At this moment, the tall figure cloaked in the cape spoke, "Could it be that the lad's people are intentionally putting on an act?"

It was a man's voice, deliberately suppressed to sound gravelly. He had not revealed his true face since entering, his entire face was covered with a hood and a scarf, yet the two women before him both knew who he was.

Feng Chi hesitated, "I did suspect that at first, but after the higher-ups looked into it, they felt that from ransoming people to selling them, and all sorts of accidents in between, if it was indeed all orchestrated, the rapid changes in such a short time were too complex, making it somewhat implausible. Of course, the higher-ups didn't dismiss this suspicion either, anything is possible."

Xiang Laner spoke up, "There's no need to doubt any longer, I can confirm that he's not in league with that old man."

Feng Chi uttered a sound of acknowledgment and immediately asked, "How do you know?"

Xiang Laner pursed her lips slightly, her method of obtaining the answer was somewhat difficult to discuss, eventually glossing over it with a light comment, "It's inconvenient to explain in detail, but I stand by this judgment, you can be assured in reporting it."

Having said she would take responsibility, the other two had no more to say.

But Feng Chi was still curious, "Miss, how did you get him to release you?"

Xiang Laner: "What else, but by agreeing to his terms and taking him along to Wukang Mountain."

"Uh..." Feng Chi was speechless.

The man within the cloak spoke gravely, "That's not possible, and it cannot be done. Bian Jixiong has already been made aware of the existence of 'Shi Chun' and knows that this person has arranged for him to have a brothel woman as a daughter-in-law. I heard he smashed a few teacups in anger, how could he possibly allow him into Wukang Mountain? Miss, it's already difficult for you to get in, and if he tags along, I fear even you might not make it."

Xiang Laner: "It's not a matter of whether you or I wish for it but rather that I had no choice but to agree to him, and also because he has a fallback. If I break my word, once our identities are exposed, our plans for infiltrating Wukang Mountain will be utterly ruined. How will we explain ourselves to the Holy Master? Therefore, it's not about asking for your opinion now, but rather asking you to find a solution. If you can't solve the problem, what use do I have for you?"

The man in the cloak was completely lost for words.

Ignoring him, Xiang Laner gestured for the severely injured Feng Chi to sit down and rest.

After a long silence in the room, the man in the cloak finally sighed, "There is one method we could try, but it would require convincing Shi Chun to cooperate."

Xiang Laner immediately asked him to share the idea…

Shi Chun had already left the inn. He wasn't bothered about what Xiang Laner and the others were doing behind his back; he preferred to take a good tour of Lankang City first, getting familiar with the terrain as a precaution, an old habit of his before he began his 'activities' in the Land of Exile.

It wasn't that he didn't want to keep an eye on what Xiang Laner and the others were up to; rather, they wouldn't give him a chance to spy. With only one pair of eyes, it was tough enough to keep watch as it was, and he couldn't use the special ability of his right eye under normal circumstances either, not as if putting a knife to his own throat would help him focus!

Besides, he also needed to leave some road signs in the city to help Wu Jinliang find his way here later, as it had been inconvenient to do so while with Xiang Laner and the others.

After leaving the inn and heading back to the city gates, marking the route along the way, he had just readied himself for a leisurely stroll when he suddenly heard a commotion ahead, "If you have no money, do not come here. We do not provide credit; please leave, please leave."

Looking up, Shi Chun saw it was a restaurant, the staff shooing away a disheveled old man.

The old man's flushed, pockmarked nose and the liquor gourd were quite conspicuous. Shi Chun barely gave it a glance before breaking into a cold sweat, his mind screaming, 'This can't be happening, right?'

Not needing a second thought, he quickly turned around and hurried off.

As a member of the Demon Path, encountering such keen demon-hunters, why wouldn't he run? Was he supposed to wait to be slaughtered?

"Hey!"

A shout and a hand suddenly attacked from behind, landing on his shoulder.

The voice and tone made Shi Chun hesitant to turn around, as if he had suddenly been encased in ice.

It didn't matter that he didn't turn; the person behind came around to his front, pushing aside the dirty, grizzled hair from his face and staring intently at Shi Chun with eyes that alternated between dazed and lucid. Finally, the man laughed heartily and patted Shi Chun's chest, "I knew you looked familiar; it really is you, lad."

Feigning confusion momentarily, Shi Chun then joyfully clasped his hands in greeting, "It turns out to be the venerable senior; I have shown disrespect."

Meanwhile, his mind was cursively greeting the man's ancestors.

The shabby old man, holding his liquor gourd, cocked his head and questioned him, "Cut the formalities. Just answer me one thing, do you remember I saved your life?"

Shi Chun dryly laughed, "Of course, of course, I certainly remember."

"He belittled me secretly, 'Even if you don't save me, I have ways to escape.'"

The unkempt old man pointed his chin towards the tavern they had just left, "Then it's only proper for you to treat me to a meal, right?"

Shi Chun was truly guilty, Feng Chi was able to see through his Demon Path identity. Such an expert's insight must also be extraordinary. Just to be safe, he hesitantly refused, "Senior, I really have something to attend to, otherwise..." He reached into his money pouch and pulled out a handful of Sandalwood Gold coins exuding an aura of flames, "How about you help yourself, Senior?"

