Begin!"
The Taoist chuckled. "Three simple questions like these, why would they require a stick of incense? Five minutes will suffice!"
A stick of incense was thirty minutes, but the Taoist felt Ying Chen's offer was too dismissive of his abilities. Thus, he set his own limit at five minutes. After speaking, the Taoist sat cross-legged on the ground and produced a divination pen from his sleeve. He smoothed the ground, and a layer of loose soil appeared. The Taoist chanted an incantation, tossed the divination pen onto the loose soil, and began the divination.
The Taoist paid no heed to Ying Chen, who stood before him with a playful smirk, as if mocking the Taoist for his overconfidence.