Night.
The weather did not seem good. Moon was concealed behind dense, dark clouds, and the starlight also couldn’t penetrate through the atmosphere’s abdominal net.
A shadow flickered, and without cognition of anybody, arrived before the Xu family’s inner castle.
This dark figure, which had its face covered with a turban, was none other than that of He Yiming who had arrived in Xu castle five days ago.
After receiving his lodging arrangements, he’d been staying inside in a well-behaved manner like other spongers and hadn’t made conspicious moves. He was aware that Xu family wouldn’t trust a new sponger such as him and would not assign him any important tasks. Only after observing him for a while would they gradually assimilate him into the gigantic organization- that was the Xu family.
However, this, for him, was the optimal situation. If Xu family had instead sent him to perform some dangerous tasks or assigned him in the county town, he would have felt endlessly troubled.
In these days, he’d familiarized himself with the environment of outer-castle. Such a behaviour from him not only didn’t attract any suspicion, it instead even made people trust him a little.
After familiarizing himself with the outer castle, He Yiming turned his thoughts towards the inner castle.
He didn’t have the time to go around in circles. One month was nowhere enough time to earn Xu family’s trust.
This being the case, directly stealing was undoubtedly the optimal alternative.
HIs figure faintly moved before it closely stuck to the wall. As the Internal Energy circulated inside his body, his figure, as if a huge lizard, started to move upwards.
Although the inner castle’s wall was not as exaggerated as the outer castle, it was still about four meters high. However, in ordinary, peaceful times, the security on the wall was not too strict. He Yiming’s movements remained undiscovered.
Arriving on the wall, He Yiming looked around and absorbed everything into his eyes.
Compared to the inner castle, the outer castle seemed like a patch of darkness. He could see dim candlelight coming out from various houses.
However, He Yiming’s brows slightly creased. He had no idea where to look for Xu family’s Book Pavilion. In any case, he couldn’t check every building one by one.
He sighed inwardly. His experience was too lacking. If his father or other elders were in his situation, they would surely have figured out how to find the Book Pavilion. However, he was also a bit skeptical, wondering whether his father and other elders had ever done something like this- which was crafty and sinister.
From afar, he could hear sounds of hurriedly approaching footsteps. Subsequently, in the light of a lantern, several individuals hurriedly walked past below him.
How clear He Yiming’s eyesight was? He’d immediately discerned that among these people, one figure was that of Xu Right. Feeling a bit startled, he climbed down the wall and began to cautiously follow after them.
His cultivation had already attained the tenth layer’s peak. Moreover, he’d also cultivated the Breath Restraining technique. When he concentrated all his attention at his ears, all sorts of prying eyes- be it open or secret- meant nothing more than mere decorations to him.
Moreover, Xu family’s night security was not strict at all. Based on a few sparsely distributed sentries, they had basically no chance of discovering He Yiming’s traces.
He Yiming originally intended to keep following after them. However, as he approached closer to the courtyard they seemed to be going to, he suddenly felt danger- as if something inside this courtyard could pose a threat to him.
This feeling was quite abrupt. He stopped and thought for a moment. He suddenly figured out the cause.
Ever since he’d attained the tenth layer, he would only feel as such in the presence of his grandfather. Thus, he knew that inside this courtyard ought to be the only other tenth layer expert of Tai Cang county- Lord Master Xu, Xu Yinjie.
Currently, although He Yiming need not feel afraid of this exceedingly top-level expert, his objective this time was not to exchange blows with this person.
He decided not to go any closer. Adjusting the Internal Energy inside his body to the peak state, he concentrated all of his attention at his ears and began to eavesdrop.
If he were to be discovered by the counterpart even when he stood so far away, he felt he could only accept his fate.
As his Internal Energy reached the peak, he suddenly felt peculiar.
He’d never tried to concentrate such an immense amount of Internal Energy at his ears. Even when he’d eavesdropped the conversation between the old man and that waiter in Xu town, it had not been to this extent.
If not for the fact that the person ahead was someone he couldn’t afford to have the slightest contempt for, he would have never tried to eavesdrop from such a distance.
His earlobes were faintly swaying- as if wind was blowing beside his ears at all times.
Apparently, the voices entering his ears were no longer ordinary sounds. Instead, after going through a bizarre perception, these voices were producing a mystical scene inside his mind.
From the sound of Xu Right’s and servants’ footsteps, He Yiming could apparently hear a peculiar echo which normal people had no way of discerning. Based on this echo, He Yiming actually started to form a three-dimensional image in his mind. He could even discern the dimensions of the building.
