330: intelligence

In a secluded courtyard behind the Guiyan Inn in Yunxi City.

"Greetings, Revered Master."

Chen Xuan looked down at Yun Xuanxuan, who was bowing respectfully to him, and asked in a gentle tone, "How is your Divine Soul recovering?"

"Thank you for the Spirit Medicine you bestowed, Revered Master. It is no longer a major issue."

Yun Xuanxuan glanced up at him and then quickly lowered her head. In her heart, this Revered Master was a true Immortal of the mountains who remained untainted by the mundane world. To be accepted as his Disciple was the fortune of three lifetimes; she could not help but feel reverence.

Chen Xuan said helplessly, "Being so constrained... is it because your Revered Master looks very strict?"

"No..."

Yun Xuanxuan shook her head and pursed her lips. Noticing the two people beside Chen Xuan, she quickly changed the subject and asked curiously, "Are these two new Disciples you've taken in, Revered Master?"

She remembered Senior Brother Li saying that the Dao Seeking Sect was located in the Flame Continent, and the other Senior Brothers and sisters were all in secluded cultivation within the Sect. Only Senior Brother Li and Senior Brother Ye had come to the Rain God Continent for this journey.

"They are not Disciples. One is a friend, and the other... is an enemy," Chen Xuan said calmly.

"Ah?"

Yun Xuanxuan was startled. She subconsciously sized up the two again, only to find their auras were as restrained as deep pools. She couldn't see their cultivation Realms at all, which secretly shocked her.

Chen Xuan pointed to the young girl wearing a veiled hat, his voice deepening slightly. "Take her away first and search her thoroughly. Leave nothing that has even the slightest use; do not let a single thing go."

Yun Xuanxuan was stunned, clearly not expecting her Revered Master to give such "down-to-earth" instructions.

She hesitated and asked, "Revered Master, by 'useful items,' do you mean her storage ring?"

Thinking of the dazzling array of delicacies and treasures in that storage ring earlier, Chen Xuan added, "When I say useful items, I mean even a single Low-Grade Spirit Stone must not be missed."

The good habit of killing and looting was, after all, part of the Dao Seeking Sect's Legacy.

As he spoke, he casually removed the veiled hat from the young girl's head. Rubbing the brim with his fingertips, he whispered, "This hat itself is a magic robe of decent quality; it's worth at least a thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones."

Yun Xuanxuan was dazed for a moment. If that was the case, wouldn't she have to strip the girl bare?

But she didn't dare ask more, responding respectfully, "Yes, Revered Master!"

If it weren't for wanting to get information about Number Four from the girl, Chen Xuan would have finished her off long ago. Watching Yun Xuanxuan take the unconscious girl away, he tapped his finger, sending a beam of spiritual light into the brow of the unconscious Chu Haotian.

Chu Haotian slowly woke up, and the fragmented memories in his mind instantly rushed back. He sat up abruptly and exclaimed, "Chen... Fellow Daoist Chen? Why are you here? Wasn't I by that mysterious girl..." He looked around, bewildered. "Where is this?"

"Yunxi City."

Chen Xuan smiled faintly. "Perhaps we should reintroduce ourselves, Number Three."

Upon hearing the name 'Number Three,' Chu Haotian first gave a bitter smile. Then, his eyes fell on the veiled hat in Chen Xuan's hand. His pupils constricted, and he suddenly realized everything.

"So Fellow Daoist Chen is Number Six... You truly hid yourself well."

That mysterious girl was at least a Body Integration Realm powerhouse, yet she had fallen at Fellow Daoist Chen's hands. Thinking back, this Fellow Daoist Chen was the true expert at playing dumb and appearing weak!

Chen Xuan casually took out two glazed jade bottles from his storage ring, filled with drunken flowing sunset. He placed them gently on the stone table and gestured for him to sit. "I merely happened to hide a few trump cards, which allowed me to escape Number Four's schemes."

"Otherwise, you and I would likely be fellow prisoners right now. Fortunately, the outcome is good. Those people from the Demon Suppressing Tower have been cleaned out. Today, let's drink, chat, and exchange intelligence."

Chu Haotian's heart stirred, and he quickly asked, "What about Master Qing Xuan..."

"I sensed his aura when I left. He should be fine and has likely returned to his Sect."

Chu Haotian finally breathed a sigh of relief, his expression becoming much more open. During the previous battle against Yan Shu, he had already prepared himself for death. To have kept his life now was an unexpected joy.

"I won't say many words of thanks for your life-saving grace, Fellow Daoist. If you have any assignments in the future, just give the word, and I will not refuse."

As he spoke, he sat down at the stone table, picked up a bottle of wine, tilted his head back for a deep gulp, and then laughed.

"I still have a few bottles of flowing sunset drunkenness hidden in my storage ring..."

Chen Xuan smiled. "This wine was originally taken from your storage ring."

As he spoke, he tossed a storage ring over.

Chu Haotian caught the storage ring, froze for a moment, and then laughed in spite of himself. No wonder he was no match for this Fellow Daoist Chen; just by looking at these details, one could tell how 'shameless' the other party was.

Chen Xuan changed the subject and said calmly, "I once heard Jing Chen mention that you were looking for Medicinal Pills to restore the Divine Soul. At the time, I wondered if you were Number Four. Now that I think about it, you were probably looking for the pills to trade for the other two heaven-rank magic treasures in Number Four's hands?"

Chu Haotian nodded. "It is indeed as you say. I did have that thought at the time, but you beat me to it."

Chen Xuan paused and then asked, "The god-rank pill you mentioned in the Chaos Void Jade space at the beginning—was that to mislead the others?"

At the mention of this, Chu Haotian became somewhat embarrassed. "Five years ago, I accidentally obtained that black jade in a Secret Realm. After entering that Chaos Space and seeing the wonders of the Chaos Void Jade, I knew this object was extraordinary. If my true identity were exposed, it would likely bring disaster upon me."

He took another sip of wine and continued, "At first, I intended to say nothing and just occasionally listen to the intelligence shared by those few in the Chaos Void Jade. But later, the situation on the Monster Beast Continent became increasingly unsettled; I estimate they will have a major move in the coming years. The strength of the Void Refining Realm is clearly not enough to turn the tide. I wanted to disguise an identity and use the Chaos Void Jade to find an opportunity for a Breakthrough, but I didn't expect..."

"You didn't expect that Number Two would actually find a god-rank pill," Chen Xuan finished the sentence.

Chu Haotian nodded helplessly. "At that time, I knew Number Two was definitely a peak-level figure and had already seen through my identity disguise. I just didn't expect that Number Four would easily hook me with just one heaven-rank magic treasure."

Chen Xuan was also a bit embarrassed. Although he had been hooked by two heaven-rank magic treasures, he still felt very displeased thinking about it.

Looking back, it was no wonder he didn't receive any negative reviews after giving Number Four two bottles of the medicinal liquid refined by that girl Shu Shichan. Now it seemed the other party likely hadn't even pulled the corks; the injured Divine Soul was just a ruse.

Chen Xuan's fingers tapped rhythmically on the table as he organized the current intelligence.

Number Two was a bona fide big shot, a true peak-level figure.

Number Four was a cunning old schemer whose Disciple was a fifth-layer Body Integration Realm Cultivator; she was likely also a peak-level figure and would be difficult to deal with for now.

Number Eight was well-informed, but it was unknown what power she belonged to. Furthermore, she had some entanglement with his own Dao Seeking Sect; otherwise, she wouldn't have impersonated his Sect and even said she was coming to reinforce the Rain God Continent.

Then what were the identities of Number One, Number Five, and Number Seven?