In the living room of the house, a white-robed, white-haired elder sat upright, pouring tea. He faced the entrance, and Li Chonglou could see a cup placed opposite him.
Did he already know I was coming?
This was not a good sign. Li Chonglou’s expression turned solemn as he walked in slowly.
"Hello."
Having already seen the person outside, Du Tian greeted him proactively as Li Chonglou entered. However, his attention was focused on the layout of the room.
It seemed simple, yet on all four walls hung eight trigrams mirrors. Having seen his master many times, Li Chonglou had learned a bit about Feng Shui and recognized it as a spiritual gathering array.
The "spirit" here was not the spiritual energy of their circle, but rather the essence, energy, and spirit of people. In simpler terms, this arrangement could calm and stabilize the mind.
Of course, belief was a personal matter, but the air inside was indeed more comfortable than outside.
Besides these, a landscape painting also caught Li Chonglou’s attention.
"Hello, my name is Li Chonglou. I hope you’ll forgive my abrupt visit."
The previous observations had only taken a blink of an eye. Li Chonglou clasped his hands in a salute to the elder, also signifying his status as an insider in their circle.
There was no other way; for someone who had seen much of the world, sincerity was the best approach.
Du Tian smiled indifferently and gestured for him to sit.
Li Chonglou also sat down generously, taking a seat opposite Du Tian.
"You don’t seem surprised?"
Only then did Du Tian look at Li Chonglou for the first time. His aged face held a pair of bright eyes.
Li Chonglou also smiled indifferently, appearing unfazed.
"Elder Du, that’s a question junior should be asking."
"Haha, interesting."
Du Tian’s face lit up with interest, his eyes sparkling. However, he suddenly fell silent, picking up his teacup and savoring it.
Li Chonglou remained silent, picked up his teacup, and took a sip. The taste was sweet, with a lingering fragrance, clearly not ordinary tea.
Even for someone accustomed to such occasions, he couldn’t help but praise the tea.
Yet, he still did not speak.
The words he had planned to say at first changed the moment he saw the old man.
Thus, they sat, each taking turns pouring tea, exchanging polite greetings only when refilling cups, like old friends who had known each other for years, quietly sipping their tea.
Until the teapot was empty.
Li Chonglou suddenly stood up, clasped his hands again towards Elder Du, and said, "The tea is excellent. Thank you for your hospitality."
Elder Du stared, not responding.
Li Chonglou said nothing more and turned to leave.
They did not exchange another word until Li Chonglou was outside, at which point he finally sighed.
It seemed he had underestimated the situation earlier, or rather, he had underestimated this old man!
His Heavenly Eye Perspective had previously not detected the elder’s internal energy, but upon seeing him in person, he actually felt the presence of curse power emanating from the elder!
"Little Li, the curse power on that man just now was even more potent than yours."
"I felt it too."
Li Chonglou’s expression turned extremely serious. The fact that he could feel this way undoubtedly proved that the elder had also been to the Lost Land, and perhaps, he was once a master himself!
This was somewhat strange. A martial arts master remaining obscure in the martial world, yet widely known in the business world. After all, for people in their circle, low profile was paramount!
No matter how famous one became in business, they still had to attend social events, which presented an excellent opportunity for enemies. And a martial arts master feared death the most.
Therefore, these two identities of Elder Du Tian left Li Chonglou unable to ascertain his situation for the moment. For now, he could only respond with a steady approach.
"However, if I really think about it, it's also an opportunity. If all else fails, perhaps I can use the curse power as leverage."
Li Chonglou mused as he slowly left Elder Du Tian’s house. The six hidden masters made no move, their gazes fixed on him.
Meanwhile, inside the house, Elder Du Tian watched the doorway, lost in thought.
Suddenly, a black shadow appeared behind him, and a voice followed.
"Elder Du, why does this kid seem a bit inexplicable? He clearly has something to ask for, but he never spoke..."
Du Tian chuckled.
"You wouldn't understand this. This kid is a master."
His laughter carried a hint of admiration, but his eyes revealed deep interest.
The black shadow behind him asked, confused, "He’s a master just by sitting there and not speaking? If that’s the case, am I also a genius in the business world?"
Du Tian shook his head. "The business world is different from the martial arts world, but it’s also a matter of recent times. You’ve been hiding and dodging for so long that you’ve forgotten the ways of the older generation."
"When I opened the door earlier, he should have realized I knew his identity. That’s why he didn’t speak, because he knew that this time, if I don’t speak, there’s no deal."
Black shadow: "Just that?"
Elder Du Tian wore a speechless expression, but he didn’t offer further explanation. This was the tacit understanding between intelligent people. It was hard to explain to others if they couldn't see it.
"By the way, how is Xiao Yun? Have the people watching him been identified?"
The black shadow sighed.
"No, those people are too well hidden. Anyone who has interacted with them cannot see their faces. Those in town are all greedy and don't care about the other party's identity."
Elder Du Tian’s expression instantly returned to calm, his fingers tapping lightly on the tea table.
The atmosphere in the room became quiet for a moment. The suddenly appearing black shadow also remained silent. The silence was somewhat terrifying.
After a long pause, Elder Du finally uttered a few words.
"Continue investigating!"
On the other side, after escaping the sight of those who might be ambushing him, Li Chonglou quickly returned to the small town.
Although Elder Du Tian appeared mysterious, this indirectly confirmed his extraordinary nature. If he could truly be recruited to his side, he would undoubtedly be a valuable general!
Therefore, Li Chonglou had no intention of giving up. If direct conversation didn’t work, he would try an indirect approach!
In any case, based on the current information, what Zhou Tong had investigated was all true. He could also start with the elder’s grandson.
Moreover, Li Chonglou was already quite interested in this person. Someone who collected replicas but didn’t care about their value was something he had never encountered before.
Crucially, this person was exceptionally easy to find.
Li Chonglou returned to the town streets and casually approached a shop, telling the owner he had a batch of replicas he wanted to sell. The owner immediately helped him contact Du Yun.
"Friend, please wait a moment. He’ll be here soon."