Speak of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao appears! Zhang Yuanqing breathed a genuine sigh of relief. He had a good relationship with Xie Su, who was also Little Green Tea's father, so nothing could be better than him returning safe and sound.
"Have him come over." The Xie family ancestor showed neither joy nor sorrow, his expression calm. "And bring two flagons of wine and ten crabs while he's at it."
"Yes!"
Xie Qin retreated, the clicking of her high heels fading into the distance.
Moments later, Xie Su arrived outside the small courtyard and bowed. "Old Ancestor, I have returned."
Once the century-old boy gave an "Mm," the courtyard's weathered wooden door was pushed open. Handsome and refined, Xie Su stepped over the stone threshold into the courtyard.
Xie Su wore a traditional changshan with wide sleeves and loose trousers, swaying gracefully as he walked and exuding an air of otherworldly elegance beneath his scholarly demeanor.
Yet his eyes were dim and his expression haggard, bearing the look of a man plagued by chronic illness, frail and depleted of vitality.
"Family Head Xie!" Zhang Yuanqing stood up and cupped his hands in greeting.
"Not calling me 'father-in-law'? It seems Lingxi is going to be disappointed," Xie Su teased with a smile.
The century-old boy remarked casually, "There is plenty of time ahead. Your girl has only just come of age; there is no rush to marry her off."
Xie Su's disappointment turned into a faint spark of hope. Given the Old Ancestor's bold, forthright temperament, if Yuanshi Tianzun were truly unwilling to marry Lingxi, he would have sneered right now and snapped, 'As if a daughter of the Xie family would have trouble finding a husband!'
The Old Ancestor's present attitude showed that Yuanshi Tianzun had not refused—and might have even agreed—but for some reason, the marriage could not be finalized anytime soon... With thoughts flickering through his mind, Xie Su took a seat by the stone table.
He accepted the wine Zhang Yuanqing poured for him, pushed his daughter's marriage aside for the moment, and said gravely, "Old Ancestor, in the Arbiter of Fate Palace, I encountered something exceptionally peculiar and bizarre—so much so that I've only just managed to exit the instance."
Zhang Yuanqing immediately pricked up his ears.
Though small in stature, the Xie family ancestor possessed immense composure. His tone remained steady. "What happened?"
A flicker of bewilderment crossed Xie Su's eyes. He searched for words for quite some time, seemingly at a loss for how to articulate it. After roughly two minutes, he spoke slowly:
"...Following your walkthrough, Old Ancestor, I reached the Rebirth Pool in good shape without paying much of a price. But beside the Rebirth Pool, I met with a very strange occurrence.
"Before I had even entered the Rebirth Pool, a massive number of evil avatars leapt out of the water—over a dozen of them. They attacked me with utter recklessness. And though I had clearly arrived in peak condition, I found myself already exhausted and covered in wounds.
"That feeling..." Xie Su paused, then said, "It felt as if I had already been fighting in the pool for days and nights, yet had lost all memory of it. No, I must have lost my memory. The injuries on my body and the avatars in the pool all pointed to the fact that I had entered the pool before."
*What kind of ghost story is this? Experiencing countless battles in the pool without retaining any memory of them? Was this why Xie Su took so long to exit the instance?* Zhang Yuanqing listened in stunned bewilderment.
The Xie family ancestor frowned slightly. Broadly experienced, he immediately offered his judgment: "Your memory may have been wiped, or you might have fallen into some bizarre cycle of loops. The crux of the problem lies with the Rebirth Pool; there is something extraordinary inside it."
Hearing this, Xie Su nodded in agreement. "I thought so as well. Old Ancestor, you've been to the Arbiter of Fate Palace before. What kind of strange thing do you think could be in the Rebirth Pool?"
The Old Ancestor scooped up a piece of crab roe and chewed. "That was decades ago... Let me think. It's impossible for the Rebirth Pool to have a hidden quest. For solo instances of the Musician class, I can basically tell which ones have hidden quests and which don't."
He swallowed the crab roe and continued, "However, instances are not static and unchanging. Over the past few decades, someone might have entered the Arbiter of Fate Palace and left something behind."
At those words, Zhang Yuanqing immediately thought of the Sea of Yashan.
The Yin-Yang Dial and the Holy Infant's head had caused that instance's difficulty to skyrocket, altering the main quest as well.
*What could cause an instance ranked in the top twenty to undergo changes?* Zhang Yuanqing mused.
Xie Su continued, "After realizing that I might be trapped in some kind of loop and having my memory erased, I made adjustments. I reasoned that I had probably dived into the pool from the exact same spot each time. So on my final attempt, I didn't take my usual route, instead circling around to the other side of the Rebirth Pool to dive in. Once in the water, I didn't dare look around or explore the bottom of the pool. I immediately began refining the Holy Mud at the bed. After a battle where I nearly died from the avatars' siege, I finally cleared the instance."
