After this exchange, Shang Can and the others lost their desire to continue wandering around Yan Yang, so they found a corner in the inn’s lobby to chat together.
“So, what brings you to Yan Yang?” After accepting his identity, Shang Can felt much more relaxed in front of Chu Ming. She generously offered him a piece of peach pastry. “I heard from your bird that you were just passing through, but now that you’ve got a room, it seems a bit wasteful not to stay the night.”
“I’m investigating something. I really was just passing through Yan Yang, but who knew I’d hear that you were here at Kun Yao Jun’s place, so—”
“So you deliberately let the chicken step on your foot?”
“…”
Faced with Shang Can’s question, Chu Ming silently chewed on the peach pastry, looking somewhat guilty.
Thank goodness for that chicken; without it, Yu Shan Jun might have put on a clumsy act in front of her and awkwardly followed them back.
Seeing through everything, Shang Can rolled her eyes and heard Chu Ming weakly shift the topic: “I, I heard from Yun Duan that you encountered the ghost clan yesterday?”
Shang Can turned to Yun Duan, who calmly nodded and said, “I’ve already told Chu Ming about it.”
“This situation is getting more and more complicated.”
Once the topic returned to the main point, Chu Ming’s expression became much steadier, his brows furrowing.
“I’m still investigating the injury Yun Duan sustained in the Tian Wai Tian arena,” he said, noticing Shang Can’s expression turn cold at this mention. He quickly added, “Although I haven’t found any leads yet, at least I’ve ruled out a lot of suspects and dealt with some who had malicious intentions towards the Wu Xia Xian Ti. It’s been going relatively smoothly.”
“… Thank you for your concern.”
Shang Can’s expression lightened a bit. She sincerely inclined her head towards Chu Ming, saying, “If you need, I can share what I know about this matter related to Bi Luo Huang Quan with you—but likewise, there’s not much valuable information at this point.”
She was naturally a bit resentful about this issue and had been brooding over it. Ye Ya would occasionally update her on the investigation, but with so many people present at the arena, the investigation was slow, and Shang Can was anxious but couldn’t rush it.
She had initially wanted to say that if there were any careless people trying to target the Wu Xia Xian Ti while they traveled together, she could give them a good beating to vent her frustration, also serving as a warning to others. But it seemed that in the past few days, such people hadn’t appeared. It seemed Qing Yu had already dealt with them, and Shang Can repeatedly nodded, casting a grateful glance at Chu Ming.
“It’s nothing.” Chu Ming chuckled dryly and shot her a meaningful look. “Protecting Yun Duan is, after all, Qing Yu’s… ahem, duty.”
He emphasized the last four words, and Shang Can glanced at him in confusion, suddenly realizing that she had just made some ridiculous comment about “Thank you for your concern.” Yun Duan hadn’t even said anything yet—what did it have to do with her, a demon cultivator?
She had inadvertently placed herself in Yun Duan’s position again. Shang Can felt a pang of annoyance, while Yun Duan remained calm, as if she hadn’t perceived anything wrong in Shang Can’s previous actions, and said lightly, “I was caught off guard before, but if that person wanted to make a move again, it wouldn’t be as easy as last time. No need to worry.”
Shang Can thought that even if she was keeping an eye on Yun Duan every day, she still couldn’t help but worry. She exchanged a disapproving glance with Chu Ming, but they both tacitly chose not to voice their objections and smoothly transitioned the topic.
“Speaking of which,” Shang Can said, “Yun Zhong Jun said he would take me to the entrance of the You Ming Gui Jie tonight. Does Yu Shan Jun know about this?”
“Yes, I heard about it earlier at the tea house.”
Chu Ming nodded. “It’s the rumored You Ming Gui Jie. Even if we’re just going to check the entrance, I still can’t shake off my unease.”
“I forgot to ask back then.” He turned to Yun Duan, puzzled, “Yun Duan, where exactly is this entrance? Can you tell us now?”
“Sure.”
Yun Duan glanced towards the window, where the sky had turned a dim yellow, and then spoke softly.
“It’s in Tian Wai Tian.”
As night fell, the streets were deserted, with only a few dim lights flickering in the dark.
The three of them crouched against the outer wall of Tian Wai Tian.
“… Why are we doing this?”
