Countless thoughts raced through Wang Ping’s mind as he listened to Guan Xi. First, there was Guan Xi’s strength. ’He’s definitely beyond the Third Realm,’ Wang Ping thought. His cultivation technique must be unique. Wang Ping was curious, but it wasn’t his place to ask, nor did he want to, as that would inevitably lead to the Saint whom Guan Xi had mentioned.

Second, he considered the identities of Guan Xi and his companion. Only then did he turn his thoughts to the matter at hand.

For a cultivator of Guan Xi’s caliber—someone who had personally orchestrated this capture—there had to be a deeper reason for it all.

Seeing Wang Ping’s attentive expression, Guan Xi ambled over to the bonfire and chuckled. "A quarter of an hour ago, even I didn’t know that the person I was looking for had been nervously holding his post in the Court’s ancestral temple for several hundred years."

He was referring to the Commander of the Imperial Guard, Yang Guangyuan. This man had been in charge of the Imperial Guard since the founding of the Xia Dynasty. While his reputation had never been stellar, no major scandals had ever surfaced, and he had always shown immense loyalty to each successive Emperor.

Guan Xi sat down opposite Wang Ping. Staring into the roaring flames of the bonfire, he asked, "I wonder, have you ever heard of the Kongshan Association, Fellow Daoist?"

"An organization that was quite active in the south during the early days of the Xia Dynasty. Their members fanatically worship the Wood Spirit." This was a tidbit Wang Ping had gleaned from reading local gazettes in his spare time after becoming Pacification Envoy. He had never heard of the Kongshan Association before that.

"Exactly."

Guan Xi confirmed Wang Ping’s answer with a nod, then added, "Their leader is a Fourth Realm Wood Spirit Cultivator, but he doesn’t practice the Taiyan Talisman..."

"How is that possible?"

The denial escaped Wang Ping’s lips. It was a widely accepted fact in the Cultivation Realm that heterodox cultivators could not ascend to the Fourth Realm.

Guan Xi didn’t rush to explain, simply picking up where he left off. "Under normal circumstances, he possesses the power of the Fourth Realm. But if he descends into a frenzy, his strength can approach that of a True Monarch. Moreover, he is exceptionally skilled at concealing his aura. The Jimin Association has searched for him countless times over the centuries, all to no avail."

"Why would the Kongshan Association come after me?"

Wang Ping asked. A moment later, a new question arose. "Is it because of Ancestral Master Yuxiao? Do they think I have some information about him?"

Guan Xi nodded. "Correct. You went from being a mere mortal to the Third Realm in just over two hundred years. In their radical view, they believe you must have received some kind of boon from Elder Yuxiao."

"Absurd!"

A flicker of self-doubt crossed Wang Ping’s mind, but it vanished as quickly as it came.

Guan Xi chuckled. "He calls himself the South Sea Taoist. Somehow, he managed to successfully merge with a Fourth Realm Wood Attribute True Spirit. His success led countless Heterodox Cultivators to try and imitate him, but none who followed ever succeeded. Not only did they fail, but they also created a state of spiritual chaos, giving birth to innumerable twisted Spirit Bodies."

"That was during the darkest period before the Xia Dynasty was founded..."

He glanced at the surrounding mountains and rivers. "Back then, Zhongzhou was a vast, scorched land littered with bones. Rampant spiritual energy nearly consumed the physical world. On every mountain, a twisted True Spirit projected itself into reality. At night, they would lure kindhearted people into depravity; by day, they would devour the True Spirits from neighboring peaks."

"Later, perhaps because the chaotic spiritual energy began to affect the cultivation of the True Monarchs, they ordered a complete blackout on all information about the South Sea Taoist. But they failed to capture him. His last known location was the Southeast Zhongzhou Sea Region. Some speculate he slipped into the Far East Continent by way of the eastern edge of the Mist Sea Region."

"For more than three hundred years after that, the Kongshan Association was never seen again. Not until your Qianmu Temple was framed. I secretly investigated that incident and found traces of the Kongshan Association. Unfortunately, there weren’t many clues. All we know for now is that they are searching for the relics of Elder Yuxiao!"

