One Against Two

"Fellow Daoist, have you seen enough?"

The moment Xu Yuan's words fell, at the edge of the mist some dozens of zhang away—where there had been nothing at all—the air suddenly rippled like water.

Two figures emerged without warning, one on the left and one on the right, as though they had been standing there all along, blended into the mist.

The man on the left wore magnificent brocade robes and a golden crown. Fair-faced and beardless, he held a folding fan of jade bone, gently waving it, a faintly smiling curve at the corner of his lips. He was none other than the master of Heavenly Jade Tower, Jade Fan Scholar Bai Jin.

The man on the right was stout and round-faced, smiling as he wore a wealthy gentleman's robe embroidered with copper coin patterns. Four or five spirit-light-glimmering rings adorned each hand. He looked like prosperity and harmony made flesh, yet the occasional sharp glint in his narrowed eyes made him impossible to underestimate. This man was the master of Hundred Treasures Pavilion, Golden Abacus Qian Wanguan.

Their auras were deep and steady. Though neither deliberately released them, the spiritual pressure unique to Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators had already spread slowly outward like an invisible tide.

"Hehe, Fellow Daoist's divine sense is quite keen. This old man's Mist-Hiding Veil may not be any remarkable treasure, but even an ordinary Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivator might not see through it at once."

With a snap, Bai Jin closed his jade-bone fan and lightly tapped it against his palm. His gaze swept over Xu Yuan, carrying a touch of scrutiny and surprise.

"Yet I wonder, Fellow Daoist, what exactly do you intend by carrying out this—grafting flowers onto a tree, stealing another's fortune—on this desolate island?"

His tone sounded courteous,