Walking into the room, he sat next to Yan Xiaobao. The moment the white-haired man sensed movement in his body, he reacted. He raised his head, and like him, red eyes fell on Cai Jie. Staring at him for a while, Yan Xiaobao wanted to do something. For some reason, every time Yan Xiaobao saw Cai Jie, he felt a sense of familiarity, even though he couldn’t grasp what this man truly desired or why he chose to follow him.
"While I’m in the Capital, there are things I need to do," Yan Xiaobao sighed, his eyes gradually returning to their clear blue hue. The anger deep within him began to fade. At the core of Yan Xiaobao’s being, in his middle dantian, there was a small flame of furious fire. This fire was usually controlled by Yan Xiaobao’s will, tightly contained, but after the devastating news, it had proven difficult to suppress. When it erupted, it surged through every corner of his body, causing his blood to burn from the inside out, driving his energy into a frenzy, and greatly amplifying his strength. This anger had been kept in check for many years, but now, after hearing what happened to Wang Julong and Deng Wu’s families, and knowing how his friends had suffered, this flame had finally been unleashed again. Though it had now retreated, it wouldn’t take much for it to flare up once more and seize his body. Containing it demanded significant physical and mental energy, and Yan Xiaobao understood this to be a pressing concern.
Looking at Cai Jie beside him, he felt his inner turmoil slowly settle once again. Whenever he looked at this young yet strangely familiar man, he felt a sense of safety.
"Tell me what happened. Before we deal with An He, it seems we have a few other matters to address," Cai Jie said with a smile on his face, looking at Yan Xiaobao. The other man couldn’t help but feel deeply grateful. Cai Jie undoubtedly possessed many hidden skills and, like Yan Xiaobao, he was undeniably powerful. Knowing that Cai Jie had already managed to handle the Crusaders, Yan Xiaobao knew he could rely on him, so he began to speak slowly. "A few years ago, there were some problems in our old city. As a result, the Third Prince used his power to destroy two families—families that belonged to my two close friends. They didn’t just kill the adults or cultivators; they slaughtered every single member of their households, except for those two. They’re now weighed down with guilt, and I know of only one way to help them: revenge!"
"I see," Cai Jie said after contemplating for a moment. "It seems we need to deal with this Royal Family heir. Such a hassle," he said, shaking his head. "We know nothing about this Third Prince, but we can gather a lot of information in two ways." He continued, and Yan Xiaobao was glad to hear Cai Jie integrate revenge into his own plans. Considering Cai Jie’s words, Yan Xiaobao nodded. "I’d like to get as much information as possible from Gao Yan first, and then we can gather some intel from the banquet. Although they come from different factions, we don’t know if anyone might be untrustworthy. If there’s anything, I think we should collect information about everyone attending the banquet and figure out whom we can trust and whom we cannot," he said.
Cai Jie nodded, his gaze growing distant. "Come on," Yan Xiaobao said with a wry smile on his face. "Let’s go find Gao Yan and see what his little birds have to say about the Third Prince and our friends in the City Lord’s Attic."
Cai Jie stood up, and the two young men set off together to find Xu Biao. This elderly man, now training with all his might, had been working under Gao Yan ever since returning to the surface. Having previously worked a desk job, he welcomed any task that could make him forget the losses he had suffered. His days were now consumed by work, filing and compiling information, sorting through sources, and establishing new channels for information gathering.
As they walked through the house, they found Xu Biao in his former office. But unlike the last time, Xu Biao now sat on the ground, his legs crossed, arms resting on his knees, and eyes closed. He was clearly frowning, and Yan Xiaobao could sense that, despite the passage of more than a year, Xu Biao hadn’t gained any new strength since their last encounter. He remained on the same level of the King Ranking as before, his power matching Yan Xiaobao’s own. Read complete version only at Nove1Fire.net
Slowly, Xu Biao opened his eyes, a faint smile appearing on his lips as he saw Yan Xiaobao and Cai Jie. The old man was deeply grateful to Yan Xiaobao for the information he had given him and was willing to assist him in any way he could. Seeing Yan Xiaobao seek him out, Xu Biao realized they must need something.
"What can I do for you?" he asked curiously as he stretched, the sounds of his body making it clear he’d been seated for several hours, likely channeling his internal energy.
"We need some help," Yan Xiaobao said with a smile. "We need information about the Third Prince of the Sun Kingdom, as well as details on every single member attending the City Lord’s banquet. I need everything you have. Perhaps you can help us?" he asked. Xu Biao, after all, was their primary source of information, so Yan Xiaobao hoped he might already have what they needed. Unfortunately, the old man shook his head apologetically.
"All the information is kept in Gao Yan’s office, in another location," he explained. "You’ll have to go there to retrieve the intel."