Chapter 1270: Aftermath, Part 1

Chapter 1270: Chapter 1270: Aftermath, Part 1

"What’s there to be frustrated about? From the moment the lockdown started, I never thought we’d catch the real culprit. The Immortal Palace is so vast, he’d always find a chance to escape. But no matter what, we’ve gained a lot, haven’t the fish surfaced?" Back in the hall, Gu Shenghui removed his coat and tossed it into the Storage Ring Space, casually sitting down with a wide smile.

"Yes, at least we have many more clues to follow, Pei Yan! What are you planning next? The people here can’t stay too long," Mei Simiao reminded, standing in front of Pei Yan with her hands on the table.

Pei Yan nodded upon hearing this, "I know the hall can’t remain empty for long, and tasks at home still need tending to. But I need you to assist me by staying here, Director Mei."

"No problem, I’ll handle the tasks at home with Xiaoye. The specific matters are almost all agreed upon. Old Mei will stay here to help you. Now that we can communicate across dimensions, just contact us if anything comes up," Gu Shenghui responded.

"Alright! Then, Gu Chu, you take the team back! To prepare for emergencies, leave me some personnel. Leave fifty people who have signed the seventh-level dual beast contract with me, and take the rest back!" saying this, Pei Yan looked at Hu Jiu and said, "Go and tell the Dragon Realm people that they can return too. Convey my gratitude to them on my behalf, and once I handle these matters, I’ll visit the two Clan Leaders to thank them for their support."

"Understood, Third Brother!" Hu Jiu replied and then got up to inform the Dragon Realm visitors waiting outside the hall of this announcement.

Seeing Pei Yan and Mei Simiao guarding the hall, Gu Shenghui, worried about headquarters’ security, didn’t want to delay much further. He then stood up, taking Ye Ruozai with him and quickly leaving the hall, summoning the large team of agents on the long street outside the courtyard, preparing to withdraw to the Keystone Dimension.

After arranging these two matters, everyone in the hall turned their attention back to Pei Yan. Seeing this, Pei Yan chuckled, "No need to hurry, once things are arranged up to this point, there’s no rushing. Let the Embroidered Robe Envoy do an interrogation which would take about half a day, and we can intervene later. Everyone was busy all night, take this moment to rest for a bit, because once the news comes, there might be no time for rest."

"Pei Yan, should we keep some of the consultants here?" Mei Simiao, instead of resting with the others, approached Pei Yan and asked quietly.

"Technically, there’s no need. The Immortal Palace last night just borrowed people to make an impression; in reality, what truly kept those sect leaders in line was that Spirit Lord deep in the Immortal Palace, not yesterday’s thrice the number of people. Our foundation is still too far aside from others," Pei Yan lamented, recalling the high-level cultivators and their realms displayed at each mansion’s search last night. "But now, there’s still not enough personnel, and I’m afraid that enemy lurking in the dark might make a move against us. So, half of the consultants who came for support will stay temporarily for security assistance."

"Okay, I’ll get things arranged."

After sending Mei Simiao off, Pei Yan went to check on Dalles’s condition, found his recovery decent, instructed him to rest well, and then really returned to his room for a quick wash before getting a good rest.

When he awoke again, it was nearing dusk. Zhao Yuanhu entered, waking him up, helping organize the clothes Pei Yan carelessly tossed aside. All the while, Zhao Yuanhu recounted the day’s events.

Neither of them had yet breached that final layer of window paper, but it seemed both sides recognized the other’s existence. Amidst the chaos, Pei Yan grew accustomed to Zhao Yuanhu managing his daily affairs, with the only other person freely entering his room being his sister, Pei Jin.

"Gurgle gurgle, spit! Our people have all withdrawn," Pei Yan asked indistinctly while accepting the prepared toothbrush cup from Zhao Yuanhu to rinse his mouth.

"They’ve all left, busy all morning, leaving alongside the Dragon Realm folks. Oh, right, fearing our lack of hands, each of the two Dragon Realm clans has left twenty-five Personal Guards, three elders, fifty-six in total to fill the Tiger Wine Guard. Director Mei didn’t refuse, you were asleep then and Hu Jiu just decided to let them stay," Zhao Yuanhu explained, soaking a towel in warm water nearby.

"Oh, such matters Hu Jiu can decide himself. Any changes outside?" Finished brushing his teeth, Pei Yan put the cup back on the rack, took the perfectly squeezed warm towel Zhao Yuanhu handed him, wiped his face, and continued inquiring.

"Ah, there have been significant changes! Now the Six Guards have formally entered the city and taken over the Immortal Palace. People from other realms are frantically probing what exactly happened last night. Meanwhile, the patriarchs and sect leaders of the Five Mansions of the Immortal Palace rushed to the Sect Leader today, still not having left the palace, meeting with the Spirit Lord, and nobody knows how those talks went," Zhao Yunhu explained, reaching to take the towel from Pei Yan’s hand only to be pulled into an embrace, Pei Yan affectionately nuzzling his face against Zhao Yuanhu’s cheek and asking, "What else?"

Zhao Yuanhu struggled briefly, but Pei Yan’s arms were like a vice, holding firmly, so she stopped resisting, her cheeks slightly flushed as she complained, "You’re holding too tight, it hurts!"

Hearing this, Pei Yan slightly loosened his grip, and Zhao Yuanhu leaned against him, softly saying, "Also, over thirty sect leaders who were mistakenly captured last night have come to the Immortal Palace, expecting an explanation. Oh, right! Those disciples from the Five Mansions you singled out last night were executed by order of the Spirit Lord after we returned. Their bodies hang at the gate of the Immortal Palace Guard. Those executed disciples’ masters are now kneeling in front of their corpses at the Immortal Palace Guard, receiving punishment."

"Oh? Punished? How?" Pei Yan tilted his head curiously on Zhao Yuanhu’s shoulder, intrigued.

"For disciples’ lack of understanding, for not respecting the Spirit Lord’s command, bringing calamity to their sect leading to their own demise — it’s seen as failure in teaching. Therefore, these disciples’ masters have been dragged by their sect’s head to be punished here — drained of defensive source energy and arrays, their meridians locked so they can’t heal naturally, kneeling bare-chested at the Immortal Palace Guard’s gate. The Precepts Elders from their sects are harshly beating them with whips or canes," Zhao Yunhu recalled the sight witnessed while investigating with Xia Yu, shuddering, reflecting, "It’s unclear whether these sects intend to show penitence and loyalty to the Spirit Lord, but those Precepts Elders enforcing punishment sure didn’t hold back for the sake of their peers, delivering strikes mercilessly."