They Came Full of Burning Passion and Left Battered and Bloodied!

Ning Que could not help feeling stunned.

There was another secret hidden inside this stone statue?

Who had created this hidden door?

And did the members of Flowing Sand not know about it?

Ning Que thought it over and decided that they probably did not.

After all, this was a stone statue of his "father," and his father was the founder of Flowing Sand.

Naturally, they would not desecrate his father's statue.

Ning Que had intended to turn back, but after spotting the letter, he stayed and picked up the envelope to read it.

"Que, by the time you find this place and read this letter, I will probably already be gone..."

"Do not try to rescue me. I am being held somewhere very well hidden, under heavy guard. But you can go to a place called the Star Pavilion for me and find a man named Luo Chongxiao. The password is..."

The envelope was badly creased and visibly yellowed. It looked as though it had been there for many years.

Yet the contents of the letter left Ning Que deep in thought.

The Star Pavilion?

Where was that?

For some reason, the name Fallen Star Pavilion surfaced in Ning Que's mind.

Both names had "star" in them. Could this have something to do with his second background?

Ning Que did not pursue that thought any further. At least he now knew one thing: his father, Ning Yuanzhou, was not dead.

He recalled the description from when he edited the Flowing Sand background—Ning Yuanzhou had mysteriously vanished during an assassination mission, leaving behind only a child he had never met and a jade pendant...

Who had Ning Yuanzhou been sent to assassinate?

None of that was known.

But when Ning Que opened the system panel, he was astonished to discover that his Flowing Sand background had already reached twenty percent progress...

There was also another background listed below it: personal disciple of the Fallen Star Pavilion.

Its progress, however, was zero.

"Now this is getting interesting..."

Ning Que broke into a grin.

Background Editing did not merely grant him a powerful background. More importantly, it let him keep fleshing that background out.

That made it much more engaging.

It was like being immersed in a story-driven game...

"Hm?"

Suddenly, Ning Que stopped in his tracks as a chill washed over him.

His whole body felt as though his hair were standing on end.

He raised his head and stared blankly at the sky.

For some reason, he felt as though someone were spying on him.

It was as though the deepest secrets in his heart were being pried into. That unsettling feeling...

"Surely not..."

Ning Que could not help laughing.

The sensation reminded him of scenes from novels in his previous life, where an invincible supreme being peered into someone's spiritual consciousness and innermost thoughts.

This was not merely a world of the Martial Way. Immortal cultivators existed here.

But surely nothing like that would happen right now?

"Unless..."

A possibility occurred to Ning Que. His expression changed, and he looked toward Li Province.

Flowing Sand was a thorn in the Great Li Dynasty's heart. Judging by how much time had passed, news of the events in Qingzhou would already have reached the court. The Empress should already know...

What countermeasures would she take?

The imperial court would certainly move to deal with Flowing Sand. The only question was when...

His unease stemmed from not knowing when the court would truly begin settling accounts with Flowing Sand.

Flowing Sand alone was nowhere near enough to overturn the foundations of the Great Li Dynasty.

"Looks like I need to find my 'dear old father' as soon as possible..."

Ning Que muttered to himself.

No matter what, Ning Yuanzhou was Flowing Sand's rallying symbol. With him and without him, Flowing Sand would be two entirely different organizations.

When Ning Que emerged from the secret chamber, Mu Lingfeng, Yin Jiuyou, Luo Qingwan, and the other core members were all there.

But heated arguing rang out from within the stone hall.

"Do you really expect Juzi Ning's son to lead us? Yes, the Little Juzi is resourceful and powerful, but plotting to seize the realm takes more than that!"

A tall, heavily muscled man said resentfully, "All we need to do is ensure the Little Juzi enjoys wealth and honor for the rest of his life! That would fulfill one of the former Juzi's dying wishes!"

His words immediately drew outrage from everyone present. "Giant Hammer, what nonsense are you spouting? What dying wish?"

"The former Juzi only went missing! He isn't dead!"

The man called Giant Hammer turned his head aside and said, "He's been missing for years, and nobody knows whether he's alive or dead. How is that any different from being dead?"

"We've been searching all these years, but have we found even a scrap of news? We don't even know how the former Juzi disappeared!"

Giant Hammer said bitterly, "All these years, we've been working to seize the realm. But after so long, with wives and children scattered, have we achieved a single thing?"

"Do you think the imperial court's foundations are that easy to break? If it were that easy, everyone would go off and become emperor!"

"..."

His furious roars echoed throughout the hall. No one spoke.

Qi Shanhe and the others looked increasingly grim, while a dark glint flashed in Luo Qingwan's eyes.

This is bad! Everyone's confidence is wavering...

It was not that Giant Hammer was deliberately trying to shake everyone's resolve. He was simply speaking from the heart.

At first, everyone had been delighted by the Little Juzi's arrival.

At least they had something to look forward to.

But after welcoming the Little Juzi back, they realized it had accomplished nothing.

It was merely a comfort to their hearts.

This was Juzi Ning's son, not Juzi Ning himself!

Could bringing the Little Juzi back produce any meaningful change?

It could not!

Even though no one wanted to admit it, Flowing Sand was already torn apart.

It was no longer the Flowing Sand of Juzi Ning's era, which the imperial court had regarded as a dagger aimed at its heart!

The Little Juzi was no savior!

Whoosh...

Suddenly, a long saber pressed against Giant Hammer's neck, its edge gleaming with a sinister chill.

It was Yin Jiuyou.

His face was dark, and his gaze was shadowed as he stared at Giant Hammer. His voice was icy. "If you want to leave Flowing Sand, I won't stop you. But if you shake everyone's resolve, don't blame me for killing you..."

"Come on, then! You think I'm afraid of you?"

Giant Hammer was not afraid either. He took down his hammer and squared off against Yin Jiuyou.

"Everyone, there's no need to argue. Your Juzi... my father... isn't dead."

Just then, a calm voice rang out.

Those words struck like thunder. Everyone immediately turned around and stared at Ning Que in astonishment.

"Little Juzi, what did you say?"

"Juzi Ning isn't dead?"

Even Giant Hammer looked over.

Ning Que nodded. "I know where he is."

At those words, everyone grew even more astonished.

"Where?"

The first to speak was, surprisingly, Giant Hammer.

That showed he was not dissatisfied with Ning Que, but with Flowing Sand.

The current Flowing Sand offered him no hope.

People like him had been everywhere in Ning Que's previous life—they came full of burning passion and left battered and bloodied.

All Ning Que needed to do was let him see hope again.

And Ning Yuanzhou was the hope of these Flowing Sand members.

"We need to find a place called the Star Pavilion first!"

Ning Que named the place mentioned in the letter.

"The Star Pavilion?"

Yet at that name, everyone looked bewildered.

They had never heard of such a place...