After the meal, Lin Qian and Xu Yun helped Madam Hao, Xiao Lan, and A-He back to their rooms. Lei Wen and Ling Yu assisted Chen Wei to his room. Only Zhao Zhi and Xuan Tian remained in the dining room.
Zhao Zhi sat in silence, unsure of what to say. The scene at breakfast kept replaying in his mind.
Xuan Tian stood facing the door, deep in thought.
Summoning his courage, Zhao Zhi stammered, "General, I apologize. I—I found that I couldn't say no. But that—that was impolite of me to go before you. I—"
Xuan Tian turned around to face him. "It's okay. We are in the Human Realm now. Following human customs is a given."
Zhao Zhi exhaled slowly. But you looked like you wanted to murder everyone.
Lin Qian and Xu Yun entered the dining room cautiously, their expressions showing they had overheard Xuan Tian's words.
"General," Lin Qian started hesitantly.
Xuan Tian shook his head. "No need to apologize. It's done. It's okay. Let's move on. We have more pressing matters to discuss."
At that moment, Lei Wen and Ling Yu entered the dining room.
Xuan Tian's eyes flickered at the sight of Ling Yu, but he said nothing. "Okay, have a seat. I have matters to report."
Everyone took their seats around the now-restored table.
Xuan Tian turned his gaze to Ling Yu. "Tell us everything that happened to you." His voice carried a command that was unmistakable.
Ling Yu stared at him, her expression unreadable. She blinked a few times as if processing his words, then slowly crossed her arms, her gaze assessing rather than outright defiant.
Xuan Tian exhaled sharply, exasperated. "What?"
She finally spoke, her voice calm but firm. "I don't see why I should. I don't know you."
Xuan Tian exhaled through his nose, his patience thinning. "What?"
Ling Yu tilted her chin slightly. "And I don't see the need to tell you. What are you going to do with that information? And why are we sitting here talking instead of going back to Xue Qin Lou to find out what's going on?
Xuan Tian's face darkened, his expression unreadable. Zhao Zhi and Lei Wen, seated on either side of him, instinctively reached out, each gripping one of his arms—afraid that he was about to launch across the table and strangle her.
"I know what's going on –" Xuan Tian's voice sounded strangled.
Ling Yu cut him mercilessly, "But I don't. I don't know what's going on and I want you to tell me." Ling Yu's tone mimicked Xuan Tian's earlier.
It took less than a breath before Xuan Tian opened his mouth and explained what they know so far to Ling Yu.
Ling Yu's expression turned grim. "So, you're saying that the people in cages will die?"
Xuan Tian answered, "If their cores were harvested, yes, they will die."
Ling Yu's fists clenched. "Then why are we still here? We should go and rescue them! Like, now!"
Xuan Tian remained calm. "Because I want to catch the mastermind behind it."
Ling Yu scoffed. "We can just capture those warriors and interrogate them."
Xuan Tian shook his head. "Those warriors won't know anything important. To the mastermind, they are expendable."
During this exchange, the doctors looked back and forth between Xuan Tian and Ling Yu as if watching a tennis match. Their identical thoughts? Why is General Xuan Tian answering everything?
Ling Yu pressed further. "But if we don't rescue them now and wait until later, what if we fail?"
Xuan Tian's tone remained steady. "There's no 'we.' It's just me. I will go back to Xue Qin Lou and wait until delivery time. Then I will follow them to the delivery point, and there I will act accordingly. The victims? I will rescue them. I will not let their cores be harvested."
Ling Yu's expression shifted to one of concern. "You? But you're only a Low Immortal. There were so many warriors. And you said they have escorts too. You won't be able to handle them alone."
Xuan Tian was too stunned to reply. This was the first time in his 50,000-year life that someone had underestimated him like this. And yet, somehow, her logic made sense—to her. Xuan Tian understood that she didn't mean to insult him, but the urge to prove himself to her rose uncontrollably.
He sighed slowly. "I will be fine. This is what I do." Leaning forward slightly, he pressed, "Now, would you please tell us how you ended up in the cage?"
Ling Yu looked at him, then nodded. She began recounting everything that had happened.
When she got to the part where she 'saved' Chen Wei, Lei Wen suddenly interrupted. "Wait. You just shook him awake?"
Ling Yu looked at Lei Wen and nodded. "Yes. He was cultivating, and he was injured. I saw blood coming out of his mouth, so I tried to wake him up."
Lei Wen's expression turned skeptical. "And you just shook him?"
"Yes."
Zhao Zhi, frowning slightly, turned to Lei Wen. "What's wrong with that? She was trying to wake him."
Lei Wen looked at him as if he had grown another head. "What's wrong with that is the state the boy was in. He was in a hypnotic state. Madam Hao was the same when we found her. Even after arriving here, she entered that state again. Lin Qian and I tried everything to wake her, but we failed. In the end, it took both of us channeling a significant amount of spirit energy into her to force her awake."
Ling Yu's voice dropped slightly. "But I did. I really just shook him awake."
Silence fell over the group as everyone turned to look at her.
Xuan Tian interjected, "Let's put that aside for now. Please, continue."
Ling Yu took a breath and continued recounting her experience, her tone steady but thoughtful as she pieced together everything that had happened.
When she finished, Xuan Tian said, "So he's Chen Wei."
Ling Yu blinked. "You know him?"
Xuan Tian nodded. "I've heard of him. His mother and uncle have been looking for him."
Ling Yu immediately stood up. "We should tell him!"
"Wait!" Xuan Tian's voice cut through the air before she could move.
Ling Yu frowned but stayed put, waiting for him to explain.
Xuan Tian continued, "We can't. Not now. Not yet. If Chen Wei returns now, there's a risk that people will talk. And those in Xue Qin Lou will hear. If we bring his mother and uncle here, the risk of exposure is lower, but not completely gone. We cannot do anything that might jeopardize our plan tonight. Let us wait one more night."
Ling Yu's expression remained doubtful. "But they should've already noticed we're gone."
Xuan Tian shook his head. "They won't find out."
Ling Yu narrowed her eyes. "How come? We're obviously not there."
"Because before I left, I made clones for each of us," Xuan Tian explained.
Ling Yu's eyes widened. "Oh! Is that why they didn't notice we were gone? Clones?"
For the first time since this entire conversation started, Xuan Tian felt like he had redeemed himself in front of Ling Yu. The corner of his mouth unconsciously curled up.