That battle had inflicted severe trauma on him. Although his physical wounds had healed, his origin had yet to recover, which was why he appeared so haggard right now.
It would take at least ten days to half a month of rest to return to peak condition.
"It's enough that you made it back safely. Come, future father-in-law, drink, drink!" Zhang Yuanqing thought the tale had basically concluded here.
To his surprise, Xie Su pulled a folded strip of cloth from his chest—seemingly a corner torn from his clothing.
"I found this in my trouser pocket after the battle ended. I must have recorded it during one of the loops," Xie Su said. "Knowing my own character, whatever is recorded on it is very likely the secret at the bottom of the Rebirth Pool. I haven't opened it yet."
Zhang Yuanqing and the Xie family ancestor both fixed their gazes on the cloth strip.
The Old Ancestor said calmly, "Judging by your experience in the instance, you may have already opened it—you've just forgotten."
Hearing this, Zhang Yuanqing immediately looked at the crabs on the table, while Xie Su looked at the wine in the flagon.
*Good, the crabs are still here...* Zhang Yuanqing breathed a sigh of relief.
*Good, the wine is still there...* Xie Su let out a silent breath.
The Xie family ancestor scoffed. "What are you two afraid of? Your ancestor is a demigod. The powers in this world capable of affecting me can be counted on one hand, and none of them would appear in a Dominator-stage instance. Hand it here."
Xie Su offered the cloth strip.
The Old Ancestor reached out and took it, leisurely took a sip of yellow wine, and looked at the two of them. "Neither of you need to look."
With that, he unfolded the cloth strip and looked at it closely.
In the very next instant, both Zhang Yuanqing and Xie Su saw the Old Ancestor's pupils contract and his boyish face suddenly drain of color.
Immediately following that, his head shifted as if to look at Zhang Yuanqing, but before he could even finish lifting his eyes, a hair-raising scene unfolded.
The cloth strip in the Old Ancestor's hand folded itself back up as if time were reversing, and his hands lifted unconsciously, returning to the posture of receiving the cloth.
The only change was that the wine in his cup was now empty.
The exact scene from just moments ago replayed—he leisurely took a sip of yellow wine and looked at the two of them. "Neither of you need to look—"
His expression froze abruptly. Looking down at the empty wine cup, a solemn gravity settled over his youthful face.
Zhang Yuanqing and Xie Su were completely dumbfounded, their faces gripped by terror.
*Your ancestor is a demigod. The powers in this world capable of affecting me can be counted on one hand...* The Old Ancestor's words echoed in their ears.
Even a demigod had been affected! What kind of power could affect a demigod?
This was a demigod—half an administrator, the existence of the highest status among Spirit Realm walkers, the ultimate limit a Spirit Realm walker could ever achieve.
Yet such a demigod, standing at the pinnacle of the Spirit Realm world, had been affected by what was written on that cloth strip.
If the information recorded on a strip of cloth possessed such power, how immense a secret was hidden at the bottom of that pool?
An indescribable chill of horror surged through Zhang Yuanqing's and Xie Su's hearts.
"I was careless; bragged too early..." The Xie family ancestor's expression was grave, but his furrowed brow smoothed out as he said in a heavy voice, "To directly affect me exceeds the scope of a rule-based item. This is a causality-type item, something that belongs to the Spirit Realm itself."
"Didn't you say that things capable of affecting you wouldn't appear in a Dominator instance?" Zhang Yuanqing muttered under his breath.
The Old Ancestor shot him an annoyed glare. *This kid—he was speaking so pleasantly just moments ago, and now suddenly he's lost his filter.*
"Ahem..." Realizing his slip of the tongue, Zhang Yuanqing cleared his throat. "Old Ancestor, what class does this power belong to?"
The Old Ancestor seemed not to hear, occupying himself with eating crab roe.
*Uh, he doesn't know...* Zhang Yuanqing was a sensible kid who resolutely avoided pressing questions that would embarrass an elder. He said curiously, "I wonder what secret is recorded on that cloth strip."
He couldn't shake the feeling that the Xie family ancestor's reaction before the reset had been slightly odd. If his eyes hadn't deceived him, after reading the content written on the cloth strip, the Old Ancestor's first impulse had been to look at him?
"So, do you want to look?" the Old Ancestor said indifferently.
Zhang Yuanqing shook his head at first, then nodded. "All right."
Naturally, he was not arrogant enough to think he was more special than a demigod, but he still intended to try because the Fragment of Taiyin Origin in his sea of consciousness was one of the administrator permissions and carried a sufficiently high status. Furthermore, Taiyin symbolized concealment and secrets; perhaps its concealing nature could protect him from the power behind the cloth.
Both the Old Ancestor and Xie Su cast curious glances, waiting for him to make the attempt.
"Let me step outside for a moment. I'll be back in five minutes." He suddenly remembered that he was currently an avatar.
