Go and capture those thirty-six fierce villains.

Inside an inconspicuous courtyard on the side of the street.

Qin Ning pushed open the door. He had changed into a black robe, covered his face with a black mask, and even held a bamboo hat in his hand, ready to put it on his head.

"Is the offline interaction of 'All Things' really that mysterious?"

He put the straw hat on his head, looked at Feng Hanying who had changed her clothes and was completely disguised, and asked curiously.

"Gathering people in private, especially when it involves a cultivation path like Taoism that is strictly prohibited from being discussed by the authorities, is something we should be careful about."

As Feng Hanying spoke, she swiped the five copper coins at her waist and pulled out a smaller mask: "If you're going to take Qin Li with you, you'd better make sure to cover her up. There are quite a few people in Bei'an City who know that you, Qin Hanchan, like to carry a black fox with you."

Qin Ning turned her head and looked at the little black cat perched on her shoulder, its eyes closed and almost blending into her.

"Go back to the clinic by yourself first."

"Meow......"

His response was a plaintive meow and two sharp swipes of its little paws.

"Listen to me, I'll go check it out first. Once I understand the ropes, I'll take you out to play next time." Qin Ning scratched Qin Li's chin. "I'll bring you something delicious when I come back tonight."

"Meow."

The little black cat snorted, spun around in mid-air, leaped onto the roof behind it, and after getting its bearings, waved its paw at the two people in the courtyard before disappearing from their sight.

"Can she find her way back by herself?"

Feng Hanying put away her mask, walked closer, and reached out to help Qin Ning straighten her clothes.

"No problem, when do we leave?"

"No rush, we still need to wait for a friend." Feng Hanying said, releasing her hand and specifically instructing, "The people in [All Things] are a mixed bag. Some may be the sons of high-ranking officials in the city, some may be notorious bandits on wanted posters, and it wouldn't be surprising if even high-level cultivators appeared. So after we go in, we must try to hide our information as much as possible to avoid exposing our true identities and causing any trouble."

Qin Ning pondered for a moment: "The face can be concealed, but shouldn't the figure and voice also be altered?"

Feng Hanying took out a clump of cyan metal and put it into her black robe. Then, the sound of a mechanism rang out.

Then, her waistline visibly became more than three sizes larger.

"The most basic armor of the Mohist school is heavy and sturdy, which is perfect for altering one's body shape. As for the voice..." She took out a metal block and handed it to Qin Ning, "There are people inside who can speak for us."

A designated person will take over?

This suggests that the "all things" do not spontaneously gather and communicate, but rather that there is an organizer behind them.

Qin Ning took the metal block and, following suit, placed it on his waist.

In an instant, his black robes were stretched taut, and his figure transformed from a somewhat slender young man into a pot-bellied middle-aged man.

The two waited a while longer.

Thump...thump, thump thump thump.

A rhythmic knocking sound rang out.

"The person we're waiting for has arrived, let's go." Upon hearing the agreed-upon voice, Feng Hanying turned around and walked to the door, reaching out to pull out the door latch. A black-clad figure, also slightly bulky but considerably shorter, was standing outside the door.

Perhaps not expecting to see two people at the door, the person who was about to greet them froze in mid-air, and the words that were about to be spoken stuck in their throat, turning into a strange sound.

"This is a newcomer who wants to join [All Things], a friend of mine. If you don't want to reveal your identities to each other, you don't have to communicate."

Feng Hanying explained the situation in a low voice. The person who came took a half step back, making way for the doorway, without making a sound.

Qin Ning was the same, but in his heart he already had a very certain guess about the identity of the person in front of him.

The knuckles revealed when the hand is raised are slender and soft, unlike those of a man.

He is also a friend of Feng Hanying and is interested in the Taoist cultivation path.

Based on these few points alone, he was eighty or ninety percent certain that the person in front of him was the little princess who inexplicably disliked him.

What gave him certainty was the Bagua plate that was glowing and radiating heat in his sleeve.

The Bagua plaque started reacting about 15 minutes ago.

The person in front of me isn't the young princess... it couldn't possibly be that old master from the Tiger Roar Martial Arts School, could it?

But... what is this little princess doing carrying around a little thief?

The three remained silent and wandered through secluded alleys after leaving the hospital.

At this moment, the sun was about to set, its lingering rays casting long shadows into the deserted alleyways, adding a touch of mystery to the journey that was about to begin.

When she could faintly hear the noise of people coming from the street, Feng Hanying, who was leading the way, stopped in her tracks.

Before them stood a four-story wooden building, but the group was clearly in a secluded spot near the back entrance.

Before a dark blue door stood two hunched figures, no more than three feet tall, draped in black robes.

"Does the guest desire immortality?"

One of the hunched figures came forward, its voice strange and distorted, yet still somewhat understandable.

"Mortals dare not presume to live forever; all they desire is a peaceful and smooth life."

Feng Hanying responded in a low voice, handing over a token. The person who appeared to be the young princess also stepped forward, handing over a waist token as well.

"He came seeking immortality, and I will vouch for him."

As the other party checked the waist tag, Feng Hanying turned and pointed at Qin Ning.

"May all your requests and wishes be fulfilled." As the hunched figure handed back the waist tokens, the number of tokens in his hand increased from two to three.

The one guarding the door then opened the small, dark blue door for the three of them.

Upon entering the mysterious building, Feng Hanying approached Qin Ning and handed him the extra waist token.

"Seeking longevity indicates you're a newcomer. Next time you come, just answer like I did. Keep this token safe. [All Things] will hold a fixed gathering on the 15th of each month. Other auctions and temporary gatherings will be announced through this token."

Qin Ning looked down at the waist token in his hand. Through the black veil of his bamboo hat, he noticed that the token was half black and half white, with a single character "一" (one) spanning the boundary between the two.

If you look closely, you'll see that the character "一" is not formed by a single stroke, but by dozens of small vertical lines connected and squeezed together.

"When there's an auction, the black part of the sign lights up, with several vertical lines appearing on each character, representing the month and time; when the white part lights up, it means a gathering is about to be held... What's going on?"

In the narrow corridor, Feng Hanying noticed Qin Ning's unusual behavior as she introduced herself in a low voice, and asked her in confusion.

Qin Ning calmly waved her hand without saying a word, signaling the other party to continue.

An invisible wave stirred within me.

The sign, both in color and the way it was presented, inexplicably reminded him of the Dao Lord.

I don't know if it's a coincidence, or...

"That's all I have to tell you. This place is ostensibly an antique shop, a gathering place for buying and selling ceramics, jade and all sorts of other things, all on the third floor."

The three arrived at the stairwell and encountered two hunched and short figures again. After checking their waist tags, they went up the stairs.

From the moment she stepped onto the stairs, Feng Hanying remained silent.

When Qin Ning reached the second floor, he saw several men in black, who were also concealing their identities, coming from elsewhere, and their destination was also the third floor.

Judging from this, it seems there is more than one entrance here.