With a head full of questions but not daring to speak too loudly, Chu Ming looked perplexedly at the two beside him. “If we’re going to enter Tian Wai Tian, can’t we just tell the disciples at the entrance?”
Shang Can nodded but shifted the focus: “Yun Duan, how did you know this is a place with lax patrols? You seem quite familiar with it.”
After the hour had come, Yun Duan led them straight to this spot. Shang Can and Chu Ming hadn’t realized what they were doing in such a remote place when they suddenly saw her effortlessly climb the wall, her expression remarkably calm, completely unfazed as if she wasn’t committing any kind of trespassing.
“This is a secret within Tian Wai Tian, so it’s best not to let anyone know we were here,” Yun Duan said succinctly. After listening for any movement, she added quietly, “Let’s go.”
With that, she began to move lightly forward. Shang Can and Chu Ming were filled with questions, but due to the need for discretion, they held their tongues and obediently followed Yun Duan.
Regarding the entrance to the You Ming Gui Jie in Tian Wai Tian, Yun Duan seemed both certain and particularly cautious, saying little while at the inn, merely that “you’ll understand when you see it for real.”
Shang Can knew that Yun Duan wasn’t trying to play coy; she likely considered the risks of speaking in the inn where many ears could overhear. Trusting Yun Duan, she willingly believed and followed along without doubt, though now she was more concerned about another matter—the reason Yun Duan was so familiar with this place.
Even Shang Can, who frequently snuck out during her studies at Tian Wai Tian, didn’t know there was such a laxly guarded area, and Yun Duan had always been a model disciple known for her excellent conduct. She had hardly ever taken Yun Duan along during her escapades, so this person shouldn’t have had the chance to gather such useless information.
Yet, it was clear that Yun Duan had walked this route many times before; this was not her first time.
The disconcerting phenomenon filled Shang Can with doubt, and an underlying sense of unease escalated within her as they reached their destination.
The courtyard was deep and quiet, with large lotus leaves barely visible in the pond, which would surely bloom into a sea of lotus flowers come summer. The surroundings were serene, with only a few beams of dim yellow light filtering through the main house’s windows.
“… The lotus is highly regarded in Tian Wai Tian. It is said that the lotus near the residence of the legendary master Kun Yao Jun grows the best, earning it the reputation of being favored by the heavens as the next master of Tian Wai Tian.”
Chu Ming murmured, returning his gaze from the lotus pond to Shang Can, who appeared somewhat unwell. “So it seems, the reputation is well-deserved…?”
“…”
“What a name that truly lives up to its reputation. What does the lotus blooming beautifully have to do with being the sect leader? Doesn’t that just mean Pei Chen is very suited to be a gardener?”
Shang Can’s eyes were glued to the figure in white who walked calmly to the door of the courtyard, and she involuntarily tensed her shoulders.
Unaware of the strange atmosphere behind her, Yun Duan raised her hand and knocked three times on the door. Soon, there was movement from within, and a neatly dressed Pei Chen opened the door and poked his head out.
“Yun Zhong Jun—” At first, he didn’t see Shang Can and Chu Ming, but after Chu Ming deliberately cleared his throat twice, he finally looked toward them with surprise. “Canzhe and Yu Shan Jun are also here?”
Shang Can’s gaze darkened slightly, and she pressed her lips together without showing any sign of emotion.
From this situation, it was clear that the “helper” Yun Duan spoke of must be this substitute sect leader.
It made sense; with the existence of an entrance to the You Ming Gui Jie in Tian Wai Tian—a matter that had been completely undisclosed—besides the sect leader, who had been in seclusion for a long time, the one most likely to know about it was Pei Chen.
As for Yun Duan’s mention of the “helper being busy during the day,” that was very reasonable. After all, being a substitute sect leader involved a lot of responsibilities. Moreover, if he wanted to conceal this matter, then it was definitely not a good idea to act alongside them during broad daylight.
“I have urgent matters to discuss with you,” Yun Duan said softly. “Acan and Senior Brother Chu Ming are trustworthy people, so you need not worry about them leaking anything.”
“… Alright.” After hesitating for a while, Pei Chen finally nodded, opened the door wider, and called to the two behind him. “Let’s talk inside.”
Chu Ming responded somewhat blankly and took a few steps forward, only to realize that Shang Can, who had been next to him, had not followed. He quickly stopped and turned back to look at her.
