Xiao Man leaned close to Nangong Yu's ear and whispered something only the two of them could hear, covering his mouth. Nangong Yu's expression was calm, but his pupils trembled as if in disbelief. After a moment, he regained his composure.
"A'Man, I asked, if the Demon Lord were to break free and slaughter the world, what would you do?"
"I would do everything in my power to stop him."
"I understand." Nangong Yu took the Patriarch's token from Xiao Man's hand and put it away. "Lu Qing is at the Heavenly Spirit Sect. Do you have anyone at the Heavenly Profound Sect?"
Xiao Man's expression flickered, and her gaze darted away. Nangong Yu knew Xiao Man too well. She did have someone at the Heavenly Profound Sect, but this person was someone she was unwilling to mention to him.
Nangong Yu's heart faintly found its answer. "One wrong move, and the whole game is lost. A'Man, is the chasm between us something we can never cross?"
Xiao Man fell silent, uncharacteristically. She didn't know how to answer. Logically, there shouldn't be a chasm between them, but that was before she knew Wen Mohan was still alive.
Nangong Yu turned away, not daring to look at Xiao Man's face again. He feared seeing her resolve. If she hesitated, it meant she had feelings for him. If she was resolute, then he feared he would never be able to cross this chasm in his entire life.
"Be extremely careful on your way to the Heavenly Sword Sect. I'll rush back to meet you once I'm done." Nangong Yu took a deep breath. " Absolutely do not put yourself in danger. Think of the people you care about, and think of me."
"Alright, I'll wait for you to come back."
Xiao Man arrived at the small town at the foot of the Heavenly Sword Sect. The town was bustling, with countless rogue cultivators who admired the Heavenly Sword Sect settling there, all for the chance to enter and become its disciples.
Xiao Man walked towards the Penglai Inn. This was the inn where Madam Jin and her son had stayed, and then the entire party had vanished without a trace. No one knew the whereabouts of Madam Jin and her son.
Ever since the incident with Madam Jin and her son, this inn had fallen into decline. The Heavenly Sword Sect had investigated dozens of times but found no clues. Others, fearing the same fate as Madam Jin and her son, dared not stay at this inn. What was once a prosperous inn became desolate, not even a fly would venture inside.
As Xiao Man approached the entrance of the Penglai Inn, a waiter from the inn next door rushed forward. "Guest, please come to our Fulai Inn. This inn is not safe to stay in."
"Why is it not safe?"
"The last time someone stayed at this inn, an entire party disappeared without a trace. Not even their bodies have been found to this day."
"This inn is a den of thieves? They killed people?"
"Our inn is not a den of thieves!" The waiter rushed to the doorway. "We don't know where those people went. Perhaps they left on their own?"
"But the people disappeared from your inn! Guest, for your safety, it's better to stay at our Fulai Inn. It's definitely safer."
"I happen to like taking risks. I want to try and see if anything happens if I stay at this inn."
"Guest, you mustn't! If something happens, it will be too late!"
"Get out of the way!" The waiter quickly stepped aside, pushed past the obstruction, and led Xiao Man inside. "Please come in, honored guest. Our humble establishment is quiet and clean, ensuring you a comfortable stay."
"Which room in your inn had the strange incident?" Xiao Man asked.
The waiter's expression immediately changed, and he hesitated, unsure whether to speak.
"I'm a person who loves the bizarre. I came to stay precisely because I heard your inn had a strange occurrence. Don't worry, if anything happens, we won't blame you." Xiao Man handed the waiter a bag of gold coins. The waiter's eyes lit up, and he immediately guided Xiao Man further inside.
"Honored guest, you must not know, it wasn't a specific room, but the entire back courtyard. Those guests at the time paid handsomely and booked the entire back courtyard. The next morning, when I went to deliver hot water, I found the back courtyard empty. Yet their luggage was still there, and the people seemed to have vanished into thin air!"
"Vanished into thin air?"
"Yes, vanished into thin air!" The waiter lowered his voice. "Speaking of which, it's very strange. Dozens of people, gone overnight, without a single sound heard. Isn't that terrifying?"
"Ahem!" The innkeeper came out and immediately turned grim upon hearing the waiter gossiping with the guest. "You little scamp, entertain our esteemed guest properly, what nonsense are you spouting?"
"Innkeeper, this guest fancies such things."
The innkeeper looked at Xiao Man with a peculiar gaze. "Are you here to investigate?"
"I'm just here for the curiosity." Xiao Man said with a smile. "I've always enjoyed strange tales and unusual occurrences, so I asked the waiter to show me around."
"Aren't you afraid?"
"Not afraid."
"Fine, take the guest around." The innkeeper watched Xiao Man curiously enter the back courtyard, shaking his head. Afterward, he had inspected the back courtyard many times, and several groups from the Heavenly Sword Sect had also investigated, as had people from the Jin family. In the end, nothing was found. Even if this person went, she would find nothing.
Once in the back courtyard, Xiao Man acted like a tourist. The waiter introduced her to the rooms where each person had stayed and what strange things were found in their rooms when the people were discovered missing. As they were talking, a door behind them suddenly slammed shut with force.
The waiter jumped, startled, and looked back in horror. Seeing that it was just the wind closing the door, he breathed a sigh of relief. "The back courtyard has three floors, with five rooms on each floor. One gold coin a night, not a cheap price. The guests at the time were very generous. Honored guest, do you want to go upstairs and take a look?"
"Yes." Xiao Man urged the waiter to take her up. The waiter swallowed, thinking that in broad daylight, nothing should happen, and emboldened himself, he led Xiao Man to the second floor.
The rooms on the second floor faced each other, five on each side, all with their doors closed. Perhaps because sunlight couldn't penetrate, the entire second floor felt somewhat gloomy.
"Honored guest, this is the second floor. The esteemed guests at the time stayed on the second floor, while the guards stayed on the first and third floors." The waiter stepped forward and opened the door of the first room. Light streamed in, but it did nothing to dispel the gloomy atmosphere of the second floor, instead making it appear even more eerie and ghostly.
Xiao Man pushed open another door on the opposite side. The room was very tidy. So much time had passed, and so many people had come to investigate. Even if there were any clues, they would have been long destroyed.
They opened the rooms one by one, all the way to the end of the corridor.
"Honored guest, shall we go to the third floor?"
"Let's go take a look." Xiao Man said, about to move when a room door that had been open suddenly slammed shut with a loud bang, making the waiter tremble with fear. Subsequently, the doors of the other rooms all closed. The waiter shrieked repeatedly, hiding behind Xiao Man.