Chapter 417: Someone Is Looking for You

Tang Sect Master instinctively exchanged glances with Xie and Chi, wondering why Young Master Nan was laughing so hard.

Actually, they had just been worried that Young Master Nan might get angry, because they hadn't hidden the fact that Shi Chun had prepared two copies of the letter, explicitly stating that only one was brought, while the other was 'kept' by them.

Young Master Nan, however, didn't take their 'caution' seriously. His unreserved laughter stemmed from finding Shi Chun's handling of the matter amusing, and also from genuine admiration for Shi Chun.

After understanding the reason for the letter's delivery, he truly had to admire Shi Chun, marveling at the exceptional choice of messenger. He wondered how Shi Chun had even come up with such an idea.

This was truly no ordinary coercion or inducement. The proactive enthusiasm of the Fengluo Sect showed that they had no complaints, even when coerced. It was a perfect example of how coercion and inducement could be executed, so impeccably precise and effective.

He felt that his brother was truly interesting and clever.

Because of this, his confidence in the matters mentioned in Shi Chun's letter grew even stronger.

While secretly marveling at Shi Chun's cunning, he reined in his laughter and returned to the main topic. Taking the previous letter into his hand again, he asked, "Is the 'Zhen'er' mentioned in this letter a disciple of the Liantian Sect?"

Tang Sect Master shook his head in confusion. "We don't know either. I specifically checked the roster, but found no names related to 'Zhen'er' among the Liantian Sect's list."

Young Master Nan was surprised to hear this. "None?"

It wasn't a challenge, nor did he think the other party had reason to lie about such a matter; it was purely unexpected.

Tang Sect Master replied, "I think it might be a nickname for a disciple of the Liantian Sect. Otherwise, it couldn't possibly be a disciple from another sect, could it? Time is short, and I haven't had time to sort through the entire list of attendees yet. I'll check again later."

No one liked doing things haphazardly. Young Master Nan then looked at Xie and Chi again, asking, "What does 'Zhen'er,' who fell into Shi Chun's hands, look like?"

Both shook their heads. Xie Wantian said, "We only met Shi Chun once, and we didn't see him holding anyone captive."

So, Young Master Nan tugged at his small mustache, pondering deeply.

Tang Qianjin, however, couldn't wait any longer and couldn't help but whisper a reminder, "Young Master Nan, time is very short. How about sending the letter to Situ Gu first?"

For ordinary people, this might be troublesome, as Situ Gu was currently in the sealed Qi Yun Valley, making it difficult for outsiders to reach him.

But Young Master Nan was no ordinary person. How could he run such a large betting operation without paying attention to relevant developments? Someone without keen insight couldn't play such a big game. While intervention in the Divine Flame Domain was impossible across space and time, he would certainly have eyes inside Qi Yun Valley to relay messages.

So, for him, it was a minor matter. He simply lifted his foot and tapped the floor repeatedly.

Soon after, there was a knocking sound from outside as someone ascended the stairs. His trusted subordinate then pushed the door open, quickly scanned the situation in the room, and then hurried to Young Master Nan, awaiting instructions.

Young Master Nan casually handed him the letter. "Deliver this letter to Situ Gu as quickly as possible. Tell him directly that it's from Shi Chun."

He said it as if he were simply delivering cabbage, a trivial matter. But Tang Qianjin secretly sighed, realizing that he could guess there were Young Master Nan's people inside Qi Yun Valley, and even at the tightly sealed exit. No wonder they managed to get the Ming Mountain Sect group into the Divine Flame Domain.

"Understood," the man replied immediately.

The letter was unfolded and uncensored, clearly not hidden from him. As its content was very brief, he read it as he turned to leave. His face showed astonishment, and he instinctively paused his steps before quickly departing.

Once the door closed, Young Master Nan, turning back, again wore a cheerful expression. He changed his tone, saying, "Brother Tang, thank you for your trouble. From now on, we are friends. If you ever come to Sheng Shenzhou's royal capital, you must come find me. I, Nan, will surely host you well. For now, I must attend to the current matters. I hope Brother Tang doesn't mind."

"Not at all," Tang Sect Master replied with a bright smile, pressing his hands together. "Important matters come first. I won't speak formalities before you, Brother Nan. I also hope that our disciples still inside can acquire those two divine flames. I hope you can act quickly, Brother Nan."

