"Fellow Daoist Zhao? What did you say?" Nuwa asked, taken aback.
Beichen awkwardly released his hand and coughed.
He hadn't covered Zhao Gongming's mouth fast enough. The blunt fellow had given him away.
Zhao Gongming realized he shouldn't have said that.
So he hurriedly covered for himself. "Oh! I meant that a hundred years ago, I saw Fellow Daoist Nuwa searching the North Sea for Dao Ancestor Beichen. I wanted to go greet her, but before I could, she had already left!"
"Back then, just like Fellow Daoist Nuwa, I was also looking for Dao Ancestor Beichen!"
Beichen let out a long breath, then said with a mischievous grin, "Fellow Daoist Nuwa, you came to the North Sea looking for me a hundred years ago?"
"I did, but I didn't find you!" Nuwa looked at Zhao Gongming again. "So, Fellow Daoist Zhao, you found Dao Ancestor Beichen later?"
"Ahem, yes! Later, I saw the Dao Field of the Three Immortal Islands in a place that seemed to exist between reality and illusion, and found him there!" Zhao Gongming laughed. "Fellow Daoist Nuwa, honestly, you didn't search calmly enough. You'd only just left when I found Dao Ancestor Beichen!"
This guy may be blunt, but he lies without batting an eye! Beichen laughed to himself.
Nuwa looked a little awkward. She didn't know how to respond to Zhao Gongming.
Seeing her discomfort, Beichen hurried to smooth things over. "Fellow Daoist Nuwa, what did you want with me?"
"Oh, it's like this..."
"Except for Ancestor Hong Yun, all the disciples under my command have come to the Zixiao Palace. I have important matters to tell them!"
Before Nuwa could finish speaking, a melodious voice came from within the Zixiao Palace.
"Fellow Daoist Beichen, could you wait here for me? I'll be right