Pei Changjing squinted, as if reminded of something.
“That kid Meng Qiuran left early this morning with Brother Yin, saying he was going to welcome an honored guest.”
Pei Changjing said lazily, but his gaze grew sharper.
“They’re still up in the sky paying respects. Since you claim to be a judge personally invited by Meng Qiuran, you should know who he’s going to meet, right?”
Lai Li’an’s heart skipped a beat.
‘Meng Qiuran went to pick someone up—could it be him? That kid really went up to the sky to “welcome the great arrival.”‘
“This is great. Meng Qiuran is in the sky, he’s on the ground—the two of them each waited alone, only to wait in vain.”
“The person he’s picking up, if nothing unexpected happens, should be this Venerable Self.”
Lai Li’an said without changing expression.
“However, this Venerable Self did not arrange a meeting place with him, and did not expect him to be waiting in the sky.”
Pei Changjing raised an eyebrow.
“Oh? As far as I know, they are carefully searching in the sky to make sure not to miss any cultivator. Yet you appear here—do you have any proof?”
“I have no proof.”
Lai Li’an answered honestly.
“But since Alchemist Pei knows Junior Meng’s whereabouts, why not send someone to find him? Ask him face to face and you’ll know.”
Pei Changjing stared at him for another moment, then suddenly laughed.
He straightened up.
“Fine, then let’s go together. I also want to see if the ‘Senior’ that kid has been going on about for a month is really you.”
With that, he was the first to step down the stairs.
Elder Sun turned slightly and made a gesture of invitation.
But suddenly everyone stopped, because Lai Li’an was still standing there, not moving a step.
Pei Changjing took a few steps and found no movement behind him.
He turned back, a hint of confusion rising in his eyes.
“Fellow Daoist Lai? Why aren’t you coming?”
Lai Li’an stood with his hands behind his back, his dark blue robe gently fluttering, his face still wearing that calm expression.
However, beneath that composed exterior, his heart was screaming wildly:
‘Go where? You guys can just go—one rides a sword, one cloudsurfs—how am I supposed to follow? Run on the ground with two legs?’
“What does Fellow Daoist Lai mean by this?”
Pei Changjing added a trace of impatience.
“Could it be you want us to carry you over?”
The guard from earlier, whose face had just been slapped by Lai Li’an, seized the opportunity and muttered sarcastically, “What a big air. He won’t even give face to Elder Pei.”
The other guard chimed in, “Exactly. Just now he said he was invited to be a judge, but now he won’t even step out the door. Could it be he’s feeling guilty?”
Elder Sun stood to the side, frowning slightly, saying nothing.
It wasn’t that he thought Lai Li’an was putting on airs; in fact, from their encounter at the Public Trial Hall, he felt there was an indescribable strangeness in this man named Lai’s actions.
But if this calm was faked, it was faked too well.
Just as the atmosphere became increasingly tense, Elder Sun finally spoke.
“Enough.”
He raised one hand to stop the two guards, then turned to Pei Changjing.
“Alchemist Pei, Fellow Daoist Lai does indeed have a past acquaintance with Junior Meng. This old man can testify to that. How about we first send someone to find Junior Meng and confirm face to face? That will save us from wasting time here. The opening of the assembly is imminent; you all can’t keep dawdling in this corridor.”
Pei Changjing glanced at Elder Sun, then at Lai Li’an, and finally, as if finding the scene too boring, waved his hand.
“Fine. I still have to give face to Elder Sun.”
He casually took a Message Talisman from his sleeve, flicked it lightly with his fingertip, and the talisman transformed into a streak of light that flew out.
Before long, a hurried sword light streaked in from the distant sky and abruptly halted in front of the Vermilion Tower.
Meng Qiuran jumped directly off the sword.
Behind him followed a person who looked around forty years old, with a dignified face and steady demeanor, wearing an ink-blue Daoist robe spotless.
As soon as he landed, Meng Qiuran’s gaze passed over the crowd and landed directly on Lai Li’an.
Although Lai Li’an had changed clothes and wore a half-mask on his face, that bearing was exactly the same as before.
Meng Qiuran recognized him almost at a glance.
“Senior Lai!”
Meng Qiuran stepped forward and clasped his hands in a deep bow.
“This junior came late to welcome you, keeping Senior waiting here. It is truly this junior’s negligence! I beg Senior’s forgiveness!”
This bow was extremely respectful.
The expressions of the two guards instantly froze.
Pei Changjing crossed his arms, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.
Meng Qiuran straightened up and noticed the atmosphere around them was off.
He looked at Lai Li’an, then at the two guards with pale faces, vaguely guessed something, and was about to ask when the middle-aged man in the ink-blue Daoist robe slowly stepped forward.
“Qiuran,”
the man’s voice was steady and calm but carried an undeniable Aura of Pressure.
“Is this the Senior Lai you’ve been talking about?”
Meng Qiuran quickly stepped aside to introduce them.
“Yes, yes! Senior Lai, this is Senior Yin Zheng from the Main Sect of the Alchemy Sect. Senior Yin is a Seventh-grade Alchemist and has been invited this time to serve as the Chief Judge of the assembly.”
He then turned to Yin Zheng with some enthusiasm.
“Senior Yin, this is the Senior I told you about! His attainment in the Alchemy Path is unfathomable. You didn’t see it yourself—the Heavenly Thunder attracted by that furnace of pills leveled an entire mountain!”
Yin Zheng’s gaze fell on Lai Li’an, sizing him up unhurriedly.
This person was different from the sharp, aggressive Dao Alchemy Grandmasters he had seen.
The young man before him stood there, exuding an unfathomable calm from head to toe.
“Fellow Daoist Lai, a pleasure.”
Yin Zheng clasped his hands.
“This child Qiuran has his nose in the air—there are few he respects wholeheartedly. To meet you today is this one’s honor.”
Lai Li’an returned the greeting.
“Alchemist Yin is too kind.”
Seeing this, the two guards hurried forward to clasp their hands and apologize, the sarcastic energy from earlier already gone to the nine clouds.
Lai Li’an waved his hand.
“No matter. You were fulfilling your duty; it should be so.”
Although Meng Qiuran didn’t know exactly what happened, he had already guessed the general idea.
He silently chided his own negligence.
Back then, he had only been excited and left a Jade Slip for Senior, but forgot to send a formal Invitation Letter.
This was his responsibility, but due to secluding himself for alchemy, he had neglected it, causing Senior to be blocked at the door and humiliated publicly.
He felt both guilty and afraid, wishing he could immediately kowtow a few times to Lai Li’an to apologize, but there were too many people around, so he couldn’t overdo it.
He could only make up for his mistake by hastily stepping aside to guide the way.
“Senior, fellow Elders, the opening of the assembly is imminent. Please move to the venue. Everything has been arranged.”
Pei Changjing yawned and was the first to step forward.
Yin Zheng nodded slightly and walked side by side with Elder Sun.
Lai Li’an still stood with his hands behind his back, watching them take a few steps.
Meng Qiuran took two steps, then sensed something wrong.
He turned to look and saw Lai Li’an still hadn’t moved a step.
Yin Zheng also stopped and looked back.
Pei Changjing’s eyes were full of the exasperation of “Here we go again.”
“Senior Lai?”
Meng Qiuran was puzzled.
Lai Li’an coughed lightly and said unhurriedly, “You go on ahead. This Venerable Self will arrive shortly.”
Meng Qiuran opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Lai Li’an added, “You don’t need to wait for this Venerable Self. This Venerable Self just wants to enjoy the scenery along the way.”
At these words, the expressions of the people present varied.