Yin Shanhe kept silent on this matter, believing it was all Qing Ya’s excuse to decline Long Xingyun. He was actually pleased to see it.
If they really were going to the Nether Temple, Long Xingyun hesitated instead. Some people appeared bold and reckless on the surface, but that was only towards those they could afford to provoke. In reality, they were very clear in their hearts about what places could be provoked and what places could not.
He snorted, “Testing would be a waste of time anyway.”
Qing Ya said, “Trying costs nothing. If it works, we will have no worries. At worst, my lame leg will accompany the Young Pavilion Master on a trip.”
Long Xingyun was clearly still somewhat hesitant. After all, that was the Nether Temple.
Qing Ya immediately said meaningfully, “If the Young Pavilion Master does not wish to go, then forget it. Consider that I said nothing.”
The underlying meaning was obvious. You yourself are afraid of trouble. Do not blame me later for not helping.
Upon hearing this, Long Xingyun’s spirit immediately rose. He said indifferently and disdainfully, “Did I say I am not going? I merely feel it is inappropriate to disturb the Nether Temple at this late hour.”
Yin Shanhe, who was slowly puffing on his dry tobacco pipe nearby, frowned slightly. Due to Long Xingyun’s reaction, he subconsciously looked at Qing Ya a couple more times, vaguely feeling that the other’s words just now had the suspicion of being a provocation tactic.
However, upon second thought, he felt he might be overthinking. The other party had been refusing to help all along and was forced into having no way out by the Young Pavilion Master.
Moreover, the Nether Temple was most likely impossible to enter. It should be an excuse.
Thinking of this, he felt much more at ease and slowly lowered his guard.
The Scarlet Orchid Pavilion Master had entrusted his son’s safety to him. That was trust in him. Naturally, he had to be careful and cautious.
Qing Ya looked at the night outside and nodded. “The Young Pavilion Master’s concern is correct. Knocking on the Nether Temple’s door in the middle of the night is indeed inappropriate. Then shall we go tomorrow during the day?”
Long Xingyun said, “You must also keep a close eye on Ashiheng’s side.”
Qing Ya said, “Rest assured, Young Pavilion Master. I have people keeping an eye on him here all the time. He cannot escape.”
“Come find me tomorrow.” Long Xingyun tossed out the words, opened his folding fan, lightly shook it, and turned to leave. He did not say where he was staying, believing the other party could find him.
Yin Shanhe, puffing on his dry tobacco pipe, followed after him.
Qing Ya’s legs were inconvenient, so Gu Qingzhao personally went to see them off.
After seeing off the guests and returning, Gu Qingzhao said, “Yin Shanhe is more vigilant than the one surnamed Long. Watching from the side, he seemed to have noticed that you were provoking Long Xingyun.”
Qing Ya said, “Some things, even if noticed, are useless. Can he convict me based on a feeling?”
Gu Qingzhao was slightly worried. “If a fight breaks out, who is stronger between you and Yin Shanhe?”
Qing Ya said, “I do not know. I have never fought with the Scarlet Orchid Pavilion Master’s Four Great Protectors. Their cultivation should be about the same as mine. After stepping into the Upper Profound realm, I have never lost when fighting those in the same realm. However, unlike in my early years, I increasingly dislike fighting and killing now. It is meaningless.”
Gu Qingzhao fell silent for a moment. “After you go to the Nether Temple tomorrow, I will go find that Tanhuang Scholar and give him an explanation.”
Qing Ya nodded and could not help sighing softly, “I hope Godmother’s prediction is correct. Otherwise, this trip to the Nether Temple will be awkward, and the rest will not match up.”
Gu Qingzhao said, “Just do as Godmother instructed. If something goes wrong, it cannot be blamed on you.”
Qing Ya could only nod silently.
The next day, when the sun was shining brightly, a carriage successively left from the front and back gates of Jinghong Palace.
The one from the back gate went straight to Hu Youli’s residence, stopped by the street downstairs, and the coachman turned back and said, “Proprietress, we have arrived.”
Gu Qingzhao, pulling aside the carriage curtain, looked out. Seeing this house that required climbing walls and burrowing through holes to enter, she was somewhat speechless. Her current standard of living indeed made it unlikely for her to come to such a place. At the same time, she was somewhat curious about what kind of place the world’s number one talent lived in. In her mind, there was an image of floating ink fragrance.
