Inside a private quiet-room cave abode at Cold Palace Tavern.
Wu Chen had originally been seated cross-legged on a cushion, deeply immersed in secluded cultivation and wholly absorbed in the World Law secret arts his senior brother Wu Shi had left behind.
But just moments ago, he had inexplicably felt restless and uneasy.
He slowly opened his eyes, his brows carrying a trace of suspicion and confusion.
"How strange... My thoughts suddenly became unsettled. It feels like someone has been talking about me behind my back."
With another thought, Wu Chen began worrying about Wu Shi and Gan Wuliang, who had gone out.
"Wu Shi took Gan Wuliang out to investigate and has been gone for months without returning. Could they have encountered some mishap deep within the Black Mist and run into trouble?"
Unable to settle his doubts, Wu Chen simply stopped cultivating, rose to his feet, and prepared to go out and investigate. He also intended to inquire about recent developments outside.
Before leaving the cave abode, he condensed a water mirror and deliberately dressed himself up.
He still looked like the dashing young master of old, dressed in a spotless white robe, holding an elegant folding fan, tall and handsome in bearing.
"Not bad. After being locked up for so many years, I'm still this handsome. My charm hasn't faded at all..."
Before the water mirror, Wu Chen nodded in satisfaction and narcissistically admired himself.
Looking back on those years when they had been wanted, everyone else had escaped pursuit. Only he had carelessly been captured and thrown into the most heavily guarded prison in neighboring Ascension City, where he suffered endless shackles and torment.
If Lin Yi had not later risen to prominence in Starfall City, gained power and extensive connections, and used his influence to