"What did Xiao Zhengyan tell you to say?"
After Lu Quanan asked, everyone in the hall turned to Yi Yang, wanting to hear what was happening inside the Heaven Patrol Office.
Before speaking, Yi Yang used the Mental Power in his Sea of Consciousness to sense the Buddhist Prayer Bead in his pocket, checking its condition before answering.
Sure enough, the crimson blood-red color that had occupied half the bead had receded.
From covering half the bead halfway down the mountain, it had shrunk back into a thread so faint it was almost invisible.
It looked exactly as it had when he first took it from Xuanyi's corpse.
Yi Yang's suspicions were confirmed.
That explained it.
Halfway down the mountain, with only him and Zhao Xunge walking together, the blood-red color in the Buddhist Prayer Bead had surged.
Back in the hall, with Lu Quanan present, it had receded.
It was no coincidence. The Buddhist Prayer Bead really was sensing something, and that something was likely connected to the Nine Evil Sect.
And whatever was connected to the Nine Evil Sect was on Zhao Xunge.
Yi Yang withdrew his Mental Power and raised his head.
Zhao Xunge stood three paces to his right, a few leaf fragments clinging to his Daoist robe, his fly whisk tucked at his waist, his expression calm.
He asked Yi Yang, "Commander Yi, what exactly did Lord Xiao tell you?"
His question sounded natural, his tone casual, as though he was merely curious.
Yi Yang studied his face, hoping to discern something.
He was tall and thin, looking just over fifty, though his actual age exceeded Yi Yang's-at least eighty. He had simply begun practicing martial arts earlier, and after reaching the true astral realm, his appearance had aged more slowly.
Yet that cold, piercing