Xu Qingtong sat cross-legged in the valley on Phoenix Mausoleum Mountain. Only after waiting another tea's worth of time did he slowly open his eyes and say, "Fellow Daoist, you've followed me all this way. What guidance do you have for me?"
"Hmph! You do have some ability, to have detected me following you!" The dark, gaunt old man revealed himself, speaking with a hint of surprise.
"We've never met. Why have you been following me?"
"Your name is Chen Yu, correct?" the dark, gaunt old man asked.
Xu Qingtong said nothing, tacitly acknowledging it.
"Ten years ago, you acquired a sixth-rank beast soul at the auction in Law City. Later, you killed Yan Taixian, the grandson of the Heavenly Mystery Palace Grand Elder, over a dispute for that beast soul. Is that correct?"
Xu Qingtong frowned and said with a bewildered expression, "What are you talking about, fellow Daoist? I don't understand! What's this about salt being too salty? If it's too salty, just put in less!"
The dark, gaunt old man stared straight at Xu Qingtong and said, enunciating every word, "You needn't play dumb. I've investigated everything! If you come quietly, you can spare yourself some physical suffering. If you resist, you'll have to suffer!"
"Who are you? Why should I go with you?" Xu Qingtong said impatiently.
"I am the master of the Law City branch of the Heavenly Mystery Palace's External Affairs Hall. My name is..."
Before he could finish, a bolt of purple lightning suddenly struck down, heading straight for the top of his head. It was Xu Qingtong's incarnation, who had secretly cast the Lightning-attracting Technique under the cover of the Invisibility Cloak.
When the dark, gaunt old man arrived, he had not noticed Xu Qingtong's incarnation. Seeing Xu Qingtong sitting cross-legged on