From Five Animal Exercises to being hailed as a saint and ancestor

The atmosphere inside the inn room was so heavy it was almost palpable.

Shangguan Hong, Qin Feng, Yao Mengkang, and Li Han sat around.

The candlelight cast their shadows long and distorted onto the wall.

"At the City Lord's Mansion, Zhang Xinghan has increased manpower and activated some of the monitoring arrays to trace back, but progress is slow."

Shangguan Hong broke the silence first, tapping his fingers on the table with a dull sound.

"That force is deeply hidden and acts with meticulous care, so conventional investigation methods have limited effectiveness."

"We can't rely on them completely."

Qin Feng replied.

"Moreover, the other party is probably wary of us, especially of Dean Shangguan."

"If we personally go out to investigate, or try to hide our whereabouts, it will probably immediately alert those eyes lurking in the shadows, alerting the enemy."

Shangguan Hong snorted coldly, tacitly agreeing to this.

His "big Buddha" is too conspicuous; any move he makes will affect the whole situation.

Before finding the missing disciple, it is not advisable to act rashly, and even more so to avoid pushing the other party to the brink of desperation.

"How about starting with the beggars and steamed bun shops at the city gate?"

Yao Mengkang put forward the idea.

Li Han immediately shook his head, his voice icy.

"The risk is too high. They are just the outermost layer of informants."

"If we make a move against them, the mastermind behind them will definitely become alert and may immediately cut off the leads, or even harm the missing disciples."

His assassin instincts told him that to deal with this venomous snake lurking in the shadows, he had to kill it with a single blow or find its vital spot.

Cutting grass rashly could have unpredictable consequences.

The investigation appears to have reached a stalemate.

The enemy was lurking in the shadows, but they were afraid to act rashly, and had no way to use their strength.

Silence fell in the room again, broken only by the crackling of the candlelight.

A moment later, Yao Mengkang and Li Han's eyes met in the air. Without a word, a tacit understanding was reached.

Yao Mengkang spoke slowly, his voice steady.

"Since they are in the shadows and we are in the light, if they don't move, we won't find any weaknesses."

"Then... the only way is for us to deliberately expose a weakness and lure them into making a move."

Qin Feng narrowed his eyes slightly.

"you mean……"

"To get involved personally."

Yao Mengkang uttered four words, his gaze sharp.

"Their previous targets were ordinary disciples who were alone."

"Then, let's create an opportunity for 'being alone,' a target that seems reasonable yet is attractive enough."

Li Han added.

"There needs to be a sufficient reason; it can't be an obvious trap."

"Ideally, it should be a target that... has to go out for some reason and appears to be poorly defended."

The core of the plan rested on Yao Mengkang.

He was strong enough to protect himself, but unlike Shangguan Hong and Qin Feng, he didn't attract much attention.

But a reasonable excuse is needed to go out "shopping" in the current tense atmosphere.

As they discussed the details, Qin Feng's lips curled slightly as he thought of Xu Ziyi.

This is the junior sister who ranks last among the ten disciples.

The scene of her voluntarily asking to go shopping with Yao Mengkang during the day is still vivid in my mind.

As someone who has been through it all, he naturally understands the reasons behind it.

The next morning.

In the inn's lobby, most of the disciples who had finished breakfast gathered together, whispering about their missing fellow disciples, creating a somber atmosphere.

Xu Ziyi held the plate, looked left and right, and then seemed to have mustered up her courage.

She jogged over to Yao Mengkang, who was about to go back to his room.

"Senior Brother Yao!"

Her voice was clear and crisp, with a touch of deliberate coquettishness, making her particularly eye-catching in the rather quiet lobby.

She tugged at Yao Mengkang's sleeve and shook it gently, her big eyes full of expectation.

"Shall we...shall we go out for a walk some more? Just for a little while!"

"I still haven't had enough of the candied hawthorns from that shop yesterday, and the lotus-shaped pastries from that pastry shop..."

Yao Mengkang immediately frowned, his tone serious.

"Junior Sister Ziyi, don't be ridiculous! The situation is still unclear, twenty-three fellow disciples are missing, and danger lurks outside. How can we go out so casually?"

Xu Ziyi pouted, her eyes instantly reddened, and she looked like she was about to cry.

"But...but it should be fine during the day, right?"

"We'll just wander around the neighborhood and not go far. Dean Shangguan is at the inn, and you're so amazing, Senior Brother."

"Come back soon! It's so boring staying in the inn... Senior Brother Yao, please..."

Her voice was soft and sweet, with a hint of crying, and her acting was surprisingly realistic, attracting the attention of many disciples around her.

Yao Mengkang's face showed "struggle" and "helplessness".

He glanced at the stares coming from around him, and then at Xu Ziyi's "pitiful" appearance.

After a fierce internal struggle, he finally "gave in" and sighed:

"Sigh... Oh well, I just can't do anything with you."

"It's agreed that you'll only be near the main street of the East Market, and you must be back within an hour at most!"

"Thank you, senior! You're the best!"

Xu Ziyi immediately stopped crying and laughed, cheering like a happy little bird.

To some people with ulterior motives, this scene appears as a "willful" act of a boy and girl, the boy unable to resist the girl's coquettishness, and insisting on going out to play despite the danger.

Especially in this tense atmosphere, although it seems a bit abrupt, it is indeed very tempting.

Yao Mengkang and Xu Ziyi walked out of the inn side by side and blended into the crowd on the street.

Behind them, a shadowy figure, almost imperceptible to the naked eye and ordinary perception, followed silently like a ghost.