"Of course. So, I won't see you out?"

"No need, no need. I'll go back and await your good news."

After exchanging pleasantries, Tang Qianjin departed with his two disciples.

Left alone in the room, Young Master Nan sat down again, pondering the letter once more. He naturally had to help Shi Chun with his request; it wasn't just helping Shi Chun but also helping himself. Moreover, he couldn't afford not to help, or he would face significant trouble.

The problem was that this was no small matter. Although Shi Chun had paved the way, it was still difficult to handle. He needed to figure out how to proceed...

The two disciples from the Fengluo Sect were completely vague about Shi Chun's situation, whereas Yuan Yao, a disciple of Shu Dao Mountain currently in Qi Yun Valley, was far more eloquent. The information he possessed about Shi Chun was simply incomparable to what the Fengluo Sect knew.

Inside Shu Dao Mountain's temporary residence, Sect Master Gu Yanduo, with his fair complexion, and the other high-ranking sect members present, listened intently to Yuan Yao's account, often interjecting with detailed questions.

This was more exhausting than fighting an enemy; Yuan Yao almost broke into a sweat trying to answer.

After a long and arduous session, once he had finally reported all the information, he was dismissed and told to go rest.

The sect's high-ranking members remained. As soon as the main hall door closed, they all relaxed their rigid postures.

One person, with hands clasped behind his back, paced back and forth, muttering, "There's actually a secret method for finding divine flames? Where did Shi Chun get such a thing? He doesn't cultivate fire-attribute techniques, nor has he been linked to the Divine Flame Domain."

An elder, with hands clasped in front of his abdomen, lamented, "What a pity. If that traitor hadn't appeared, only our sect would know this secret. We would have ample time and opportunity to uncover it. Now, all ten great sects are blocking the way; there's no chance to keep it for ourselves. Alas, if everyone masters the secret method for finding divine flames, there's no advantage to speak of. That traitor must not be let off!"

The pacing elder said, "Of course, the traitor cannot be let off, but we can put that aside for now. What's truly regrettable now is being unable to contact Shi Chun. Ni Yatou's group is still cooperating with Shi Chun; they haven't fallen out, and a good trusting relationship was established in their previous collaboration. Shi Chun made it clear early on that he wanted to use the power of our Shu Dao Mountain to escape. It's very likely he's still counting on us. Will Shi Chun try to contact Ni Yatou? I wonder if Old Jin didn't think of this, or what. They should send Ni Yatou and her group to search around instead of just waiting there. I really wish I could go in and remind Old Jin."

Sect Master Gu Yanduo spoke up, "Didn't Yuan Yao make it clear? The people from Jihuo Sect, Dongxiao Island, Luoyan Mountain, and Jinmao Hall have been constantly tailing them, following wherever they go. They're probably just waiting there because they have no other options. I'm wondering if Shi Chun can't show himself to contact them precisely because of this, because the girl and her group are constantly being entangled."

The elders all looked thoughtful upon hearing this, with some nodding slightly in agreement.

Gu Yanduo then sighed regretfully, "Then again, what good would contacting him do? The Liantian Sect has brought out the 'Rebirth Mirror.' With Elder Jin's strength, and without any assistance, and with the other nine sects watching, it would be very difficult to get the person out."

The pacing elder spread his hands and said, "It's a pity we can't get in. We're willing but powerless; we can't help even if we want to."

An elder with a slightly protruding belly slowly stroked his beard and said, "No matter what, although our Shu Dao Mountain suffered heavy losses this time, the gains are exceptionally abundant. Ni Yatou alone has already absorbed seven divine flames! That's one more than Situ Gu did back then, Sect Master. This is truly cause for celebration!"

The pacing elder immediately exclaimed excitedly, "That means our Shu Dao Mountain is also going to produce a Situ Gu! No, Ni Yatou has absorbed more divine flames than Situ Gu, so our Shu Dao Mountain is about to produce someone who surpasses Situ Gu! Incredible, truly incredible! Sect Master, I must truly congratulate you."

