Chapter 578 - 578: Good News and Bad News

Cui Mountain Island.

Beneath the cold moonlight, Zheng Wuji was eating dinner alone in a courtyard on the island.

His father-in-law, Cao Shan, had already left the island and gone to the city to search for the Divine Doctor.

Meanwhile, he was responsible for guarding Cui Mountain Island. He had been waiting all this time, but Jiang Xinghai still hadn't shown up.

"Father-in-law, that bastard still hasn't come. Do we really need to keep waiting?"

Zheng Wuji's face was flushed from drinking. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore and called Cao Shan.

Moreover, the men he'd sent to investigate had come back with no substantial news, which only made him more frustrated and impatient.

"Wuji, you can't rush this matter."

Cao Shan was at the Cao Family's old residence in the city, his hands clasped behind his back as he gazed at the moon. "Since he said he would come to Cui Mountain Island this morning, perhaps he's just been on the road this whole time? It's not midnight yet, so it's still 'today.'"

He had grown increasingly calm about Jiang Xinghai's failure to appear on Cui Mountain Island.

Right now, he was desperate to find the Divine Doctor his father had mentioned—the man who had risen from a commoner to the rank of a newly promoted Three-Star.

As for Jiang Xinghai, he was only interested in the Gathering Essence Pills the man possessed.

"I'll listen to you, Father-in-law. I'll wait until midnight. Let's hope he shows up."

Zheng Wuji put down his wine glass, having lost the mood to drink. Tomorrow was the promotion ceremony for the new Three-Stars, and he was in charge of site setup and security. So far, he had delegated the work to his subordinates, but he needed to inspect the site himself before dawn.

"Alright. Wait until midnight. If he doesn't show, you can go handle your work."

Cao Shan was ready to end the call. The men he had sent to find the Divine Doctor had yet to report back, leaving him with a mix of emotions.

"Father-in-law, if he really does come, do I actually have to take him to see all the islands under the Cao Family's control?" Zheng Wuji asked, quite vexed. He already knew the answer but couldn't help asking. "I'm just worried he'll have other demands. Are we supposed to satisfy all of them?"

"Wuji, his only goal is to find Mirror Lake Manor. The islands under the Cao Family's control are not on that list. You know this better than I do, don't you?" Cao Shan said with a faint smile. "Let's leave it at that. You have full authority to handle this matter."

With that, the call ended.

Zheng Wuji clasped his hands behind his back and unconsciously walked toward the beach.

'That's right!'

'Mirror Lake Manor isn't under the Cao Family's control!'

'Even if Jiang Xinghai comes, I'll just feign a warm welcome, take him to each island to investigate, and he'll still find nothing.'

Of course, their true goal was simply to covet the Gathering Essence Pills on Jiang Xinghai's person.

「Meanwhile.」

A yacht bobbed and weaved across the turbulent sea.

Jiang Xinghai, Zhong Yunman, and Nightingale were heading toward Cui Mountain Island at full speed.

Moonlight spilled across the surface of the water.

Standing at the bow, Jiang Xinghai was filled with anticipation. "Second Senior Sister, if all goes well, we might find Mirror Lake Manor tonight."

"Perhaps."

Zhong Yunman stood beside Jiang Xinghai, her eyes flashing with a determined light. "But even if we can't find it tonight, I'm sure you'll find out tomorrow."

"Of course. With you by my side, Second Senior Sister, finding it won't be difficult." Jiang Xinghai's eyes were filled with hope.

"I have good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"

Zhong Yunman gave a charming smile and leaned her head on Jiang Xinghai's shoulder.

"Let's hear the good news first. I could use a reason to be happy for a bit." Jiang Xinghai wasn't sure why Zhong Yunman was being so mysterious, but he turned his head and smiled.

"The good news is, you've caught the attention of the Imperial City."

Zhong Yunman said it as casually as if she were just chatting. "Of course, it's because of your unique strengths that you've been noticed. And they've also bestowed an honor upon you."

"The Imperial City? Some big shot?" Jiang Xinghai was slightly taken aback.

Clearly, he had never expected to attract the attention of a major figure from the Imperial City. "What honor?"

"Tomorrow in Shanghai is Marshal Feng's ceremony. You are to be promoted to Three-Star, same as me," Zhong Yunman said with a serious smile.

"You're kidding."

Jiang Xinghai never would have imagined that he, a mere commoner, would be granted such a high honor as a Three-Star rank.

"Not happy?" Zhong Yunman narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Does it give me the authority to learn the secrets of Mirror Lake Manor?" Jiang Xinghai couldn't say whether he was happy about it or not.

What was important to him was the authority that came with the Three-Star rank!

"And what if I said it doesn't?" Zhong Yunman replied calmly.

"Then what's the point of making me a Three-Star?" Jiang Xinghai shook his head in disappointment.

He had no interest in titles or promotions.

"But once you become a Three-Star, you'll be qualified to ask a Four-Star about it. I imagine they would tell you everything they know," Zhong Yunman offered, another, more encouraging piece of information.

"Second Senior Sister, since when did you become so indirect?"

Hearing this, Jiang Xinghai couldn't help but facepalm with a wry smile. "Tell me you're not joking."

"Junior Brother, when have I ever joked with you about something like this?" Zhong Yunman reached out and pinched the soft flesh of his waist.

Jiang Xinghai grinned. "So you're saying that as long as I agree to become a Three-Star, even if we don't find Mirror Lake Manor ourselves, I can learn its secrets from a Four-Star? In that case, I'll naturally agree. That's definitely something to be happy about!"

"Haven't you ever suspected a connection between the War Department and Mirror Lake Manor?" Zhong Yunman's voice grew somber.

Jiang Xinghai nodded. "Of course I've suspected. But I trust you, Second Senior Sister. If Mirror Lake Manor were under the War Department's absolute control, you wouldn't still be a part of it, right?"

"Correct." Zhong Yunman nodded emphatically.

If the War Department had absolute control over Mirror Lake Manor, she would have long since done whatever it took to help Jiang Xinghai find its location.

"You could say the War Department is just acting as a caretaker for Mirror Lake Manor on someone else's behalf. They have no choice in the matter."

That was the only clue Zhong Yunman had been able to get.

"Are you saying there's an entity that ranks even higher than the War Department?"

Jiang Xinghai stared at the turbulent sea with an indescribable expression, then slowly turned back to Zhong Yunman. "Second Senior Sister, could it be that this entity is... like our Master?"

"Most likely."

Zhong Yunman nodded. "I don't know the specifics, though. I even asked Master, but she seemed to have some compelling reason why she couldn't speak about it. That led me to believe that this entity above the War Department might have an even higher status than she does."

Hearing this, Jiang Xinghai's heart skipped a beat. 'This must be the bad news Second Senior Sister was talking about.'

Zhong Yunman slowly nodded. "But all in all, the fact that you're about to find Mirror Lake Manor is good news."

"Right, it's good news!"

Jiang Xinghai took a deep breath, now looking forward to the moment he would be promoted to Three-Star.

"In that case, do we still need to go to Cui Mountain Island?" Zhong Yunman asked with a smile.

"Yes. A promise is a promise. We're about to reach Cui Mountain Island anyway, so we should at least pay them a visit."

Jiang Xinghai had made up his mind. He also wanted to use this opportunity to see Cao Shan and Zheng Wuji's attitudes. At the same time, he could confirm beforehand whether Mirror Lake Manor might exist on one of the islands under the Cao Family's control.