Night had deepened, and the vast residence lay silent.
Xie Jinhuan skirted the few guards and slipped into Ye Shirong's private residence. With the Ghost Wife scouting ahead, he discovered that security here was lax outside but tight within. It looked unremarkable, but the inner residence held numerous alarm mechanisms, making it even more tightly guarded than Li Gongpu's home.
Ye Hongshang floated beside him in her red robes. After a brief inspection, she warned him:
"A formation conceals the auras here, probably to prevent interested parties from probing the place. It's hard to determine exactly how many people are inside. Be careful."
In fact, from the residence's location alone, Xie Jinhuan had guessed that Ye Shirong's background was not entirely clean.
The residence stood in a remote part of the outer city, with very few patrols nearby, and Immortal Officials seldom came here either. It was close to the city wall, with the Luo River just outside, making escape convenient if anything happened.
If he were one of the Demon Bandits, he would certainly choose somewhere like this to settle, rather than Clear Spring Lane, where experts clustered.
Still, to make certain, he advanced cautiously along the wall and reached the courtyard where the owner lived. He listened briefly, but there was not the slightest stir inside.
No one here...
The carriage and horses are all here. Surely Ye Shirong didn't go out on foot...
Or did he disguise himself and go to meet the Nether God Sect High Command...?
Slightly puzzled, Xie Jinhuan quietly peered over the roof ridge. After confirming that there was no light inside, he landed silently outside the main room and pushed the door open a crack to look.
Beyond the door was a study, with no one inside. Calligraphy and paintings by famous