Shen Bai had just felt the tremor when Qin Shuang grabbed him, trying to rush out of the pawnshop.
"Wait, did you say the great tomb is opening?"
Without looking back, Qin Shuang said, "The ground shaking is a sign that the great tomb is opening. I once read in the texts of the Observatory that a tremor is always the first sign."
"Do you know the exact location?" Shen Bai asked.
Qin Shuang nodded.
Just as they stepped out of the pawnshop, Qin Shuang pointed in a specific direction.
"Look over there."
Shen Bai looked in the direction Qin Shuang was pointing and saw a brilliant light shining in the distant sky.
But this brilliant light brought no sense of joy. Instead, it exuded a cold, sinister Qi.
Qin Shuang explained, "This is a light only Cultivators can see. A great tomb is an object of extre yin, so even a brilliant radiance like this feels cold."
"That must be the location where the great tomb is opening."
Shen Bai glanced around and confird that the brilliant light was only visible in that one direction.
He quickly locked the door behind them, then took Qin Shuang by the hand and hurried toward the light.
Qin Shuang was stunned, feeling as if their roles had reversed. She opened her mouth to speak but was overco by a strange sensation.
From her point of view, Shen Bai’s form seed to be gradually changing.
He was holding her hand, standing right beside her, yet she found her mind subconsciously trying to ignore him, as if he wasn’t even there.
Qin Shuang imdiately understood.
"A Concealing Technique! You actually know a Concealing Technique? Then why did you accept my sachet back then?"
Without looking back, Shen Bai replied, "Why complicate things when there’s a simple solution? If we weren’t in such a rush, I’d be asking you for a sachet right now."
Qin Shuang was speechless with exasperation.
She suddenly felt like Shen Bai had been toying with her. She also subconsciously realized he was far more mysterious than she’d thought.
Not only was he a skilled fighter and highly intelligent, but he also knew a Concealing Technique.
’Just how many abilities does this man have that I don’t know about?’
Qin Shuang didn’t know, but the current situation left no ti for further thought.
The two of them began to move faster.
Shen Bai used Shadow Walk to conceal his presence, while Qin Shuang used her sachet.
Each had their own thod of stealth, and the common folk around them didn’t seem to notice them at all, never once glancing their way.
Before long, the pair had left Shengyun County and were heading toward the light.
***
After leaving Shengyun County, Shen Bai noticed that the once cold and desolate wilderness was now teeming with people.
All sorts of Jianghu People were rushing toward the great tomb’s opening.
Shen Bai even saw Chief Zheng leading the Governnt Office’s constables, also hurrying along.
With the blessing of Shadow Walk, he went unnoticed, even by the Jianghu People nearby.
Shen Bai couldn’t be bothered to deactivate Shadow Walk, so he simply remained hidden and continued on his way.
Besides, Master Xuanqing was still lurking in the shadows. After his encounter with that Jianghu man, Shen Bai knew Master Xuanqing ant him harm, so he had no intention of revealing himself.
The rest of the journey was uneventful, and Shen Bai soon arrived at the source of the brilliant light.
***
Ahead was a vast, open wilderness, with no end in sight.
Yet this sa wilderness was now crowded with all sorts of Jianghu People.
The great tomb was on the verge of opening, but the entrance wasn’t completely revealed yet. The Jianghu People were gathered in small groups, each one wary of the others.
The constables from the Governnt Office had also arrived. They stood in a tight group, vigilantly surveying their surroundings.
Shen Bai pulled Qin Shuang under a tree. Thanks to their Concealing Techniques, no one nearby noticed their presence.
Qin Shuang curiously looked around, then glanced back to see Shen Bai also scanning the area. "Zhou Qing and the others are right over there. Didn’t you see them?" she asked.
Shen Bai shook his head. "I’m not looking for Zhou Qing."
"Then are you looking for Zhang Chaofeng?" Qin Shuang asked again.
Shen Bai shook his head again. "That guy is definitely in hiding. It’s useless to look for him."
Hearing this, Qin Shuang grew even more puzzled. "Then what are you looking for?"
Shen Bai turned and gently patted Qin Shuang’s head. "I’m trying to figure out which one is Master Xuanqing."
He spoke in an exceptionally calm tone, but Qin Shuang could detect a chilling undercurrent.
She was then reminded of just how ruthless the man before her could be.
Those who crossed him never t a good end.
Qin Shuang couldn’t help but feel a pang of worry for Master Xuanqing. "Shen Bai, don’t be rash. It’s best we don’t reveal ourselves before the tomb opens. Besides, Master Xuanqing is backed by Qingyun Cloud Temple. It would be difficult to make a move on him in public."
Shen Bai nodded. "I know. I’ll wait for the right mont."
Qin Shuang asked curiously, "And what, exactly, is the right mont?"
Shen Bai gestured toward the wilderness. "Inside the tomb, there will be all sorts of dangers. No one knows what will happen from one mont to the next. If he happens to die in there... well, that would have nothing to do with ."
Hearing this, Qin Shuang couldn’t help but shiver.
She knew Shen Bai had already made up his mind, so it was pointless to try and dissuade him now.
Just then, a sudden commotion arose from the crowd.
Shen Bai looked toward the source of the commotion, and the drifting sounds of discussion reached his ears.
"Is that Master Xuanqing?"
"I hear he’s the strongest of Qingyun Cloud Temple’s younger generation, having reached the peak of the Three Treasures Realm."
"That’s right, it’s him. This is a Daoist School’s great tomb, so Qingyun Cloud Temple is bound to want a piece of the action."
"Sigh... With him here, who knows if we’ll be able to get anything out of this. We’ll just have to grab whatever scraps we can."
"He can’t just take everything for himself, can he? He has to leave sothing for the rest of us."
These conversations were filled with surprise, fear, and even a bit of apprehension.
The crowd of Jianghu People automatically parted, forming a path.
At the end of the path, a young man in a Daoist Robe slowly walked forward.
He was handso, with sharp brows and star-like eyes. Dressed in a black Daoist Robe, he carried an air of otherworldly elegance.
The Floating Dust in his hand, swaying gently as he walked, further enhanced this ethereal air.
However, Master Xuanqing kept his chin slightly raised, his gaze filled with disdain, clearly looking down on the Jianghu People around him.
Master Xuanqing’s disdain was palpable, yet the surrounding Jianghu People dared not utter a word, rely cowering where they stood.
Just then, Master Xuanqing suddenly stopped. He scanned the crowd, as if searching for sothing.
The crowd was puzzled, unsure of who he was looking for, but they waited in anticipation.
Master Xuanqing spoke slowly, his voice as calm as still water. "Shen Bai, I know you’re here, hiding sowhere. Inside the great tomb, I hope you’ll know what’s good for you. As for what happened before... I can let it go."
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