Ji Yuan found it amusing, and Old Ox felt much the same. But for Shi Jiu and Wang Youhong, it was anything but pleasant. Before an immortal as great as Ji Yuan, who was amiable toward everyone, even ordinary demons might not feel this pressure. Yet for the two of them, it truly came crashing down like a mountain.
To Shi Jiu and Wang Youhong, when was Ji Yuan at his most terrifying? Naturally, when he wore a smile and said nothing at all.
The first to buckle beneath the pressure and speak was Shi Jiu. He had sworn an oath before Ji Yuan. Though he had not truly fulfilled that oath, he had not exactly violated it either—at least, not excessively. Uneasy at heart, he urgently wanted to explain himself.
"Mister Ji, I..."
Shi Jiu's peripheral vision swept over Old Ox and Wang Youhong. Both were relatively formidable figures within the Heavenly Revelation Alliance. If they learned of his connection to a Master of the Immortal Path, the consequences would be severe. Yet that was nothing compared to earning Ji Yuan's displeasure. If he could not cross this hurdle, he would be annihilated in spirit and form. What future could he possibly speak of then?
Words were always the least convincing thing. Gritting his teeth, Shi Jiu took a small cloth pouch from his robes and explained to Ji Yuan through the Sound Transmission Technique.
"Mister Ji, Shi Jiu has never forgotten his promise. I have also used the conveniences afforded by my cultivation to make a breakthrough in my investigation. Please examine this."
Ji Yuan looked at the little cloth pouch and reached out to accept it. He could smell a faint lingering odor, though he could not identify the sensation it gave him. Shi Jiu had surely