Five minutes later, Zhang Yuanqing's true body returned to reality and entered the courtyard, while his avatar remained outside.
He retrieved the Companion Spirit Moon and pressed it against his forehead, causing vine-like patterns to spread across half his face. Then, using the spirit moon's power, he resonated with the Taiyin Origin in his sea of consciousness.
A silver full moon manifested, shedding a cold, clear radiance that illuminated his sea of consciousness.
"Companion Spirit Moon?" Xie Su froze. "Isn't that the Demon Lord's item?"
*Huh, Xie Su knew the Demon Lord in the past? That makes sense. The higher the rank, the smaller the circle. The Demon Lord shook the world back then, so even if Xie Su wasn't close with him, he must have seen him or gathered intel on him. Given the Demon Lord's conduct and Xie's mother's beauty, if Xie Su and the Demon Lord had crossed paths, it would definitely have been a cuckolding kind of intersection, so he most likely just gathered intelligence on him...* Zhang Yuanqing couldn't help glancing at Xie Su.
Xie Su frowned. "Your gaze is full of wicked thoughts."
"No, not at all..." Zhang Yuanqing quickly denied it and explained, "This item was a gift from the overseas Association of God of Beauty, a reward for helping them capture Pluto."
With that said, he added, "Personally, I deeply detest promiscuity and fooling around, so I probably won't have dealings with the Association of God of Beauty in the future."
Xie Su's stern expression relaxed slightly.
Zhang Yuanqing picked up the cloth strip in front of the Old Ancestor and said, "Then I'll look..."
Just as he finished saying those words, he suddenly saw that a pile of crab shells and legs had accumulated in front of both the century-old boy and Xie Su.
Zhang Yuanqing understood at once. "Well, I failed too."
Silently, he put down the cloth strip, took off the spirit moon, and returned it to his inventory.
The century-old boy suddenly said, "When you saw the information on the cloth strip, your expression was rather strange."
*My expression was strange...* Zhang Yuanqing's heart skipped a beat. "Please enlighten me, Old Ancestor."
The century-old boy hesitated, then shook his head. "Forget it, best not to speak of it. Let us drop the matter. Drink."
***
Inside a sealed command room.
Secretary Zhou, wearing a tactical headset, stood with a grim expression before a blackboard.
Profiles were pinned to the blackboard, each accompanied by a sketched portrait. The Spirit Realm IDs of these individuals were Xiao Yuan, Kou Beiyue, Liangchen Chooses Master to Slay, General Instructor Lin Chong, Zhao Xintong, Wanderer of the Mortal Realm, Fangfang, Model Teacher...
All of them were members of the Wuhen Hotel crew.
The intel had been supplied by the Southern Sect, originating from Liangchen Chooses Master to Slay, who had betrayed the sect.
Beyond the basic profiles provided by the Southern Sect, the Dark Night Rose had also supplied the approximate locations of these members. With sufficiently detailed data, having Day Wanderers who specialized in stellar power personally divine their whereabouts made it simple to pinpoint their cities, and even urban districts.
Once the rough locations were established, Secretary Zhou immediately mobilized official authority. Through surveillance cameras blanketed across city streets, online searches, and other means, he systematically uncovered the target group's residential addresses one by one.
—This was precisely what Secretary Zhou had been doing over the past few days.
After meeting with the Southern Sect Leader, Elder Cai had handed these files over to Secretary Zhou, demanding that the locations of the Wuhen Hotel members be locked down within a week.
To locate them, the Southern Sect, the Dark Night Rose, and the Five Elements Alliance (Elder Cai's faction) had pooled their formidable strength. No one could hide from a search of this magnitude unless they had fled abroad.
But that was impossible, for the actions of the three major factions were protected by concealment, leaving no one able to sense it in advance.
The Dark Night Rose and the Southern Sect had long been collaborating. Previously, Secretary Zhou had never understood why the Dark Night Rose and the Southern Sect would join hands to ambush Yuanshi Tianzun.
After all, Sect Master Chunyang posed a far greater threat than Yuanshi Tianzun, and the Dark Night Rose was Sect Master Chunyang's protector.
There was no reason for the Southern Sect to ally with the Dark Night Rose; back then, the Southern Sect had even cooperated with the authorities to deal with Sect Master Chunyang.
Only now, seeing the overarching layout orchestrated by the Dark Night Rose and the Southern Sect, did Secretary Zhou realize that Ling Tuo had set his sights on Past Without Traces. Ling Tuo had begun planning today's operation long ago.
This move had likely been premeditated for a very long time, and under the influence of concealment, no one could have noticed it in advance—including the Alliance Leaders.
Secretary Zhou glanced at his wristwatch. The time was 9:30 PM.
He immediately pressed his headset and issued the command:
"Notify all squads. Action in five minutes. Mission objective: eliminate the target individuals. Leave no survivors."
Chapter 628