“Canzhe…?”
Shang Can, who had been staring down, lifted her head as if awakening from a dream, showing an apologetic smile, and said politely, “My apologies, I was a bit lost in thought just now.”
As she spoke, she hurriedly caught up with Chu Ming, and the two walked toward the door one after the other.
The progress this evening had gone quite smoothly; they had already found what seemed like a very reliable helper, taking another step toward solving the puzzle—
Yet Shang Can’s mood was far from good.
The moment she heard the conversation between Yun Duan and Pei Chen, her feelings rapidly soured. This unexpected mood led to all her doubts from tonight crashing down upon her like a tidal wave.
Infiltrating Tian Wai Tian, evading the guards, and arriving at Pei Chen’s courtyard.
Under Yun Duan’s lead, their series of actions flowed seamlessly as if there were no obstacles at all.
Had they… come here many times before?
As this thought crossed her mind, an unpleasant emotion surged in Shang Can’s chest, lingering but quickly suppressed by her.
Things weren’t resolved yet, and she was still mulling over these irrelevant thoughts. It was time to distinguish what was truly important.
Shang Can clenched her fists tightly, using the pain to snap herself back to reality. She gave Pei Chen a slight nod as a greeting before stepping into his residence.
She wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but throughout the walk, Shang Can seemed to feel Yun Duan’s gaze on her, faint yet persistent. However, she merely maintained a gentle smile and walked past Yun Duan without glancing over.
With Yun Duan leading the way, the group recounted everything that had happened in the mountains the day before to Pei Chen.
“—Thus, with the ghost clan reappearing, we want to first investigate the entrance to the You Ming Gui Jie.”
Yun Duan summarized, and seeing that Shang Can seemed completely uninterested in speaking, Chu Ming couldn’t help but interject, “So there really is an unsealed entrance to the ghost realm here in Tian Wai Tian?”
“…” Pei Chen pondered for a long time before finally nodding heavily. “Indeed.”
Chu Ming abruptly stood up, his face filled with shock and anger. “Does Kun Yao Jun understand that this admission essentially means Tian Wai Tian has been deceiving the entire cultivation world for years?”
“It is not Tian Wai Tian’s fault,” Pei Chen replied calmly, his dark eyes resembling a bottomless abyss. “It is I who am deceiving you now.”
“You—”
Chu Ming’s outrage was barely contained as he let out a sigh and said solemnly, “What exactly is going on? Kun Yao Jun should clarify this matter first.”
“Given the circumstances, Pei Chen will no longer argue further.”
He said softly, standing up.
“The entrance here in Tian Wai Tian is the largest opening connecting the You Ming Gui Jie and the cultivation world. The previous generation was unable to completely seal it, so the great power moved its location to Tian Wai Tian, relying on the righteous energy of the cultivators to guard it. It has been passed down as a secret known only to the sect leaders, to be dealt with when there is a capable person who can seal that entrance.”
“This entrance should have been sealed by the sect leader, but due to an unexpected injury, the sect leader had to enter seclusion and entrusted this matter to me…”
Pei Chen paused, his voice trembling slightly. “But because of my selfishness… I delayed the sealing.”
“Selfishness?”
This was the first time Shang Can spoke since entering the room. She watched Pei Chen shake his head heavily, resolutely stating, “Canzhe, forgive me, but I cannot elaborate further on this matter. However, I can assure you that my personal matters are in no way related to the current situation.”
Shang Can raised an eyebrow without showing any change in her expression, continuing to look directly at him with a cold gaze, unwilling to turn away.
As the atmosphere in the room turned tense, Chu Ming was left at a loss for what to say to ease the situation when he suddenly heard Yun Duan’s calm voice.
“The immediate priority now is to check whether there are any traces of people entering the You Ming Gui Jie.”
Chu Ming’s heart dropped, and he turned in disbelief, only to see Yun Duan staring intently at Shang Can, who quietly lowered her gaze as if suddenly fascinated by the pattern on her sleeve, softly saying, “Yun Zhong Jun is correct.”
The tense atmosphere in the room eased, and a sickly pallor appeared on Pei Chen’s handsome face. Seizing the opportunity, he spoke in a low voice.
“Then, please follow me.”
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