Chapter Twenty-Two: The Price of Concealment

Based on Ye Feifan’s deductions, the key to completing the side quest lies in the newspapers related to the "Ominous."

By obtaining these newspapers, one can decipher the complete story. Only when their cases are solved and the murderers receive their due punishment will their grievances dissipate. Simply put, if Ye Feifan wants to negotiate with the Ominous, he must find the newspapers that convince them; otherwise, he will not gain their assistance.

Once the number of Ominous entities spreads through the cultivation world, cultivation will become increasingly difficult for people. Their spirits will be intimidated, and those with guilty consciences will be easily exploited by Ye Feifan (using low-level dream bait to lure dreams, which also saves a significant amount of resources).

Modern Ominous entities are on a completely different level than those of the ancient past. Ancient Ominous entities merely drained vitality to kill, making them tangible threats. However, modern individuals were often masters of various locked-room murder techniques during their lifetimes, combined with the effects of fear and psychology. If these incarnations are merely ordinary, they are manageable, but the ones fueled by intense resentment are terrifyingly bloodthirsty.

When that happens, they employ a comprehensive range of tactics—hiding, ambushing, threatening, and intimidating. Even a cultivator at the Mahayana stage, if their powers were sealed, would be frightened to the point of losing control of their bodily functions.

Ye Feifan’s plan is well-conceived, but before he can execute it, he must complete the side quests and lay low. Those he cannot defeat in reality can be made to experience the terror of being ruled by the Ominous. With the slow-burn processing of his dream techniques, he can eventually exhaust their energy.

Given Ye Feifan’s current strength, he can only fish in shallow dreamscapes and has yet to touch the deeper layers. There is still much work to be done. Recalling his grand ambition, Ye Feifan turned his focus to the "Tick-Tock" mission he intended to complete tonight.

After careful consideration, he realized he could not accurately gauge the situation. His information was incomplete. The quest required not only uncovering the truth but also surviving until dawn, which meant there was a high probability he could die during the mission.

Reviewing Zhang Da’s words in his mind, the old man named Chen Yi in the carriage must be related to this task. Finding him might be the key to turning the situation around; he could be the linchpin of the quest.

The driver in red took a carriage full of vengeful spirits into the Drowning River, and Chen Yi’s body should be there as well. What had he missed? Could it really be the needle from the card’s image?

The system still has many loopholes. Ye Feifan suspects that the Beichen Tea Pavilion might be a red herring. As long as he uncovers the truth or survives until dawn, the mission might still be considered complete. Theoretically, he could explore multiple missions at once, but the difficulty would increase exponentially, and his mental energy could not sustain the cognitive load of two missions.

To find Chen Yi, he must find the girl named Cuihua. Who knows if she is already dead? Matters were becoming increasingly complex.

The side quest is not simple. He must not only understand the dilapidation of the Beichen Tea Pavilion but also the stories of Cuihua and Chen Yi, and finally, carefully search the pavilion for clues. Rather than wasting time, he should slip over to the sandbar in the second half of the night to see if anything different appears.

It is a pity that he did not draw blueprints for convenient transportation like motorcycles, bicycles, or tricycles. Otherwise, he could save some energy and focus on the clues, eventually finding a lead.

Thinking of the horror of the small stone bridge on a stormy night, Ye Feifan felt that going alone would be like serving himself on a platter. Whether those water weeds would crawl ashore was one issue, and whether Chen Yi had become a powerful Ominous entity was another. Zhang Da had said that Chen Yi also boarded the carriage at the Beichen Tea Pavilion; there was no way there wasn't something fishy going on there.

While lost in thought, a "knock, knock, knock" sounded at the door.

"Who is it?" Ye Feifan sat up immediately, gripping the hilt of his sword, rolled across the floor, and pressed himself against the wall behind the door. He had just come from the Treasure Auction House; he was bound to be followed, and he had to be cautious to avoid mistakes caused by carelessness.

"Sir, it's me, the waiter. Someone is downstairs looking for you."

"Understood."

He waited a moment for the waiter to leave, but Ye Feifan did not go out immediately. He waited a full minute before opening the door and stepping out. No one was tailing him; it was safe.

Walking downstairs, Ye Feifan saw a servant from the Zhang family. "Sir, my master sent me to answer what you wanted to know. There is news about Chen Yi."

"Follow me." Ye Feifan led the servant to a table and turned to call out, "Waiter, bring a pot of good tea."

"Coming right up!"

The waiter went into the kitchen. Ye Feifan looked at the servant—it was the same one Father Zhang had sent to summon him to the parlor earlier. Was this an emotional appeal?

"Tell me what you know."

"That Chen Yi was just a poor old man, nothing special. His wife ran off with someone long ago, and he only had his daughter, Cuihua, to rely on. A while back, both he and Cuihua disappeared."

