In the end, Li Chuping came forward and found a family for the child: an Alchemy Grandmaster from another province, whose wife longed desperately for a child. It was a decent home for him.
The candidate's identity was kept secret. Even Hou Niao didn't know who it was, which also avoided a great deal of trouble later. There was no one better suited to handle this sort of thing than the Commandant Prefecture. They knew the circumstances of the sect's cultivators inside out.
After the farce, everyone scattered. They all had their own duties, after all. Some people didn't like seeing them all gathered in Jincheng, and they were also afraid these people would stir up more trouble. Hou Niao in particular was ordered by the Pastoral Marshal Prefecture to return at once, without delay.
The fellow disciples said their farewells outside the city. Hou Niao asked, seemingly offhand, "How is Yinling these days? Is it still peaceful?"
Dou Gong complained, "Peaceful, my ass! I've nearly grown calluses from sitting around. I think Yinling no longer deserves to be called one of the Great Wind Plains' Three Perils. It's just as peaceful as nearby Miaogao Town."
Everyone felt the same, and they were all considering a transfer elsewhere. Seeing this, Hou Niao offered a few words of advice.
"If you have nothing to do, go take a look around Ximang Mountain. Ordinary Soul Ghosts aside, those Nether Souls and Ghost Fiends are still worth hunting."
Everyone's eyes turned to him at once. What Hou Niao had said contradicted the rules they'd agreed on earlier. Was there something going on?
They were all quick-witted. After what had happened to Senior Brother Xiang, Hou Niao's words couldn't help but make them think a little more.
Wang Mian tentatively asked, "That Painted Skin