Wait a minute, where is my master?

Jin Xu's plan was actually quite simple.

By leveraging the extensive publicity network of Tingfeng Building across the Nine Provinces, he aimed to convey a message to his master that he was searching for him.

Having been in the Nine Provinces Realm for such a long time, the little Taoist began to have some doubts about where to look,

but he knew he needed to keep trying and making errors before he could make an accurate judgement.

This move was Jin Xu's way of testing whether the Elder Taoist Tianxing had really vanished or was intentionally avoiding him.

So when the little Taoist received Murong Xiaohan's sound transmission, he hardly hesitated before going out and bringing her back with him.

Before accepting the interview, Jin Xu carefully donned a mask and required that his figure should be obscured in the Imprint Jade Token, and his voice needed to be altered as well.

Although Murong Xiaohan didn't understand why the little Taoist was so keen to hide his identity while still agreeing to her interview, the thought of that shiny Golden Core-shaped reward made her agree to everything.

It was just a matter of wearing a mask, concealing one's silhouette, and changing one's voice, after all.

She had heard that some wind catchers would even commit certain acts to get an interview with a powerful cultivator...

Compared to that, hers was pretty good.

However, Murong Xiaohan was still nervous at the moment; a good number of the high casualty rates among wind catchers were caused by powerful individuals suddenly lashing out during an interview.

"Miss Murong, please continue with your questions."

Jin Xu spoke gently, having confirmed before the interview that the Imprint Jade Token would be mass-produced and sold throughout the Cultivation World.

"Then... Taoist, may I ask why you intervened to save Gusu City? Was it due to a past connection with the Great Xia Empire or a grudge against the Demon Sect?"

Murong Xiaohan asked in a timid voice like a startled little rabbit.

She couldn't be blamed; the prior questions she asked were either met with a response of ignorance or confusing answers that made no sense at all from the little Taoist.

It sounded a lot like someone with a deranged mind or someone who had experienced cultivation deviation.

For example, when she asked him what his hobbies were,

Jin Xu answered, "I love to fight with old men."

When she asked about his level of cultivation,

Jin Xu replied, "Only by opening one's heart can it be known."

Murong Xiaohan also asked him where he acquired his teachings,

and the little Taoist said that his master had run away from home because he couldn't catch any fish, and then mentioned things like the willow trees, fishing rods, and ancient books at home missing him, wanting to fish with his master, urging him to come back soon, and claiming that he was aware of being 'fished' up by his master – all sorts of incomprehensible things to a normal person.

Little did she know, Jin Xu was actually signaling to the Elder Taoist Tianxing.

The nonsensical talk was meant to ensure the master that the person being interviewed was his disciple.

The subsequent message meant that all the master's ancient books, willow trees, and fishing rods were in his hands, that he knew he had been 'fished' up by the master, and the master should come back upon seeing the Imprint; he held no grudges, and so on.

As for whether Elder Taoist Tianxing would understand, that was up to fate.

After all, it was just a simple trial and error; whether it succeeded or not, Jin Xu wouldn't lose anything and might even gain a little.

Before the interview, the little Taoist specifically inquired about how she could send a transmission all the way from Xuanxu Temple.

Murong Xiaohan said that Tingfeng Building had specially developed a secret sound transmission skill for lower-level cultivators, designed to facilitate its wind catchers' work.

So Jin Xu expressed his desire to learn.

Murong Xiaohan, upon hearing this, very agreeably taught the little Taoist the secret sound transmission skill. It wasn't a secret after all; anyone could buy it directly from Tingfeng Building with some Spirit Stones.

It was just a sound transmission skill meant for lower-level cultivators.

Now, to gain favor with the interviewee, that was an absolute bargain.

Jin Xu also felt that being interviewed allowed him to carry out his trial and error plan and learn a little skill, which seemed like an absolute bargain too.

Ah, a win-win situation achieved.

"There's no history, nor any grudge. Saving Gusu City was simply because I had the ability and the desire to do so, so I just did it."

Murong Xiaohan's inner anxiety lessened somewhat, as the person she was interviewing finally started to give answers she could understand. Judging by the response, he seemed to be a rather benevolent cultivator, which meant she probably didn't have to fear being suddenly killed.

"Aren't you afraid of the Demon Sect's retribution afterward?"

"I'm not afraid."

Jin Xu calmly replied, while to himself he added a phrase.

"After all, they're quite weak."

"Then, there's one last question. If there are two formations in front of you, one containing five people, and the other containing one person. You can only choose to break one formation to save the people inside. By breaking one formation, the people in the other formation will all die. Would you save the five or the one?"

This was Tingfeng Building's signature closing question for interviews, which was said to be mandated by the building's master to judge a cultivator's morality.

"...A cultivator's trolley problem?"

As this thought crossed Jin Xu's mind, he raised his head. His pitch-black pupils peered through the mask, staring intently into Murong Xiaohan's bright eyes and said word by word.

"I'd first kill the person who posed this question."

"!!!?"

Just as Murong Xiaohan's heart had settled, it leaped back to her throat.

...

At the entrance of the Taoist temple.

The little Taoist sent off the slightly shaking Murong Xiaohan.

After the interview, to prove that Jin Xu was indeed the mysterious and powerful person who had saved Gusu City, he cast another Body Purification Skill.

Of course, it wasn't aimed at Murong Xiaohan but at the Spirit Stone in her hand, which could retain a part of the power and spiritual energy of spells.

It was one of the means used by Tingfeng Building to verify the authenticity of interviews.

However, when the little Taoist released the Body Purification Skill, he accidentally did not control his strength properly, and the poor junior wind catcher was affected.

That was why her legs were still trembling as she left.

"Young Master, what were you and that person talking about in the Great Hall?"

No sooner had the person left than Yu Yaoer came over, driven by curiosity.

Worried that the imaging stone might accidentally record Yu Yaoer and Little White, the little Taoist had specifically instructed the two women not to come near the Great Hall, which only piqued their curiosity even more.

Little White, like a shadow, rested her head on the Little Fish Demon's arm, her light brown eyes also curiously looking at Jin Xu, clearly expressing that she wanted to know as well.

Even the Bronze Gate beside them slightly opened its closed eyes, curiously paying attention to the scene.

"It was nothing, that person was from Tingfeng Building. They came for an interview. Don't go talking about it outside," Jin Xu said as he tossed the jade token in his hand, heading to the back courtyard.

He wanted to go to his room to study the Sound Transmission Skill.

"Oh, so that was it," Yu Yaoer said, glancing down at Little White, the word 'doubt' written all over both their faces.

The two women had clearly heard a shout from the Great Hall; since when did interviews involve such noises!

"That sound... it sounded like she got hit by the Young Master's Body Purification Skill," thought the Little Fish Demon to herself.

Without minding what they were thinking, Jin Xu, holding the jade token, made his way to the back courtyard.

...

In Gusu City, at the Zhao family's residence.

Inside the secret chamber, Zhao Dabao's father spoke with a look of astonishment.

"You've given away our family's treasure vault?!"

"Uh..."