Entering the Prefecture Overseer’s Manor

The ideal hiding spot would be in plain sight but extremely secretive. Qin Huai considered this as he scanned the room.

“Quite a lucky break,” he mumbled to himself.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed from outside, followed by the squeak of the door opening. The newcomer was a strikingly handsome man with a gleam of joy evident on his face. It was Hua Yanli, a talented member of the Thunderbolt Gang and an associate of Qin Huai.

Hua Yanli sauntered in with a small wooden box, taking a seat at the table, a smug look on his face. Meanwhile, Qin Huai was stealthily perched on a roof beam above him. Fortunately, when Huang Qiguang had renovated the ship, he had made the beams high enough to provide a perfect hiding spot.

“Brother Hua, why did you ask me here?” Yun Qi, holding an iron fan, walked in with a frown. “You know I despise places like this.” He was so reluctant, he didn’t even sit. Yun Qi would never have associated with the Thunderbolt Gang if it wasn’t for Hua Yanli.

“Didn’t you vouch for me last month? I need to express my gratitude,” Hua Yanli replied with a chuckle.

Both men had taken a stand alongside Qin Huai and others against the Qingzhou guards. Following that incident, Hua Yanli, who lacked connections, was punished by the prefecture overseer out of anger for Tang Xinglong’s death. Yun Qi had stepped in to save him.

“We’re friends, there’s no need to thank me,” Yun Qi responded, dismissing Hua Yanli’s gratitude.

Their bond was solid, forged in the trials of the bronze realm. Without this bond, Yun Qi wouldn’t have put his life on the line to save Hua Yanli, even resulting in a ten-day confinement by his sect master. “If I don’t show my gratitude, am I even human?” Hua Yanli asked earnestly. “I’ll never forget the kindness you’ve shown me by saving my life.” He opened the small wooden box to reveal a collection of ordinary-looking masks. “I found these in Courtesan Belle Le’er’s room. They were supposedly made by Huang Qiguang, the former third leader of the Blood Poison Gang.” He handed a few to Yun Qi.

Up in the beams, Qin Huai watched intently, using the wind breath technique to remain undetected. The wooden box contained over thirty masks, including faces of important figures like Wen Zonghao, Mou Jinfu, Yin Rongen, and even the leaders of the Thunderbolt Gang and the Mountain City Gang. Huang Qiguang’s ambitions were clear.

“These are quite valuable,” Yun Qi acknowledged. He understood the masks’ usefulness in concealing identities, and he praised their high quality. The two friends began to reminisce about their bitter days in the bronze realm, constantly thwarted by Qin Huai. Their memories brought tears to their eyes.

“Brother Yun, what’s your opinion on Tang Xinglong sprouting wings?” Hua Yanli changed the subject.

“Given the strangeness of the bronze realm, I’m sure you’re aware of the potential effects of the ancient scriptures,” Yun Qi responded in a hushed tone. “Most importantly, both of us know Zhou Cunzhong well enough to not mistake his aura, even if we were to die!

“It can’t be some kind of possession. Even if he’s somehow become the so-called successor of the Demon of Qingzhou, there’s no way he could have transformed a five-pattern prodigy into a demon in just a month or two, right?”

Hua Yanli nodded. “It seems like we’re on the same page, Brother Yun.”

From above, Qin Huai eavesdropped on their conversation, feeling touched and a little speechless. Honestly, he hadn’t planned to target them intentionally — it was more of a convenient situation.

“But concerning Zhou Cunzhong’s situation, the upper ranks of the major sects have made their intentions pretty clear,” Yun Qi expressed confusion. “Claiming that he killed Zhou Cunzhong and was the reincarnation of the demon… it all seems very suspicious.”

Hua Yanli replied earnestly, “I suspect all of Qingzhou is in danger. I’m considering reaching out to the Chosen from the major sects to discuss this.” “I’m thinking of contacting fellow practitioners from the bronze realm to talk about this,” Yun Qi added.

Laughing, they both exclaimed how well they knew each other and how in sync they were. Their smiles, however, froze when they spotted a face that haunted their dreams: Zhou Cunzhong.

“Hello to both of you,” Qin Huai greeted as he gracefully landed on the ground, his expression unchanging. “Thank you for your trust.” He picked up two of the ordinary-looking masks. “For now, I can only advise you to be wary of those bearing unknown totems, especially gray ones. There is indeed something suspicious occurring among Qingzhou’s upper ranks, including the major sects. So it’s best to stay low, recover, and conserve your strength.”

He hoped his advice would prevent these two promising individuals from getting killed while investigating the prefecture overseer manor’s activities.

Hua Yanli and Yun Qi reacted with hostility. “Do you think we’ll listen to you? Who do you think you are?”

“The grudges from the bronze realm aren’t something you can dismiss with a few words,” they declared. But by then, Qin Huai had already vanished.

“Unknown totems?” The two shared a look.

Qin Huai’s words confirmed some of their suspicions, and this information was undeniably valuable. They agreed that they couldn’t delay contacting Xiang Mingfeng and the others, and they’d have to be extra cautious as there might be spies among those who had sided with Qin Huai. They continued discussing their strategy in hushed tones.

…

Meanwhile, Qin Huai had already donned his new mask and left the boat.

Walking through the bustling streets, he crossed the city gate and entered the inner city of Qingzhou. This part of the city was a picturesque landscape of mountains and rivers. In fact, the inner city felt more like a mountain city, with all the towns built on the mountainside and the sects located at the mountaintops.

As he gazed at the distant prefecture overseer’s manor, Qin Huai muttered, “Time to return to my old job.”

Poisonous mist swirled within his sleeves, indicating the danger he was about to unleash.