Lao Na, the servant to the Patriarch, words catch me a little off guard.

The air has the sound of slightly scraping chains, which are holding up the platform we’re on. Some wind passes through the building and back out, all from the air currents in this massive cave. Further stressing the silence now in the room.

He’s asking me what I want to know from him. But what use would I have to ask about things I already have an idea about?

But if I were to not ask, I’m essentially showing that I already have that knowledge or am too incompetent to know to ask. I’m sure that many of my actions have come across as a mixed bag of genius and stupid.

The real question is… how much do they know of what I’ve been doing?

And does it really matter, at this point?

This is both a test and an opportunity.

I could use this to further see how much of a chance I have to succeed with the Patriarch and not being locked down for years… or I could take this as an opportunity to gain rare information that I normally wouldn’t be privileged to know.

Something that in an emergency might mean life or death.

… in the off chance that things go terribly wrong, I would at most need to spend many years dedicatedly working for the sect.

I strongly believe that they wouldn’t do much past that, if they received a great boon in the process. Which is one benefit of joining the righteous sects.

They’ll still imprison and use you, but they’ll at least give the semblance of decency.

And I’ve already done a lot of good for the city/sect and made positive connections while attempting to repair others, like with the Alchemy Guild. The only groups that would really still hold grudges would be the underground groups, but even they benefited from the healing rats once they learned the rules behind healing.

Add to that, I’m only the first level of Qi Condensation and they will definitely want to see what my cultivation method will do at the higher levels.

I just need to not me an asshole and follow the rules.

Which leaves me with some good choices here.

I decide to speak up now.

“I’d like to know where we are at the moment.”

He gives a slight smile, as if I asked the right question.

“We are in ‘The Gaps’, beneath the mountain of the sect. If you are asking where we are now, specifically, this is one of the light containment rooms in the middle section of The Gaps.

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“Typically, we use this for securing relatively strong prisoners, but also to have secure conversations with important people.”

He pauses with his smile unmoved, as he adds something else.

“And if the conversations turn… unpleasant, the securing aspect can come into play.”

I smile back at him.

“That’s good to know. Luckily, nothing of the sort should happen here today.”

We both continue to smile at each other before he decides to partially alter the subject.

He leans in a bit.

“… I’ve heard quite a few things about you that are quite interesting. There’s been many discussions about the upstart outer court member who suddenly became Senior Song’s core disciple after challenging her.”

Ah… and here comes the real purpose.

I wonder if this is all part of the plan of the Patriarch, to get more answers in a ‘soft’ environment, before he comes in with a ‘hard’ one.

I should use my scan for this.

As expected, it’s a near guarantee.

This is a normal way for higher realm cultivators to handle situations that are delicate. Telling me that this is considered ‘a delicate situation’.

Send in a proxy, have them ask some preliminary questions and get a read on the person. Depending on the answers and situation, the higher realm can then come in with a benevolent, neutral, or partly hostile approach.

Usually, the proxy is in constant mental conversation with their leader during this, if they are of a high enough realm. Considering that this guy is at least a high Foundation Establishment and the one of the few direct servants of the Patriarch, there’s a high possibility of it.

Which means I can treat this conversation as a veiled discussion with the Patriarch.

I decide to speak up in response to his statement.

“Ah yes, there have been quite a few things going around about me. I’m curious about what you might have heard, though.”

The servant’s face suddenly breaks into a genuine smile, shocking me a bit. I feel as if he finally found someone to play a game with him. Something that bothers me a bit.

“Where do I start? Discovering the cure to the prostitute sector’s disease problem, giving out new and undiscovered alchemy recipes, and rumors of healing without cultivation. Growing the taming sector with new methods, while having unheard of loyalty from spirit beasts above your level.

“Sending out waves of rats… rats for that matter, to heal countless people in the outer city using an unknown method and, in the process, stopping two demonic schemes, while indirectly initiating a new alliance between two powerful groups in the city. I also can’t forget rejuvenating the youth of multiple elders and making them young again, possibly granting eternal youth.”

Thank goodness for my scan and practice controlling my face.

I’m not able to hide the indicators from someone of his level, but at least it isn’t absolutely obvious that I want to flinch at these.

He pauses his words suddenly with a deep breath, not needing to do so, but doing it anyway.

“… And my personal three favorites.”

…

…

He’s paused. But I see his eyes flicker occasionally to his lower right, as if he’s talking to himself in his head… or to someone else.

Soon enough, he continues with his statement. As if given approval.

“… Increasing spirit roots potential and coming back from the dead, with no cultivation. Of the two, I really like the idea of the first.”

Well.

Looks like he has most of what I’ve assumed would come out. The last one is problematic, but I can probably still get away with some words on that.

Every cultivator or person with backing has some types of ways to save themselves. Using such an excuse, I should be able to skirt past it.

The one before that will definitely lead to requests from them. Without a doubt.

But luckily, the most important secrets are still…

Wait.

… Didn’t he say three favorites?

His smile widens as he sees the realization flicker across my face that there is still one secret left to go.

“But of course, I can’t forget the juiciest one.”

He almost teasingly drawls it out and with a whisper.

“… demi humans.”

My heart freezes. And it takes everything I have in me to not give any indicators at all.

FUUUUCK.