Dinner was only half-finished when Shangguan Yunzhu’s figure stepped into the small courtyard, carrying a hint of the dusty road with her.
“Back already?” Lu Qiancha swallowed a piece of tender, juicy meat and tilted her small face toward the door. “Junior Sister Shangguan, how did your investigation go?”
Shangguan Yunzhu first glanced at Ling Wanbai by the table and then at the unfamiliar little grey wolf.
She didn’t pay them much mind, looking back at Lu Qiancha and shaking her head gently. A touch of fatigue and contemplation lingered between her brows.
She walked to the table, poured herself a cup of clear tea, and spoke slowly. “My findings were meager.”
She detailed her journey for the day.
Because she harbored suspicions toward City Lord Xiang Hai, who had received them, she had used sword kinesis to hide in the sky above the City Lord’s mansion, repeatedly probing with her Divine Sense for the entire morning.
“Inside and outside the residence, from the servants and guards to the City Lord’s own conduct—no matter how I observed, they all appeared like ordinary people.”
“Their auras were stable, and their behavior was proper. I couldn’t find a single trace of evil energy or a single flaw.”
“It’s fine.” Lu Qiancha set down her chopsticks, her blue eyes scanning Gantang and Shangguan Yunzhu. “I, on the other hand, have had a major breakthrough.”
She stopped teasing them and, with a serious expression on her small face, recounted everything about her encounter with the secret realm ghost city. Her voice wasn’t loud, but every word was clear.
Gantang listened with her mouth slightly agape in surprise, while Shangguan Yunzhu furrowed her brows, a sharp light flickering in her grey eyes.
“That group of painted skins is actually nurturing a Buddha of unknown origin?” Shangguan Yunzhu’s voice was heavy, her fingertips unconsciously tapping the tabletop.
She looked up slightly at Lu Qiancha, her tone carrying a guess. “Could the calamity the Tianyan Peak Elder foresaw—the one about to be born—be this Evil Buddha that hasn’t fully manifested yet?”
Lu Qiancha gave a sound of agreement and nodded slowly. “It is highly likely.”
“Then, next…” Shangguan Yunzhu took a deep breath to suppress the shock in her heart, her gaze as sharp as a sword.
“Do we strike directly at the heart of it and attack the secret realm ancient city while they haven’t reached full strength? Or do we continue to investigate deeper to uncover their roots?”
“Senior Brother told us to stay put!”
Just as Shangguan Yunzhu finished speaking, a muffled voice chimed in from the side. Gantang’s cheeks were still bulging with food, yet she couldn’t wait to blurt out the answer.
“Stay put? Why is that?”
Hearing this, Shangguan Yunzhu’s elegant brows knitted slightly, and she turned an inquiring gaze toward Lu Qiancha. Clearly, after learning of the Evil Buddha’s existence, she was more inclined to take the initiative.
“Well…” Lu Qiancha swallowed the food in her mouth, a flash of cunning appearing in her blue eyes as she explained, “Because I accidentally caused quite a stir in that ghastly place earlier.”
She vaguely glossed over the details of blowing up the ghost city and continued, “Right now, those painted skins are likely jumping at every shadow. If we act rashly again, it will only make them tighten their guard further, which wouldn’t be ideal.”
“It’s better to leave them alone for a few days and let them stew in their own paranoia. Once they think the alarm has passed and they relax, we’ll move. The resistance will be much smaller then.”
“I see…” Shangguan Yunzhu nodded thoughtfully, the urgency in her expression easing slightly. She felt Lu Qiancha’s analysis was reasonable; rushing for success often ruined things.
“Alright, alright, let’s eat first!” Seeing the atmosphere relax, Lu Qiancha immediately waved her small hands and greeted them warmly.
“A whole table of good dishes was made today. It would be a waste if they get cold.”
“I won’t join you; please enjoy yourselves.” Shangguan Yunzhu shook her head gently, her face showing a trace of weariness.
“Investigating the City Lord’s mansion today consumed too much Ling Shi, and I feel quite fatigued. I’ll go meditate for a while to recover my spirit.”
She nodded to everyone, then turned and walked toward her wing with slightly light steps.
Seeing this, Lu Qiancha didn’t try to make her stay.
The moment her gaze returned to the dining table from Shangguan Yunzhu’s departing figure, she stopped being polite and began devouring the remaining delicacies like a whirlwind sweeping away clouds.
