Chapter 2602 — Feigning Compliance, Plotting in Secret

"Don't worry, that's the Leader's territory—I have to give him at least a little face, don't I?" Elder Xuanchen said with a smile.

"Very well, then. Arrange it as you see fit. If there's nothing else, I'll get back to searching for a way to cure Tagan Long." Elder Xuanzhen had no taste for these squabbles; day in and day out, all his energy went into research and into matters concerning Tagan Long's injuries.

"Of course, Second Senior Brother. Go and attend to your work—leave this to me." Elder Xuanchen rose and saw Elder Xuanzhen out, then summoned his eldest disciple, Xiao Yi.

"Your disciple greets you, Master!" Xiao Yi said respectfully.

"Xiao Yi, take a look at this document first, then we'll talk," Elder Xuanchen said, tossing the earlier document to him.

"Yes, Master." Xiao Yi caught it and at once began reading carefully. When he finished, he asked cautiously, "Master, do you mean that on this trip down the mountain, I should look for this Han Jingyi along the way?"

"Exactly. By whatever means necessary, wring the whereabouts of Zhang Liju's pill-refining notes out of her!" Elder Xuanchen said coldly. "But be careful—this is your Grand Uncle's territory. On no account let him see you. He's notorious for shielding his own. Understand?"

"I understand. Please rest assured, Master!" Xiao Yi's expression turned solemn as he answered quickly. "Then, once I've forced out the whereabouts of the pill-refining notes—what then?"

"Must I teach you that as well?" Elder Xuanchen gave a cold snort and drew a finger across his throat.

"Yes, Master!" Xiao Yi nodded hurriedly.

"And this matter—do not breathe a word of it to your Second Grand Uncle. Keep it to yourself. Understand?" Elder Xuanchen warned again. Elder Xuanzhen was soft-hearted and could not bring himself to do wicked deeds, but Elder Xuanchen was ruthless and merciless, treating human lives as so much grass, caring nothing for such things.

"Rest assured, Master. I will mind my limits," Xiao Yi said. He too knew his Second Grand Uncle was kind, so it was best not to let him know about silencing a witness for good.

"Good. You are the disciple I trust most. This time, don't go alone—take Xiao Shiyi, your junior sister, with you. Let her broaden her horizons," Elder Xuanchen said.

"Thank you, Master!" A flicker of delight flashed in Xiao Yi's eyes. Among the senior and junior brothers, all secretly pined for their junior sister—and if he went down the mountain alone with her, wouldn't that be his chance?

In truth, this junior sister, though quite pretty, wore a shrewish look that made her seem harsh and unapproachable—anything but gentle. But alas, she was the only female disciple on the mountain, and with so many wolves and so little meat, Xiao Yi and several of his junior brothers all secretly harbored feelings for her.

It was only that this junior sister's temper was truly dreadful and her character not much better. Yet Xiao Yi did know one thing: she had another identity—she was Elder Xuanchen's illegitimate daughter! Elder Xuanchen appeared to have neither wife nor offspring, but in his younger days he had left behind a child, and that child was the junior sister. The woman had died in childbirth, and few knew of the matter.

This was precisely why the junior sister, willful and cutting as she was, could run roughshod over the sect. And Xiao Yi thought further still: if he could marry the junior sister, would he not then be one step closer to Master?

If the chance truly came to open Cloud Terrace Island, would Master perhaps bring him along too? This was Xiao Yi's hope.

That afternoon, Xiao Yi and Xiao Shiyi packed their bags and went down the mountain. Their first target was Sun Jingyan—her identity was easy enough to investigate. All they had to do was take her portrait and inquire around Songshan City, and her identity was quickly uncovered!

The former Sun Jingyan had been a well-known figure in the business world, owner of her own company and in business dealings with many trading firms, so her identity was easily ascertained. As for Wei Zhao, Elder Xuanchen's people had not disturbed the local hidden families or the forces of the great clans—they had only questioned ordinary folk, who naturally would not know Wei Zhao's identity.

Elder Xuanchen acted with great secrecy, in truth because he feared their eldest senior brother, Elder Xuantian, would discover their private machinations. Elder Xuantian's temperament was much like Elder Xuanzhen's—both were comparatively kind-hearted and could least abide the abuse of power to bully others—so all of this was carried out in the shadows.

Since Sun Jingyan's identity had been uncovered, the identity of the man called "Zhang Naipao" who accompanied her no longer mattered. As long as they seized Sun Jingyan, they could find that great treasure, and could draw the man to them as well.

Though Elder Xuanchen had told Elder Xuanzhen this was merely a matter of convenience along the way, what he had instructed Xiao Yi was something else entirely. The matter of Han Jingyi was equally important—even more important than revenge. After all, Tagan Long had already come to this; revenge or no revenge was merely a fleeting satisfaction of the heart. Finding that great treasure and Zhang Liju's pill-refining notes—those were the true priorities!

With a clear target, finding the person was naturally easier. The investigators dispatched by that place had already set their eyes on Sun Jingyan before Xiao Yi and Xiao Shiyi arrived. At present, Sun Jingyan was cultivating in a hotel room at the Xue Shang Guesthouse.

What Sun Jingyan was cultivating was the Sun family's heart-method formula, using the wondrous little stone she and Wei Zhao had found in the Wulonghaote Mountains. At first, Sun Jingyan broke through the first layer of the heart method in one surge and entered the second layer smoothly, then shot upward all the way. Just as she was about to achieve the great completion of the second layer, Sun Jingyan was stunned to find that the true qi within the stone was growing ever less!

It was not yet gone entirely, but it was certainly no longer as abundant as before, and Sun Jingyan's pace of cultivation slowed as well—almost grinding to a halt! Originally, Sun Jingyan had wanted to report her progress in cultivation to Wei Zhao and let him share her joy, but before she could say anything, this had to happen, leaving Sun Jingyan unsure whether her own cultivation speed had slowed or whether the true qi in the stone was nearly used up.

If it was nearly used up, then that was simply too cruel, wasn't it? After all that bitter effort, the thing they had searched so hard to find would be exhausted so quickly? Just as Sun Jingyan was puzzling over this, a knock came at the door outside her room.

"Who is it?" Sun Jingyan asked.

"Housekeeping. Cleaning the room," came a woman's voice from outside.

Sun Jingyan thought nothing of it and opened the door directly. After all, she stayed in the hotel room every day, and the housekeeping staff always came to clean and deliver the daily toiletries.

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