The woman in blue gauze curiously opened the letter.

The woman in green gauze beside her leaned in as well.

As they read it together, the surprise in their eyes grew.

"I’ve never heard of this Upper Evil Sect; it’s just some local Demonic Force in Fenglin State. But the Wild Taoist Sect and the Wild Buddha Sect are no simple matter."

"Those rats are present all across the Great Zhou Country. Even their branch in Fenglin State is not to be underestimated. To think they would both target the same person at once..."

"Shen Bai... such an ordinary name. And to think he could achieve Overcoming Adversity and Attacking Upward, defeating a Meridian Realm expert while only in the Five Organ Realm... That... how is that possible!"

"Not even in a Capital City has such a prodigy ever appeared!"

The two women chattered back and forth, their words filled with utter astonishment over Shen Bai.

Listening to them, Tang Yun snatched the wine cup back and took a sip for himself. "It’s fake."

At his words, the two women looked puzzled.

Tang Yun sneered. "The Meridian Realm is known as the great watershed for Cultivators. Transcending other realms is one thing, but this is impossible for the Meridian Realm."

The woman in blue gauze asked curiously, "So, Young Master, you mean Fenglin State is deliberately promoting him?"

Tang Yun nodded. Gazing at his empty cup, he patted the green-gauze woman’s shapely rear.

The woman in green gauze understood at once, smiling flirtatiously as she refilled Tang Yun’s cup.

Tang Yun drained the fine wine in his cup before speaking. "The world has been in turmoil for a long time, and Fenglin State is no different. In my opinion, Liu Wufeng of Fenglin State probably wants to push this person into the spotlight to boost the state’s reputation."

"You know how it is. If a shining new star appears during a time of dynastic upheaval, it’s bound to be a huge morale boost for Fenglin State and could solve a lot of their problems."

The woman in blue gauze had a look of sudden understanding. "So that’s it. This Shen Bai is essentially a figurehead propped up by Liu Wufeng, all to boost morale in Fenglin State."

"What else could it be?" Tang Yun sneered. "Liu Wufeng could have made this special recruitment at any time, but he chose to do it now. The meaning is perfectly clear."

"Then what will you do, Young Master?" the green-gauze woman asked, pouring him another cup of wine and nestling into his arms.

Tang Yun mused, "We can go and meet him. We’ll see once we get to Fenglin State. How is the screening I had you do on the local powers?"

The woman in blue gauze nodded. "We’ve already identified the factions with weaker resolve. We’ll use our opera performances as a pretext to visit them discreetly."

Having received his answer, Tang Yun said no more and continued to drink by himself.

Just then, something unexpected happened.

The moving carriage screeched to a sudden halt, causing the fine wine in Tang Yun’s hand to spill all over the floor.

"What’s going on!"

Tang Yun’s calm expression instantly turned furious. He strode forward, threw open the curtain, and prepared to question the driver.

But at that exact moment, he saw the surrounding Guards draw their Weapons in unison.

A bad feeling rose in Tang Yun’s heart. He then looked toward the end of the official road not far away.

At the end of the road sat an old Monk.

The old Monk was cross-legged on the ground, his head bowed as he chanted Buddhist Scripture.

In front of the old Monk was a Wooden Fish.

The Wooden Fish was old and looked utterly ordinary.

Yet, as the old Monk tapped it repeatedly, the Wooden Fish began to emit ripples of invisible waves.

As the invisible ripples spread, the old Monk slowly raised his head.

There was no sacred, brilliant Buddha’s Light around him. Instead, streams of foul, dark Qi coiled around him like snakes, never ceasing.

Tang Yun’s gaze sharpened. "The Wild Buddha Sect!"

Ordinary Buddha’s Light shines like gold, but the aura on this old Monk was as black as ink.

Tang Yun didn’t need a second look; he could tell at a glance that the old Monk before him was from the Wild Buddha Sect.

"Your Excellency, for what reason do you block the path of my Peach Opera Garden?" Tang Yun asked slowly.

The old Monk, staggering, pushed himself up from the ground with both hands. "My Buddha is merciful. This old monk has been waiting here for a long time. I wonder if Young Master Tang has a moment to speak with me in detail."

Tang Yun frowned. "What do you want to talk about?"

The old Monk smiled. "This matter cannot be known by outsiders."

The moment his voice fell.

The next instant, the surrounding scenery changed.

Plumes of black smoke rose from all around.

The Peach Opera Garden’s Guards, including the two women, inhaled the black smoke and began to struggle violently, blood streaming from their seven orifices.

In a short while, they became corpses, falling to the ground without another movement.

Tang Yun’s eyes widened in fury. "You dare kill people from the Peach Opera Garden!"

The Peach Opera Garden belongs to Marquis Fengjiang, making their identity extremely sensitive. Every year, many troupes are sent out to perform.

But precisely because of this sensitive identity, they couldn’t be accompanied by top-tier experts.

This time was no exception for Tang Yun.

The old Monk shook his head. "Since it’s a secret, it naturally can’t be known. From now on, Young Master Tang’s Guards have been replaced."

As soon as he finished speaking, figures in Daoist Robes swarmed in from all directions and changed into the clothes of the fallen retinue.

Tang Yun’s eyes widened. "The Wild Taoist Sect... The two of you factions have actually joined forces? Why?"

The old Monk smiled. "This venture will not delay Young Master Tang’s business. In fact, you will even gain the goodwill of our two factions. I imagine Marquis Fengjiang will also be pleased."

Tang Yun narrowed his eyes. "What do you want me to do?"

Tang Yun hadn’t cared about what the monk said before, but he paid attention the moment Marquis Fengjiang was mentioned.

’The Wild Taoist Sect and the Wild Buddha Sect are widespread. The Marquis might actually be interested in them.’

Hearing this, a trace of viciousness appeared for the first time on the old Monk’s placid face. "This time, we need to use Young Master Tang’s troupe to enter the city."

"The objective is simple. We want someone dead."

Tang Yun asked, "Who?"

The killing intent in the old Monk’s eyes blazed with incredible intensity. "Shen Bai!"