Old Scar at the Secondhand Stall

After Old Huai said those words, the temple remained quiet for several breaths.

Bibi Dong's fingers, gripping her sleeve, tightened and loosened repeatedly, but in the end, she couldn't resist.

"The people in the Divine Realm Hub inscribed the mark of the Abyss on the communication tokens, specifically ordering them to our hands. What are they after?"

Old Huai spread the yellowed booklet on the table and pointed to a section of hastily written annotations.

"I spent the whole night searching and finally figured out the origin of this golden pattern."

"The booklet records that there is a baiting technique in the Abyssal Outer Domain that can attach the Abyss Mark to any object imbued with Spiritual Power."

"Once the item falls into someone's hands, the Abyss can sense that person's Spiritual Power fluctuations and approximate location through the mark."

Nan Feng took the communication token out of the tower and placed it back on the table.

The golden patterns gleamed under the light.

"In other words, whoever has this thing knows where they are on the other side of the Abyss."

"When the Holy Mother White Lotus handed this token to me, did she know it had been switched?"

The Old Huai shook its head.

"They probably don't know. The summons from the Law Enforcement Hall are all standardized; the Holy Mother White Lotus was still using the original when she received it from the Law Enforcement Hall."

"The timing of the switch was either on her way to Heaven Dou City, or after she arrived in Heaven Dou City but before she handed the token to you."

Bibi Dong opened her mouth.

"It's highly unlikely that the item could be switched on the way. The Holy Mother White Lotus is First-Level God, and the Law Enforcement Hall's messages are kept close to her body. Who could possibly swap something from her halfway through the journey?"

Nan Feng turned the token over and looked at the back.

"Then there's only one possibility left. After arriving in Heaven Dou City, she met with someone or stayed somewhere."

"The Holy Mother White Lotus arrived in the evening, just after the ceremony had ended, and went straight into the temple. But before that, she had to get to Heaven Dou City first, and find a place to stay."

Old Huai slapped his thigh.

"Investigate. Investigate where she went and who she met after arriving in Heaven Dou City and before entering the Divine Temple."

"There are records of the city garrison entering and leaving the city at the west gate of Heaven Dou City. Shifang's grilled fish stall is located right at the west gate, so he should be able to remember if any unfamiliar faces entered the city that day."

Shifang poked half his head in from outside the palace gate, with grilled fish sauce still on his lips.

"A new face? Brother Nan, you mean the day the Holy Mother White Lotus came?"

"Let me think... That afternoon, an old man in a gray robe came in through the west gate, walking without making a sound."

"I glanced at him as he passed by my stall. His face was half-covered, only his eyes were visible."

"I initially thought it was a treatment for facial acne."

"The old man in the gray robe." Nan Feng noted this information down.

"Did the Holy Mother White Lotus make contact with anyone after entering the city? She was accompanied by two attendants in silver-gray outfits. Did those two attendants ever leave her side?"

Shifang scratched the back of his head.

"I don't know, I was too busy grilling the fish."

"However, when Huo Wu came to pick up the grilled fish that day, she mentioned that she saw two people in front of the pharmacy in the west of the city."

A man in a silver-gray outfit was talking to an old man in a gray robe in the corner.

She was also wondering how someone from the Divine Realm could have connections with the old man from Heaven Dou City.

Nan Feng and Bibi Dong exchanged a glance.

Huo Wu saw it, but Huo Wu didn't know what it meant. At the time, she probably thought it was just a messenger from the Divine Realm who had some old acquaintances in the area.

"Tomorrow I'll go find Huo Wu and ask her what that gray-robed old man looks like."

Nan Feng put the message into the tower.

"Old Huai, don't throw this token away yet. Place it at the bottom of the Tower Spirit Space and seal it with your Immortal Power to prevent the Abyss Mark from seeping anything out."

Old Huai nodded.

"It can be sealed. But as long as the mark remains on the other side of the Abyss, they'll eventually find the location of the Tower Spirit Space. You need to find a way to remove the mark."

"Seal it for now. We'll talk about removing the mark after I finish questioning Huo Wu."

Nan Feng turned to look at Bibi Dong.

"Don't stay in the tower tonight. Go stay with Ye Lingling for the night. If the Abyss Mark makes any unusual movements, you'll be the first to suffer if you stay in the tower."

Bibi Dong opened her mouth, wanting to say that she wasn't afraid. But after meeting Nan Feng's gaze, she swallowed her words and nodded.

The next morning, Nan Feng went to find Huo Wu.

Huo Wu was leading her students in morning exercises in the courtyard of the Blazing Fire Academy stationed in Heaven Dou City. She was taken aback when she saw Nan Feng coming over.

After understanding the purpose of their visit, she slapped her forehead and thought for a long time.

"That day... I went to the West Gate to buy grilled fish, and when I passed by the West City Pharmacy, I did see a person in a silver-gray outfit talking to an old man in a gray robe in the corner of the pharmacy."

The old man in the gray robe had his back to me, so I couldn't see his face. But he had a long, old scar on the back of his right hand, running from the base of his thumb to his wrist.

Nan Feng wrote this message down.

