Xing Shuishui worried he might die any second, so she tossed him a medicinal pill. The young man bowed in thanks and quickly swallowed it, his complexion improving considerably.
Xing Shuishui asked, “What happened at the Governor’s Manor before?”
The young man’s neck began to flush again: “He was just an orphan! When he wandered to Buwen City at his lowest point, my mother kindly took him in! Taught him some techniques, but who knew this ungrateful wolf would not only fail to show gratitude, but would kill my parents and take my sister! He took my rightful place.”
In short, it was a story of the farmer and the snake.
However, Guan Wushan was only pretending to be “destitute” to gain sympathy. He had done the same thing in Cangchuan before, using manipulation to get everything he wanted.
Du Dizhu sneered: “Who cares if he killed your parents or not! I’m not your ancestor – hurry up and stop wasting time. Just tell us what he’s up to.”
Supported by the girl, the young man limped along, leading them to a secluded place overgrown with weeds, where only a lonely moon hung in the sky.
Red-faced, he pointed at the stone slab on the ground and said through gritted teeth: “Just look for yourselves.”
He Liansheng lifted the stone slab.
Xing Shuishui glanced at the pitch-black tunnel and smiled, correcting him: “Not just us – you’re coming too.”
Du Dizhu jumped down into the tunnel, dragging the young man down with him like a chicken. The young man kept crying out until Du Dizhu threatened fiercely: “Keep yelling and I’ll seal your voice point! You’ll never make a sound again.”
That shut him up immediately.
Xing Shuishui looked around and asked, “What’s your name – Lin what?”
The young man glanced at Du Dizhu and said quietly, “Lin Lan.”
The tunnel was dark and damp. Just as Xing Shuishui was about to create some light, He Liansheng grabbed her hand, pressing down on her fingertips.
As she turned her head, her ears twitched – there were faint breathing sounds not far down the tunnel. Though someone was trying to hide it, they couldn’t escape detection.
Someone had arrived before them.
Du Dizhu also sensed something was wrong and narrowed his eyes. With how loud he’d been earlier, the other side must have noticed them. Xing Shuishui glared at him, but Du Dizhu pretended not to see.
He Liansheng’s hand hadn’t moved away. Xing Shuishui turned her gaze toward him again. In the darkness, the color of his hair ribbon was especially vivid where it brushed against her face, tickling slightly.
She transmitted to He Liansheng: “How many people ahead?”
He Liansheng replied: “More than ten.”
Xing Shuishui: “…”
More than ten! Were they here to rob a tomb?
Du Dizhu transmitted to her: “What did you two just say?”
Xing Shuishui replied: “Said you’re stupid for exposing our position.”
Du Dizhu gritted his teeth: “That Lin guy is the real idiot. If he wasn’t still useful, I’d kill him!”
Xing Shuishui quietly gripped her knife, her eyelids lowering slightly. The current questions were: Who were they? How did they know about this tunnel? And what were they here for?
Completely unaware he’d been called an idiot, Lin Lan was still looking around, saying puzzled: “Why did you all stop talking and moving? Let’s keep going forward!”
The previously calm pond suddenly had a stone thrown in, splashing water everywhere.
Xing Shuishui: “…”
Du Dizhu: “…”
He Liansheng’s killing intent surged as he shot him a cold glare. Lin Lan felt like he’d just walked through death’s door.
Li Fire shot toward the other side with lightning speed, dispersing the darkness, followed immediately by a scream. Xing Shuishui looked up, hearing someone shout.
“—Master! Master! My clothes are on fire!”
Wait… wasn’t that Li Guanhang’s voice?
Xing Shuishui clenched her fingers and said, “Return.”
The Separation Fire instantly withdrew from Li Guanhang’s clothes and hung in midair for lighting. The group from Lingshan gradually appeared before them – about a dozen people, all of high cultivation level, mostly elders and hall masters. Li Guanhang and Li Guanyu were clearly just there as assistants to gain experience.
Lin Lan pointed at them and exclaimed: “Who are you? Why are you here? This passage was only known to me!”
A Lingshan hall master sneered: “Ignorant child, so what if you know about it? What’s so special? It’s just a tunnel. Lingshan has long had special tools for finding such things. What you should be thinking about now is how we’ll deal with you later for consorting with two demons as a cultivator.”
Lin Lan laughed angrily: “What Lingshan? Never heard of it. In Buwen City, humans and spirits are equal. I warn you, stop spouting such nonsense.”
“You’ll learn about Lingshan when we deal with you.”
The hall master couldn’t be bothered with someone who looked like a dried corpse. His gaze locked onto He Liansheng as he said through gritted teeth: “He Liansheng! Xing Shuishui! Du Dizhu! How are you three here? And working together! Especially you – truly shameless! How can you face our ancestors!”
The entire cultivation world knew Lihuoshan Manor and Wuxiang Mountain were mortal enemies. They never expected to see Xing Shuishui and Du Dizhu conspiring together here, realizing too late they’d been played for fools.
The tunnel was already narrow – any movement was obvious.
Yet He Liansheng deliberately wrapped his arm around the little peach spirit’s shoulders, lowering his head close to her cheek with intimate familiarity. He lifted his eyes and said mockingly: “Uncle, I’ve been a traitor for so long now. You’re only just realizing I can’t face the ancestors?”
A shadow fell from above. Xing Shuishui looked up, feeling they were too close. She tried to pull her neck back slightly but He Liansheng’s hand held her in place, his palm against her jaw leaving her nowhere to retreat.
The young man’s attitude had always been: this was exactly how things should be between them. He felt no guilt, only pride.
