Good or bad? Looking at the old geezer’s “comfortable” atmosphere, it really didn’t seem like he was about to drop any serious news.

With some apprehension, Bubai offered a slight bow, putting the power back into the old man’s hands, "Junior will leave the decision up to elder."

“Hoh?” Ma Pei let out a hearty chuckle, echoing in the quiet room like distant thunder. With eyes twinkling mischievously, he sized up the busy Xiao Hong perched on his lap.

“Then... let's start with the good news," Ma Pei declared, a sly grin spreading across his face.

With a casual shove, the old geezer sent Xiao Hong tumbling to the ground and crashing right into Bubai’s legs!

The thorny rose’s surprised, muffled yelp pricked the perfect spot, and Bubai’s still mind hadn’t reacted, yet his little brother has...

Merlin’s beard. What’s happening???

"From now on, Xiao Hong will be the liaison between us," Ma Pei announced, prompting Xiao Hong to look back at her master with wide eyes, the shock evident on her face.

"Master, I-" she began, but her master's piercing gaze silenced her mid-sentence.

Bubai’s astute senses vaguely detected the invisible force washing over her, causing her to lower her head meekly like a wilted rose.

"Y-yes, master," she murmured obediently, her voice barely above a whisper. "Xiao Hong will... obey."

From below, the arrogant beauty then threw a dirty glance up at Bubai before her plump red lips began to nibble on the bump in his pants...

The old geezer nodded in satisfaction, his gaze shifting to Bubai’s dazed face, clearly still trying to process the sudden turn of events.

“Xiao Hong will visit you once a month to collect your rent," Ma Pei instructed, his tone leaving no room for argument. "At that time…”

The old geezer’s lips curved into a lecherous grin, “Feel free to give your rent to her however you like."

For real?! Bubai peeked down at the crimson-haired rose, still teasing him over the layer of fabric. Uh… he acquired this big beauty just like that?

This was truly… good news, and obviously, he couldn’t refuse. So, Bubai bowed slightly, replying dutifully, "Disciple Mo Bubai listens to elder's orders.”

His obedience earned a glare from the beauty below.

Ma Pei's chuckle filled the room once more, a hint of wistfulness underlying the sound. "Good, straightforward. Hoh, this old man didn't see you wrong. You are indeed a smart man. So, this old man is sure you can guess the bad news already?"

Bubai's heart sank. His first thought was: impossible!

However, the pieces of the puzzle fell into place with alarming clarity. All signs pointed toward that result!

"Weiwei, she…" Bubai’s meek voice trailed off, unable to bring himself to voice the dreadful truth.

"Yes, it's as you think," The old geezer confirmed Bubai’s ominous speculation.

A storm of turmoil raged within Bubai, quickly processing the next move in his mind.

Noticing Bubai's stiff demeanor, Ma Pei’s eyes twinkled, strangely expectant, yet on the surface, he expressed a twinge of regret.

"This old man knows it’s hard to believe, but..."

A heavy, yet almost too deliberate sigh escaped the old, experienced actor’s lips.

"She was a good lass, but fate really likes to play tricks on us. Who would've thought we would encounter that evil spawn in the secret realm?"

Bubai's expression shifted, displaying timely doubt on his face. "Evil spawn?"

"Hoh, perhaps you know him by his name.” Ma Pei’s features were clouded with gloom, his annoyed eyes nailing onto Bubai, “After all, that nasty name you picked originated from his…"

Huh? His name, Mo Bubai? He picked this name from Mo Tianren and...

Memories flooded Bubai’s mind, and he blurted out, "Fang Bubai?!"

Ma Pei nodded gravely, "Yes, that Fang Bubai. A real evil spawn. It's unknown what mysterious restrictions that evil spawn triggered, but it caused heavy losses to our sect. Not only that...”

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Some anger crossed the old geezer’s face, “He even had the audacity to come seek revenge on this old man. In order to save me from that evil spawn, my good disciple sacrificed her life in the process."

This time, shock truly rippled through Bubai. Yo, yo, yo, the protagonist had jumped out again!

Many events didn’t make sense before, but once he added the protagonist to the mix… bingo.

Indeed, the classic plot. Only when the author pits the villains against the evil protagonist will it be possible for the villains to meet their downfall.

No matter how exceptional that villainess was, she was no exception when facing this nonsensical cannon fodder plotline.

The chain of events was much more believable now.

However, Bubai couldn’t help but wonder... how much was hidden beneath that simple word of “sacrifice”.

Nonetheless, Bubai kept his doubts hidden, allowing a mask of sorrow to envelop him as he sank to his knees, crying out. "No! How could this happen?!"

He wiped his sleeve across his eyes, leaving droplets of water trickling down his cheeks. "WeiWei! My dear, dear master! How could you leave Bubai all alone, with no one to rely on…"

Xiao Hong, who had just lost her service target, shot Bubai a look of pure contempt before turning her attention back to her owner, awaiting his instructions.