Did that person in the silver-gray outfit see you?

"I saw him, and he even glared at me. I was in a hurry to buy grilled fish, so I ignored him."

Huo Wu paused for a moment, then suddenly realized what she meant.

"What, is there something wrong with those two?"

"There's a problem, and a significant one."

Nan Feng briefly explained that the message order had been switched.

Huo Wu frowned deeply after hearing this.

"That old man in the gray robe dared to exchange tokens right under the nose of the Divine Realm envoy; he's got some nerve. Should I go to the west side of the city and inquire further?"

"No need. You've already given me the most crucial information: an old scar on the back of his right hand, a gray robe, a mask, and he walks silently."

"Old Huai can easily find those in the permanent residents of Heaven Dou City who match this characteristic with a simple check."

After returning to the temple, Nan Feng placed the information in front of Old Huai.

Old Huai spent half an hour flipping through the booklet. Nan Feng used his Treasure-Appraising Spirit Light to scan the area within Heaven Dou City twice.

Finally, a name was found in the register of a secondhand shop in the west of the city.

The gray-robed man started setting up a stall at the secondhand market in the west of the city a few months ago, selling old Soul Tool and tattered books of unknown origin.

The registered name is "Old Scar," which is an alias.

"This Old Scar came to Heaven Dou City a few months ago, right around the time the Immortal Dao Alliance was first established."

The Old Huai Immortal Wood Spirit Light to pinpoint the location of the secondhand stall.

"They're still setting up their stall; it's hard to say if they've even opened for business today."

Nan Feng didn't rush to arrest anyone. He first sent Shifang to take a look around the secondhand market.

Shifang came back and said that Old Scar's stall opened today, and he was still there.

He wore a gray robe that covered his face, and the scar on the back of his hand was visible even from three zhang away.

Nan Feng asked another question.

"Does he have any eye-catching items at his stall?"

Shifang thought for a moment.

"There was a stack of old books with some winding patterns drawn on the covers. They looked a bit like the symbols on Old Huai's book."

Nan Feng understood.

He didn't make a fuss. That evening, he took Bibi Dong and Shifang to the secondhand market in the west of the city.

Old Scar's stall was located at the very back of the market. A few old books, two rusty Soul Tool, and a pile of ores whose original color was no longer discernible were propped up on a broken wooden board.

Nan Feng walked to the stall, squatted down, and casually picked up an old book to flip through.

The patterns on the cover are variations of Abyss runes.

Old Scar huddled behind the stall, his gray robe pulled up high, revealing only his eyes.

Nan Feng flipped through the book and suddenly spoke.

"Old Scar, where did you get these books from?"

Old Scar's eyes flickered.

"It was collected from the countryside."

Which rural area?

"I can't remember, I went to a lot of places."

Nan Feng closed the book and put it back on the stall, her tone flat.

"The scar on the back of your right hand is exactly the same as the one you had when you met the man in the silver-gray outfit at the corner of the pharmacy in the west of the city on the day the Holy Mother White Lotus entered the city."

"Would you like to come back to the temple with me to discuss this in detail?"

Old Scar froze, his right hand darting into his sleeve.

Bibi Dong took a step forward. The Purification Power spread out, and Old Scar's breathing immediately became rapid.

Shifang circled around to the back of the stall, blocking its escape route.

Old Scar remained silent for a few moments, then suddenly ripped off his mask, revealing a gaunt old face.

There is an old scar on my right cheek, the same one as the one on the back of my hand.

He gave a wry smile.

"The Immortal Master has excellent eyesight. I originally thought I could hide it for several more years."

What are you hiding?

Old Scar pulled out a silver-white token from under the stall, exactly the same as the one belonging to the Holy Mother White Lotus.

The back is clean, without any gold patterns.

"This one is the real one. The day the Holy Mother White Lotus came to Heaven Dou City, I took advantage of her resting at the pharmacy and exchanged the Abyss Bait Token for the real token she was carrying."

"The Abyss told me to hide the real token and wait for their next instructions."

Nan Feng took the real token, looked at it, and handed it to Bibi Dong to keep.

What are the next instructions from the other side of the Abyss?

Old Scar shook his head.

"I don't know. They haven't contacted me since they changed the token."

"I was planning to close down my stall and run away soon, but you guys found me before I even set off."

Nan Feng squatted in front of the stall without moving, staring at Old Scar for a long time before suddenly laughing.

"After you finished your task for the Abyss, Abyss didn't even give you any further instructions, and just left you stranded in Heaven Dou City."

"You've risked your life for them for so long, and they didn't even leave you any money to run away with?"

Old Scar's expression shifted, and finally he sighed.

What does the Immortal Master want to say?

"What I'm trying to say is, you've been abandoned by the Abyss."

"That old book with Abyss runes in your hand is bait they made you leave on the stall."

"If I fail to find you, they will track me down through the runes in that book."

"From the day you set up your stall, you've been a living coordinate left behind by the Abyss in Heaven Dou City."

Old Scar's face turned pale.

Nan Feng stood up and dusted off his hands.

"I've taken the token. You have two choices."