Gu Yanduo's lips curved into a hidden smile at these words. He tried to maintain a straight face as he waved his hand, saying, "Absorbing many divine flames doesn't necessarily mean one's artifact refining skills can surpass Situ Gu's. How many people in the world dare to claim their artifact refining talent exceeds Situ Gu's?"

The elder with hands clasped in front of his abdomen suddenly mused, "According to Yuan Yao, Tong Mingshan might have absorbed over ten divine flames. Have you considered this: Shi Chun dared to infiltrate various sects alone, masked, to carry out assassinations and then escape unharmed. That's truly remarkable; he doesn't seem like someone who would sit idly by. If they manage to find another way out, and Tong Mingshan participates in the competition with the advantage of over ten divine flames, he might overshadow Ni Yatou and potentially seize first place for our Shu Dao Mountain."

"Hmph," Gu Yanduo sneered dismissively. "Setting aside the fact that they can't easily escape, even if they could come out and participate in the competition, first place wouldn't be theirs. We can temporarily change the rules to disqualify anyone who has absorbed more than ten divine flames from participating in the competition. There are plenty of reasons for it.

Letting them enter and participate was already a huge advantage for them. How can we let them take what they shouldn't? The other sects will naturally cooperate. Our Shu Dao Mountain sacrificed so many disciples to secure this potential opportunity; how could we easily hand it over to others?"

All the elders nodded in agreement, looking as if that was precisely how it should be...

In the temporary courtyard of the Yanbao Sect, the main hall door opened. Guang Haoyou, emerging with his two junior disciples, let out a long breath upon hearing the door close behind him. Facing the inquiries of a group of powerful figures was quite stressful.

Inside the closed main hall, an elder of the Yanbao Sect exclaimed in surprise, "Has Li Hongjiu's strength reached such a level? To be able to summon countless heavenly thunders and single-handedly block several fifth-grade magic treasures, yet show no hint of it before? Sect Master, you've kept us in the dark so well!"

The other elders also nodded repeatedly in amazement.

Sect Master Qu Wuming was somewhat dazed by these words and couldn't help but offer a wry smile. "That fellow kept it from me too."

He was telling the truth; whether others believed him wasn't his concern. What he was currently grappling with was a more important matter. He immediately changed the subject: "Alright, alright, we've established cooperation, but why can't Shi Chun be found?"

An elder said, "I'm not worried about not finding him. It's possible he's temporarily afraid to show himself and is hiding. He'll likely still need to contact Li Hongjiu later, as Shi Chun's group can't stay hidden forever; they'll need help to get out.

The biggest problem now is still the 'Rebirth Mirror' placed there. With that device and all the sects watching, it will be very difficult for Elder Li to get anyone out without assistance. According to their plan, even if Li Hongjiu captures Shi Chun, it would be extremely difficult to make him talk. Shi Chun isn't foolish; he naturally knows what fate awaits him if he reveals his life-saving trump card. He'd probably die before confessing. It's like having an exclusive meal delivered, but being unable to eat it and having to share it with other sects. What kind of situation is that?"

He shook his head and sighed at his own words.

Qu Wuming and the others also looked conflicted and helpless. There was nothing they could do; they were outside and couldn't intervene...

At the temporary residence of the Liantian Sect, the hall doors opened, and a group of high-ranking sect officials, led by Sect Master Luo Yan, emerged one after another. Situ Gu was among them, strikingly conspicuous, as his attire differed from the others' date-red robes; he wore an azure-black garment.

The reason for his distinctive attire was that he claimed the color of the standard robes was visually unsuitable for him when refining artifacts, so the sect made an exception, allowing him to wear his preferred color.

The Liantian Sect's mindset was relatively calm. Since they weren't directly involved with Shi Chun's side, they weren't overly concerned with gains and losses. After understanding the situation, those who needed to disperse did so, and those with other tasks attended to them.

However, most still headed towards the mountaintop to observe the arrival of subsequent personnel from various sects.

Situ Gu, having just descended the steps, was about to stride forward when he suddenly heard a familiar call from one side of the courtyard, "Elder."

Situ Gu turned his head and saw that it was his errand-running disciple. He immediately stopped, his eyes questioning, wondering what the matter was.

The disciple took small, quick steps to approach him. After watching the other high-ranking officials leave, he reported in a low voice, "Elder, someone is looking for you."