Liu Songhan’s voice was already trembling slightly, making it easy to imagine that the situation afterward was likely far from optimistic.
Seeing Liu Songhan’s current state, Shi An realized that his senior brother’s disappearance would likely become an inner demon for him.
Sensing Shi An’s emotional shift, Yunzhou picked up on what was on his mind.
Thus, beneath the table, Yunzhou reached out and took Shi An’s hand, giving it a gentle tap to signal, “Take me with you.” Shi An clasped Yunzhou’s hand back in agreement.
Without words, a simple gesture conveyed each other’s inner thoughts. Out of respect for Pavilion Master Liu, the two immediately released each other’s hands once their intentions were communicated.
Liu Songhan had already calmed his emotions and straightened out the subsequent critical details.
Continuing his account, he said, “Cultivators cannot arbitrarily interfere in mortal affairs; therefore, whatever actions Senior Brother took relied on the imperial fortune of the royal family to exempt him from heavenly retribution. I thought I could sneak into the mortal realm to search for him myself, as long as I didn’t interfere in anyone else’s life.
“However, the most I could find out was that Senior Brother was still within the imperial palace and his life should be safe his soul lamp was still burning. It felt more like he was imprisoned, and after that, all leads were completely cut off.
“I assumed that everyone in the mortal palace was merely mortal, so how could they possibly trap Senior Brother? But when I investigated deeper, I discovered that a barrier had been set up inside the palace. The person who erected this barrier possessed extremely high cultivation, and their aura bore a two-to-three-part similarity to Senior Brother’s, yet it was not him.
“In the end, I escaped back with injuries. Ever since then, the people I sent to the mortal realm have all returned empty-handed. The massive imperial palace remains perfectly serene, yet scouring the entire mortal dust yields not a trace of Senior Brother.
“Only that soul lamp tells me that he is still alive.”
Upon hearing this, Shi An furrowed his brows deeply, yet could not piece together the slightest clue. Yunzhou stopped eating his spiritual pastry and put down his tea; his ears tilted slightly forward, occasionally twitching as he lowered his head in deep thought.
Suddenly raising his head, he asked, “What about his family?”
Liu Songhan shook his head and said helplessly, “Initially, I indeed thought in that direction. But the former emperor had several brothers, and currently, they too are completely untraceable.
“As things stand, the trail has gone cold. But even the calmest surface of a lake will eventually ripple. I will continue my investigation, and if there is any news, I will certainly let you know.”
Having settled their countermeasures for the future, the two concluded their business here and returned to their cave dwelling to enjoy their leisure, quietly awaiting the opening of the Qinzhan Secret Realm to harvest the rare spirit-seeking vines native to that place.
Liu Songhan watched them depart, recalling the youth’s demeanor and feeling only that the young lad seemed somewhat familiar perhaps he had some lingering ties to Immortal Yunzhou.
Before making his plans, Immortal Yunzhou had borrowed the excuse of traveling to leave the sect, and afterward, Shi An had also left in pursuit of his master. Their junior brother, now the sect leader, could not leave at will. Although Pavilion Master Liu was well-informed, he only knew that Immortal Yunzhou had been injured.
Late that night, inside the cave dwelling.
wisps of demonic qi refused to be confined to a single space any longer. They yearned for wanton destruction, eager to follow their master’s deep-seated desires to devour and possess.
Cyan-gold dragon horns manifested, and amidst shifting lights and shadows, his true form appeared. A dragon’s body slowly coiled around the waist of the young man beside him, madness and struggle warring within the dragon’s eyes.
The majestic golden dragon eyes were stained with faint wisps of dark red, and dark gold demonic markings bloomed at the corners of his eyes. His rationality was collapsing, screaming out that he could trap the person beneath him and melt him into his very bones and blood.
The dragon tail slowly tightened its grip, as if the youth enveloped in his coils was already his yet it still wasn’t enough; he wanted more before he could feel at ease.
Yunzhou was jolted awake by the sudden pressure in his dream. The moment he opened his eyes, they locked onto a pair of enormous dragon pupils.
Shi An never expected to wake him up. Both his struggle and his madness paused for a beat, and his gaze cleared up considerably.
Yet it still wasn’t enough. The person in his arms was someone he had pined for over a long time, and he feared he might soon lose control.