Xing Shuishui blinked innocently. He Liansheng’s hands always seemed warmer than normal, pressed against the back of her neck, giving her an oddly safe feeling.
The hall master was furious enough to blow smoke from his seven openings. His magical tools already drawn: “Fine, fine, fine! Since you’re so stubborn! Your master has also come to Buwen City – after we deal with Guan Yinzi’s remaining followers, we’ll let your master personally clean up his own school!”
Xing Shuishui keenly caught several key points: He Liansheng’s master had arrived, and Lingshan people knew about Guan Wushan’s existence.
She gave He Liansheng a questioning look.
He Liansheng transmitted to her: “Divination.”
Xing Shuishui suddenly understood.
That explained it – Lingshan’s sect leader was the foremost diviner of their time.
Just as she was about to say something, Immortal Chiqing, standing beside the hall master, stepped forward to examine her.
As Li siblings’ master, Immortal Chiqing was on equal footing with Guan Mulan and considered highly respected in Lingshan. When Luo Dan had been pressuring Xing Shuishui, he never imagined she was actually Xue Jiuling. His expression was poor: “We have business to attend to and no time to play with you. Xing Shuishui, Du Dizhu, Lingshan will settle accounts with you later. He Liansheng, you’d better think about how to face your master!”
Xing Shuishui wasn’t sure how much these Lingshan people knew, so she deliberately smiled and said: “What important business? Let me hear too?”
Immortal Chiqing laughed angrily at her shameless tone: “Xing Shuishui, don’t you feel ridiculous saying that?”
Xing Shuishui smiled again: “Why are you such a petty old man? Could it be you’re still holding a grudge from hundreds of years ago when I burned your magic robe and made you fall from the sky?”
Li Guanhang’s transmission came almost instantly: “Xing Shuishui, take it easy! My master’s health isn’t great – don’t make him sick with anger.”
“Petty? I think you’re just making things up! When did you ever burn my magic robe, girl? Let’s go! Don’t waste words with them – dealing with the remnants is more urgent. I advise you all to behave during this time and not interfere with Lingshan’s affairs.”
Immortal Chiqing swept his sleeves and led the Lingshan group away. That old man still wouldn’t admit it. He Lian Ziyu had seen it happen!
Lin Lan, who had been listening on the side completely confused, asked the most approachable person, Xing Shuishui: “Those mountain people… are they your acquaintances?”
Xing Shuishui made an agreeing sound, while secretly transmitting to Li Guanhang: “What are you here for?”
Li Guanhang quickly replied: “Remember how the Shangguan family was poisoned during the Mountain Sacrifice Ceremony? We finally found some clues. The sect leader divined from them and discovered Guan Yinzi actually has living blood relatives! The person who poisoned the Shangguan family is his blood relative, hiding in this ghostly place. Then… the sect leader personally left the mountain, saying the world faces danger and this person must die. It sounds serious, so we’re here to scout first. What about you?”
Xing Shuishui: “Just walking around.”
Li Guanhang: “…”
He held back for a long time: “You’re just walking around with Du Dizhu?”
Xing Shuishui: “Du Dizhu came on his own.”
Despite having many questions, he said nothing more: “Whatever your purpose, Xing Shuishui, He Liansheng, be careful. The sect leader said that person is deeply scheming and viciously ruthless – this isn’t a game.”
Xing Shuishui was startled – this Li Guanhang had developed feelings for them.
She replied: “Warn your master that person has blood parasites. The sachets I gave you and your sister – you’re carrying them, right? If necessary, you can crush them. I hid Li Fire inside – it can keep you safe.”
Li Guanhang was shocked: “You—”
Xing Shuishui had already cut off their connection.
She actively took He Liansheng’s hand and turned to say: “Let’s go too.”
The tunnel was a maze with many exits. They chose a direction completely opposite to the Lingshan group.
To save time, they split up – Xing Shuishui and He Liansheng went to find Xue Sansi, while Du Dizhu took Lin Lan to investigate the Governor’s Manor in case Guan Wushan left any traps.
Xing Shuishui randomly chose an exit based on intuition. She placed her hand on the formation in front of her. The formation flashed and she emerged from the tunnel into some location in the Governor’s Manor.
The air around was humid and hot, with the sound of rushing water nearby. Xing Shuishui’s vision was filled with mist. She waved her hand to clear it, and her vision became slightly clearer. Her movements paused – their luck didn’t seem very good. They’d ended up in someone’s bathhouse!
The bathhouse was wide and grand, with bathing pools carved from jade blocks and fresh flowers floating on the water’s surface. A long, tall lacquered wooden screen stood across the center of the pool, dividing it in two. They were currently at one end.
She swallowed and looked sideways at He Liansheng, concluding directly: “My brother definitely isn’t being held here.”
She should transmit to ask Lin Lan if there were any places in the Governor’s Manor suitable for holding prisoners.
Before she could recover her thoughts, He Liansheng raised his hand to cover her mouth. Xing Shuishui followed his gaze to see shadows on the screen, her eyes widening.
There were people in the bathhouse!
The people on the other side of the screen noticed something unusual.
“Did you just hear someone talking? It seemed to come from behind the screen?”
Footsteps drew closer and closer. There was nowhere to hide here. Xing Shuishui lowered her gaze to look at the pool – unless they hid underwater… or killed these two people.
Not knowing what He Liansheng was thinking, she glanced sideways at him. He Liansheng clearly had no intention of killing anyone – his hand wasn’t even on his sword. Instead, he wrapped his arm around her waist from behind.
Xing Shuishui lowered her eyelids and bit her lip corner.
This damn man!
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