Mental guidance had led True Lord Yuxiu's thinking astray, prompting her to instruct Ning Hai to have Dao Lord Qing Ci accompany her group. With that, everything had a perfectly logical explanation.
As for why this man wanted to follow them, he clearly stood to gain something.
Su Jiu could not help recalling everything that had happened around her throughout their journey, along with his unnaturally faint, elusive presence...
She was uncertain about the former, but the latter was clearly another instance of him using his Innate Arts to diminish his presence. In other words, it was another form of mental guidance.
"So all the strange things that happened around us along the way had something to do with you, is that right?"
Dao Lord Qing Ci smiled again. "Most did. A few didn't."
With those words, Su Jiu needed only to sift briefly through her memories to guess exactly which incidents had involved him.
"Before we entered the Demon-Subduing Land, you deliberately led us to that village."
"Correct! After all, I'd only just come into contact with you. I had to see what you were capable of before I could know whether you would affect my plans.
"And as it turned out, you did have some effect.
"In our eyes, both you and your Junior Granduncle were dangerous people. That was also the real reason I later left the group outright."
"You had a hand in the Vermilion Bird Sacred Hall, too? But you clearly helped me there..." This was also the main reason Su Jiu had not suspected Dao Lord Qing Ci before.
To be precise, it was thanks to him that she had been able to return safely to this world from the world where Bai Su was.
Dao Lord Qing Ci nodded again. "Indeed. I was