"Either you continue guarding this mess for the Abyss, and wait for them to remember you and silence you."

"Either come back to the temple with me and tell me Abyss in Heaven Dou City, or I'll guarantee your life."

Old Scar squatted behind the stall for a long time, then finally took off his gray robe and threw it onto the stall.

"I'll go with you. They didn't even pay me to Abyss there, why should I risk my life for them?"

That evening, Old Scar spent two whole hours giving his instructions in a side hall of the Pagoda God Temple.

Abyss had more than one mole in Heaven Dou City. The accountant of the blacksmith shop in the north of the city, the postmaster of the post station at the south gate, and the proprietress of the rouge shop in the east of the city had all had contact with Abyss.

Nan Feng ordered Shifang to lead men and eliminate all those hidden agents overnight; not a single one escaped.

It was already past midnight when I finished dealing with all these things.

Nan Feng sat on the steps of the main hall of the temple, clutching the True Inheritance Token in his hand and looking at it over and over again.

Bibi Dong brought over a cup of hot tea and placed it beside him, then sat down next to him.

"When you told Old Scar just now that the Abyss had treated him like a pawn, your tone was quite harsh."

Because I'm really angry.

Nan Feng put the token into the tower.

"The Abyss has people in the Divine Realm Hub, and they've also planted spies in Heaven Dou City. They're all in cahoots, waiting for me to fall into their trap."

"If Old Huai hadn't uncovered the origins of Jinwen, I would still be completely in the dark."

Bibi Dong remained silent for a while.

"Do you think the traitor in the Divine Realm Hub could be someone from the Law Enforcement Hall?"

"Uncertain. The Holy Mother White Lotus may not necessarily be the mole, but she was definitely used without her knowledge."

"The Abyss calculated that she would come looking for me, and they also calculated her route and whereabouts. To have this level of intelligence, the mole must be of a very high rank."

Bibi Dong picked up her teacup and took a sip.

So how do you plan to investigate?

Nan Feng finished his tea, stood up, and shoved the empty cup into Bibi Dong's hand.

"Don't investigate yet. The mole is in the Divine Realm Hub; if I rashly take action against him, I'll only alert him."

"First, clear out the hidden agents on the mainland, then wait—since the Abyss has laid out its trap, it will definitely make another move."

"When they make their next move, I'll follow their pattern and sneak back."

Bibi Dong took the empty cup, looked at Nan Feng's profile, and suddenly said something.

You weren't usually this calm.

"I hadn't Foundation Establishment Perfection before."

Nan Feng patted his robes and walked into the palace.

"Go to sleep, we have a ton of work to do tomorrow. Old Scar said the accountant at the blacksmith's shop in the north of the city has a map showing the Abyss's connections in Heaven Dou City; we need to dig it out tomorrow."

Bibi Dong watched his retreating figure, a slight smile curving her lips, and followed him with two empty cups in her hand.

The next morning, when Shifang ran into the main hall of the temple, Nan Feng was checking the communication map with Old Huai.

Shifang clutched an urgent letter from the Far North in his hand, his expression a mixture of excitement and nervousness.

"Nan-ge! Ice Empress sent a letter!"

"They said the Far North rift has started emitting black smoke again recently, and it's getting a bit tiring for her and the Snow Empress to keep an eye on it. They asked when you'd have time to go up and reinforce the seal."

"There was also a note tucked inside the letter, written by Snow Empress. It only contained one sentence."

"Ice Empress said she misses you, but she won't admit it herself. Don't tell anyone I told you."

Nan Feng finished reading the urgent letter, then looked at the note, and chuckled.

The Old Huai poked its head out from inside the tower.

"Black smoke billows from the Far North rift, Abyss spy has been unearthed in Heaven Dou City, and a traitor is hidden in the Divine Realm Hub. You've only had this Immortal Dao Alliance for a few months, and trouble keeps piling up."

Nan Feng put the letter and note into the tower, then stood up and stretched his shoulders.

"The more trouble we cause, the more we make a scene. If the Abyss and the Divine Realm can't be bothered with us, then that's a real problem."

He walked to the entrance of the hall and glanced back at the Old Huai.

"After the communication map is unearthed, I'll head north to the Far North for a while. You keep an eye on things here in Heaven Dou City; send a message if there's anything urgent."

The Old Huai blows its beard.

"Running away again! You're always running around outside, who's going to guard the tower?"

Shifang peeked his head in from outside the door.

"I'll guard it! Brother Nan, you can go without worry!"

Old Huai slapped a booklet on Shifang's head.

"What else can you do besides grilling fish?!"

Nan Feng walked out of the temple with a smile.

The morning light of Heaven Dou City shone on his face, warm and comforting.

He touched the red ribbon on his left wrist and suddenly remembered what Xiao Wu had said outside Holy Soul Village.

You go out there to cultivate your immortality, I'll wait for you to come back to drink with me in the mortal world.

He looked up at the sky.

Several pale silver-gray cloud streaks were visible on the horizon, drifting south from the Far North.

The cloud pattern resembled the gold pattern on the message token, but it was fainter and more diffuse.

Nan Feng squinted and quickened his pace.