Over at the Young Lord's estate, Gouyu had delegated the task of settling new arrivals to Xue Tong.
Xue Tong was Jiang Chen's cousin and had always been utterly devoted to him. He bore no resentment at being handed this particular responsibility from Gouyu. He knew that Gouyu was proud by nature and likely didn't want to personally escort a strange man to his quarters. Xue Tong was more than happy to handle such a small matter.
After all, this was the Young Lord's estate — absolutely safe. Moreover, Tan Zhi clearly harbored no ill intentions. He looked rather dazed and absent-minded, though whether that was from nerves or simply being overwhelmed, it was hard to say.
As one of Jiang Chen's earliest and most trusted followers, Xue Tong possessed considerable martial talent in his own right. Years of Jiang Chen's careful guidance had pushed his cultivation into the Earth Sage realm. Well-traveled and experienced, he could now handle virtually any situation with ease.
"Brother Tan, I hear you announced your allegiance to our Young Lord at the Rogue Cultivator Grand Assembly. As long as you remain loyal, we'll all be family from now on. There's no need to be so stiff," Xue Tong said warmly, trying to put Tan Zhi at ease.
Tan Zhi managed a faint smile. "Thank you, Brother Xue. Brother Xue looks remarkably young."
Xue Tong chuckled. "Everyone in our Young Lord's estate, apart from the handful of great emperors, isn't particularly old."
Tan Zhi nodded. "Brother Xue, I've just arrived and I'm not yet familiar with all the rules. I wanted to ask — are there any restricted areas within the estate that one shouldn't wander into?"
"No strict restricted areas, exactly," Xue Tong replied with a smile, "but there are unspoken rules. The Young Lord's private living quarters, and the quarters of the female residents — male cultivators are generally expected to stop at the boundary. Of course, every checkpoint is guarded, and the estate may look relaxed on the outside, but it's tight within. As long as you don't wander blindly, you'll be perfectly fine."
"So visiting friends between residences shouldn't be a problem?"
"Of course not. Brother Tan, do you already have friends in the estate?" Xue Tong asked with a grin.
"I've only just arrived, so I haven't had the chance to make friends yet. But there's plenty of time ahead — I'm sure I'll get to know some people."
"Naturally. Everyone here is friendly enough. Just don't put on airs or try to make yourself special, and you'll fit right in."
Tan Zhi nodded but said nothing more.
"Alright, here we are. This courtyard isn't large, but for one person it's more than adequate. Quite a few people live in this area. When you've got nothing to do, feel free to walk around and socialize." Having settled Tan Zhi in, Xue Tong offered the parting advice with genuine goodwill.
Tan Zhi looked around the courtyard and seemed quite satisfied.
He was about to push open the door when, some dozen zhang to the right, the gate of another courtyard swung open from inside, and a silver-haired cultivator stepped out.
The man spotted Xue Tong standing by the path and called out with a smile: "Young friend Xue, what brings you here?"
It was Elder Yun Nie — the very man Jiang Chen had rescued from Pill Fire City some time ago. Elder Yun Nie now split his time between overseeing affairs at Taixuan Pavilion and staying at the Young Lord's estate with Mu Gaoqi.
That large courtyard was the one Jiang Chen had allocated to Mu Gaoqi.
"Ah, Grandmaster Yun — we have a new arrival. The Young Lord asked me to see to the arrangements," Xue Tong explained. Then, turning to Tan Zhi: "Brother Tan, this is Grandmaster Yun, an old friend of our Young Lord. He has a disciple who is practically a sworn brother to our Young Lord."
He then turned back to Elder Yun Nie: "Grandmaster Yun, this is Brother Tan Zhi. He possessed a supreme treasure at the Rogue Cultivator Grand Assembly, and the Young Lord holds him in the highest regard. Brother Tan and our Young Lord share a deep mutual admiration, so he has pledged himself to Peacock Sacred Mountain. From now on, he's one of us."
Xue Tong was a smooth talker. Rather than mention Tan Zhi's dire circumstances, he framed the situation as one of mutual respect between kindred spirits — saving Tan Zhi any loss of face.
Elder Yun Nie laughed. "Wonderful news. Peacock Sacred Mountain grows stronger by the day — it only goes to show how great Young Lord Zhen's influence truly is. A fine thing, a very fine thing indeed. Brother Tan, do come visit my humble home when you have the time."
At that moment, however, Tan Zhi was staring at Elder Yun Nie, his eyes filled with a complex mixture of emotions. His gaze carried a weight of vicissitudes, as though he were looking at someone through the lens of countless years of change.
"Brother Tan?" Elder Yun Nie had clearly noticed the oddness in Tan Zhi's behavior.
Tan Zhi jolted back to awareness after a moment of distraction, looking somewhat abashed. "My apologies, my apologies. Upon seeing Grandmaster Yun, I was reminded of an old acquaintance. I'm afraid I lost myself for a moment. Please forgive me, Grandmaster Yun."
Elder Yun Nie saw that Tan Zhi's reaction didn't seem feigned and dismissed it without further concern. "Not at all. Brother Tan must be a man who values deep bonds and loyalty."
Xue Tong smiled. "Well then, you two chat. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave."
Having finished his task, Xue Tong saw no reason to linger and departed.
Elder Yun Nie cupped his fists toward Tan Zhi. "Brother Tan, I also have some pressing matters to attend to. I'll take my leave now. Next time, if the opportunity arises, I'd like to invite Brother Tan over for a drink. How does that sound?"
Tan Zhi's expression remained placid, and he offered a thin smile. But his gaze remained fixed unblinkingly on Elder Yun Nie. He said nothing — only stared.
From the very first moment Elder Yun Nie had laid eyes on Tan Zhi, something about the man had struck him as strange. The way Tan Zhi looked at people gave Elder Yun Nie an indescribable feeling.
It made his heart race with unease, his thoughts scatter into turmoil.