"The Buddhist Sect seems to be growing increasingly careless lately."
Before the pavilion, a woman dressed in fox fur gently fingered a murky yellow bead in her hand.
Meng Li turned her gaze back, her alluring eyes settling on the composed young man beside her.
"I thought the Buddhist Sect would put more effort into its work after finally fighting its way into the Eighteen Immortal Sects. Instead, it's grown lax with time. Or perhaps... that's simply how people are."
Meng Li tossed the bead in her hand and continued, "Jiang Yuan, what do you think? Do you think some rats have followed the scent here?"
Jiang Yuan looked out the window and said steadily, "We should tell the Buddhist Sect about this. Let them handle it, let them investigate. The time hasn't come yet. We still need to remain loyal."
"Is that so..." Meng Li gazed hazily at the bead in her hand, then slowly inhaled. A wisp of yellow smoke drifted out of the bead and into her nostrils.
After taking a breath of it, Meng Li fell silent for a long while before saying:
"The taste of this wish power really turns my stomach. Even stray dogs would shake their heads at this stuff. After all these years, have you actually gotten used to eating it?"
Jiang Yuan's expression suddenly turned solemn as he spoke in warning:
"We had no choice before, and we still don't now."
Meng Li scoffed and tossed the bead to Jiang Yuan with a flick of her hand.
"It's truly the Buddhist Sect's loss that they haven't hired you to guard their gate. Since that's how it is, be a good dog and go catch those rats."
Jiang Yuan caught the bead. "The boss put you in charge here out of trust.