In this manner, a black-and-white, ever-changing scene appeared in He Yiming’s mind. Although this scene was exceedingly vague, it left He Yiming He Yiming completely stunned.
He was quite certain that this had already stepped beyond the capabilities of a tenth layer expert. Because if his grandfather had this ability, the former would have certainly discussed it with them at some point.
However, according to his memory, nobody had ever mentioned anything related to this subject.
The servants behind Xu Right suddenly stopped. The latter continued for a few more moments and apparently entered a room before suddenly stopping.
“Father, I’ve come,” Xu Right’s voice suddenly sounded.
“Hmm…how is the investigation going,” An aged, unhurried voice replied.
He Yiming’s interest was immediately aroused. However, due to this, not only the scene in his mind didn’t crumble, it even started to become increasingly clear.
He could imagine Xu Right deferentially paying his respects to an elderly person while the latter loftily sat on a chair. At the same time, he could even feel an intense wrathful aura surrounding the latter.
Of course, this old man was not deliberately emitting this aura. Though since He Yiming could detect this aura, the former was not deliberately concealing it either.
“Father, Yucai has returned from the county town. The information he has brought…. is not good. Cheng family has already decided to form marital bonds with He family. Moreover, for this matter, Jadeting city’s Lin family has also reportedly dispatched some people.”
“Jadeting city, Lin family? What have they come for?”
“Since their present- the thousand year blood ginseng- was robbed by the bandits, they must have felt that they have lost too much face. Thus, they have come to show their support for Cheng family.”
“Hm…is there any information about the thousand year blood ginseng?”
Xu Right’s voice contained an indescribable bitterness as he said, “There is no information. However, it seems that Cheng family had already determined that it was us who acted to obtain the ginseng.”
The old man furiously snorted before saying, “In the end, who the hell used ninth-layer Blaze technique- passing himself off as a part of Xu family!”
Xu Right hesitated a bit before saying, “Father, is it possible that Cheng family deliberately spread this information?”
“Impossible,” The old man unhesitatingly said, “I have mingled with the Cheng family for several decades. How can I not know what kind of person Cheng Zhusheng is. If he had not been completely certain that it was a ninth-layer Blaze technique’s user who escaped with the thousand year blood ginseng, that old man would never have leaked information which could cause our two families to turn completely hostile against each other.”
Xu Right’s voice turned even more bitter as he said, “However, father, in our Xu family, only this child has cultivated the Blaze technique to the ninth layer.”
“I know,” The old man sighed, “I am not blaming you at all. However, you should also know that this Blaze technique had not exactly been passed on through our family. If….”
Xu Right seemed to have sucked in a breath of cold air before he said, “Father, you mean to say, Ancestor….that place…”
The old man directly expressed his consent. On the other hand, He Yiming, who stood far away, couldn’t understand much from this conversation. However, in any case, he understood one thing quite clearly. Xu family’s two special techniques….were not exclusive to the Xu family. At the very least, some external power also controlled these techniques.
He felt all sorts of emotions welling up inside. A move, which he’d executed on a mere impulse, could create such an aftermath- it seemed completely unimaginable to him.
However, seeing these two individuals forced to suppress their sufferings inside and not being able to do a thing about it- he didn’t feel guilty at all and even felt quite good inwardly.
After a while, Xu Right asked in a low voice, “Father, so what should we do?”
“What can we do,” The old man bitterly said, “We can’t just take this matter to the Ancestor and seek confirmation. If only Lin family personally comes to investigate can we pass this matter to the Ancestor. Actually, I wish to see if Jadeting’s Lin family has the nerve to bother Ancestor for the sake of a thousand year blood ginseng.”
Xu Right bitterly smiled and said, “Lin family certainly doesn’t possess such audacity. However, as far as we are concerned, they wouldn’t put us in their eyes.”
The old man waved his hand and said, “Let it be. Since things have already developed as such, regardless of whatever we do, it wouldn’t create any good effect. After a few days, I will personally participate in Cheng and He families’ wedding ceremony and explain those two old fellows…..’ He deeply sighed and said, “This calamity truly spawned out of nowhere.”
At this moment, He Yiming heard the sounds of approaching footsteps of two people. Although He Yiming couldn’t see their appearances, a familiar feeling welled up inside him as if he’d met these two before.
Soon after, these two entered the room from another direction.
A familiar voice sounded, “Grandfather, we’ve returned.”