"How detailed should it be, and what if it's not detailed? I'm already here, and I'm certainly not here to assist Wu Huai. Once you capture him, whether you kill or torture him, the Red Hook Sect will not interfere."

Hua Jingchun did not directly answer.

Shi Jingzhi did not intend to persist. He seemed to have realized something and grunted, "My apologies."

Yin Ci coldly watched Hua Jingchun. She did not know the identities of the Ku Mountain sect group, so naturally it was inconvenient for them to investigate. However, based on Protector Hua's understanding of Wu Huai, if he claimed the two had no prior acquaintance, Yin Ci definitely did not believe it.

But just as Hua Jingchun said, as long as they captured Wu Huai and drew out the Immortal Gathering, he had no interest in what kind of relationship the two actually had - at the moment, he and Shi Jingzhi had more important things to do.

"Ah Ci looks good in black." Shi Jingzhi took off the old man mask and changed into night clothes, revealing only a pair of eyes. "When our sect has money, I'll go change our sect uniforms to black."

Yin Ci didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Shi Jingzhi truly lived up to his name of a "Desire Child". Their lives were not even guaranteed yet, but this person was already envisioning the future Ku Mountain sect uniforms. Thinking about it this way, he tasted some other flavors - for some reason, Shi Jingzhi liked to discuss more and more "future" matters with him.

When this person talked about the days to come, each time his eyebrows would dance with delight, no longer showing the panic and embarrassment of facing death.

However, the stronger the hope, the more intense the despair when expectations fall through. In a moment of trance, Yin Ci didn't even know if this was good or bad. He pressed his buzzing head, trying hard to shake off those inexplicable thoughts.

"The current ones are fine, no need to change. Master is more suited for brighter colors, otherwise you'll be easily caught."

Shi Jingzhi's face already carried a devilish air. Once the confusion of impending death dispersed, the corners of his lips always intentionally or unintentionally curled up, appearing even more cunning and amorous. If he wore all black on top of that, he would really be mistaken for a bewitching demon.

Shi Jingzhi exhaled and glanced at Yin Ci, "Ah Ci is right, your master must stay safe and sound, waiting for you to propose - speaking of which, this safety sachet of yours is really not easy to place. I'm afraid it will fall off when I'm flying across roofs and running along walls. Come help me adjust its position."

At the mention of the sachet, Yin Ci's sharp aura instantly diminished by two points. He silently approached and carefully tied the sachet to the inside of Shi Jingzhi's chest. The two were of similar height. As Yin Ci moved, he slightly lowered his head. As a result, before he could raise his head, a soft touch was added to his forehead.

"These days, I've been listening to Ah Ci and haven't suffered serious injuries again. This is a reward for myself." Even so, Shi Jingzhi's breath carried the faint smell of blood from vomiting. "If Ah Ci also comes out of this unscathed, I will give you a reward too."

Yin Ci sighed to himself, "What reward?"

Sect Leader Shi shamelessly declared, "I'll kiss you again."

Yin Ci: "..."

Shi Jingzhi learned too quickly, and it wasn't always a good thing. Now when doing such things, he only had slightly red ears. Yin Ci somewhat missed that completely red tomato from before. The vague concern after smelling the blood just now was also diluted by this light-hearted banter... He didn't know if this fox did it on purpose.

Outside the window, the moon rose above the treetops, and the clouds stretched on. The light and shadows were particularly uneven, just the right time to take action.

Their task was to drug the Red Hook Sect's rear kitchen.

Hua Jingchun upheld the spirit of "not using the suspicious, not suspecting the used" and entrusted this important task to the two of them. Although in Yin Ci's view, she was more concerned about the factor of "the abilities of those around her being insufficient and possibly exposing the plan".

Sect Leader Shi was no longer that three-legged cat who used his head to burrow in snow. Under Yin Ci's training, his feet tapped on branches, leaving only a few slightly trembling leaves.

The Red Hook Sect's custom had always been to celebrate joyous occasions but not mourn deaths. It started out as a grave robbing sect. Each generation's sect leader feared that after going to the underworld, the King of Hell would settle scores, so every one of them had a frugal and simple burial. The location of the tombs was kept secret, known as "self-punishment".

Now, with the inauguration ceremony approaching, the entire vast Red Hook Sect was decorated with lanterns and streamers. Scorpion flags were erected everywhere, and golden lanterns were hung. Bone-made grave robbing bells were tied with red strings, ringing under the eaves.

These bone bells were all connected by steel wires as thin as spider silk. Once touched, the entire set of bone bells would hum. The resonance of the bone bells was cold and unpleasant to hear. The sound could travel three miles without fading. It was an excellent protective magic tool.

Not to mention, every courtyard was stuffed with official inspectors. The constables walked back and forth with fire lanterns, their spines stretched tighter than bowstrings.

However, no matter how tight the Red Hook Sect's defenses were, they were no match for the profound skills of the two, one of whom was particularly familiar with the place-

"There is a hidden hole under the wall here. After passing through the hole, enter the passage inside the abandoned house." Yin Ci stated with certainty.

