Chen Shi and Li Tianqing had not seen each other for many days. Not sleeping that night, they gathered in a single room to chat about their experiences and observations over this recent period.
When they spoke of the matter of Chen Shi's name being erased by Black Pot, the two grew carried away with enthusiasm. Chen Shi looked up toward the window, only to see Black Pot standing outside, pressed against the pane and gazing at them gloomily as it eavesdropped on their conversation.
Seeing Chen Shi and Li Tianqing's gazes sweep over, Black Pot hurriedly shrank its head back.
The two quietly rose, came to the window, and peeked outside. Black Pot was already flattened beneath the cart, feigning sleep.
"Black Pot is crafty indeed."
Chen Shi recounted the whole episode of his Golden Core leaving his body and spying on Black Pot entering the Underworld to search for books, saying, "I suspect Grandpa picked Black Pot up near that palace back then, only we didn't see what the palace was called."
"Most likely the Primordial Palace."
Li Tianqing guessed, saying, "Still, who knows whose Primordial Palace it is."
Rumor had it that the Primordial Palace was the dwelling place of the Primordial Spirit, and everyone had their own Primordial Palace hidden in the Underworld—though that was merely legend.
Suddenly, Li Tianqing remembered the boat girl and her daughter. He hastily recounted the matter of the boat girl's duo and the old monk's master and disciple, saying, "Chan Master Kuzhu suspects this pair of father and daughter might be stray underworld emissaries wandering the River of Forgetfulness, and even said they were searching for something. You say, if these two are stray underworld emissaries, could they have broken into the Yang World looking for Black Pot, and thus