Only the bamboo hat worn by the woman from yesterday was placed on the round table. Hu Li bent down and carefully examined it on the couch. Suddenly, someone behind him laughed, "I didn't expect you to have such a hobby."

Ignoring the person, Hu Li examined the hat closely for a while, not finding a single hair. He straightened up and turned around to face Shen Wen at the door.

"There's nothing here. Young Master Shen doesn't need to look again," Hu Li said as he brushed past Shen Wen.

Shen Wen squinted, stopping him. "You and Jiang Yu want to know the identities of those two?"

"Yes."

"Then I can tell you, but I need something in exchange from you." Shen Wen smirked. "But don't worry, I'm not asking for the map. I have only one request: if you really find that underground palace, take me to see it."

"You're not interested in such worldly possessions?" Hu Li retorted, but then changed the subject. "But deal."

"No matter how you think about it, I'm at a loss," Shen Wen said, appearing troubled. "But I keep my word."

"Jiang Yu has been in the capital for so many years and should know about Chongyue Tower. Those two should be assassins raised in Chongyue Tower, which is quite strange. They wander around Shangyu City all year round."

Chongyue Tower again.

How many assassins are there in Chongyue Tower? Perhaps no one in the martial world could say for sure.

Within just fifteen days, he had encountered them twice. Was it a coincidence or someone's deliberate arrangement? Hu Li couldn't tell.

Seeing Hu Li's furrowed brow, Shen Wen relaxed. "I think the whole Shangyu City is strange, including this inn."

Shen Wen tapped the teapot on the table and continued, "In such a large city as Shangyu, there is only this one inn and one shopkeeper. Most of the information you and Jiang Yu have obtained comes from the shopkeeper, and what you've seen is just the tip of the iceberg. What you know now is probably only what others want you to know."

After finishing speaking, Shen Wen chuckled and left the room.

Shen Wen was right; Hu Li was the one who benefited from the deal, talking about exchange conditions. The Liang Prince's underground palace had been unclaimed for so many years, perhaps just a rumor. Shen Wen's words left room for maneuvering, but he had already revealed the identities of the two to Hu Li.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Why did Shen Wen want to help him?

The rain in Shangyu City had been continuous for several days, making the roads muddy. People pushing carts stumbled along. Hu Li stopped, grabbed the bamboo hat, wiped off most of the obstructive rainwater, sighed, then threw the tracks behind him.

Dark clouds pressed down, and the gloomy wind continued.

The rain came down in an instant, pounding the ground.

"Elder, where are you going in this heavy rain?" The rain cut off the voice.

Hu Li reached out to wipe his face, trying to clear away the rainwater as much as possible.

The old man turned his head slightly to look at him. He wore a bamboo hat and a black cloth covered his face, revealing only a pair of eyes. The old man recognized Hu Li and said without stopping his feet, "Don't block the way."

Hu Li had been waiting at the old man's door for a long time, how could he easily give up after just a few words? The old man had already left him behind.

He looked at the old man's back from afar. The straight road led to the Qinglong Temple. Of the two main roads in Shangyu City, one led to Qinglong Temple and the other to the east of the city, with various small paths intersecting among them.

The things on the cart were covered with straw. The rain-soaked straw shone, and Hu Li hesitated for a moment before catching up again.

"Do you still remember the man who died from Jieming San in the inn?" Hu Li didn't expect the old man to answer, so he continued, "Last night, we saw the dead man come back to life in the bamboo forest of the inn."

The old man paused his steps and looked back at Hu Li for a long time before asking, "The dead man came back to life?"

"We saw it clearly that day. The man was already dead. But last night, we saw him in the bamboo forest of the inn." After finishing speaking, Hu Li glanced at the pensive old man and continued, "If that's true, maybe Mr. Xu just faked his death."

The old man's expression changed, "What nonsense are you talking about?"

Hu Li pursed his lips. "I have no other thoughts. I just want to go to Qinglong Temple with you, Senior."

The old man sneered, "Why do you think I would go to Qinglong Temple?"

The rain didn't stop.

There was the sound of horse hooves behind them, getting closer.

The old man's words happened to fall into the ears of the approaching person. The man held the reins, lifted his foot onto the horse's belly, and said as he passed by, "Because they've already arrived, and it's unusual."

Jiang Yu's figure had already gone far.

"Are the people around Qinglong Temple yours?" the old man asked.

Hu Li inexplicably took the blame for Jiang Yu, so he said, "They are Jiang Yu's men."

"What's the difference?" The old man sneered and turned his gaze to Hu Li. "What do you know?"

Seeing that the old man didn't believe him, Hu Li didn't argue further. Now he and Jiang Yu were tied together; whose men they were didn't matter—they were all the same group of people.

"Last night, we got some information from the man who came back to life. A group of people is already watching Qinglong Temple. The crows you mentioned..." Hu Li paused and said, "Could it be Chongyue Tower?"

A muffled thunder sounded from the sky, rumbling over.

The old man's lips formed a line, and the two walked in silence until they reached a place not far from Qinglong Temple. The old man said, "Do you plan to go in like this?"

The old man's gaze swept over Hu Li twice. Hu Li looked at the straw on his body, then glanced at the dimly lit Qinglong Temple buried in the dark sky.

"Wait here," the old man said, pushing the cart around the courtyard wall of Qinglong Temple, and his figure disappeared in an instant.

"What, did you find out anything?" Hu Li returned to his senses and saw Jiang Yu. "Why do you walk so quietly?"

After a brief exchange, Hu Li's expression darkened and he said, "He refused to say anything. I tried to probe him, and what he said about the crows that day should be Chongyue Tower. He tacitly agreed."

Before they could chat for long, the old man's figure appeared beside the courtyard wall of Qinglong Temple. He waved at the two.

...

Fifteen minutes later.

Hu Li changed into a servant's clothes, lowered his head, and followed the old man into Qinglong Temple.

Jiang Yu stood on the left, Hu Li on the right.

The old man piled the straw from the cart in a corner, revealing a pile of vegetables that had been prepared earlier.

Hu Li glanced hastily.

It seemed that the old man's usual contact with the old monks of Qinglong Temple was maintained like this.

The three entered the temple.

There was no sound of the wooden fish from the old monk in the temple. Instead, a person stepped from inside to outside of the door, then raised his head and said lightly, "Just put the usual stuff in the back kitchen."

The two lowered their heads even more.