Wang Ping asked, puzzled, "What could our Ancestral Master possibly have that a powerhouse on par with a True Monarch would be so fixated on?"

"Rumor has it that Elder Yuxiao, by studying the Taiyan Talisman, created his own method for controlling a True Spirit with a Wood Spirit. Other rumors claim that Elder Yuxiao once obtained a fraction of a True Monarch’s power."

Guan Xi picked up a branch and stoked the bonfire, making the flames burn brighter. "Whichever rumor is true," he said, "I believe the South Sea Taoist wants what he left behind. His future likely depends on it."

Wang Ping’s gaze lowered as he processed this information. ’Clearly, the Kongshan Association is a dangerous organization. Their methods may be extreme, but they are also incredibly cautious—not brazen like ’Day One’.’

’That makes them very dangerous.’

’Imagine it: you’re just walking down the street, and someone with no apparent connection to you attacks, trying to steal your memories. And you have no clues, no logical way to even identify your enemy!’

Take this time, for instance. If Guan Xi hadn’t shown up, Wang Ping would have definitely fallen for their trap.

But such is the nature of cause and effect. Guan Xi’s appearance might have seemed inevitable, but it was also the result of the karma Wang Ping had accumulated through his cultivation and his past deeds.

Or perhaps, Guan Xi finding him was the effect of those causes. In any case, while the situation seemed fraught with risk, the outcome was, in truth, already determined by fate.

"So, you’re here for the Kongshan Association?" Wang Ping asked.

"That, and to have your back," Guan Xi said with a smile. "It’s not every day I find a friend I get along with. Of course I’m going to lend a hand when I can. After so many years, the trail is finally warm again."

"I assume I’ll be kept in the loop?" Wang Ping asked.

"Of course. As soon as I have someone read the memories of these two Primordial Spirits, I’ll write to you immediately." As he spoke, Guan Xi took out the Eight Trigrams Plate he had just acquired. He offered it to Wang Ping, saying, "This is a real treasure. In the archives of the Daoist Scripture Hall, its designation is ’B-Lower-03’!"

A glint appeared in Wang Ping’s eyes. He knew that the internal records of the Daoist Scripture Hall had a special catalog for unique Outer Realm Demon Soldiers. Those designated with the prefixes A, B, C, and D were the most significant. A Demon Soldier artifact with a ’B-Lower’ designation could absolutely be called a ’great treasure.’

"Power it with your Wood Spirit Qi, and everything that has happened within a five-li radius in the past two hours will appear in your Primordial Spirit’s vision. It can also show you what might happen in the next five breaths, but the predictions are usually inaccurate. That’s why it’s rated ’B-Lower.’ Otherwise, it would definitely be an ’A-Upper’ class item."

After explaining its use, Guan Xi mentioned the side effect. "Using it causes your Primordial Spirit to suffer from spatial suppression. I’ve heard it’s a pain beyond description."

"The Primordial Spirit can feel pain?" Wang Ping asked, surprised.

"Why not try it and see for yourself?" Guan Xi gestured at the Eight Trigrams Plate in Wang Ping’s hands. "It’s yours!"

"Mine?" Wang Ping was even more astonished.

"I got the two Primordial Spirits. It’s only fair that this is yours."

Wang Ping didn’t hesitate for long. Guan Xi was right; he was entitled to a share of the spoils. As he took the plate, the first thing he noticed was its weight. An ordinary person wouldn’t even be able to lift it.

"You took care of anyone tailing me, I hope?" Wang Ping didn’t examine the Eight Trigrams Plate’s functions just yet. He decided he would look it over along with his other spoils once he was back at Qianmu Temple.

"I did," Guan Xi confirmed with a nod.

Wang Ping nodded, a glimmer of delight in his eyes. He had left Shangjing City so abruptly for two reasons: first, to help Guan Xi, and second, to create a diversion so he could return to pay respects to his senior and junior martial brothers.

He had also wanted to ask Guan Xi about the situation in the Northwest, but on second thought, he decided against it.