One person said: The essence of Wuhou Qimen lies not in Qimen, but in Wuhou.

But he couldn't say anything.

The above means what Zhuge Ming meant.

He had already witnessed the young man's methods during this period—he could even subdue the Ten Elders. No matter how popular Lu Jin was, he would have to think twice before acting.

Wang Ai and Feng Zhenghao.

These two, on the other hand, seemed completely unconcerned, sitting upright with expressions that couldn't be more honest.

Their faces clearly said: We don't want to get involved in anything. We just want to wait quietly for dawn and then go home.

After all, they've already been dealt with once.

The divine talisman has been handed over, and the spirit-binding and spirit-summoning techniques have been listed as intangible cultural heritage. Half of our assets have been given away. If we continue to act recklessly now, wouldn't that be courting death? Next, we should obediently wait for reports and notifications. Whatever the higher-ups say is what we say, without any ambiguity.

For the first time ever, the two exchanged a glance, both seeing the same message in each other's eyes—stay put, don't take risks.

Lü Ci.

This person's expression was much more complex.

His face was serious, even somewhat melancholy.

His eyes were slightly narrowed, and his fingers unconsciously tapped the armrest of the chair, one tap after another, as if he were tapping on his own heart.

He knew in his heart that Quanxing was going to be in trouble tonight.

His great-grandson, Lü Liang, was a member of the Quanxing sect.

You can run away from the monk, but you can't run away from the temple.

Lü Liang's roots are in the Lü family. If this kid does something wrong during tonight's operation, it will definitely implicate the Lü family.

When the higher-ups investigate, the Lü family will be in deep trouble.

But what can you do even if you know?

The old master just relayed the leader's order—behave yourself and don't move an inch.

Even if Lü Ci was extremely anxious, he could only sit there helplessly.

We can't just rush out to find Lü Liang right now, can we? That would be blatantly going against our superiors.

That's why I'm worried.

His already expressionless face grew even more somber with worry.

Wang Ye and Zhang Chulan.

These two really didn't care, acting like nothing was wrong, chatting quietly in the corner.

Zhang Chulan started the conversation.

"Brother Ye," Zhang Chulan leaned closer, his face full of eager learning, his voice low, "What you said just now, all that talk about respecting teachers and valuing tradition, that cultural heritage, it sounded so good! Did your teacher teach you that?"

Wang also glanced at him sideways, knowing exactly what was going on.

This kid isn't really trying to learn any principles; he just wants to use him to get on the good side of his boss, Zhuge Mingduo. He's too shrewd.

However, Wang Ye didn't expose him, and smiled lazily: "The teacher does often say these things. What, are you interested?"

"Interested! Extremely interested!"

Zhang Chulan said sincerely, "I just think that in this life, you have to follow the right people and walk the right path."

Your teacher is a role model for me!

Wang Ye chuckled inwardly, but remained outwardly calm: "Sure, I'll introduce you sometime."

"Thank you so much, Brother Ye!"

Zhang Chulan's eyes narrowed into slits with laughter.

The two chatted casually, one trying to build a relationship, the other happy not to expose it, and the atmosphere was surprisingly harmonious.

In this room, there was one person who didn't say a word from beginning to end.

Zhang Lingyu.

He stood there, rooted to the spot like a stick, straight, stiff, and expressionless.

But the sparkle in those eyes had long since vanished.

He was thinking about someone.

Quanxing—Xiahe.

Yes, that's right, I'm worried.

These past few days, following his master Zhang Zhiwei, he has vaguely learned a lot of things.

The nature of this Luo Tian Grand Ceremony is no longer for Zhang Chulan; it is a major operation fully taken over by the authorities.

He could vaguely sense the true purpose—it was to protect the entire humanity.

Tonight is the time to close the net.

Countless members of the Quanxing sect are lurking in the back mountains.

How much will be left after tonight?

Could Xia He be inside too?

If she really gets involved, it's like jumping into a fire pit.

Moreover, if he causes any trouble... even his master, the Celestial Master, can't say anything.

Zhang Lingyu's fingers clenched slightly inside her sleeve.

His face remained expressionless, but deep within his eyes, anxiety and worry surged like waves, one after another.

He wanted to do something.

But there was nothing he could do.

Master just said to stay put.

He could not disobey the orders from above.

Besides, even if he got out, what could he do? In the face of an operation of that level, his strength alone was insignificant.

This feeling of powerlessness was like a hand tightly gripping his heart.

Zhang Zhiwei seemed to have some awareness of his disciple's situation.

He raised his head, squinted, and glanced at Zhang Lingyu standing in the corner.

A hint of disappointment flashed in those eyes that had seen through the ways of the world.

This apprentice is good in every way—talented, upright—but…not sincere.

Love for one's children can be overwhelming, but even heroes have their limits.

Quanxing Xiahe was like a thorn stuck in his heart, impossible to remove.

Zhang Zhiwei sighed softly to himself.

Then, his gaze turned to Zhang Chulan and Wang Ye, who were chatting happily in the corner.

Looking at the two young men, the old master's eyes showed more satisfaction than anything else, and even a hint of envy.

Zhang Chulan may seem slick and unreliable, but he's smarter than anyone else. He knows when to kneel, when to laugh, and when to play dumb.

This kid is born to survive in this world.

Wang Ye may seem lazy and unambitious, but he has Zhuge Ming behind him. At a young age, he has already mastered the Feng Hou Qi Men technique and won the Luo Tian Da Jiao championship. His future is limitless.

Then look at your apprentice...

Zhang Zhiwei shook his head and said nothing more.

Meanwhile, Tian Jinzhong, standing beside him, kept his bloodshot eyes fixed on Zhang Chulan.

He looked at the young man who bore a striking resemblance to Huaiyi, watched him laugh, watched him kneel, watched him whisper with Wang Ye, and in his bloodshot eyes, there was more of a sense of reminiscence.

He recalled many years ago.

They were all young then.

Zhang Zhiwei is the eldest brother, steady and reliable; Tian Jinzhong is the second eldest brother, lively and active; Zhang Huaiyi is the youngest brother, full of tricks and always causing trouble, but also the most likable.

The three of them cultivated together on Mount Longhu, sneaked down the mountain together to buy candied hawthorns, and were punished by their master to kneel together...

Those were such wonderful days.

Tian Jinzhong was slightly lost in thought, and a very faint smile unconsciously appeared on the corner of his mouth.

The sandalwood incense was still burning.

In the quiet room, some people were laughing, some were worrying, some were reminiscing, and some were anxious.

Outside the window, the sky was gradually darkening.

The last rays of the setting sun shone through the window and cast long shadows on the floor.

Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night.

The wind on Longhu Mountain has begun to change.

……

Hai hour (9-11 PM).

In the traditional calendar, this time has a beautiful name: "Rending" or "Dusk".

This means that at this time of day, people have finished their day's work and should rest and go to sleep.

That's certainly true of the world of ordinary people.

However, in a dense forest behind the Celestial Master's Mansion on Longhu Mountain, there was an unusually lively scene.

Or rather, they gathered together in an exceptionally large way.

The moon isn't cooperating tonight.

It wasn't a full moon, not even a half-moon; a crescent moon hung in the sky, like a pancake that had been bitten, weakly casting a pale light.

The starlight was sparse, and the entire night sky was hazy, as if covered by a layer of old gauze.

Even so, the waning moonlight still illuminated the outlines of a group of people in the dense forest.