The unkempt old man looked at him sideways, "Are you trying to brush me off as if I were a beggar?"

Shi Chun hurriedly denied, "No, no, absolutely not."

"That's good." The unkempt old man grabbed his wrist and dragged him away, not allowing for refusal, straight into the tavern to take a seat. He slammed the table and shouted, "That snobby server, order the dishes! Drunken Phoenix, Exploding Gold Pills, Thousand Greens Pot, Earth's Matchless, Snow Scene Soup – start with these. Bring the Jade Treasure Brew and refill my wine gourd while you're at it." The wine gourd was pushed onto the table.

The approaching server, after confirming that Shi Chun, the big spender, had no objections, went off smiling with the wine gourd, asking them to wait a moment.

Having no choice, Shi Chun just went with the flow and tried asking, "May I know the honored name of the senior?"

The unkempt old man chuckled, "Talking about names is for profit, this old man has long let that go, better left unmentioned. But you, dark as charcoal, from which place do you hail? State your name."

Shi Chun chuckled awkwardly, "Junior Shi Chun, 'Shi' from the teacher's Shi, 'Chun' from spring. Just released from prison, from that Land of Exile."

"Oh, from the Land of Exile, eh? No wonder you're so dark. For someone so young to dare confront the Demon Path, that is indeed praiseworthy. Hmm, I quite like that."

"You flatter me, senior. Eradicating demons and defending the path is my duty, not a matter of age. I would not fall behind. But, senior, what brings you here as well?"

"Nothing much, still about the incident from a few days ago when I let that female demon escape. Various clues suggest she might have come this way, so naturally, I followed here. Meeting me is your good fortune. Be careful not to let that female demon block your path again; I might not always come across you in time to help."

Shi Chun was utterly terrified by these words. Feng Chi wasn't dead? And she came here too? He must remind Xiang Laner later.

As the two chatted, the food and drink were served one after another, and Shi Chun respectfully poured wine for the old man.

After lifting his first glass of wine, the unkempt old man replied, "Ah, Shi Chun, I won't just drink your wine for nothing. Seeing that we are of the same path, if you run into trouble, you can come find me. I might not do other great things, but I can handle blocking or fighting for you. Of course, that's if I am still here in Lankang City. I'm not helping for nothing, though. Each help requires a treat."

Shi Chun, startled, wondered if such good fortune existed? With the cultivation of this elder, that was brilliant. He hurriedly asked, "May I ask, senior, where can I find you if I need help?"

"The area around the city gate, under some house's eaves, perhaps. If you're looking for me, just go there and see, you'll find me eventually."

Thus, they continued eating and drinking, exchanging cups and chatting away.

As they ate, the unkempt old man noticed something amiss, glaring at the young man across from him who was gobbling down the food. Finally, he couldn't help but complain.

"Shi Chun, you're eating like a starving ghost reincarnated. With just a few bites, you're nearly finishing off the dishes. Are you sure this is a treat for me? Seeing the old man's beggar-like appearance, you think I'm only fit for your leftover food, is that it?"

"Ah, my apologies, my apologies, senior, please forgive my lapse. I just got out of prison and couldn't hold back. Not to hide from you, these past few days, this is only the second time I've had a proper meal. Not worldly, please forgive my ignorance, senior. Don't hesitate, feel free to eat more, and we can order more if it's not enough."

Fortunately, he still understood some hospitality and quickly put down his chopsticks. He conveniently wiped his mouth, still chewing, and thus stopped. Occasionally, his tongue slipped out to lick his lips, savoring the taste.

He then focused on pouring wine for the senior and engaging in conversation.

When he asked about the senior's cultivation, it really shook him.

This elder didn't specify his exact level of cultivation, just mentioned that he should be quite capable in this region, saying that even Bian Que would have to walk around him, mentioning he had even thrashed Bian Que before.

Who was Bian Que? He was the father of Wu Kang Mountain Sect Master Bian Jixiong and the grandfather of Weikang, a reclusive figure, reportedly having reached the pinnacle of the Human Immortal Realm, only a step away from the Celestial Realm. He had long ceased involving himself with Sect affairs and was perpetually in deep cultivation.

Before this, Shi Chun certainly wouldn't have known who Bian Que was; he had heard about the situation at Wu Kang Mountain from Weikang en route.

Being an elder figure akin to the founding ancestor of Wu Kang Mountain, and to think that he had been defeated by the unkempt man before him – goodness, whether it was boasting or not, just daring to boast was enough, Shi Chun quickly raised his cup for a few more toasts…

In the Anle Building, inside Xiang Laner's guest room, it was just her and Feng Chi, waiting for Shi Chun to return. The tall cloaked and masked figure had already left.

A knock on the door sounded, and Feng Chi called, "Come in."

A staff member from the inn opened the door and quickly closed it again, approaching the two and whispering, "After leaving the inn, he suspiciously made his marks all the way to the city gate, then was stopped by an unkempt old man. They seemed very familiar with each other. The old man pulled him into the tavern, and they are currently treating the unkempt old man to drinks."

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