Chapter 417: The Small Hotel Outside Heavenly Dragon Temple

On the phone's lock screen was a message.

Don't run, Xiaomiao. Danger's near. I'll be back soon.

Xiaomiao frowned slightly; the phone was locked. After tapping the screen a few times, she discovered that the emergency contact listed was Huai Jing.

She walked to the window and peeked through the curtain, finding herself on a high floor. Below stretched a wide street, and farther away was a bustling market. At the horizon, mountains lined the sky.

Judging from the curtain pattern and the scenery, they weren't in a large city.

Considering who Huai Jing was, Xiaomiao concluded that they were likely near his hometown—somewhere around the Heavenly Dragon Temple.

How is Big Sister doing now? Did those ancient cultivators manage to break through the sword spirit's seal? Will the Shu Sword Sect become their next target? And what about my brother's mistress? Was she under pressure while trying to find a way to call my brother back?

Xiaomiao rubbed her eyes, feeling a wave of fatigue. She checked the wardrobe by the door. Unfortunately, it was completely empty. It didn't even have a bathrobe inside.

She fastened the safety lock, peered through the peephole several times, then stuck a piece of paper over it. Afterward, she sat back down on the bed and began sorting through everything in her mind.

By now, she had more or less figured out what had happened, though many details were still missing due to lack of information.

Through clenched teeth, she muttered, "How dare those bastards bully Big Sister! I'll make sure they pay for angering me, the sister of the Heavenly Tribulation's representative!

Awoo!

"

She then hugged her pillow and flopped back down.

"

Argh...

I'm just a little shrimp without even a Golden Core. I'm not even qualified to self-destruct. If I did, I'd probably only singe their beards..."

After sulking for a while, Xiaomiao raised both hands toward the ceiling and flicked out a few invisible strikes, murmuring the Divine Six-Meridian Sword incantation.

Half dazed, she drifted off again until she heard Huai Jing call out to her from outside.

"Patron Xiaomiao, please open the door."

"Coming!"

Xiaomiao opened her eyes, slipped off the bed, and checked the peephole. After a brief pause, she quickly unlocked the door.

Floral shorts, a bright shirt, a straw hat, and sunglasses—he looked like he was about to hit the beach.

Huai Jing stepped in with several shopping bags and smiled wearily at her.

"

Amitabha.

I had to put on a disguise just to get into a women's clothing store and get you some clothes."

He sighed, grabbed his devil-subduing staff from his sleeve, and set it beside the door. The room instantly filled with Buddhist light, shielding it from any spiritual perception outside. Right after, he placed a few bowls of vegetarian dishes and rice on the table beside the bed.

Meanwhile, Xiaomiao took two of the bags, went into the bathroom, and came out in a simple dress and slippers. She then thanked him and sat down in her slippers. For a few moments, she just stared at the food in silence.

"I think I can already live without food."

"Oh?" Huai Jing smiled. "I thought you'd be starving by now. It just got dark, so I hurried over. Try some. The Heavenly Dragon Temple's head chef cooked those himself. I even told him to use extra oil."

"

Mm,

thank you, Buddhist Master." Xiaomiao held the bowl and ate in small bites. "So, what's the situation now?"

Huai Jing walked to the window and peered out through the curtain's gap. "A lot happened today. I'll give you a simple chronological rundown."

"Start from when Big Sister was sealed."

"Alright. After she was sealed, the ancient cultivators tried to break through the sword spirit's barrier for two hours but ultimately failed. So they instead added a few more seals and announced to the public that they had sealed the fox fiend. Three hours later, around midnight, Mou Yue sent a message in our group chat. She was on the verge of breaking down."

"What happened?"

"Since Fei Yu's been missing for so long, Chief Chi Ling was accused of dereliction of duty. She was suspended from assisting with the investigation. Her role as chief was mostly symbolic. It allowed her to oversee the Special Affairs Unit, but in practice, she was still the head of the Special Investigation Unit.

"Now that she's suspended, Captain Qin Yishen has temporarily taken over her position. The investigation unit is now under their control. Nearly half its core members have been suspended for questioning, and a few have already been taken away."

Xiaomiao's brow furrowed tightly. "Didn't my brother's mistress take any countermeasures?"

Huai Jing shrugged. "Who knows. Maybe she didn't expect this turn of events."

"That's impossible. She would never be caught off guard." Xiaomiao breathed in quietly, picked up some vegetables with her chopsticks, and kept thinking. "This whole thing feels too strange. The fact that she hasn't done anything at all is the most unusual part. Oh, by the way, what about my brother? Did she say anything about his location?"

"Huh?" Huai Jing blinked. "Not even my artifact could find Fei Yu. I asked around the investigation unit, and apparently, Chief Chi Ling had people looking for him a year ago. But there's been no news since then."

Xiaomiao's confusion deepened. Her lips twitched slightly.

"Buddhist Master, can you use your bowl to check a few places?"

"Of course." Grinning, Huai Jing took out his alms bowl. "Though to be clear, it's not just a bowl. Well, technically it is, but it's a Buddhist artifact."

Now that Xiaomiao had time to look closely, she examined the bowl, finding intricate markings covering it.

"Same model as Fahai's[1]?"

"I guess you could say that. At least you didn't say Tang's[2] version."

Xiaomiao quickly replied, "I want to see what the Grand Celestial Master of the Celestial Master Sect is doing right now."

Huai Jing smiled helplessly. "Starting off strong, huh?"

Nevertheless, he granted her request. He pointed at the bowl, and clear water filled it, rippling lightly. Inside appeared the image of an old Daoist. Reclining on a couch with earphones on, he sipped tea and casually flipped through an ancient text.

