Faced with Gao Xianzhong’s counter-threat, Nanny Su’s withered fingers tightened on the cane, her knuckles turning pale.

Then, she lifted her murky eyes and stared at him fiercely.

"Enough!" Feeling her nearing-the-end aura, Gao Xianzhong suddenly turned away with a flick of his sleeve.

"Since you like staying in this broken place so much, I won’t clean it. After all..."

He turned back, showing a meaningful smile, "His Majesty will never step in here in this lifetime."

He walked slowly towards the palace gate but paused at the threshold, speaking without turning his head:

"For the sake of our years of acquaintance... when the day comes for you to breathe your last, I’ll gift you a fine dark wood coffin."

With that, he left in great strides, leaving behind headless corpses scattered on the ground and the hunchbacked figure standing in a pool of blood, leaning on a cracked cane.

Zhou Qing, hidden in the shadows, took in everything before him.

He never expected this abandoned palace to conceal such an old woman.

It seems that when the senior brothers sought refuge last time, she had long known but didn’t intervene.

But it must be said, the methods of this Chief Eunuch are truly ruthless.

Just because the old woman uttered one more forbidden word, he mercilessly slaughtered all these accompanying people.

Yet, listening to them, the cause of the former Crown Prince’s death seems to have hidden truths.

"Late-stage Divinity Transformation Realm, her life span is nearing its end..." Zhou Qing silently confirmed the old woman’s cultivation.

At this moment, Nanny Su looked in Gao Xianzhong’s departing direction, then glanced at the scattered corpses on the ground, letting out an aged sigh, her figure growing even more hunched.

She then slightly turned and looked towards the distant palace, saying, "Two young friends, this old body of mine is no longer of use, please take these corpses out when you leave, thank you."

With that, she leaned on her cane and slowly turned, stepping into the darkness.

In no time, Ghost Mastiff and Luo Lingling emerged from the direction she had gazed at, exchanged a glance, and solemnly saluted her departing figure with grave expressions.

They then waved their hands and collected all the corpses into their storage bags.

Zhou Qing emerged from the shadows, his brow furrowed under the mask as he gazed deeply at the dim palace.

Seeing Zhou Qing appear, the two immediately stepped forward.

Zhou Qing nodded slightly, and the three quickly departed in unison.

...

"That was close!" Ghost Mastiff still felt lingering fear after exiting Jintian Palace, "We hid here for three months last time, and didn’t notice her presence at all."

Zhou Qing said in a low voice, "This Nanny Su must be deliberately hiding, guarding this abandoned palace. It’s fortunate you didn’t destroy this place."

Ghost Mastiff nodded, "Indeed, we were merely hiding. Are you done with Xuanyuan Yichen?"

"Yes, I plan to visit Duobao Trading House first, then find a quiet place for secluded cultivation," Zhou Qing said, looking at the two.

Currently, he already had twelve top-grade Wood Attribute Spirit Stones on him. To condense six thousand Spirit Seals might be unstable, so he needed to prepare more.

The two seemed slightly surprised, and Luo Lingling couldn’t help but say, "Didn’t you say there was no rush the other day? Now the trading house is swarming with people trying to gather information on ’Mr. Ji.’"

Zhou Qing smiled and said, "Plans can’t keep up with changes, don’t worry, it’s fine."

The two naturally had no doubts about Zhou Qing’s abilities.

After a brief discussion, Ghost Mastiff nodded, "Alright, we just have to dispose of these bodies. But three traveling together is too conspicuous, we won’t go with you."

Zhou Qing understood, and the three headed towards Duobao Trading House, separating as they approached.

When Zhou Qing stepped into the trading house doors, wearing a new black robe and a brand-new silver-patterned mask, the sound of discussions immediately enveloped his ears.

Many cultivators still gathered in the hall, chattering and probing the details of "Mr. Ji" slaying the Jieyun Thief.

"Esteemed guest, what do you need?" A shrewd young attendant quickly approached, bowing in greeting.

Zhou Qing lowered his voice, deliberately altering his tone, "I would like to see Shopkeeper Jin."

The attendant smiled wryly and pointed at the noisy crowd outside the hall, "They are all here to inquire about the Jieyun Thief from Shopkeeper Jin..."

Before he finished speaking, Zhou Qing discreetly slipped a top-grade Spirit Stone into the attendant’s sleeve.

The attendant’s eyes widened instantly; in his years of service, it was his first time encountering such a generous customer.

This Spirit Stone was worth three years of his salary!

"This..." the attendant swallowed, quickly pocketing the Spirit Stone after confirming no one was watching.

He leaned closer to Zhou Qing, lowering his voice, "Esteemed guest, I can pass on a message for you, but Shopkeeper Jin is unlikely to see you."

"Why?" Zhou Qing’s brows furrowed slightly.

The attendant leaned in even more, whispering mysteriously, "Shopkeeper Jin’s Divine Soul is injured and he is recuperating."

"Divine Soul injured?" Zhou Qing’s heart trembled, immediately reacting, "Was he subjected to Soul Search?"

When they parted ways that day, the shopkeeper had returned with the rescuing Chen Xuan, the chief manager.

With Chen, who was in Divinity Transformation Realm Perfection and being not far from the Imperial City, with him escorting, there should have been no mishaps.

Given the recent events, this was the only possibility.

The attendant nodded, his voice even lower, "Shopkeeper Jin requested it himself. To prove to the president that ’Mr. Ji’ indeed killed the nine Jieyun Thief members, he volunteered for a Soul Search."

"Think about it, the president is a powerful Spirit Severing Realm cultivator. Without concrete evidence to report to the Emperor that someone avenged the Thirteenth Prince, shouldn’t you assist the Nangong Family in capturing him?"

"If those Jieyun Thief members were somehow revived, what face would the Imperial Family have? And where would the thousand-year reputation of the Duobao Trading House stand?"