Chapter 170 Probing

Zhang Yu hurriedly said, "Senior Brother Dou, I am Zhang Yu, a disciple of Fragrance Accumulation Peak. I came to pay my respects to Mr. Shi a month ago and was entrusted by him to run a small errand outside. I wonder if Senior Brother still remembers me?"

The disciple of the Talisman Diagram Sect looked Zhang Yu up and down, then glanced at Hong Jian and Tong Dai following behind, and said, "I remember. Are you here today to report back to my Martial Uncle?"

Zhang Yu respectfully acknowledged and added, "Mr. Shi successfully advanced to the Great Completion of the Golden Core stage yesterday, and my two junior sisters and I have specially prepared a few humble gifts, hoping to congratulate Mr. Shi in person. I wonder how his health is..."

If his health was poor, it would be inconvenient to receive guests. Fortunately, the Talisman Diagram Sect disciple merely nodded and said, "Since advancing, Martial Uncle is indeed somewhat better than before. Many Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivators from your sect came yesterday, and Martial Uncle met with each of them. Wait a moment, I will go in and speak with him to see if Martial Uncle will receive you."

Zhang Yu sent the man off with an ingratiating smile, secretly worrying that Shi Qingxiang might not give them any face. Fortunately, the man returned quickly, smiled, stepped aside, and said very politely, "Martial Uncle invites you to go in by yourselves."

As Hong Jian walked into the cave dwelling, she looked around. She had never entered Jing Li's former residence before, but she could tell that after taking over, Shi Qingxiang must have made significant alterations.

The cave dwelling was deep, leading into a long corridor. Lamps burned on the walls on both sides. As people walked past, the gentle breeze caused the greenish-blue flames to flicker lightly, carrying a hint of ghostly aura.

Stepping in abruptly from the outside felt like falling into another world—gloomy, desolate, and imbued with a sense of isolation from the world. Tong Dai couldn't help but shiver slightly.

Zhang Yu explained in a soft voice, "I heard this is done just to welcome guests; usually, they don't even light the lamps."

Since further conversation aloud was inappropriate, he directly transmitted his voice via spiritual sense: "Peak Master Ying said his illness makes it best for him to see as little sunlight and fire as possible, and his eyes should not gaze upon anything too bright. Last time I came, Mr. Shi only placed a luminous pearl beside my seat, and from beginning to end, he stayed in the darkness. I wonder if his condition has improved at all now that he has reached the Golden Core completion stage."

Tong Dai uttered a sympathetic "Ah," and Hong Jian was also moved, thinking to herself: "What on earth did Shi Qingxiang suffer in the Demonic Domain? Looking at Qi Xiuning, she seems fine and unaffected by much. Could his strange illness really be incurable?"

Thinking of this, a thought suddenly flashed through her mind, brushing past He Feng's arm covered in mottled decay. This was the second time. She connected Shi Qingxiang and He Feng in her mind.

Shi Qingxiang and Qi Xiuning had returned from the Demonic Domain. According to He Feng, the two of them brought back half of the "Great Calamity Scripture" written in demonic script. Yet He Feng, a direct disciple of the Demonic Heaven Sect Leader, was tight-lipped about how he crossed the heavenly curtain. Could it be that Shi Qingxiang wasn't as sick as everyone thought? Did he use closed-door seclusion to escape people's sight and transform into He Feng to go to the Cheng family village?

However, if He Feng were Shi Qingxiang, there would be many inexplicable details: his familiarity with Ji Youyun, his control over the members of the Demonic Heaven Sect, and his guidance to Helian and the others—all of which demonstrated his seasoned experience. To think that such a person was still a wet-behind-the-ears kid under fifty years of age was simply too unimaginable. How could such a monstrous creature exist in this world?

Perhaps when she saw Shi Qingxiang shortly, she could discover clues from his words and actions.

Passing through the corridor, further ahead was a large array. Shi Qingxiang had a wood spiritual root, but this array was not a wood-type gathering array, nor was it any array the three of them had ever seen before.

Vitality and death qi, prosperity and decay, permeated the space. Although seemingly chaotic, they secretly contained some mysterious pattern. In the very center of the array, several luminous pearls cast a dim, faint glow, marking the exact spot where Shi Qingxiang was located.

A fully equipped dwelling, completely resembling a domestic household, featured a bed, bedding, tables, chairs, curtains hanging low to the ground, and even some small ornaments whose exact shapes could not be seen clearly due to the darkness.

There was a guest seated on the chair, and the greenish-blue light of the luminous pearl reflected directly upon that person's face, casting a somewhat eerie hue over the smiling, plump face—it was abruptly Mi Shixian, the chubby fellow who had been hanging out with Zhong Xiu that day.

Tong Dai was startled, slowing her steps and instinctively grabbing Hong Jian's hand.

The three of them stood still at a distance, and Zhang Yu respectfully said, "Mr. Shi successfully advanced to the Golden Core completion stage yesterday, and we are here specially to congratulate you."

The person sitting in the chair in the darkness shifted slightly, and then a voice rang out, extremely gentle: "Thank you all. We are old acquaintances, so there is no need to stand on ceremony. Zhang Yu, come and sit." This voice vaguely made Hong Jian feel a sense of familiarity; it was indeed Shi Qingxiang, whom she had parted ways with for over twenty years, and it sounded entirely different from He Feng's voice.

Having received the invitation and not daring to be remiss, Zhang Yu walked closer as instructed, only then greeting Mi Shixian: "I didn't expect Senior Brother Mi to be here as well."

"Haha. I've been here for half a day, tiring Mr. Shi out so he couldn't rest properly, and I was just planning to take my leave. You've come at the right time, please sit, please sit, I'm leaving now."