Stepping out of the carriage, she leaped into the air and landed on the second-floor balcony. She looked at the small balcony environment, which was hardly to her taste, and then knocked on the door.
She could come over because she naturally already knew beforehand whether the target she was visiting was present. She also knew that Hu Youli had already taken the child out to do small business.
The one who opened the door was Mu Aotie. Seeing the visitor, he turned back and called out, “The proprietress is here.”
The inside was not large. Gu Qingzhao also saw the situation inside at a glance, seeing Yu Qing and Nan Zhu, who had been sitting cross-legged in meditation, both stand up.
“Oh my, a noble guest has arrived.” Yu Qing, who quickly stepped to the door to invite her in, was extremely polite.
Gu Qingzhao, with jade pendants tinkling, entered gracefully. She curiously examined the indoor environment and found it truly “utterly destitute.” There was nothing on the walls, not even a stool to sit on. Clearly, they all sat directly on the ground.
When she walked to the staircase entrance, she still could not stop her curiosity and looked downstairs. “Tanhuang Scholar, may I go down and take a look?”
Yu Qing was amused upon hearing this. “This is not my house. Compared to your Jinghong Palace, it is just a palm-sized place, not even as large as a storage room in your corner. It is quite shabby. What is there to see? If you want to look, the homeowner probably would not dare to have any objections.”
Gu Qingzhao smiled and did not stand on ceremony. She lifted her skirt and walked down step by step, entering the somewhat dimly lit hall. She saw clutter piled everywhere, with not much space to turn around. To her, this did not look like a place where people lived. Indeed, it was not as tidy as her storage room.
She also did not stand on ceremony and directly opened the door to Hu Youli’s room. However, she did not enter, just stood at the doorway and looked inside, then closed the door and followed Yu Qing back upstairs to the brighter and more spacious area.
She swept her eyes across the empty room a few more times and smiled. “For the Tanhuang Scholar to be able to live here peacefully, you truly are someone who can bend and stretch.”
In her view, this kind of broken place truly did not match the world’s number one talent. It was far from the small dwelling with floating ink fragrance that she had imagined.
The three martial brothers felt nothing about it, because they truly did not have such refined tastes. Their standard of living had never truly been high. They merely took her words as polite remarks.
Yu Qing did not want to chat idly with her and asked, “Proprietress, you did not come specifically to look at the house, did you?”
Gu Qingzhao shook her round fan, following his meaning, and got to the main topic. She shook her head and said, “The backer behind that Lingxi Zhai, Master Qing has already sent people to investigate. Too mysterious. There is simply no clue to continue the investigation. Unless we kidnap that shopkeeper and then find a way to pry his mouth open. But we are worried about ruining your matters, so I came to ask you whether you want to do that. If kidnapping is acceptable, then Master Qing’s side will handle it accordingly.”
This was the meaning she had come to express. She had helped him with the matter, but had not handled it well. Not handling it well was not due to lack of effort, nor was it due to lack of methods. It depended on whether he himself was willing.
Hearing this, the three martial brothers could not find any reason to criticise.
After thinking, Yu Qing had no choice but to give up. “Forget about kidnapping. We are all decent people. We do not wish to invite too much trouble. Avoid it if possible.”
He already knew the possible whereabouts of that backer. He merely wanted to grasp more of the situation. There was indeed no need to create additional complications.
Naturally, he would not tell the other party the truth.
Gu Qingzhao also pretended to be very surprised. “Then this matter is just dropped like this?”
Yu Qing said, “Forget it. In any case, thank you, Proprietress. Please also convey my thanks to Master Qing on my behalf, thanking him for his assistance.”
Gu Qingzhao said with relief, “Very well. It saves us trouble too. Then I will take my leave.”
The three martial brothers saw the guest off to the balcony, watched her leap down, watched her get into the carriage, and watched the carriage travel far away and disappear. Only then did the three return inside, close the door, and have a secret discussion.
Nan Zhu asked, “What do we do?”
Yu Qing said, “Since we cannot find out more, then prepare to set out.”
After some discussion, the three martial brothers decided to set the departure time for the latter half of the night. First, they had to wait for Hu Youli to return and say hello. Second, according to Hu Youli’s previous statement, even with merpeople ferrying people quickly, going to Purple Wave Island would take at least half a day. If they set out now, they would arrive at Purple Wave Island roughly at night.