Huai Jing and Xiaomiao stared blankly at the bowl, speechless. Something in their hearts quietly broke.

"Now show me my brother's mistress."

"Alright..." Huai Jing responded. The alms bowl once again shimmered.

In the reflection, Chi Ling was in an apron, frantically trying to turn off the stove. A shirtless young man appeared beside her and swept her into his arms. With a wave of his hand, he dispersed the black smoke rising from the pot.

Looking closely, Xiaomiao realized the man looked like her brother's master. Her cheeks flushed red, while Huai Jing grew even more speechless. Before they could witness something indecent, he quickly stopped spying.

"Let's check on the ancient cultivators and that Sakura Island cultivator with a devilish sword next. The Special Affairs Unit captain and my parents, too..."

After spying on them all, Xiaomiao sank back into deep thought.

Though suspended, Chi Ling seemed quite happy, enjoying her time alone with Qing Yanzi. The Celestial Master was also living leisurely. He wasn't even a little tense or anxious, as though he had become completely indifferent to the world.

The fifteen ancient cultivators had gathered in a thatched hut atop Mount Hua, discussing something with smiles on their faces. They didn't seem to be doing anything suspicious.

Meanwhile, the Special Affairs Unit captain was sitting alone in an office, sipping champagne and staring off into the distance.

"

Hmm...

"

Xiaomiao hummed softly, then sat down by the bed. The confusion on her face slowly faded, replaced by discontent.

Seeing her expression, Huai Jing gently said, "As far as I can tell, Qin Yishen and those ancient cultivators have been planning this whole affair for a long time. Everyone else was caught off guard."

"Caught off guard? Does the chief look caught off guard to you? Does the Celestial Master?"

"What does this have to do with the Celestial Master?"

"The Celestial Master was the one who set the restriction on those ancient cultivators!" Xiaomiao snapped angrily. "Those 'great' figures sacrificed Big Sister and used her as bait for their schemes and power struggles! What gives them the right?!"

Huai Jing looked completely puzzled. After waiting for her to finish venting, he asked carefully, "Could you explain that in more detail? I'm running out of brain cells here."

"Chief Chi Ling must've already had an idea about what the ancient cultivators were planning," Xiaomiao replied coldly. "Yet she didn't warn Big Sister Xi Lian. That's just heartless."

She exhaled softly, forcing herself to calm down.

Huai Jing still looked lost. "Why do you think that?"

"It's simple. Think about it." Xiaomiao put down her bowl, climbed back into bed, and wrapped herself in the blanket. "The first two ancient cultivators who attacked Big Sister and forced her to turn into a devil were already at the Grand Immortal-Ascension Realm. That means they had already broken free from the restrictions that the Celestial Master Sect had set.

"You also saw the hundreds of cultivators that came with them and surrounded us. Most of them were above the Golden Core Realm. They were all flying, which proves that the ancient cultivators have been free for quite some time and have been secretly building up their own forces."

Huai Jing frowned deeply and nodded. "Go on."

"Even if the Celestial Master didn't sense the restriction being broken, Chief Chi Ling should've already become suspicious of Qin Yishen for insisting on releasing the ancient cultivators." Xiaomiao sneered slightly. "But she faced an impossible situation. No one in the Special Warfare Unit and the cultivation world can restrain those ancient criminals except for the immortal of the Small Immortal Realm.

"In short, she no longer had the power to stop them. If you were in her position, what would you do? I'd bet she already foresaw this outcome, so she took a step back to move forward. By letting the ancient cultivators and the Special Affairs Unit join forces and expose themselves, she forced the hidden threat into the open! That way, most of the uncertainty disappears, and the situation becomes much easier to control."

"Really?"

Xiaomiao pointed at the alms bowl. "Does she look like she's under investigation? She's clearly on a honeymoon vacation with Master Qing Yanzi! She straight-up sacrificed Big Sister! Maybe she even used the ancient cultivators to eliminate her because she could turn into a devil at any time!

"I used to think Chief Chi Ling was an amazing woman I should look up to, but she's just as ruthless as the rest! Master Qing Yanzi will surely suffer terribly in her hands! No, this won't do. Buddhist Master Huai Jing, call him right now and warn him!"

Huai Jing frowned. "That might not be appropriate. What if the two of them are... busy?"

"Call!" Xiaomiao ground her teeth. "I've had enough of that woman! I won't let her keep deceiving Master Qing Yanzi!"

"Let's say you're right," Huai Jing said calmly, "then Chief Chi Ling simply made a pragmatic choice. I can't fault her for acting without personal motives."

Xiaomiao muttered darkly, "If you don't make that call, I'll tell my brother you dragged me into a hotel room."

"Now hold up a minute! I'll find Daoist Master Bu Yan's number now." Huai Jing laughed bitterly as he shook his head helplessly.

He really had saved a little ancestor.

As soon as the call went through, Xiaomiao gestured frantically for him to not say much.

Huai Jing exchanged a few pleasantries, then hung up quickly.

"What's wrong?" he whispered.

"Something still doesn't fit. Chief Chi Ling must have miscalculated. She probably never expected the Hidden Earth Sect to suddenly seal their mountain. That move threw her plans off." Xiaomiao sighed softly. "My thoughts are a mess. I need a moment to clear my head."

Just as Huai Jing was about to nod, his phone suddenly vibrated several times, glowing with a faint purple-red light.

"A document from the Special Investigation Unit?"

He opened it and glanced through, his expression darkening. He hummed lowly and coldly.

1. A well-known monk from

Legend of the White Snake.

☜

2. The monk

from Journey To The West.

Sun Wukong's master. ☜