Wait a minute, where is my master?

Jin Xu's revenge had failed.

Because...

He was completely unharmed.

In front of the dining hall's main entrance.

The Golden Thunderbolt that was supposed to smash down upon Granny Meng's head, in the fraction of a second when the young Taoist confirmed that the other party was bluffing, had split into six fine strands of Golden Thunder Arc, radiating outwards, striking the ground around her front, back, left, and right.

After a thunderous boom.

Six fine fountains burst forth from the pits, spraying up.

Neatly and evenly drenching Granny Meng's face, which still bore that odd smile.

Jin Xu looked on emotionlessly, his gaze calm as he watched her.

A strange thought inexplicably rose in his heart.

"How does this old lady's positioning look so much like a statue at the center of a fountain?"

On Granny Meng's side, stimulated by the icy touch of the underground spring water, she finally snapped back to reality.

Her body shivered, her murky eyes firmly fixed on the unscathed young Taoist opposite her, her eerie smile distorting into disbelief.

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!

"That power could have literally burst two beings from the True World Immortal Realm, how could you, a mere Taoist... "

Granny Meng, lacking information, stood there devastated. She allowed the cold underground water to pour over her head and face, looking utterly wretched.

Her previous confidence seemed to have been sucked away by an invisible hand at this moment.

Seeing that kind of expression on her face, the corners of the Taoist's mouth lifted slightly.

In fact, he could have let the Golden Thunderbolt fall directly just now.

But to rashly strike someone dead and what if that old crone really thought her concocted soup had worked?

You see, there's a world of difference between willingly accepting mutual destruction and being forcefully reincarnated due to failed objectives.

To kill a person, you also need to crush their spirit!

"It seems that your soup isn't as powerful as you claimed it was," he said.

As Jin Xu spoke, he made a gesture with his right hand, summoning the Golden Thunder Arc from midair to lock onto her, then continued.

"So, if possible, try to be a good person in your next life.

"If... you can reincarnate as a human, that is."

As his words fell, the Golden Thunderbolt descended from the sky!

From the moment the young Taoist began to speak, Granny Meng's murky eyes, filled with resentment, were fixated on him.

As Jin Xu's words suggested his intention to strike, she stirred up the scant Spiritual Power left in her withered body, knowing full well she was no match but still determined to go down fighting.

But once the Golden Thunderbolt had her locked down, Granny Meng felt like a domestic hen caught in the gaze of an ancient dragon, so weak, pitiful, and helpless.

She could not even muster the meager Spiritual Power within her.

With a look of strong unwillingness on her face, she made an effort to open her dry lips, seemingly wanting to say something in her last moments of life.

But the next moment, the Golden Thunderbolt swallowed her whole!

After a breath, a column of underground spring water, much thicker than the adjacent six smaller fountains, furiously erupted.

The young Taoist silently watched the fountain for a moment before turning his head to someone beside him and calling out.

"Manager Zhang."

"Ah, Uncle-in-law, I'm here."

"Don't waste this water, just build whatever here."

"Alright, leave this matter to me,"

Manager Zhang said, patting his chest in agreement.

He then hurried off to summon the servants skilled in masonry within the mansion.

Of course, he didn't forget to report once again to the Empress of Great Xia—Xia Yunzhao about the incident that had taken place here.

At this moment, the late-coming Taoist, having regained his composure from the overwhelming aura of the Golden Thunderbolt, took a step forward and arrived beside the young Taoist.

He reached out and stroked his white beard.

"Jin Taoist, are you alright? That old woman may have died under the thunder, but what about the soup she tricked you into drinking?"

"I'm fine, that old crone must have been lying, or perhaps there was some flaw with the soup. In any case, I feel exceptionally well now, my Spiritual Power has even increased slightly."

Hearing the Ancestor mention the soup, the young Taoist shook his head with some confusion.

Given the way the other party was so confident, they should have been certain of their success. But the fact that he was not experiencing any anomalies was also true.

Feeling puzzled, Jin Xu touched his chin. He remembered the proprietress still lay on the ground inside the dining hall, so he decided not to ponder over it anymore and stepped towards the interior.

And the late-coming Taoist, having received a response that there was nothing amiss, stood in place, deep in thought for a moment before turning towards the fountain that had spilled all over the ground and sighed as he stroked his beard.

"Alas, lying does no small harm."

Inside the dining hall.

After receiving treatment from Yu Yaoer, the proprietress of Yixiang Building had already greatly improved.

However, her emotions were still complex, and at the moment, she remained slumped on the ground.

Three young maids with tears in their eyes stood by, looking after her.

Seeing the young Taoist approach, the proprietress struggled with great effort, trying to get up, her voice weak as she spoke.

"Benefactor... Granny Meng she..."

Even up to this moment, she was still thinking of Granny Meng, who had injured her.

"She's dead."

Jin Xu stated the outcome bluntly.

Hearing this, the proprietress, who had been struggling to get up, collapsed back onto the ground, looking at the young Taoist with shocked eyes. Jin Xu glanced down at her and, without pausing, continued to explain her identity and the purpose of his visit.

As for why she had infiltrated Yixiang Building and why she had caused trouble today, the young Taoist was not clear, but such investigations naturally fell to the watchmen and Nalan Yuandao to clarify.

The narration, spanning mere breaths, quickly passed.

After hearing the entire story, the proprietress merely murmured quietly, "How could Granny be with the Demon Sect?" and then fell silent, her face pale.

At that moment, Yu Yaoer emerged from one side, looked down at the proprietress on the ground, a flicker of pity in her eyes, and then transmitted a message to Jin Xu who stood nearby.

"Young master, judging by the injuries, Granny must have held back when she struck her. Otherwise, she would have died instantly and there would have been no chance for her to receive treatment.

"So..."

"Let the watchmen investigate whether she was aware of Granny's affiliations or not,"

The young Taoist understood the implication in Yu Yaoer's words and responded with his own transmission.

"Alright."

Yu Yaoer nodded obediently and then continued.

"By the way, young master, Granny just sent a message saying that they've made some progress with the effects of those seven pills, and has asked us to visit the Shui Clan when we have time."

"Alright, tell Granny we'll go there tomorrow."

Having said this, Jin Xu looked at the still pale-faced, slumped proprietress, sighed gently, and turned to leave.

Outside the dining hall.

Kui Lei, dressed in the uniform of a watchman, along with several high-ranking watchmen, had already arrived at the site.