"Master Zhao, do you understand formations?"
Seeing Zhao Yan staring at the blueprints, Old Master Long's eyes flashed with a cold glint.
Zhao Yan replied, "Old Master Long, is this blueprint made of sheepskin? The texture feels quite comfortable."
She handed the blueprint to someone behind her and looked up, saying, "What did you say just now, Old Master Long? I didn't hear clearly."
Old Master Long asked, "I just wanted to ask if Master Zhao understands formations?"
Zhao Yan smiled, "Yes, I do."
Old Master Long narrowed his eyes.
Zhao Yan raised her hand and took the blueprint back. Her fingers traced the formation lines on the paper, saying, "This curved line is the formation's curve, and this vertical line is the formation's straight line."
"And this semi-circle is the arc, and this one is..."
The Xuanmen masters behind her couldn't help but scoff when they heard Zhao Yan speak like this.
Han Lin sneered, "Fellow Daoist Zhao, don't pretend to know what you don't. What curves and straight lines are you talking about? You're just drawing pictures."
Zhao Yan was taken aback, then straightened her back. "Who is pretending to know what they don't? This is clearly the formation's curve! This line is so straight, it must be the formation's straight line!"
Han Lin said speechlessly, "Although I don't know formation diagrams, I do know some basic formation knowledge. What you're saying about curves and straight lines is obviously wrong. Those are Yin Xuan Guan and Yang Tian Guan."
"Don't try to show off your value in front of Old Master Long; it will only make you look foolish."
Han Lin snatched the blueprint from Zhao Yan's hand.
Zhao Yan's brows furrowed, and she glared at Han Lin indignantly.
Old Master Long let out a hearty laugh. His wariness towards Zhao Yan lessened. He said to the man behind him, "Go to my study and get a copy of 'The Complete Encyclopedia of Formation Basics'."
"Yes, Old Master Long."
After the man brought the book, Old Master Long took it and handed it to Zhao Yan.
"Master Zhao, I bought this book from someone in the Xuanmen. I'm gifting it to you, hoping you can learn something useful."
Zhao Yan's face lit up with joy. She took the book and, after flipping through a few pages, said with a smile, "Thank you, Old Master Long."
As she read on, Zhao Yan flipped through a few more pages and exclaimed, "Why is the knowledge in here different from what my master taught me?"
Han Lin said coldly, "What your master taught you is all nonsense."
Just as Zhao Yan was about to retort, Old Master Long waved his hand, "Enough, Master Han, Master Zhao."
"When do you think we should start searching for the souls of my wife and child?" Old Master Long asked.
Han Lin pinched his fingers and muttered, "The middle of the night is when yang energy is at its peak."
"At noon, yin energy is at its strongest."
"Old Master Long, I believe the formation should be set up starting at 11 PM, and the activation will be at midnight. That's when we can best exert our yang energy."
Old Master Long looked at the Xuanmen masters present.
Zhao Yan was engrossed in the book Old Master Long had given her, seemingly oblivious to their conversation.
The other Xuanmen masters nodded. "Master Han is correct. We will activate the formation at midnight."
Old Master Long said, "Alright, we'll proceed as Master Han suggests. We'll set up the formation at midnight."
"As long as you can find the souls of my wife and child, I will donate five million to each of your dojos. If you have any other needs, please tell me, and I will do my best to satisfy them."
Upon hearing five million, the Xuanmen masters present burst into laughter. "Old Master Long is generous."
"Gentlemen, please." Old Master Long gestured towards the staircase.
Everyone ascended the stairs, chatting and laughing.
"Master, let's go!" Wang Xianzhi walked a few steps and, seeing Zhao Yan not following, looked back. He found Zhao Yan still reading the book.
"Haha, this Master Zhao is quite studious," Old Master Long chuckled, shaking his head.
Zhao Yan snapped back to attention and quickly said, "Coming."
Closing the book, Zhao Yan joined the group.
As she stepped onto the stairs, she sensed something and looked back.
The female corpse in the glass coffin, which had been lying flat, had now turned sideways. Her body was pressed tightly against the glass, her eyes fixed on Zhao Yan, her lips moving with difficulty.
Her voice couldn't be heard. Zhao Yan blinked, then quickly turned and hurried after them.
After ascending the stairs, they exited the basement.
"Next, I will have someone show you to your rooms. If you are not satisfied, I will immediately arrange for someone to change them for you."
A woman approached and led Zhao Yan towards the left.
After about three minutes, she pushed open a door. "Master Zhao, this is your room."
"Master Wang is in the room next door."
Zhao Yan walked in and took a closer look. With a "whoosh," she suddenly jumped and landed heavily on a large bed.
The bed had high elasticity, immediately bouncing her up.
The room was spacious, with many valuable-looking paintings on the walls and some porcelain pieces by the table.
She rolled over and lay flat on the bed, her lips moving softly.
"Save them!" Zhao Yan mimicked the corpse's lip movements.
"Why not save me? Who are 'they' referring to?"
"The soul of this female corpse is truly strange, to be able to exist within a dead body."
Once a person dies, their soul can no longer enter the body.
If it tries, it will be expelled.
Yet, the soul of this female corpse clearly existed.
"Master." Wang Xianzhi knocked on the door.
Zhao Yan got up and said, "Come in."
She stood up from the bed, took out a talisman, and placed it in the room. She checked to ensure there were no surveillance devices.
"Close the door," Zhao Yan said.
Wang Xianzhi entered and closed the door.
He looked at "The Complete Encyclopedia of Formation Basics" on the table and picked it up. "Master, weren't you quite engrossed in it just now? Why aren't you looking at it now?"
Zhao Yan yawned, "That knowledge? I could recite it backward by the time I was nine."
Wang Xianzhi was confused. "Then why were you just now..."
"I was deceiving Old Master Long," Zhao Yan said.
"Little Wang, this Old Master Long is not ordinary. How much do you know about him?"
Wang Xianzhi replied, "I only know that he's quite wealthy in the capital, has been married eight times, and has never had children. He's eighty-seven now."
"He doesn't look eighty-seven at all; more like in his sixties," Zhao Yan commented.
"Rich people use money to extend their lives, like kidney transplants or something."
Zhao Yan added, "I don't think it's kidney transplants at all, but rather absorbing yang energy."
"The reason he has no descendants is probably because he sucked them dry."
Wang Xianzhi exclaimed, "That can't be right, Master. Old Master Long often does charity work and has been on the charity rankings!"
"The human heart is the most unfathomable. They may appear radiant on the outside, but who knows how dark their hearts are inside."
"In any case, Old Master Long is problematic."
Wang Xianzhi believed Zhao Yan completely. "Then we shouldn't get involved in this matter. Let's slip away quickly."
Zhao Yan replied, "You might be able to leave, but I'm afraid I can't. It's easy to enter the Long family villa, but difficult to leave."