"Why are you so interested in the patterns in my residence?"
Qian Tong still smiled at Si Yifan and Yang Qing, but that smile did not reach his eyes.
Si Yifan said, "They simply caught my fancy, so I took a little interest in them."
"And how do you explain this business about the Twelve Holy Envoys?" Qian Tong pressed aggressively.
Seeing Qian Tong change his face so quickly startled Ouyang Lin, Bu Er, and the others.
They had been far too careless aboard the ship earlier.
Now that they had returned to Outlying Island, it felt more as though they had walked straight into a net.
Bu Er, Ouyang Lin, and Jiang Zhizhou exchanged discreet glances.
Yang Qing said, "As for that, I merely heard a legend and found it quite interesting, so I wanted to learn more."
"After all, it concerns events from several hundred years ago. Who knows how much the story has changed as it passed down to this day?"
Qian Tong stared steadily at Yang Qing. Only after a long while did a smile appear on his face. "As the saying goes, there are no waves without wind. Rumors they may be, but they must have come from somewhere."
"Master Si said just now that you carry a token of the Twelve Holy Envoys. Might you let me have a look? Perhaps it would help me recall something more."
Yang Qing shook his head. "Rumors cannot be trusted. This talk of a token was merely idle speculation between Master Si and me. It counts for nothing."
"Having just returned from a long voyage, Patriarch Qian, you must have plenty of matters to attend to. We should not trouble you any further, so we will take our leave."
With that, Yang Qing turned and headed outside.