Although the Nether Sea was always shrouded in darkness, there was still some difference between day and night. The light during the day was slightly better, making it convenient to search after landing on the island. Searching in the dark at night would definitely be inconvenient.
If they set out in the latter half of the night, they would arrive at Purple Wave Island roughly in the morning. That would be perfect.
By the time Gu Qingzhao had returned to Jinghong Palace, Long Xingyun’s group of five had just arrived at the main gate of the Nether Temple.
Facing the tightly shut gate of the Nether Temple, let alone the others, even Yin Shanhe put away his constantly puffing tobacco pipe, tucked the pipe into his waistband, not daring to puff smoke here and give the impression of disrespect.
Who would knock on the door became a matter of Long Xingyun and Qing Ya looking at each other. They did not send subordinates to bolster their courage. In the end, Qing Ya hardened his scalp and stepped forward himself to knock on the door knocker.
After footsteps sounded from the courtyard, the group outside immediately became nervous.
Even at this moment, Yin Shanhe was still observing Qing Ya’s reaction. Seeing that Qing Ya also had tension and unease from the bottom of his bones, he felt somewhat relieved.
The door opened a crack. Bai Yun stuck half his body out, looked over the people outside, and asked, “This is a pure Buddhist land. Why do you knock?”
Qing Ya immediately put on a smiling face. “I am Qing Ya. I have come with Scarlet Orchid Pavilion’s Young Pavilion Master Long Xingyun to visit the Nether Monk. Please announce us.”
Bai Yun frowned slightly. Just two words, “Wait a moment.”
The door slammed shut, and the footsteps inside receded.
The group outside did not utter a sound and waited quietly.
After waiting a short while, footsteps came again. This time the door opened halfway. Bai Yun stood to the side with hands pressed together. “Please come in.”
Everyone had thought they would be refused. Hearing this, they were shocked, almost thinking they had misheard. They were really letting them in?
Qing Ya in particular was even more shocked internally. Although it was Godmother who had sent him, he had still worried for a long time before. He had not expected they could really enter the Nether Temple. In his heart, he gained new understanding of Godmother’s vast supernatural powers.
It was quite abrupt. In their surprise, Long Xingyun and Qing Ya were thrown into a fluster. You invite me to enter first, I invite you to enter first. So refined and polite, one could call it courteous and gentlemanly.
Yin Shanhe and Cui You had never seen the Young Pavilion Master so genuinely refined.
In the end, Qing Ya thought of Godmother and gained confidence. He entered first, hopping in on one foot. Only one foot wore wooden clogs, and the raised height just allowed the other foot to dangle.
Long Xingyun followed. After stepping inside, he carefully looked around and discovered white bones everywhere, even on the ground. He truly did not know why normal people would want to live in such a place.
When Yin Shanhe behind was about to follow in, he was blocked by Bai Yun’s outstretched hand. “Who are you, and why do you wish to enter?”
Yin Shanhe hurriedly said respectfully, “We are together.” He pointed at the people who had already entered.
Long Xingyun, who had turned back, also hurriedly nodded and bowed. “That is right. We are together.”
Bai Yun rejected him expressionlessly and directly. “You said Qing Ya and Scarlet Orchid Pavilion’s Young Pavilion Master had come to visit. That is how this poor monk announced it. My master also said to let these two in. He did not say to let others in. You yourselves did not make it clear. You cannot blame this poor monk. This poor monk will not waste words with you. Either none of you enter, or the irrelevant people withdraw. You decide for yourselves.”
This tone was truly not polite at all. Long Xingyun, who was rarely treated so dismissively, did not feel humiliated. Instead, he hurriedly urged Yin Shanhe, “Uncle Yin, one more person entering or one less person entering makes no difference to the matter. Forget it. You should wait outside for a while.”
Yin Shanhe thought about it and agreed. In this kind of place, if they truly meant harm to the Young Pavilion Master, his entering would be of no use. It would merely mean one more withered skeleton on the wall. He nodded, withdrew the foot that had already stepped over the threshold, and slowly stepped back.
The others needed no mention. Cui You and Qing Ya’s trusted follower Pang Chengqiu also stepped back, watching helplessly as the temple gate slammed shut, waiting obediently outside.