When Dai Weisi left the VIP room, Old Xu and A-Fu were already waiting in the corridor.
The three of them did not linger at the Great Soul Arena. They left Gengjin Spirit Arena directly through a side entrance and boarded a dark green carriage parked across the street.
Once the curtains were lowered, the noise outside was shut away, leaving only the rumble of wheels rolling over the stone-paved road.
Dai Weisi leaned against the carriage wall, lightly tapping his fingers against his knee, his gaze calm.
"Tell me. What did you find?"
A-Fu spoke first. "Your Highness, I checked the lodging records in the city and asked several inns around the Great Soul Arena. The masked man has been staying at Yue Lai Inn in the south of the city these past few days. The name he registered under was fake, but according to the innkeeper, he really is quite young. His voice sounds young as well. He leaves early and returns late every day, and his movements are unpredictable."
"Who has he been in contact with?"
"No one. He has no acquaintances in Gengjin City, and no one has seen him associating with anyone. He comes and goes alone."
Dai Weisi nodded. That was a typical trait of an independent cultivator.
No companions, no base, free to come and go.
Old Xu pondered for a moment before speaking. "Your Highness, there is something I have been considering."
"Speak."
"That person's Martial Soul is lightning-attributed. Blue-white arcs of electricity covered his body when he attacked, and his speed was astonishingly fast. Such traits are especially characteristic of one force in the Soul Master world."
Dai Weisi's eyes flickered slightly. "The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."
"Exactly." Old Xu nodded. "The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is one of the Three Upper Sects. Their members are all lightning-attributed Soul Masters, and their direct-line disciples are also exceptionally capable in agility attacks. Though most of their disciples follow the power-attack path, there may still be gifted individuals who specialize in speed. A lightning-attributed genius who has reached the Soul King level at twelve or thirteen would definitely be a core disciple within the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."
A-Fu added from the side, "I considered that as well. Moreover, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is located outside the Thunderclap Mountain Range, not too far from Gengjin City. If one of their disciples came out to travel, appearing in Gengjin City would be perfectly normal."
Dai Weisi fell silent for a while, and his tapping fingers stopped. "If he is from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, we cannot move against him lightly. I do not wish to provoke one of the Three Upper Sects right now."
"Your Highness is right." Old Xu nodded. "But if he is merely a disciple of one of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's peripheral affiliated forces, that would be another matter. Those affiliated families may fly the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon banner, but in truth they have no deep ties to the clan's core. Recruiting him would not necessarily offend the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan."
"Then we must confirm his identity first."
"Precisely."
The carriage fell quiet for a moment. It turned around a street corner, and the wheel rolled over a raised stone slab, causing a slight jolt.
A-Fu suddenly remembered something. "Your Highness, there is one more thing. After investigating his movements over the past half month, I discovered that he visited Divine Smith Lou Gao's forge at least twice, staying for quite a long time each visit. The last time he left was last night, and his footsteps were much lighter than before."
Dai Weisi narrowed his eyes slightly. "Divine Smith Lou Gao?"
"Yes. I suspect he went to Lou Gao to have something forged."
Old Xu continued, "The weapon in his hand that killed Butcher in a single strike—I did not see it clearly, but I vaguely saw a flash of golden light. It did not look like an ordinary iron weapon or a Soul Tool. Lou Gao is the foremost divine smith of this age. Anything he personally forges would certainly be of no low grade. If that weapon came from Lou Gao, then this person's background is far deeper than it appears."
After thinking for a moment, Dai Weisi said, "I know a little about Lou Gao. He has an eccentric temperament and dislikes dealing with the powerful and wealthy, but his craftsmanship truly is among the best in the world. If he agreed to take this person's commission, then either he paid an extremely high price, or he brought out materials Lou Gao could not refuse."
Old Xu bowed. "Your Highness, should we send someone to Lou Gao Forge and ask around?"
Dai Weisi pondered briefly, then shook his head. "We cannot use force. Lou Gao may only be a Seven-Ring Soul Sage, but his reputation across the continent is far too great. His blacksmith disciples are spread everywhere, and even Spirit Hall has to give him some face. If I send people to investigate his forge, it will be detrimental to me if word gets out. Besides, he himself is a Soul Saint. Taking a hard approach will only make matters worse."
"Then Your Highness means..."