With a casual wave of his hand, the old geezer gave her the signal she wanted.

The beauty’s lips curled into a seductive smile. After casting one final disdainful glance at the noticeable bulge on the crying Bubai's pants, she crawled over to the old man…

Noticing the scene, a barely perceptible twitch played at the corners of Bubai’s lips, yet he continued his performance, “Oh, WeiWei, what will I ever do without you-”

"Alright, alright, enough! This old man doesn't want to see your crocodile tears here." Ma Pei grunted, his voice dripping with false sympathy. "Don’t worry. In light of my good disciple's life-saving grace, your status will not change."

Hearing his promise, Bubai hastily wiped away his tears, his gratitude evident as he kowtowed, “Thank you Elder Ma for your magnanimous grace!”

But before Bubai could revel too much over his success, Ma Pei's grin turned wicked, "Of course, the treatment is the same. But some accounts must be calculated clearly…”

The old geezer’s fingers caressed the crimson hair, his tone deceptively casual. "This old man hopes you understand, the tower you live in is not free."

Oh no. A flicker of concern crossed Bubai’s mind. Is he going to lose his home?

The old geezer chuckled darkly, enjoying the discomfort he caused.

"Don't worry, I'm not taking it away," Ma Pei reassured him, a sly grin spreading across his face.

"But rent must be collected. Considering the merits of my martyred daughter, this old man will offer you a discounted rate of five low-grade spirit stones per month. This old man will let you off for this month, but if you fail to pay next month… you should be smart enough to know what to do.”

Bubai's heart sank at the prospect of having to pay rent, but he nodded obediently, knowing better than to defy the elder's wishes.

"Disciple Mo Bubai knows what to do and will not disappoint Elder.”

“Good.” The earnest pledge earned a nod from the old geezer, after which he shutted his eyes in contentment.

Seems that’s the cue to leave. Bubai was about to pick himself up, but an intangible force weighed him down like a quagmire, keeping him in place…

The room lapsed into heady silence, broken only by the faint sound of a bee collecting nectar...

Minutes ticked by, and eventually, the old geezer's eyes fluttered open, his gaze settling on Bubai who still remained kneeling.

The old geezer’s lips curled into a playful smirk, "Hoh, still here? Surely, you won't require her assistance to walk down the stairs. Could it be you are still waiting for this old man to invite you for tea?"

“…”

By the time Bubai stepped out from the tower, it was already deep into the night.

Anyone keeping tabs on him in the dark would see the sadness still lingering on his features, but...

Honestly, the breaking news didn’t hit him that hard. Still, a convincing act required commitment. Perhaps someone would be swayed by his performance.

Of course, beneath the mask of grief, a sense of contempt simmered within Bubai.

Did WeiWei truly meet her end? If only it could be that easy.

If that demoness truly perished in such a straightforward manner, he, Fang Bubai, would willingly write his name upside down!

While some might accuse him of denial, Bubai had a hunch that a character as cunning as WeiWei couldn't possibly be written out of the plot so easily.

Nevertheless, there remained a slim possibility that WeiWei's death was genuine.

If that were the case, then revenge… was a must.

However, Bubai wasn't foolish enough to recklessly charge at the protagonist in blind fury.

It wasn't a matter of lacking courage; rather, it was sheer foolishness to place blame solely based on the testimony of a third party.

While the protagonist likely played a role in the events, courtesy of his shit-stirring halo, Bubai couldn't discount the possibility of innocence.

Therefore, before plotting any form of retaliation, he needed to ascertain the true culprit!

After all, deaths within secret realms were rarely straightforward. Betrayal, manipulation, sacrificial pawns, and intricate schemes all lurked beneath the surface.

The web of conspiracies could involve even the most unsuspecting individuals, perhaps... even the Golden Core old geezer himself.

Therefore, it was unclear who his enemies were. Thus, Bubai took the best course of action.

He adopted a deliberate air of artificiality in his act this time, knowing full well that his fake performance will not fool the old geezer’s eyes.

It was a calculated move to paint himself as a mere opportunist, someone easily controlled and lacking any genuine concern for WeiWei's fate.

Only by presenting himself like this would the old geezer treat him as non-threatening. Otherwise, he might not even be able to walk out of the tower alive.

Even going forward, he absolutely must not show any intent of revenge.

Unrestrained killing intent is easily detectable by the powerful. If he accidentally leaks his animosity, the consequences weren’t something his current strength could bear.

It’s not too late for a gentleman to take revenge even after ten years, and this duration could extend even further for cultivators. Patience was his greatest ally.

Of course, the most important key is to to survive long enough to see it through.

And to endure the trials ahead, Bubai must maintain the favor of his powerful backer.

Bubai gazed up at the moon, a sense of unease creeping over him. “She wouldn’t be displeased by my tardiness to work, right?”