A little while ago, even a late-stage Nascent Soul was slain alone by Lao Si.
With him now, it should be a piece of cake.
"I canât just watch you guys go to your deaths. Letâs wait a bit longer; maybe the experts from our sect are already rushing here," Yuan Ya advised.
Zhou Qing and Yan Xiaohu exchanged a glance.
If we wait for your people to come, weâll just be following behind doing nothing, so much for training.
Just one storage bag, not enough to go around.
Just as Yan Xiaohu was about to say something, Zhou Qing interjected first, "Alright, weâll wait for the others to arrive before taking action. That does seem safer."
Yuan Ya nodded in satisfaction, saying, "Indeed, our two sects are allies now, and Cangyan Daoist Palace is our common enemy."
"Sister Yuan is right. Also, weâve been rushing here this whole time without even having a meal. How about treating us today, Sister?" Zhou Qing said with a smile.
Yuan Ya readily agreed, "Of course, I was just having a meal upstairs. Letâs go."
Yan Xiaohu looked puzzledly at Zhou Qing but didnât ask anything more.
After finishing their meal, the two bid farewell, saying they had some other matters to attend to and would meet again later.
Watching Zhou Qing sneak away, Yan Xiaohu couldnât help but ask, "Whatâs your plan?"
Zhou Qing calmly analyzed, "To Sister Yuan, if that âLi Siâ was so formidable yet killed by Song Yuan, how could she let us throw our lives away? So, she wonât tell us the exact location and might worry about us acting rashly and alerting the enemy."
Yan Xiaohu nodded thoughtfully, quickly grasping something, and tentatively asked, "You want to follow her?"
Zhou Qing nodded, "Didnât she say she stayed in You Huang City to secretly observe that stronghold? Being under surveillance, she must check on it often."
Yan Xiaohuâs eyes lit up, quickly coughing to clear his throat, "Actually, I thought the same, so thatâs why I didnât question you much during the meal, Lao Si. Youâre almost as sharp as me now."
Zhou Qing laughed, "Yes, yes, my Third Senior Brother is the smartest. I have a lot to learn from him."
"Sure, let me handle this chicken then, Mr. Ji!"
"Mention that nickname again, and Iâll really get angry."
"Alright, alright, how about âMaster Jiâ then?"
"Get lost!"
......
Under the dark night, a figure leapt and traversed lightly across the rooftops, unaware that two people in night clothes were stealthily following some distance behind.
Until Yuan Ya landed in an courtyard, whereupon three people quickly emerged, saluted, and started reporting to her.
Yuan Ya nodded slightly, her gaze intensely focused on a manor in the distance.
At that moment, a faint trace of Divine Sense suddenly scanned the area from the manor, prompting Yuan Ya to leave immediately.
Soon after, on another rooftop, two sneaky heads poked out.
"Hiding right under our noses, using such a big manor as a stronghold!" Yan Xiaohu muttered.
This reminded him of when Cyan Feather Immortal Sect had booked a manor for the Five Sects Treasure Exchange Gathering in Flame Dragon City.
Zhou Qing had entered looking for a chicken and stumbled upon Cui Yingying and others soaking in a hot spring.
Unpredictable as life is, Cui Yingying and others were now long dead, their remains obliterated by the self-destruction of Ji Ying and Huang Xiu, both in the Divinity Transformation Realm.
"What now?" Yan Xiaohu softly asked.
Zhou Qing replied, "Senior Brother, youâre smarter than me. Iâll follow your lead."
Yan Xiaohu: "..."
"Mainly, we donât know what this stronghold is for or how many people are inside. From the looks of it, those three disciples have low cultivation, thus monitoring it wonât arouse suspicion. Yuan Ya needs to stay at a certain distance to avoid exposure!"
Yan Xiaohu analyzed.
Zhou Qing nodded in agreement, "Senior Brother is absolutely right."
Yan Xiaohuâs face reddened slightly, awkwardly chuckling, "Lao Si, stop joking. Iâll listen to you."
Zhou Qing earnestly said, "Iâm not joking. I really think youâre right, but without venturing into the tigerâs den, how can we obtain the tigerâs cub? Now that Sister Yuan has informed Cyan Feather Immortal Sect, they wonât let a genius like Song Yuan slip away either."
Yan Xiaohu understood.
With Meng Xing dead, losing another genius would be a heavy blow to Cangyan Daoist Palace.
"But isnât this too risky?" Yan Xiaohu worriedly asked.
Zhou Qing smiled, "Didnât we come out here precisely for adventure?"
Yan Xiaohu was startled by his words, then broke into a smile.
"Letâs go!"
The two quietly approached the manor, then agilely vaulted over the walls.
Fortunately, this manor had no Barrier-like defensive Restrictions, likely to avoid drawing attention.
"Is it alright?" Shortly after entering, hiding in a grove, Yan Xiaohu pointed to the old hen in Zhou Qingâs arms.
Zhou Qing signaled it was fine, as heâd sealed its beak with Spiritual Power, ensuring it wouldnât make noise.
Yan Xiaohu relaxed, then they separated to search.
The manor wasnât large; they circled it quickly and regrouped, both puzzled.
The strongest presence in the entire manor was just a small old man in the Foundation Establishment Realm, presumably the manorâs owner.