***
A moment later.
Gantang briskly cleared the bowls and chopsticks and wiped the stone table clean.
She looked at Lu Qiancha, who was full and satisfied, lying on the table like a lazy cat with narrowed eyes and a slightly bulging belly.
She couldn’t help but laugh and suggest, “Senior Brother, since you’re so full, do you want to go for a stroll to help with digestion?”
Gantang thought it would be a good chance to browse the fang market and buy some snacks.
“Mm…” Lu Qiancha lazily lifted her eyelids, seemingly still savoring the lingering flavor of the meal. She used a small paw to unconsciously scratch her ear.
‘I’m almost out of Shihu Zhulan. This is a good opportunity to go to the city’s merchant firms to restock. At the same time, I can check if there’s anything unusual at the temple where the Secret Realm entrance is located.’
“Sure.” Lu Qiancha responded readily, propped herself up from the table, and gave a long stretch. Her tail swept over the stone stool in delight. “Let’s go out for some air.”
As soon as Lu Qiancha spoke, the ling power at her fingertips moved slightly, and the fluffy big tail behind her and the pair of wolf ears atop her head quietly faded away.
The two walked out of the small courtyard together and joined the bustling crowds of Wanghai City.
“Freshly steamed buns! Thin skin and lots of filling!”
“Ice sugar hawthorn skewers, two wen a string! So sweet they’ll make your teeth fall out!”
One after another, enthusiastic shouts mixed with the aroma of food filled every street.
Vendors were all smiles, pedestrians walked shoulder to shoulder, and children chased each other playfully. It was a scene of great prosperity.
Gantang held Lu Qiancha’s small hand, looking at this vivid tapestry of urban life, but an indescribable chill rose in her heart.
She tilted her head slightly, bringing her lips close to the ear on top of Lu Qiancha’s head, and whispered in a voice as faint as a mosquito’s hum, “Senior Brother, this place looks so full of life. It’s impossible to tell that the people filling these streets are actually monsters wearing human skins.”
Lu Qiancha also looked at the street scenery without turning her head, responding in an equally low voice, “If it were really that easy to see through them, this city wouldn’t have fallen into its current state.”
“That’s true…” Gantang agreed in a low voice and nodded. Her grip on Lu Qiancha’s small hand tightened instinctively.
The two seemed to be strolling aimlessly, but their steps moved in sync toward the Fude Temple that hid the Secret Realm entrance.
Looking from a distance, the atmosphere around the temple was already completely different from when Lu Qiancha last visited.
The original coldness and desolation were gone, replaced by a deliberately created sense of clamor and tension.
Inside and outside the temple gates, the number of Constables dressed in black uniforms with sabers at their waists had increased dramatically.
They stood in groups of three or five, their eyes scanning every approaching pilgrim and pedestrian as sharply as hawks. Their steps were steady, exuding an air of menace.
There were also significantly more pilgrims entering and leaving the temple than before, but most of them walked hurriedly with expressions of awe and caution, not daring to linger for long.
Lu Qiancha’s blue eyes flickered, quickly locking onto a kind-looking middle-aged woman who had just stepped out of the temple gates.
She immediately hurried forward and asked curiously in a soft, sweet voice, “Big Sister, why are there suddenly so many officials here? Did something happen?”
The woman she stopped paused in her tracks. Seeing such a cute porcelain doll, the wariness on her face softened slightly.
She looked left and right before leaning down and whispering a kind warning, “Little girl, stop asking. I heard that someone stole the golden body precious robe of Lord Fude in the temple.”
“This is a heavens-sized crime. The County Governor is enraged, which is why he sent so many officers to investigate.”
As she spoke, she nervously looked around again and urged, “Hurry along, little girl. This is a place of trouble right now. Don’t linger, or you might get caught up in it.”
“Oh, so that’s how it is.” Lu Qiancha nodded as if realizing something, a look of understanding appearing on her small face as she thanked her politely. “Thank you for the warning, Big Sister. I’m leaving now.”
With that, she ran back to Gantang’s side like a startled little rabbit, her small hand tightly grabbing the other’s hem.
“Senior Brother, your act as a child is very convincing,” Gantang said softly.
“Of course. Your Senior Brother’s acting skills are top-notch.”
Lu Qiancha put her hands on her hips and responded in a low voice.
With that, the two quickly left the vicinity of the small temple.