It was Li Han.

Recalling the discussions last night, Qin Feng had questioned Li Han's ability to conceal himself.

There are concerns that he may not be able to completely avoid potential covert surveillance.

At that time, Li Han did not explain, but silently circulated his inner energy.

The next moment, to the astonishment of Qin Feng and Shangguan Hong.

Li Han's figure seemed to become transparent.

It's not just a simple visual deception, but a deeper weakening of "presence".

The space around him distorted slightly, and tiny, extremely faint starlight flashed across his body.

Immediately, he seemed to merge into the gap between light and shadow, and his aura, temperature, and even spiritual energy fluctuations almost completely disappeared!

Qin Feng's pupils contracted.

With his cultivation at the Yuan Dan realm, he could barely sense anything when his divine sense swept over it.

Even knowing beforehand that Li Han was there, and using all their abilities to sense him, they could only vaguely sense a very weak residual energy that seemed to be integrated with the surrounding environment.

It's difficult to pinpoint the exact location and shape!

You must know that Qin Feng is a genius cultivator who can fight against the Divine Bridge level at the Yuan Dan stage.

Even more shockingly, Shangguan Hong, a powerful expert who had already reached the fifth realm of Purple Mansion, also showed a hint of surprise in his eyes.

He could sense Li Han's presence, but the feeling was extremely elusive, like looking at a reflection in water through frosted glass, unable to clearly grasp its specific state and movement!

"This is……"

Shangguan Hong pondered for a moment.

"The Path of Shadow, combined with a trace of the Dao of Starlight? Truly extraordinary."

Li Han then gave a simple explanation.

This was achieved through a fortuitous encounter at the Meteorite Secret Realm, thanks to the Meteorite Platform.

He has gained a basic understanding of the Star Concealment Martial Technique left behind by a senior named "Lingtian," which allows him to use the power of stars to hide himself.

There are stars during the day, but the sunlight is too strong to see them.

However, he has already been able to begin to draw upon the omnipresent yet hidden power of the stars, achieving a concealment effect that is almost like "dissolving into starlight".

At this moment, Li Han was using this mysterious Star Concealment Technique.

Like a ghost that doesn't exist, it hangs far behind Yao Mengkang and Xu Ziyi.

His presence was minimized, as if he were just another shadow in the sunlight, unnoticed by ordinary cultivators.

Yao Mengkang and Xu Ziyi looked like a young couple who were genuinely on vacation.

I strolled leisurely along the main street of Dongshi.

Xu Ziyi appeared exceptionally excited.

One minute she'd be pulling Yao Mengkang to watch her knead dough figurines, the next she'd be wanting to buy freshly baked pastries.

She even took a detour to the same candied hawthorn stall as yesterday, bought two skewers, and insisted on sharing them with Yao Mengkang.

Yao Mengkang wore a smile that was both "helpless" and "doting".

While cooperating with Xu Ziyi, his gaze inadvertently swept towards the direction of the city gate.

They "happened" to pass by that steamed bun shop.

Xu Ziyi pointed to the steaming heat coming out of the steamer and said in a sweet voice.

"Senior Brother Yao, look at those steamed buns! They smell so good! Shall we buy a few to try?"

Yao Mengkang nodded obediently and went over to buy a few meat buns.

He could clearly feel it while waiting.

The seemingly busy and honest gaze of the steamed bun shop owner lingered on them for a moment.

Although it moved away quickly, the slight pause did not escape his perception.

They also "inadvertently" passed by the corner where the beggars had been huddled yesterday.

Xu Ziyi even "kindly" tossed a few copper coins into the broken bowl.

In a corner unseen by them, the thin beggar, after receiving the money, subtly traced a few lines on the ground with his fingers.

Not far away, a peddler pushing a cart of miscellaneous goods briefly met the eyes of the steamed bun shop owner and gave a barely perceptible nod.

Information is conveyed silently.

An observer in the shadows watched the boy and girl, seemingly oblivious to their "sweetness."

I've come to a conclusion.

They were just two young people blinded by their emotions and unaware of their own limitations.

Especially that girl, she was spoiled and willful.

The boy, however, was blinded by beauty and lacked vigilance.

Truly... perfect material for walking into a trap.

While dealing with Xu Ziyi's "coquettishness," Yao Mengkang finished eating the last bun in his hand.

He clapped his hands and casually put his arm around Xu Ziyi's shoulder.

He pulled her closer to him.

This intimate gesture made Xu Ziyi's cheeks blush slightly.

Just as he lowered his head, seemingly whispering and laughing in Xu Ziyi's ear.

He whispered something very quickly, in a voice that only the two of them could hear.

"The fish has smelled the bait."

Xu Ziyi, who was so shy just a second ago.

In that instant, his gaze sharpened like a knife, as if he had become a completely different person.

But it only lasted for a moment before she returned to her innocent and carefree demeanor, playfully punching Yao Mengkang.

"Ugh, Senior Brother Yao!"

In the distance, Li Han was hidden in the invisible starlight.

They completely concealed their presence.

If he was like a shadow in the sunlight just now...

Now, he seemed to have completely become a part of the light itself.

Even the last trace of energy disappeared.

He acted as if he had never existed, quietly waiting for his prey to take the bait, waiting for the perfect moment to strike with lightning speed.

The streets were still bustling, and the sun was shining brightly.

Little did they know that under the warm sun, an invisible net was quietly enveloping the seemingly carefree "young couple."

And they are precisely the bait carefully laid by the perpetrators, the beginning of their counterattack.