Mingdu, the Sun Moon Imperial Palace, the Crown Prince's Hall.
Xu Tianran sat in an antique study, his face cold as frost as he leafed through the documents on his desk. With no outsiders present, he made no effort to conceal his sinister aura.
Ju Zi stood behind him in fearful respect, not daring to make a sound that might disturb him.
Before long, a command rang out beyond the Crown Prince's Hall, and a spy quietly entered its main chamber. Without Xu Tianran saying a word, Ju Zi understood and went to meet the man. A quarter of an hour later, she returned to Xu Tianran's side.
Xu Tianran asked coldly, "Any news of the Imperial Preceptor?"
Ju Zi answered truthfully, "Still no news of the Imperial Preceptor. Moreover, our covert investigations found that the Green Hotel and the Xishui Alliance's other businesses no longer have any senior figures overseeing them. Even trouble caused by outsiders hasn't been dealt with promptly."
"The Ordinary Alliance and the Aodu Chamber of Commerce are both stirring, clearly poised to seize this opportunity to swallow up the Xishui Alliance's businesses."
Somewhat hesitantly, she ventured, "Perhaps... the Holy Spirit Cult really did vanish without a trace overnight."
The Imperial Preceptor they spoke of was Zhongli Wu, the Holy Spirit Cult's Cult Leader.
Xu Tianran's gaze grew sinister.
After the Soul Master Tournament ended, Zhongli Wu had brought him news that their attempt to capture the sect teams had failed. He then announced that the Holy Spirit Cult would retreat into seclusion again to avoid the Northern Douluo's edge for the time being, leaving them no choice but to suspend their cooperation with the Crown Prince.
Xu Tianran had not seen Zhongli Wu since.
The Holy Spirit Cult had left decisively. In just a few