Xu Yi’s mind raced within the room.
Since this trip was meant for causing trouble, why not escalate the situation further?
Exposing the Jade Heaven Alliance’s hypocritical facade in front of everyone would surely be interesting.
With this thought, Xu Yi took out a large number of jade slips from her storage ring, leafing through them one by one, locating parts identical to the Jade Heaven Alliance’s foundational manual, and excerpting them with noted sources.
Just searching for these commonalities took Xu Yi three days.
Before Xu Yi could even stop to catch her breath, a sudden knock echoed from outside the door.
Xu Yi swept her divine sense over the area, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.
She tidied everything away, walked to the door, and pushed it open with force.
The door swung open abruptly, startling the person outside.
“Fairy,” the waiter said, bowing his waist with a fawning smile, “There’s something I need to discuss with you, it’s…”
“Hold on a moment.”
Two middle-aged men stood behind the waiter, their chins held high, exuding an air of arrogance.
However, when one of them saw Xu Yi, his expression changed, and he instinctively interrupted the waiter’s unfinished words.
Xu Yi’s gaze shifted, and she realized with a start, “So it’s you, long time no see, Master Gongyang.”
The person who had just spoken was the very one who initiated her first conflict with the Jade Heaven Alliance in Meng City, Master Gongyang.
It was also because he had summoned Master Chou later that Xu Yi ended up on the Jade Heaven Alliance’s kill order.
Gongyang Hao’s previously raised head immediately lowered, and he stammered, “Su, Senior Su, what a coincidence.”
The other man beside Gongyang Hao, as well as the waiter, were startled by his words.
Gongyang Hao was a Grade Four Formation Master with a Nascent Soul stage cultivation, a figure of some standing anywhere. Yet, he addressed this young woman before him as a senior, implying her cultivation was even higher.
The waiter secretly lamented. This fairy hadn't displayed her formation master’s emblem earlier, leading him to believe she was just here to spectate. Now, he might have offended her.
Fortunately, he hadn’t finished speaking, and there was still room for recovery.
“Master Gongyang, since this fairy is an acquaintance of yours, I shall take my leave.”
Run, flee now, and whatever happens next won’t involve him.
With this thought, the waiter darted away like a streak of lightning.
Gongyang Hao wanted to call him back but found Xu Yi staring at him intently, so he could only force a stiff smile.
“Gongyang Hao, you’re quite the friend, knowing such a powerful senior and not introducing me.”
The man beside Gongyang Hao jabbed him with his elbow, making Gongyang Hao want to curse.
He had always known his friend was simple-minded and guileless, which was why he was willing to associate with him often.
But now, it seemed he had been terribly mistaken.
The man’s remark extinguished his intention to excuse himself and flee.
He could only clear his throat and say cautiously, “Ahem, Su, Senior Su, allow me to introduce you. This is Zhang Tao, a Grade Four Formation Master.”
“Senior Su, I am Zhang Tao, from Lincheng, Shizhou. You can call me Xiao Zhang. Gongyang Hao and I have had a friendship for a hundred or two hundred years. It is my great honor to meet you today, a truly great honor.”
Zhang Tao was quite displeased with Gongyang Hao’s brief introduction, so he took over, introducing himself enthusiastically, nodding and bowing repeatedly, his attitude extremely warm.
This senior must be a high-ranking member of the Jade Heaven Alliance. If he could connect with this senior, perhaps he could even attain the position of Vice Alliance Master.
Gongyang Hao was utterly speechless towards his friend’s lack of discernment.
Why didn’t he use his brain? If he knew someone so important in the Jade Heaven Alliance, wouldn’t he be flaunting it instead of keeping it secret?
He cast a fearful glance at Xu Yi, hoping the formidable woman wouldn’t hold it against him.
Xu Yi hadn’t intended to do anything to these two initially, but seeing the starkly different reactions of Zhang Tao and Gongyang Hao, she suddenly had an idea.
She turned and went back into the room, saying, “You two, come in and answer my questions.”
“Certainly.”
Zhang Tao happily responded and scurried into the room, with Gongyang Hao unable to stop him.
“Damn it!” Gongyang Hao cursed under his breath, then hesitated before finally entering the room.
Zhang Tao was unaware, but he knew that the formidable woman before them was not only not part of the Jade Heaven Alliance, but she was also their enemy.
At that time, the Jade Heaven Alliance had issued a kill order, but for some reason, it was inexplicably canceled later.
He had thought this formidable woman had perished, but unexpectedly, she was alive and well, and appeared even more unfathomable.
Thinking this way, their previous confrontation had actually been a strategic retreat by the Jade Heaven Alliance.
What exactly was the identity of this formidable woman?
With such speculations, Gongyang Hao’s expression became increasingly reverent.
Regardless of the circumstances, she was a formidable figure he could not afford to offend.
He had no other choice but to obey her commands.
“Are you both here to participate in the Formation Master Exchange Meet?” Xu Yi asked softly, sitting down and holding her teacup.
“Yes, actually, it’s mainly me attending, and Gongyang Hao is accompanying me.”
Zhang Tao unhesitatingly recounted the process of how he had forcefully dragged Gongyang Hao along.
Initially, Gongyang Hao was unwilling to go, but he couldn't resist Zhang Tao’s incessant pestering, coupled with threats and temptations of spirit stones, Gongyang Hao eventually agreed.
However, he had one condition: he wouldn’t show his face once they arrived until they left.
Xu Yi looked at Gongyang Hao with a half-smile. Gongyang Hao’s reluctance to appear – was it out of fear of being discovered by Master Chou?
She remembered that Master Chou’s eyes were filled with resentment when he was defeated by her. Gongyang Hao, the instigator, was very likely to face his wrath.
Gongyang Hao offered a couple of fawning smiles, his face etched with bitterness.
Xu Yi had guessed correctly.
He was indeed hiding from Chou Tianying.
Chou Tianying was vindictive. When he didn’t react at the time and let him go, he surely still wanted to teach him a lesson, which was why he had been hiding and never dared to show himself openly all these years.
This had also left him financially strained. It was only thanks to Zhang Tao’s occasional assistance that he could manage to live relatively comfortably.
This time, Zhang Tao had used the threat of never lending him spirit stones again if he didn’t accompany him to force him to attend the Formation Master Exchange Meet together.
He had originally planned to stay obediently in his room upon arriving at the inn and not go anywhere.
Since the inns in Feicheng were full, he could only pick a seemingly ordinary one, intending to use his status as a Grade Four Formation Master to force the innkeeper to reserve a space for them.
Who would have thought that the soft persimmon he randomly picked would turn out to be the formidable woman?
Gongyang Hao felt that his luck had truly run out this time. If he had known, he wouldn’t have agreed to Zhang Tao’s proposal.
“Do you two know the procedures for this Formation Master Meet?”
“Senior doesn’t know?”
Zhang Tao was extremely surprised.
Wasn’t this Senior Su from the Jade Heaven Alliance?
Why was she asking him about the meet’s procedures instead?
Could this be a test for him?
Yes, it must be. This question could gauge whether he took the Formation Master Meet seriously.
He had to answer it well and satisfy Senior Su.