Probing

The teacup that Mu Bai held in his hand was originally gripped lightly, but upon hearing the four words "Master Dehua", his fingers suddenly exerted force and clenched the teacup tightly, causing even the Biluochun Tea in the cup to ripple with tiny circles.

Master Dehua—this name was far more than a simple title to Mu Bai.

He was, after all, one of the four Grandmasters of Martial Arts of Great Yan!

A figure of this caliber would cause a massive uproar no matter where he went.

However, because the conversational volume between Mu Bai and Master Dehua was relatively low, the surrounding tea patrons did not detect anything unusual.

They still went about sipping tea and chatting amongst themselves, seemingly completely unaware that not far from them sat such a formidable person.

Only a middle-aged man at the neighboring table suddenly choked on something, coughing violently.

The tea in his mouth sprayed all over the tablecloth, splashing everywhere.

He flurriedly picked up a handkerchief to wipe it, while from time to time stealing glances at Mu Bai and Master Dehua, his eyes filled with terror.

At this moment, Mu Bai slowly set down the tea cup in his hand.

With a crisp "ding", the porcelain bottom of the cup gently touched the tabletop, emitting a clear sound.

Simultaneously, the fingers beneath Master Dehua's cassock also moved slightly, and the originally quiet sandalwood prayer beads now struck against each other, emitting a series of faint "clacking" sounds.

"The Master comes from Tianlong Temple?" Mu Bai's voice was very calm.

Master Dehua lowered his gaze to view the vegetarian meal before him, a faint, ambiguous smile surfacing on his aged visage as he softly replied, "Amitabha, precisely."

Mu Bai's gaze shifted slightly, asking with a normal expression, "I wonder what business brings the Master, revered as the number one martial artist of Great Yan, to this tiny Xiaoyao City?"

Master Dehua pressed his palms together, silently reciting a Buddha's name inwardly, and said softly, "Amitabha, for the young patron to put it that way is truly overestimating this poor monk."

The corners of Mu Bai's mouth curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile. He looked at Master Dehua and continued, "Why must the Master be so modest? The Master became a Grandmaster of Martial Arts over twenty years ago, and over these years, the Master has surely mastered the ultimate techniques of Tianlong Temple, placing your strength firmly among the peak ranks of the Grandmasters of Martial Arts."

Master Dehua shook his head slightly, saying softly, "Amitabha, those who have left the secular world do not speak falsely. Among the four Houtian Limit experts in Great Yan today, there are two whose strength is not inferior to this poor monk's."

Before Mu Bai could open his mouth to respond, Master Dehua followed up immediately, "As for you, patron, hiding your light under a bushel, you have actually reached the realm of the Houtian Limit at such a young age, truly filling this poor monk with boundless astonishment! Such a pace of cultivation reminds this poor monk of an old friend from many years ago."

His withered and frail fingers slowly dipped into a bit of tea water, then he casually doodled on the tabletop, as if reminiscing about certain fragments of the past.

Accompanied by the movement of his fingers, a powerful Dragon-Elephant Qi gradually spread outward like ripples.

Mu Bai's expression remained completely without a ripple, yet the folding fan in his hand imperceptibly unfolded a little, and then gently began to fan. The landscape painting on the fan surface fluttered gently with the breeze, seemingly stirred by this strand of Dragon-Elephant Qi as well.

The guests on the second floor finally detected this unusual atmosphere, gazing over toward this side with faces full of astonishment.

However, when they looked closely, they only saw a young man with a smile on his face, leisurely and contentedly fanning his folding fan, alongside an old monk whose fingers continuously slid across the tabletop.

Yet, the moment they blinked, the scene before their eyes suddenly underwent an astonishing transformation—the young man and the old monk had instantly morphed into a divine sword with sword qi soaring into the heavens, and a divine beast with both a dragon head and an elephant head!

Under such circumstances, the patrons in the teahouse who had originally been chatting and laughing were struck dumb with astonishment by this sudden scene.

They looked at each other in dismay, their eyes revealing expressions of disbelief.

How could these patrons fail to see that the two people before them were peerless martial arts experts!

For a moment, these patrons could no longer care about composure, rising from their tables one after another and fleeing wildly out of the teahouse.

As the people left, the once lively and bustling second floor of the teahouse suddenly became exceptionally quiet, even somewhat eerie.

Only Mu Bai and Master Dehua remained, sitting opposite one another. Absolute stillness surrounded them, with only a gentle breeze brushing past the windows and emitting faint sounds.

Mu Bai picked up his tea cup, took a dainty sip of tea with an elegant movement, then set the cup down and smiled as he said to Master Dehua, "The Master jests. This junior was merely gesticulating blindly; where could I have any real skill?"

Master Dehua did not think so at all. He slowly shook his head and said softly, "The patron is being too modest. How could casual gesticulating achieve a realm such as a Houtian Grandmaster? In this poor monk's view, this mortal world likely cannot produce a True Dragon such as yourself."

"Could the patron hail from the Langya Family?"

Upon hearing Master Dehua's words, Mu Bai merely smiled slightly, then gently shook his head without speaking.

Seeing this, Master Dehua wanted to ask something further when suddenly, a flurry of hurried footsteps came from outside, moving from afar and drawing near, seemingly heading straight toward this Tingfeng Tower.

Hearing the sound, Mu Bai quickly rose from his seat, a trace of apology surfacing on his face.

He cupped his fists slightly toward Master Dehua and said, "Master, I am truly sorry. It seems my family members are a bit uneasy and worried about my safety, and have specifically come to look for me. This junior will take his leave first and not disturb your quiet cultivation."

Master Dehua saw this, slowly closed his eyes, and chanted a Buddha's name, "Amitabha, please go ahead, patron."

Mu Bai saluted Master Dehua once more, then turned and slowly walked toward the stairs.

When he reached the first-floor lobby, he didn't give an extra glance to the waiter who was already trembling with both legs shaking, but directly opened the door and stepped outside.

Outside the door, the sunlight was bright, and the street was bustling with a stream of endless carriages and horses, presenting a thriving scene.

However, Mu Bai's mood felt as though it were shrouded by a layer of haze, unable to cheer up no matter what.

The moment he stepped outside, he ran head-on into the guard unit of the Carefree Prince's Estate.

The commander leading the guard unit saw Mu Bai, hurried forward to greet him, and was just about to speak when he was interrupted by Mu Bai raising a hand.

Mu Bai looked up in the direction of the second floor, shook his head slightly, and then turned and strode toward the street.

Although the guards of the unit felt somewhat surprised by Mu Bai's action, they were well-trained and did not ask questions.

They merely followed silently behind Mu Bai, maintaining a certain distance, and headed together toward the prince's estate.

At this very moment, Mu Bai, walking at the very front, was inwardly not nearly as calm as he appeared on the surface.

An ominous premonition welled up in his heart, making his mood increasingly heavy.

He mused to himself that Master Dehua, a legendary figure who had galloped across the Great Yan martial arts world for decades, had suddenly come to Xiaoyao City with ill intentions.

His arrival this time likely targeted no one else, but rather their Carefree Prince's Estate!

Meanwhile, the second floor was already plunged in silence.

Master Dehua stood before the window, gazing intently at the crowd downstairs, pondering inwardly, Could it truly not be the Langya Family, but rather disciples from some other hidden reclusive clan nearby?

He slowly closed his eyes, pressed his palms together, and began turning the prayer beads in his hand.

"Amitabha!"