The paper scroll was about a finger long, its tip glowing with embers. Qi Heng held it in his mouth, and the embers brightened with his inhalations, dimming as he exhaled, while large amounts of white-grey gas billowed from his mouth.
Wan Lei observed for a while, finding it quite amusing.
"What are you looking at? Are you done?"
Qi Heng felt uncomfortable under his gaze and snorted.
"What am I doing? You have my spirit scroll, and I can't even have a smoke when I'm bored?"
"Smoke? Is that the stuff you're spitting out?"
"Yeah."
Qi Heng looked at Wan Lei as if he were a monster.
"You don't even know this?"
"I'm a ascended cultivator. I've only been ascended for about half a year."
Wan Lei had seen people smoke before, in bars and cities, but he didn't know what it was for, thinking it was some kind of cultivation method.
The people around him, the four young ones, were minors and definitely didn't smoke. Dada was a god race, only interested in learning and romantic interactions. Xiao Jin and the others also never smoked, so he hadn't paid attention to it.
What he didn't know was that Xiao Jin and the others didn't smoke during gatherings because Wan Lei didn't. Those people respected him and feared his dislike of the smell, so they abstained.
"No wonder. No one used to smoke this, but later Earth Immortal Venerable and Water Immortal Venerable smoked it often. The people below followed suit, imitating the big figures, and started smoking too.
Later, Earth Immortal Venerable saw that this wasn't a solution and improved the species, removing the harmful substances and grafting some plants beneficial to cultivation.
Now, this thing doesn't harm the body when smoked, it can also refresh the mind, relieve烦躁 moods, and slightly aid cultivation."
Seeing Wan Lei's interest, Qi Heng smiled, took one out of his pocket, and handed it to Wan Lei.
"Want one?"
"Sure."
Wan Lei took it, put it in his mouth, and a wisp of flame appeared at his fingertip, placed under the cigarette.
*Poof!*
The cigarette instantly turned to ash.
"It's not like that. You have to control the fire. The temperature shouldn't be too high. Ordinary fire will do."
"Oh, oh."
Wan Lei nodded awkwardly. If others knew he used the Origin Fire to light a cigarette, he'd probably be scolded to death for wasting a treasure.
Taking another one, Wan Lei carefully lit it and took a puff.
*Hiss*, comfortable.
"Here, take this box. Buy more yourself after you finish."
Qi Heng tossed a box of cigarettes to Wan Lei.
"This isn't good. It's too valuable."
Qi Heng looked at Wan Lei again as if he were a monster.
"It's not expensive. A spirit stone can buy a pack. Of course, there are more expensive ones, a few spirit stones a box, but there's no need for such expensive ones."
"Then thank you."
Wan Lei squatted on the ground, smoking and staring at the spirit scroll without blinking. His long ponytail trailed on the ground, not caring if it was dirty. He looked exactly like a hooligan蹲 at the school gate after class, teasing girls.
Well, he was missing yellow hair.
In Fang Xiaoyu's interrogation video, Wan Lei saw her wearing a cultivation suppressor on her neck and handcuffs on her wrists, sitting in a chair. Opposite her were two people in uniform, interrogating her sternly.
The people opposite were speaking in jargon.
"Confess and be treated leniently, resist and be punished severely. Honestly explain, and you can still be leniently treated and we'll tell you who taught you the forbidden arts. Otherwise, once caught, you will be severely punished. Your current stubborn resistance is harming yourself and others..."
"Honestly explain the relationship between you and Wan Lei. We already have evidence of your crimes. Now we're giving you a chance for lenient treatment..."
"What is the name of your group, who are the members, and what have you done..."
"..."
"Is this girl mute? Or maybe, should we turn off the cultivation suppressor and try using telepathy?"
From the arrest to the end of the interrogation, Fang Xiaoyu hadn't said a single word.
Her demeanor was familiar yet somewhat strange to Wan Lei.
The Fang Xiaoyu he knew before, the one who had lived happily with him for over ten years, was like this. He almost forgot that Fang Xiaoyu was, at her core, an ice queen.
For ordinary people, if you could get her to say a word or even look at you, you'd be considered remarkable.
Wan Lei also understood what the security department of the Five Elements Hall knew.
That was, they knew nothing.
He was safe now and could carry out his plan freely. The security department might be watching him, but as long as he didn't use the Wind Blade Escape Technique, he'd be fine.
"Thanks, Brother Qi."
Wan Lei returned the spirit scroll to Qi Heng, thanking him sincerely.
Even though he paid for it, the other party risked his head to help him steal the files, so a thank you was in order.
"It's nothing. If you need anything in the future, just come to me."
Qi Heng sighed as he said this.
"Brother, I advise you to give up. Stealing and learning forbidden arts, unless a saint or an immortal venerable intervenes to testify, anyone else who teaches it will still be punished.
The hope of her getting out in this lifetime is slim. I know you like her, but...
Many things in this world don't go as we wish, right? If you can let go, then let go."
"I won't give up. No matter how many years it takes, I will find that person."
Wan Lei shook his head, his gaze firm.
He took out five more storage bags and handed them to Qi Heng, saying,
"Brother Qi, I'll have to trouble you to take care of her more in the future. If anything happens to her inside, remember to notify me promptly."
However, Qi Heng, who was usually greedy, did not reach out to take the storage bags this time.
"Brother, when we met yesterday, we didn't know each other well. I sold you information and took your money, which was only right.
But now, I feel honored to know a man like you who values loyalty and righteousness. I've made a friend in you.
Of course, you can also think of it as an emotional investment, believing that your Origin-level talent will lead you to great heights, possibly even sainthood.
But right now, I genuinely think you're great.
For a woman, you're willing to defy the world, enter the Five Elements Hall, the most dangerous place in the world, to help her clear her name.
I admire your courage and your responsibility."
Wan Lei was filled with respect. He then saw the storage bags in his hand being taken.
Seeing that the other party, amidst such heartfelt and moving words, still held onto his greedy nature, Wan Lei admired him even more.
"I'll help you with your matter, and I'll keep an eye out for the person who taught her forbidden arts. I've been in the Five Elements Hall for over a thousand years, and I have some connections. I'll help you inquire."
"Okay, then thank you, Brother Qi. I won't say any more polite words. If there's anything else, I'll have to trouble you again."
"Don't mention it. It's just a matter of a few words. Don't worry, Old Qi always keeps his word."