It wasn't until a month and a half ago that Gao Xueting had suddenly told her she'd made some headway, but would need to join forces with someone else to crack it. That very day, she left behind some cultivation resources, departed Kunyuan City, and had not been heard from since.
Seven days ago, Qingyang Pavilion was suddenly surrounded by the City Lord's guard army. The guards never specified what crime Qingyang Pavilion had committed—they simply encircled the place, forbidding anyone from entering.
Speaking up to this point, Lu Wen suddenly started, belatedly realizing something. "Senior Brother Yang, how did you get in? Those City Lord's men should still be outside."
Yang Kai grinned. "If I want to get in, how could those scum hope to stop me?" After a pause, he frowned. "Elder Gao left here a month and a half ago, saying she'd join forces with someone to crack the secret of that beast hide. Yet seven days ago, this place was surrounded by the City Lord's men for no reason..."
Lu Wen said anxiously, "So I suspect Elder Gao may have run into danger. They surrounded Qingyang Pavilion because they were afraid I'd pass a message to the outside. After all, Elder Gao came and went from Qingyang Pavilion openly in recent days—it would have been easy to discover her connection to this place."
Yang Kai nodded. "You're right. If that's the case... then Kunyuan City is certainly involved."
Lu Wen said dejectedly, "I really had no other options, so I used my token to send out a message—trying a last resort. I never imagined it would actually summon Senior Brother Yang."
Yang Kai said, "I just happened to be passing nearby on business."
Had Yang Kai not happened to pass by Kunyuan City by sheer coincidence, Lu Wen's message would likely have failed to summon a single fellow disciple. After all, this was the Eastern Region, immensely far from the Qingyang Divine Temple, and the Temple's people would not come here without reason.
Although Gao Xueting had a cold demeanor, she had always treated Yang Kai well. She had personally given him the Qingyang Golden Token and had even considered taking him as her disciple to properly guide his cultivation.
Now that Gao Xueting might be in trouble, Yang Kai naturally could not stand by and do nothing.
Of course, this was merely a guess. It could all be a misunderstanding, but the City Lord's men surrounding Qingyang Pavilion reeked of a guilty conscience—if it had nothing to do with Gao Xueting, why would they besiege this place for no reason?
"Then the City Lord's Manor must be deeply involved in this matter." Yang Kai pondered for a moment, his thoughts gradually falling into place.
Lu Wen said, "That's what I figured too. Elder Gao said she'd find someone to join forces with to crack the secret on the beast hide, and in all of Kunyuan City, only the City Lord, Zu Hong, has Sovereign Realm First Stage cultivation. If Elder Gao were looking for a partner, he'd be the obvious choice."
"Oh?" Yang Kai raised an eyebrow and broke into a grin. "Now that we have a suspect, things just got much easier."
"Senior Brother Yang, what are you planning to do?" Lu Wen noticed his wicked smile and suddenly had a bad feeling.
"What else? Naturally, I'll go ask him to his face." Yang Kai gave a light snort.
Lu Wen was alarmed. "Senior Brother, you absolutely must not be rash! Zu Hong is a Sovereign Realm First Stage powerhouse who has held that rank for over forty years. His strength is formidable, and he possesses a Sovereign Artifact. Though you are an elite disciple of the Divine Temple, facing a Sovereign Realm cultivator, I'm afraid..."
She didn't finish, but the meaning was abundantly clear. She did not believe Yang Kai was Zu Hong's match.
Yang Kai smiled. "Don't worry, Junior Sister Lu. A mere Zu Hong may not even be worth my attention." After a pause, he instructed Zhang Ruoxi, "Later, take Junior Sister Lu out through the back gate of Kunyuan City and wait for me outside the walls. Since something like this has happened here, there's no need to stay any longer. Junior Sister Lu should return to the Divine Temple as soon as possible."
"Yes, Master!" Zhang Ruoxi's expression turned solemn.
Only then did Yang Kai flicker and vanish without a trace.
"This..." Lu Wen stared blankly, both shocked and anxious. She had made it perfectly clear to this Senior Brother Yang that Zu Hong was a Sovereign Realm powerhouse—why was he still so hot-headed and impulsive?
Zhang Ruoxi smiled faintly. "There's no need to worry about my Master, dear sister. Someone like Zu Hong couldn't possibly be his match."
"Master?" Lu Wen stared at Zhang Ruoxi in surprise. "You're not a disciple of the Divine Temple?"
Zhang Ruoxi shook her head. "I come from a minor family. Master was kind enough to keep me by his side and guide my cultivation, which is how I've achieved what I have today."
Lu Wen was shocked.
She could sense that Zhang Ruoxi's cultivation was higher than her own. She herself was at Daoyuan Realm Second Stage, and since Zhang Ruoxi surpassed her, that meant Daoyuan Realm Third Stage. Yet such a powerhouse had been trained by Senior Brother Yang? She was in no way inferior to the elite disciples of those great sects.
"Wh-what level is Senior Brother Yang's cultivation?" Lu Wen asked in astonishment.
Zhang Ruoxi smiled, a hint of pride evident in her expression, and said casually, "Master is already a Sovereign."
Lu Wen was completely stunned. The gloom that had clouded her eyes for so long gradually gave way to a bright gleam, the darkness and anxiety before her swept away in an instant.
...
Outside Qingyang Pavilion, at a teahouse, that Official Jia kept his hawk-like eyes fixed unblinkingly on the pavilion's entrance, his hand unconsciously raising a teacup to his lips.
He had no idea who the man and woman who had entered Qingyang Pavilion earlier really were. He'd sent subordinates to investigate but they'd turned up nothing—the pair seemed to have arrived in the city only today. This made Official Jia wary, fearful that they might actually be connected to the matter the City Lord had instructed him about.
He dared not miss a single detail, his entire attention absorbed by Qingyang Pavilion.
Suddenly, an overwhelming sense of unease surged from within him, as though some danger was drawing near, making his heart pound wildly.
Before Official Jia could react, the corner of his eye caught sight of someone appearing in a strange, uncanny manner.
He whipped his head around, eyes going wide, and saw the young man from earlier sitting in the chair across from him, gazing back with a smile.