With a flicker of flames, the three sheets of paper, including the first two letters, instantly turned to ash, scattering into nothingness as if they had never existed.
And that name… Xiao Hanshi, was silently etched in Yun Ze's heart.
He had originally thought that after parting ways, he might not see this name for a long time.
But Yun Ze never expected that not long after entering the immortal sect, this name would appear before him in an unexpected way.
However, now was not the time to discuss these matters.
Yun Ze looked up at the cloth bag in front of him, and a sense of curiosity arose in his heart.
This bag was no bigger than a fist. Could such a small bag really hold so many things?
Or had the methods of immortals truly reached such a level?
Yun Ze, feeling a little curious, picked up the bag and, as instructed by old senior Xiao's letter, infused his spiritual energy into it.
Instantly, two items appeared in his mind simultaneously.
A three-foot-long sword emitting a green light, and a palm-sized jade slip.
With a thought, the long sword and the jade slip appeared in his hand at the same time. When he tried to put the jade slip and the sword into the bag, they were instantly stored within.
How magical!
After trying a few times, Yun Ze discovered that both taking things out and putting things in required a certain amount of spiritual energy.
For him, at his current level, this amount of spiritual energy was still a bit too much.
After a few attempts, he stopped trying and began to examine the three-foot green sword and the jade slip.
Compared to ordinary long swords, this sword was noticeably heavier, weighing at least over a hundred catties, yet its volume was similar to a common long sword. He wondered what material it was made from.
Two inscriptions were carved at the base of the sword… Lan Feng!
This should be the name of the sword.
Yun Ze swung it casually, and a faint sharpness emanated from the blade.
To avoid attracting unnecessary attention, he put Lan Feng back into the bag and turned his attention to the jade slip.
The jade slip was smooth and of excellent quality.
While it couldn't compare to those two immortal jades, it was undoubtedly a rare treasure for mortals.
But Yun Ze examined it back and forth several times, yet he had no idea what this object had to do with cultivation techniques.
"Infuse spiritual energy, and you will see the cultivation technique within," Bu Bu's voice sounded in his ear. Yun Ze turned to look at the bed and saw that she had already gotten up and walked slowly towards him, extending a small hand.
"If you don't mind, you can let me see it first."
"This… is it okay?"
Yun Ze wasn't being stingy, but he was afraid that old senior Xiao would come looking for trouble if he casually showed the cultivation technique to someone else.
"Did he say I couldn't see it?"
"He didn't say that."
"Then it's fine, isn't it?"
"...That makes sense."
Yun Ze still handed the jade slip to Bu Bu.
A green light flashed, and Bu Bu simply closed her eyes and pondered for a few breaths. Then, she returned the jade slip to Yun Ze, "This cultivation technique is good for building a foundation. You can practice it first, and I'll teach you another set later."
"Teach me later?"
"Yes, you're not ready for it now."
As Bu Bu spoke, she looked towards the wooden box beside them.
That was the wooden box containing the six heads and the flesh and blood of He Laichao.
After a night, much of the ice in the wooden box had melted, and water was flowing onto the floor.
"By the way… there are still a few missing, right?"
"Yes."
Yun Ze put the jade slip into his bag, keeping it close to his body, but did not put the immortal jade inside with it.
He walked to the wooden box, refroze the water inside into ice, and then lifted the entire box. "I've been to the He manor, and it's time to go to the yamen."
"I'll accompany you this time."
"...Alright."
Yun Ze seemed a little surprised.
He had originally thought that Bu Bu wouldn't care about such matters.
But he didn't expect her to accompany him to the yamen this time.
As they just stepped out of the room, they saw the inn servant asleep leaning by the doorway.
As the wooden door opened, the inn servant propped himself up and looked at Yun Ze with joy. "Immortal Yun!"
"Yes."
Yun Ze nodded in response and then asked, "Where are those children?"
"A guest room has been cleared out specifically to accommodate them. Food was sent over last night."
The inn servant reported everything as it was, and then took out a land deed and a property deed. "Immortal Yun, please accept these."
Yun Ze only glanced at them and knew that these were the property deed and land deed of this inn.
He didn't understand what the inn servant meant, so he asked, "What do you mean by this?"
"Please supervise them on my behalf!"
As the inn servant spoke, he bowed. "Although mortals can wholeheartedly care for these children, it does not mean that the descendants of mortals can!
I am approaching thirty, and those children are no older than ten. After I die, they will have a long time to live!
To not betray the immortal's trust, these deeds will be managed by the immortal. If, after a hundred years, my descendants cannot treat these children well, please, immortal, punish them on my behalf!"
"I understand."
Yun Ze still accepted the property deed and land deed as he spoke.
If he wanted gold and silver now, it would be as easy as picking it up. However, accepting these deeds had nothing to do with gold and silver.
This was a shackle.
A shackle that the inn servant wanted to bind him with!
As a mortal, his relationship with an immortal was enough to make any mortal envious.
In the years to come, if he harbored evil intentions, he might become another He Laichao, or even the He family.
Even if he didn't, his descendants might!
But if the property deed and land deed were in Yun Ze's hands, he would have a shackle to restrain his restless heart.
As long as this shackle existed, he, and his descendants, would have something to consider.
This was for their own good.
"By the way, where is the shopkeeper?"
Yun Ze used his spiritual energy to put these two pieces of paper into his bag and asked with some confusion, "Didn't he want to ask me for my calligraphy?"
"Him?"
The inn servant smiled and shook his head. "With his courage, how could he dare to ask you for calligraphy? After taking the money I gave him, he left the city this morning."
"Indeed."
Yun Ze said, and was about to go out to find the other twelve yamen runners at the yamen.
But after taking two steps, he heard the inn servant's voice.
"Immortal, where are you going?"
"It's none of your business. Keep running your shop well."
Yun Ze said indifferently and continued to walk forward.
Going to the He manor targeted only that local tyrant.
But going to the yamen meant going against the entire Tangshan Dynasty.
He himself didn't care, but the inn servant's identity was clearly unsuitable, so he naturally couldn't bring him along.
Right, he still didn't know the inn servant's name.
Yun Ze walked down the stairs and turned to look at the inn servant. "By the way, I don't know your name yet…"
"Li Er! Immortal, you can just call me Xiao Er!"
"Xiao Er, from now on, you'll be called shopkeeper," Yun Ze joked with a smile.
But unexpectedly, Li Er knelt on the ground, kowtowed with a smile, "Thank you, Immortal, for bestowing a name! From now on, I will be called Shopkeeper Li!"
Yun Ze shook his head helplessly and walked out of the inn with Bu Bu.
Mortals!
Clever people have their own ways, but foolish people… are truly all the same.