At that time, in order to conceal the secret of being "neither old nor dead", Yin Ci always wore the Ghost Skin Suit in front of others. When he lived in the sect for a long time, he always needed some places to breathe. More than half of the secret rooms and passages in the Red Hook Sect were the handiwork of "Su Zhi".

Now that Su Zhi had personally arrived, all those miscellaneous magic tools and manpower were bypassed. The master and disciple were like two agile cats. After seven turns and eight bends, they quickly found the rear kitchen of the Red Hook Sect.

The cooks of the Red Hook Sect were all sect members. The rear kitchen kept the lights burning all night to ensure that food was provided for those on night patrol and night missions. The Red Hook rear kitchen occupied an entire courtyard by itself, complete with running water and landscaping, with a grand design to the point of being wasteful.

"...Ah Ci, this rear kitchen occupies such a large courtyard by itself, quite luxurious. Your handiwork?" Shi Jingzhi squatted on the roof, hissing.

"I sometimes personally prepare meals."

"What elegant interests."

In fact, it was to experiment with some poisons, finding ways to kill himself. Some poisons were really impossible to swallow without processing. During those years in the Red Hook Sect, Yin Ci ate quite a few poisons. As a result, he only contributed a handbook of a hundred poisons to the Red Hook Sect assassins, while he himself remained alive and kicking.

These things were not good to say to Shi Jingzhi. Yin Ci could only acquiesce by default. Talking about those suicidal experiences of the past in front of this person felt as distant as if it were from a previous life.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but reach out his hand and touch the back of Shi Jingzhi's head. Shi Jingzhi was startled. Not only did he not dodge, he even turned his head and rubbed against Yin Ci's palm, feeling that warmth for a moment.

The two had not finished being intimate when a waft of fragrance suddenly rose from below, accompanied by low complaints.

"It's understandable for the brothers on night missions, but why is that Taiheng Sect Master also not sleeping so late? It's already the third watch, and we still have to prepare an extra midnight snack."

"Prestigious orthodox sects, just putting on airs. No way around it. Previously, our sect leader... former sect leader was quite polite to Taiheng. If he didn't stand out too much, he would always be on their minds. Didn't the former sect leader say this is called the way of mediocrity!"

"...Seems that's not quite how it was said? Forget it. Hiss, what did Qu Duanyun order? It smells so good."

"Don't mention it, it's a freshly slaughtered top-quality chicken. His servant specifically delivered a menu, saying that our food is too greasy and heavily flavored, and his delicate tongue can't get used to it."

Shi Jingzhi said indignantly, "Last time we went to the Qu family's villa, wasn't that kid quite frugal? Ah Ci..."

"We'll have chicken tomorrow." Yin Ci understood.

The master and disciple smiled at each other. After the two servants walked away, they crouched and entered the back kitchen.

The medicinal tea and wine paste used for the enthronement ceremony came from different merchants, all sealed in the cellar at the back of the kitchen. With Yin Ci, the ancestor-level spy, the two had a smooth journey all the way - they had already put in a powder that temporarily dispersed people's energy, not too potent to be considered poison, and extremely difficult to detect.

After administering the drug, there was still an hour left before the agreed time to return. Master Shi was naturally not content with boredom: "Let's go and take a look at Qu Duanyun, maybe we can find some clues about the Immortal Gathering."

As an honored guest of Red Hook, Qu Duanyun stayed in the Luoshen Tower with an excellent environment. Surrounded by trees, lakes and scenery, it was quite lively. Only one room in the entire building had its lights on. The master and disciple climbed the stairs in the dark and skillfully stuck to the wooden window.

"The chicken soup is about ready, send it to Xiao Huan." Qu Duanyun said without looking up from the book he was holding. "The nights in Shafu are cold and damp, she is young and weak, it's just right to nourish her."

"The sect master should eat first. We are all servants, it's good enough for us to eat your leftovers."

"Her complexion was already unwell during the day, I'm afraid she'll catch a cold if this continues. My internal energy is abundant, I'm not short of this bowl of soup. Take it."

This should have been a noble and benevolent scene for Taiheng, but Shi Jingzhi frowned, looking a bit strangely displeased. Even through the black cloth of the night clothes, Yin Ci could see the wrinkles between his brows.

It's just that for Qu Duanyun, as a top expert, they had to be careful even with their breathing, let alone transmitting sound. Neither of them made a sound, turning into two wooden thresholds outside the door.

Apart from a few ordinary old servants in the room, the only decent one left was Qu Duanyun. Listening carefully, there were no other sounds around. Sure enough, people look at luck, the clues of the Immortal Gathering are not so easy to grasp.

However, before Qu Duanyun could turn a few pages of the book, this silence was broken by a string of footsteps.

Judging from the sound, the person coming was a young man of not short stature. The master and disciple held their breath and concentrated, only to see Xu Jingming push the door open: "This ghostly place is too cold, Qu Duanyun, do you Taiheng people have hot water bottles? The ones from Red Hook all smell like feet, unclean and dirty."

Shi Jingzhi's gaze instantly turned from anticipation to disgust, without even a transition.