Dai Weisi tapped the window frame with one finger. "Since we cannot use force, we will invite him. Go to Lou Gao Forge and deliver my invitation. Tell him I am holding a banquet at Gengjin Tower and would like to invite Grandmaster Lou to honor me with his presence for a talk. Say that I simply admire his craftsmanship and wish to make his acquaintance. Be respectful and observe every courtesy. Once we are at the table, slowly probe for information."
"Understood. I will handle it immediately."
Half an hour later, Gengjin Tower.
Gengjin Tower was the most luxurious restaurant in Gengjin City, with three floors, a gilded signboard, and elaborately carved beams and painted rafters.
In a private room by the window on the second floor, Dai Weisi had already arrived. The table was covered with exquisite dishes, accompanied by ten-year-aged Huadiao wine and precious Da Hong Pao tea.
When Lou Gao arrived, he had changed into a clean gray cloth jacket. Though he had combed his hair, several strands still stuck up.
Led by Dai Weisi's attendant, he entered the private room. Seeing the table full of food, he did not stand on ceremony. He pulled out a chair opposite the host's seat and sat down, his voice booming. "Your Highness is treating this old man to a meal. There was no need to be so polite."
Dai Weisi smiled and poured him a cup of wine. "Grandmaster Lou is the foremost divine smith of this age. Since I passed through Gengjin City, I naturally had to pay you a visit. I have long admired your craftsmanship but never had the chance to make your acquaintance. Today, I finally had the time."
Lou Gao raised the cup and drained it in one gulp, smacking his lips. "Good wine. Your Highness, just say what you want. This old man does not beat around the bush."
Dai Weisi did not circle around the matter either. Setting down the wine jug, he smiled. "Grandmaster, you are straightforward. Then I will not hide it. I wish to ask you about someone. He is quite young, wears a mask, and is a lightning-attributed Soul Master. About half a month ago, he entered and left your forge several times. I heard you recently forged something for him?"
The wine cup in Lou Gao's hand paused. His expression did not change, but his eyes flickered slightly.
He put down the cup, wiped his mouth, and chuckled. "Your Highness means that little kid? He did come looking for me and had a few small items forged. But Your Highness knows the rules of our trade. I cannot speak about a client's things to outsiders. That is how I make my living."
Dai Weisi smiled and poured Lou Gao another cup. "Rest assured, Grandmaster. I am not trying to pry into the secrets of your craft. I merely wish to confirm one thing: is that person's lightning-attributed Martial Soul related to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan?"
Lou Gao raised the second cup and turned it in his hand. After considering it for a while, he said, "I did not ask what that kid's Martial Soul was, but the material he used truly was the rarest thing I have ever seen in my life. It was a lightning-attributed Dragon Crystal. There are not many people on the entire continent who can produce such a thing. I cannot say anything more."
He avoided the question of Huang Yun's identity and mentioned only the material itself, without even bringing up its age.
After all, one hundred and twenty thousand years was simply too unbelievable.
Even so, those words were enough for Dai Weisi and Old Xu to understand.
A lightning-attributed Dragon Crystal.
Anyone capable of hunting a Soul Beast of that level had to possess at least the strength of a Soul Saint, and they would certainly have an immensely powerful foundation behind them.
If Huang Yun were merely a lone independent cultivator, how could he have obtained material of such a level?
Dai Weisi became even more convinced that Huang Yun might be a core disciple of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
After finishing his third cup of wine, Lou Gao rose to take his leave. Before leaving, he patted Dai Weisi on the shoulder and said, "Your Highness, that kid is no simple person. Get along with him if you can. If you cannot, then do not offend him. That is this old man's advice."
With that, he strode out of the private room.
Dai Weisi sat by the window with his wine cup in hand, watching Lou Gao's short, sturdy figure disappear around the street corner below. He did not speak for a long time.
Old Xu stepped forward and said quietly, "Your Highness, though Lou Gao did not state it outright, his attitude was already clear. That man's weapon was forged from a Dragon Crystal. Someone capable of producing such material cannot possibly lack a force supporting him. The possibility that he belongs to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is indeed very high."
Dai Weisi drained the wine in his cup, set it down, and stood up.
"Continue watching his movements, but do not alert him. If he is from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, then even if we cannot recruit him, we cannot offend him. Let us first see where he intends to go next."
"Yes."
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