Li Xingtian, You Go!

The gate before her was tightly shut.

Zhao Wanqing took a deep breath, composed herself, and knocked lightly.

"Coming!"

A clear female voice rang out from inside.

Zhao Wanqing hurriedly straightened up, and the gate soon swung open.

Once again, it was Li Yingling who answered the door. She eyed the tall beauty standing before her suspiciously.

"Who are you looking for?"

"Hello. Does Senior Chu Xingchen live here?"

Another one looking for Master?

Li Yingling swept her gaze over Zhao Wanqing. She could sense her aura, so their cultivation levels should be about the same.

Could this be another of Master's lovers?

Li Yingling stepped aside to let her through. Her cultivation wasn't high, anyway, so even if she had come looking for trouble, there was nothing to fear.

"Come in. I'll get Master."

"Thank you," Zhao Wanqing hurriedly said.

Li Yingling pointed to the stone table and chairs in the courtyard. "Have a seat first. I'll go call Master."

"All right." Zhao Wanqing followed her instructions and went over to sit on a stone chair.

Li Yingling walked to her master's bedroom and knocked lightly.

Chu Xingchen's irritated voice came from inside. "Why aren't you sleeping at this hour?"

"Master, another woman's here to see you."

"...Another? How come I didn't know I knew so many people in Yuzhou City?"

Chu Xingchen opened the door, followed his eldest disciple's pointed look, and glanced toward the stone table.

A woman with long black hair and cool, aloof features was looking over nervously.

This... she's a stranger. I've never seen her before.

Speaking of which, why is she nervous?

Could she have come knocking over something bad I did in the past?!

Chu Xingchen quickly used the system to scan her traits.

[Zhao Wanqing]

[Cultivation: foundation establishment middle stage]

[Blue trait: steady and composed]

[White trait: decent aptitude]

[White trait: somewhat resourceful]

[Temporary black trait: unsteady mind]

[Does not meet disciple recruitment requirements]

Good enough! Even if she's here looking for trouble, there's nothing to fear-as long as she isn't a tiger pretending to be a pig!

Zhao Wanqing also quickly rose to her feet, looking at the handsome young man before her.

Had she not truly been unable to sense his aura, it would have been hard to imagine that someone who looked so young possessed golden core cultivation.

Could he be from Central Province too?!

Zhao Wanqing spoke respectfully. "You must be Senior Chu Xingchen?"

"And you are?"

"Senior Yaoqin sent me. She asked me to give you this."

Zhao Wanqing hurriedly took out the envelope Yaoqin had given her, bowed slightly, and offered it to Chu Xingchen.

Chu Xingchen breathed a sigh of relief. As long as she wasn't looking for trouble. But what was this about Yaoqin sending her? Yaoqin should know he hated trouble.

Still, he owed her too many favors. Refusing to help now would hardly be right.

Chu Xingchen descended the steps, walked up to Zhao Wanqing, and took the envelope from her before opening it directly.

His eyes skimmed ten lines at a glance. The letter was brief and to the point.

"The letter says you can pay in spirit stones?" Chu Xingchen raised his eyes to Zhao Wanqing.

"Yes. I can pay you three hundred spirit stones immediately, Senior," Zhao Wanqing continued. "If you feel that isn't enough, I should be able to scrape together another hundred given a little time."

"Four hundred spirit stones... you aren't expecting me to help until the case is closed, are you?" Chu Xingchen frowned slightly.

"Three days. Three days at most. Whatever the situation is after three days, I'll pay the spirit stones in full."

"Very well, for Yaoqin's sake." Chu Xingchen nodded lightly. "Then do you want to investigate right now?"

Seeing him agree, Zhao Wanqing hurriedly breathed a sigh of relief. "If it's convenient for you, Senior, then of course, speed is precious in warfare."

That was also why Zhao Wanqing had come to visit despite the late hour.

Those criminals were vicious evil cultivators, not savage beasts that went to sleep once their bellies were full.

Once they achieved their goal, they would naturally withdraw quickly. If she delayed any longer, she would catch nothing at all.

Chu Xingchen nodded, then called toward a side room.

"Li Xingtian!"

Li Xingtian, who had been cultivating, immediately opened his eyes at his master's call. He hurriedly rose and pushed open his door, sweeping his gaze around the courtyard before asking with a hint of confusion:

"What are your instructions, Master?"

Chu Xingchen wrapped the envelope in spiritual energy and flicked it straight into Li Xingtian's hands, then yawned.

"Read it yourself. Tomorrow morning... uh, better make it noon. Meet me at my fishing spot then. Tonight, go investigate the case with her first."

His disciple practiced a cultivation technique even more sinister than those of evil cultivators. He could drain a golden core cultivator alive while still in the foundation establishment realm. His cultivation technique alone crushed those evil cultivators.

If they were just some little foundation establishment mobs, this would be a fine chance for Li Xingtian to fight monsters and level up.

Saving a few spirit stones would be good too.

Besides, Li Xingtian still had the Protective Talisman that could defend against golden core stage attacks, as well as the Teleportation Talisman.

Even if things went wrong, he could still run.

Li Xingtian raised a hand to catch the flying letter and quickly scanned it. After confirming the key information, he replied:

"Yes, Master."

Li Xingtian looked at Zhao Wanqing, who stood nearby. "Miss Zhao, do you have a lead right now?"

Zhao Wanqing hesitated. She had come to invite a golden core True Person to oversee things... but never mind. Having him agree to come tomorrow at noon was good enough.

Besides, this Li Xingtian was also at foundation establishment, and his aura was powerful. He was probably around the foundation establishment late stage.

He was much stronger than an ordinary squad leader. If they were only searching for traces, he would be enough.

In any case, this was the only golden core cultivator Zhao Wanqing could currently enlist.

However helpless she felt, she could only accept it.

Zhao Wanqing cupped her hands toward Li Xingtian. "Yes. I found an evil cultivator ritual near the crime scene. We can start investigating there."

Li Xingtian nodded. "Lead the way. Let's go."

Watching the two prepare to leave, Chu Xingchen still offered a reminder. "Xingtian, be careful. Don't get carried away, and remember to use your talismans if anything happens."

"Don't worry, Master."

Li Yingling watched the two figures leave, then turned to Chu Xingchen. "Master..."

Chu Xingchen would have been a fool not to understand what his eldest disciple wanted to say, so he replied without the slightest mercy:

"Go to sleep! Don't follow your junior brother. You'll only hold them back."

Li Yingling flared up at his words. "What do you mean, hold my junior brother back? I'm the senior sister! My cultivation isn't any worse than his!"

Chu Xingchen wanted to laugh. Her cultivation wasn't bad, but without him around, no one could keep this curious little creature in check. If she went to investigate, rather than Zhao Wanqing directing Li Xingtian, odds were his eldest disciple would be ordering him to investigate this and that.

His eldest disciple only behaved herself in front of him. When he wasn't around, she was, in Li Xingtian's words, "very strong-minded."

That was probably the only flattering term Li Xingtian could think of. Translated into plain language, it meant: I'll do whatever I want.

Still, Chu Xingchen was quite experienced in handling his eldest disciple.

"Then would you rather get some sleep and go with me tomorrow at noon, or go with them right now?"

"Then... then I'll sleep first. But Master, remember to take me with you tomorrow!"