Mi Shixian smiled as he stood up, bid farewell to Shi Qingxiang, and turned to leave. As he turned away, his gaze inadvertently swept over Hong Jian and Tong Dai. Tong Dai kept a straight face with no expression, while Hong Jian offered a sweet smile.

The lighting was too dim, so her attire and makeup did not achieve the desired effect. Mi Shixian did not notice anything amiss at all, nodded to Zhang Yu, and walked away briskly.

Hong Jian watched Mi Shixian's back melt into the darkness and gradually disappear before retracting her gaze. Shi Qingxiang made no further sound, and Hong Jian decided to take the initiative. She noted the positions of the several chairs, chose the one closest to Shi Qingxiang, and sat right down.

Tong Dai naturally sat next to Hong Jian, leaving the chair Mi Shixian had just occupied for Zhang Yu. Zhang Yu didn't mind and sat down as well, instantly exposing his entire face in vivid detail within the illuminated spot.

With sharp eyes, Tong Dai noticed a half-opened box placed on the tea table beside Zhang Yu, containing two similarly sized illusion pearls. These were what Mi Shixian had left behind just now, but this item instantly reminded her of its origin: weren't a pair of illusion pearls among the treasures Wei Yilian had handed to Zhong Xiu a few days ago?

The very thought that the items she had prepared to give to Senior Brother Wei might end up being forwarded here made Tong Dai's expression turn somewhat unpleasant.

After sitting down, Zhang Yu let out a long sigh of relief, first briefly introducing the two junior sisters who had accompanied him to Shi Qingxiang, then taking out the gift prepared in advance and asking with concern, "I see your condition is much better than before. Does this advancement to the Golden Core completion stage mean there is hope for you to recover your health?"

"Peak Master Ying just examined me yesterday. It is still rather tricky, but my cultivation has advanced a step, and my body has benefited immensely from it. In this way, I can hold on for a few more years." Shi Qingxiang's voice was very calm, devoid of any discernible sorrow or joy.

Zhang Yu quickly thought of words to comfort him: "Mr. Shi is a person of supreme talent. Presumably, with these few years to buffer, you should be able to form your Nascent Soul. Even if this illness is difficult to deal with, it cannot do anything to a Nascent Soul cultivator. By then, you will no longer be a dragon trapped in shallow waters and can fully unfold your ambitions."

"Peak Master Ying said the same thing. I accept your auspicious words, and hopefully it will be so." Shi Qingxiang's tone was flat, as if he wasn't very concerned about the enticing prospects Zhang Yu described.

"Uh, Senior Brother, who says Nascent Soul cultivators don't get sick? That Sect Master Leyou of Lesser Yingzhou..." Hong Jian began trying to establish her presence.

Her speaking up made Zhang Yu wish he could slap his hand over her mouth. Before coming, Zhang Yu had repeatedly instructed his two junior sisters not to question or refute Shi Qingxiang's words. She wasn't targeting Shi Qingxiang, but why did her fault-finding sound so aggravating?

Zhang Yu opened his mouth, racking his brains to figure out how to smooth things over, while the atmosphere momentarily plunged into a subtle awkwardness.

"Hahaha." A series of laughter suddenly rang out from the darkness.

Zhang Yu was startled, only to hear him speak, seemingly in very good spirits: "That's right, finally someone speaking the truth. Actually, I think so too."

Zhang Yu hurriedly said, "Mr. Shi, please don't listen to my junior sister's nonsense. Your situation is completely different from Sect Master Leyou's." He desperately wanted to give Xiao Xiao a look telling her to shut up, but his spot was the brightest in the room, and spiritual sense transmission was impossible—attempting to recklessly use spiritual sense in front of a Golden Core completion cultivator was no different from burying one's head in the sand.

Then he heard Junior Sister Xiao Xiao finally behaving like a runaway horse that couldn't stop its hooves, uttering even more outrageous words: "Actually, as for people—'birth, old age, sickness, death, and accidents that can happen at any time'—these are things that cannot be helped. Whoever they befall must endure them, 'even the moon waxes and wanes from time to time, after all.'"

Having said these words, Hong Jian ignored the sweating Zhang Yu entirely, staring fixedly at the figure in the darkness, thinking to herself: "Are you and He Feng the same person or not? If you are, you should find these words very familiar and subsequently recognize who I am. After all, these exact words were spoken to me by He Feng himself."

If Shi Qingxiang was He Feng, then his stance was unquestionable. His master-disciple bond with Dai Mingchi was merely wishful thinking on the part of Dai Mingchi, Ji Youyun, and the others, and he would be the firmest ally on her side.

Hong Jian clenched her fists tightly: *Hurry up and recognize me, continue the friendship established thirty years ago, and let's plan together. Starting from this Scarlet Wheel Peak, starting from eliminating minions like Zhong Xiu and Qi Tianbao, you will find that I am a very good partner.*

She was filled with anticipation, but Shi Qingxiang's reaction upon hearing these words ultimately left her rather disappointed.

He merely let out a casual "Mn." Far from transmitting his voice via spiritual sense to acknowledge her, he didn't even ask a single follow-up question. Clearly, these words had not caused the slightest ripple in Shi Qingxiang's heart.

Under such circumstances, Hong Jian dared not act rashly again. Separated for over twenty years, with the other party entering the Talisman sect and going to the Demonic Domain, who knew if the news about her younger brother Fang Zheng was a trap set for her in collusion with Ji Youyun?

At this moment, she heard Shi Qingxiang asking Zhang Yu: "I heard you encountered quite a few matters on this trip to the Soaring Cloud Sect. Since my spirit is still quite good at the moment, I must trouble you to tell me the details from the beginning."