"Your junior brother Shi Jinglong? He's not one of ours."
The figure slowly turned around. She was nearly six feet tall, with perfectly proportioned flesh and bones that gave her a harmonious, pleasing appearance.
"He's not?"
River Elder was somewhat taken aback.
At some point, more than a dozen figures had appeared nearby. They stood in the shadows, their faces indistinct.
River Elder only knew that they were watching him.
"Li Ting just fought Xie Jinjia and Chen Quan. Li Ting had a slight edge."
The woman spoke again. "He's somewhat stronger than our intelligence records indicated.
Among the lower third rank, he has the potential to make the Heaven Ranking."
"Elder Li Ting... is qualified to make your Great Dream Dynasty's lower third rank Heaven Ranking?"
River Elder sucked in a cold breath, his gaze flickering.
"He merely has the potential."
The woman corrected him:
"Has the entrance to Fire Cloud Cave been found?"
"It has. Shi Jinglong found it. If he isn't one of yours... that damned Li Zhong was lying to us! He's a spy for Zhao State!"
River Elder laughed in fury. "This junior brother hid right under my nose for so many years. I must have been blind!"
"Zhao State's Iron Clothes Department... is not to be underestimated."
The woman offered that assessment, then continued calmly:
"You can go back. Don't come here unless there's something you need."
River Elder froze for a moment. "You're still not going to act? They've already entered Fire Cloud Cave."
"First, they cannot take anything they obtain in Fire Cloud Cave off Fire Flood Dragon Island, including but not limited to the Fire Spirit Pearl."
"Second, the old flood dragon has faked its death twice before. I have to suspect this is its third trick."
"Third, assuming this is