"I am not Your Highness's servant." Qu Duanyun smiled, "Prince Rong brought four carriages of luggage, I'm sure there are other substitutes."

"It's been so long since the beginning of spring, who knew it would be so cold. It's not some valuable thing, can't I just buy one with my own money?" Xu Jingming said self-righteously.

Qu Duanyun sighed and made a gesture. An old servant brought out a hot water bottle wrapped in an embroidered pouch and handed it to Prince Rong with both hands.

Having obtained the hot water bottle, Xu Jingming still refused to leave: "Tomorrow is that enthronement ceremony, aren't you going to sleep?"

"Thank you for Your Highness's concern, it's not a problem."

"You weren't so polite before. Over the years, we've become more and more distant." Xu Jingming mumbled. "Why don't we have a few drinks? Back then, we..."

"In a foreign land, some words are not appropriate to say." Qu Duanyun said lightly, "Your Highness has gotten what you want, go rest early."

"It's precisely because we're in a foreign land, with no one to talk to by my side, that I feel sentimental. When we were young, we could still be called 'friends'. What do you mean by your current attitude, that I'm aiming too high?" Xu Jingming's eyes turned, pretending to be spoiled: "If you want me to rest, it's not impossible. How about this, I just ran into that old servant delivering soup... is that Taiheng maid called Xiao Huan? Tell her to warm my bed, and I'll go to sleep."

Qu Duanyun put down the book, and said helplessly: "Alright, I'll send someone to have her prepare right away."

Xu Jingming choked.

Outside the door, Shi Jingzhi's brows furrowed even more severely, and he stared at Qu Duanyun vigilantly, his amber eyes slightly narrowed. Yin Ci also held his breath, his gaze wandering between the two.

Xu Jingming was stunned for a while, seeming a bit dumbfounded. He looked at Qu Duanyun disappointedly and shook his head: "Forget it, I was just joking with you. She's a good girl, how could I say I'll ruin her and then do it. As for you..."

He didn't continue, paused for a moment in dismay, and silently left with the hot water bottle.

Qu Duanyun still had that calm appearance, his eyes always glued to the book in his hand. Under the illumination of the firelight, Yin Ci could see very clearly - it was undoubtedly a book on military strategy, with dense red annotations added to the pages.

The two had no interest in watching Qu Duanyun read at night, but Shi Jingzhi did not immediately return to that remote Finding Immortals Residence. He jumped all the way to the top of the Luoshen Tower, the clouds in the sky were about to disperse, and a dim moon hung in the night sky. Looking out from this height, the entire Red Hook Sect was captured in his eyes

The nights in Shafu are cold and damp, Shi Jingzhi pulled down his mask and exhaled a puff of white mist.

Yin Ci was afraid that this person would catch a cold and cough up blood: "Let's go back, be careful not to catch a cold."

"Tomorrow it will be in chaos, we won't be able to see such a good view." Shi Jingzhi looked at the moon, "After all, this is a place you single-handedly raised."

Although Shi Jingzhi had a sensitive mind, he was not the type to be sentimental at such a juncture. Yin Ci was silent for a long time: "...You have something to say?"

"Tomorrow, you and I will keep a close eye on Qu Duanyun." Shi Jingzhi did not look at Yin Ci, his voice very low. "Xu Jingming was born with a 'light eight characters', his mother concubine would send him to the National Teacher's residence every few days. Only after Xu Jingming's coming-of-age ceremony did his mother concubine allow him to go out and play... At that time, there were no Qu family members in the palace, how did he know Qu Duanyun when he was young?"

The most likely possibility is the National Teacher's Manor.

However, it was a bit rash to jump to conclusions based on this point alone. Just as Yin Ci was about to ponder deeply, Shi Jingzhi spoke again.

"Besides, I'm very good at judging people. He makes me feel a bit uncomfortable, before going to the northern lands, I already didn't like this person very much. Now that I see, I wasn't wrong... His expression when giving the chicken soup, and his expression just now when dismissing Xu Jingming, were not much different. He doesn't care that much, whether it's Xiao Huan or my foolish younger brother."

This time Shi Jingzhi didn't smile. No matter how much he suppressed his aura, under the frosty moonlight, that magnificent intention still spread out.

"Ah Ci, you are immortal, so naturally your actions carry a sense of looking down on the mortal world. But deep in your bones, there is mortal righteousness. As long as those in danger are worth saving, you will always prioritize harming yourself - shh, don't interrupt me, am I wrong?"

Yin Ci closed his mouth, indicating for Shi Jingzhi to continue.

"Qu Duanyun this person... this person is not inhumane or unrighteous, nor is he pretending to be benevolent or righteous. It's just that I don't like his 'sense of looking down on others' at all. The last time I felt such a chill was when I heard about 'Heaven's Wrath'."

"Even if not through the National Teacher's Manor, he and Xu Jingming may still have a chance to meet, I know. This is just my intuition - Qu Duanyun, perhaps he is related to the Immortal Gathering."

At the same moment, Qu Duanyun inside the building took a deep breath and snapped the book shut with a clap.