Wait a minute, where is my master?

After some careful thought, Jin Xu guessed that Xu Qian might have imagined something strange.

But he was too lazy to explain; sometimes, the more you try to explain certain things, the messier it gets, so it was better to let nature take its course.

He nonchalantly replied, "Hmm, I understand."

Then he led the group to find a place to stay.

The four of them walked along the street for a while and found an inn that looked decent and decided to stay there.

The inn was named Yanyu Building, standing nine stories high, seemingly small in size but with intricate details inside.

As they entered, a cultivator in the Qi Cultivation Realm proactively came forward to greet them, asking if the group wanted lodging or just a meal.

It seemed that Yanyu Building offered more than just accommodations; it also operated as a restaurant.

"Lodging, just book three rooms,"

Jin Xu politely stated.

"Honored guests, which floor would you like to stay on?"

The young servant began to introduce the floors to the four Taoists.

Yanyu Building had nine floors, each set of three floors representing a different level.

The first to third floors required one mid-grade spirit stone per night, the fourth to sixth floors ten mid-grade spirit stones per night, and the seventh to ninth floors one high-grade spirit stone per night.

The higher the floor, the better the amenities.

For example, the lower three floors only had basic Spirit Gathering Arrays and Concentration Incense among other facilities, while the middle three floors had higher-grade Spirit Gathering Arrays and Concentration Incense, and also included some rare spirit fruits and more.

As for the top three floors, guests would enjoy even higher level facilities and meals made from spirit beast meat. Moreover, on every first and fifteenth of the month, guests who stayed on the top floor would receive a mysterious gift from Yanyu Building.

Hearing these prices, Xu Qian felt that he had lived his previous life in vain; he had worked hard on tasks among the night watch only to afford a single night's stay on the middle floors of this inn.

"A mysterious gift? Is it random?"

Little White asked curiously after hearing the young servant's words.

"You're wise, guest. The mysterious gift is only revealed after being presented, and it differs each month. The gift originally scheduled for the fifteenth of July was delayed due to some unexpected issues and will now be presented on the twenty-first. If you decide to stay now, you will soon receive this surprise."

The young servant flattered, eagerly promoting the top-floor rooms of the inn.

"Three rooms, top floor. Let's stay for three nights,"

The Taoist laid out nine high-grade spirit stones on the counter.

He wasn't interested in the mysterious gift per se, but as the old saying goes, 'be rich when travelling,' he didn't want to skimp while away from home.

Moreover, Jin Xu certainly had the means, as their storage magical treasures still carried several buckets of "water from home."

"Alright, please follow me, honored guest!"

Seeing the Taoist briskly lay out nine high-grade spirit stones, the young servant's enthusiasm increased a few notches.

Having confirmed their lodging, as they ascended the floors, Jin Xu took out his Communication Jade Token and sent a message to Xia Yunzhao.

"I have arrived in Shangjing City and currently am staying at Yanyu Tower.—Jin Xu."

...

In Shangjing City, within an ordinary residence.

The Third Elder of the Demon Sect was sitting cross-legged on a bed, eyes tightly closed, wearing a new dress that was less disheveled than before, but the Buddhist light still lingered around her abdomen.

On the wall of the room, a pitch-black eye quietly emerged.

Sensing the arrival of the dark pupil, the Third Elder raised her hand and released a stream of spiritual power, complaining.

"Can't you change your creepy way of appearing? What if I was taking a bath?"

The spiritual power pierced the wall, and the pitch-black eye reappeared at another spot.

"This is urgent,"

a somber voice sounded.

"What, did you fail to gauge the depth of that little Taoist?"

The Third Elder finally opened her eyes at this moment, rose from her bed, and seated herself at the table.

"No, the Black Pupil I sent out struck out in Gusu City, they say that the little Taoist has gone on a long journey."

A pair of pitch-black eyes flashed into existence on the table.

"Then, what brings you here?"

Seeing the other appear once more on the table, the Third Elder of the Demon Sect inquired with a flirtatious roll of her eyes.

"The Yinming Corpse Evil in Ling City has been eradicated."

Upon hearing this news, the Third Elder instantly became serious.

"Who did it?"

"I don't know, we've withdrawn our people from that area, and there were absolutely no witnesses. I'm starting to suspect that the other major Immortal Palaces might intervene to help Great Xia."

A voice tinged with worry echoed in the room.

"How could that be? Xia Xuanmin was too arrogant in his prime, apart from Qingmu Academy, he offended every major power. Now that he's in trouble, those powers would rather enjoy watching his downfall than help him."

The Third Elder asserted confidently.

"Exactly, if he had any allies, he wouldn't have gone through so much trouble to ask that old monk from Wanbao Temple."

As the ghostly voice spoke, the Third Elder of the Demon Sect suddenly produced a Communication Jade Token from her hands.

"What is it?"

"Heh~ the little Taoist whom you missed has just arrived in Shangjing City."

The Third Elder chuckled lightly, her voice carrying a trace of excitement.

"When did this happen?"

"Just now, and he checked into Yanyu Building. My subordinate recognized him from his portrait, so they sent a message immediately."

"Shall I send another Black Pupil to test his depth?"

"No need, I've been rather bored these days, and had just activated one of my avatars, let me handle it."

The flirtatious face of the Third Elder of the Demon Sect twisted slightly into what seemed almost deranged.

After seeing the portrait of this little Taoist, she had resolved to make a trip to Gusu whenever she had the time.

Now that he had proactively shown up at her doorstep, she definitely intended to "test" him thoroughly.

"Alright, but don't stir up too much trouble at the critical moment, or it'll be hard to explain to the Left Protector."

The voice from the pitch-black eyes became grave.

"Heh, relax, don't you know what kind of person I am?"

The Third Elder responded with a coquettish laugh, then closed her eyes.

"It's exactly because I know what kind of person you are that I'm worried."

Of course, the black eyes didn't actually say this aloud.

Having known each other for so many years, he knew her all too well. Although the Third Elder appeared to be the most normal among the four Great Elders of the Demon Sect on the surface.

In private, however, she was extremely perverse and insane.

One of her hobbies was to find cultivators with good looks, keep them by her side, and toy with them at her whim. Once bored, the male cultivators would be thrown into the Transformation Pond; female cultivators would have their skin peeled off to create avatars.

Once, in a particularly insane instance, the Third Elder even attacked the previous Taoist heir of the Kunlun Immortal Palace because of this hobby.

She kidnapped him while he was descending the mountain, played with him for five days, and only after a high-level cultivator from the Immortal Palace personally intervened was he rescued.

Less than three months later, the Kunlun Immortal Palace announced that the former Taoist had perished in an accidental demise during cultivation and selected a new heir.

It was only because she used an avatar for this act that her identity as the Third Elder was not exposed, otherwise, the Kunlun Immortal Palace would have retaliated.

"Tsk, that little Taoist will need lots of luck if this madwoman has set her sights on him."

The pitch-black eyes flickered rapidly in the room a few times, then disappeared.