"A while back? Where did they disappear from?" Ye Feifan asked casually, observing the servant’s reaction while scanning the expressions of those around them.

"At the Beichen Tea Pavilion. At first, many people thought they had just gone home, but no one saw them again the next day." The servant recounted, his expression hesitant and tinged with fear, wiping sweat as he spoke.

"Who was there at the time?"

"A few old men playing chess. Chen Yi and Cuihua were still there after they left."

"They just vanished into thin air? Where did they live?"

"In the very room you are staying in."

The atmosphere turned silent. Ye Feifan narrowed his eyes, staring at the servant. "How did you know where I was staying?"

"The waiter told me."

"The waiter?"

The servant looked left and right, whispering, "Sir, don't underestimate him. You'll suffer if you're careless. He is a spy planted by the Liu family in this guest house."

"Continue."

"Later, people realized something was wrong and alerted the yamen. The constables found nothing, but they did catch a group of beggars who were trying to steal chickens..."

"Sir, your tea." Before the servant could finish, the waiter placed the tea gently on the table and thoughtfully poured tea for Ye Feifan and the servant.

"Waiter, do you know about Chen Yi from the Beichen Tea Pavilion?" Ye Feifan asked suddenly.

Tea splashed onto the table. The waiter looked terrified, glanced cautiously around, and whispered, "Sir, please do not discuss that owner's business here, or you will invite disaster."

"Oh? Is there something you can't talk about?" Ye Feifan asked with curiosity.

"That old man offended our boss. Discussing his affairs here is forbidden. Please, have mercy."

"Fair enough. Do you know Cuihua?"

"That was the flower of the Beichen Tea Pavilion. Of course I know her, but unfortunately, she is missing—neither seen in life nor found in death."

Speaking of Cuihua, the waiter seemed like a different person, his eyes filled with longing, though they gradually dimmed. It was clear that Cuihua’s disappearance had caused him great pain.

"Sorry to bring up your sad memories. You go ahead and get back to work."

"Not at all, it's just a pity for such a good girl..." The waiter sighed and went off to attend to other guests.

The waiter is suspicious! Ye Feifan wore a smiling face, but he made a mental note of the waiter. He had been startled, but his acting was clumsy. The servant had not lied; he did indeed have the disposition of a spy.

"Where were we? Continue."

The servant blew on his tea, took a sip, and whispered, "That group of beggars climbed over the wall from the backyard of the guest house to steal chickens. They were caught on the spot by the waiter and turned in to the authorities. They were all thrown in jail."

"Did they only steal chickens?"

"That day, the food in the kitchen was stolen, and many guests went without a meal. The owner of the guest house was furious, and those beggars were nearly beaten to death."

"What was the waiter doing at that time?"

"The owner seemed to have sent him to the Fragrance Pavilion to buy food."

"Why go so far?"

"The Fragrance Pavilion is one of the best restaurants in Tianzi City. I heard they hired a master chef, and the food is much better than here."

"So, the owner was in the shop at the time?"

"That is correct."

"Any other news?"

"No. My master couldn't find anything else; there are people in high places suppressing this matter. My master asked me to warn you to be careful of those people in the shadows."

"I understand. Go back and tell the Zhang family head that I will go there on the next stormy night. Tell him to prepare a peach wood sword as old as possible and have it worshipped alongside this one... Offer three sticks of incense every morning, noon, and night. It’s best if everyone in the Zhang family offers them, and they must be sincere. I will need it next time."

Ye Feifan took out a blood-stained peach wood sword, examined it for a long moment, and handed it to the servant. The wooden sword was a gift from the Treasure Auction House, made from ten-thousand-year-old peach wood. It was originally a peach tree that had nearly attained immortality but failed its tribulation, leaving behind its charred remains.

Although the outer bark was destroyed, the core of the peach wood was perfectly preserved. It was a ten-thousand-year-old lightning-struck wood, stained with the blood of a thousand-year-old black dog. Its baleful energy was enough to suppress certain Ominous entities and dark sorcery.

"Understood. I will remember. Take care, sir, I shall take my leave."

"Go."

The servant wrapped the sword in his outer garment and hurried out of the guest house. Ye Feifan looked at the sky and was surprised to see it was already evening.

The Zhang family is courting death! Ye Feifan sighed. He had given them a chance to reveal the truth, yet they had not disclosed the matter of the two slaves. Was Father Zhang hiding it on purpose, or were there other secrets?

Fortunately, there was still time. He would use it to sort through these problems and investigate the Beichen Tea Pavilion tonight. Without points, he could not fish for dreams, and his cultivation could not continue. Moreover, there were countless dangers waiting for him; only by becoming stronger could he resist these unknown crises.

"The waiter is suspicious, the guest house owner is suspicious, the Liu family is suspicious, and the Zhang family is suspicious..." Back in his room, Ye Feifan replayed everything he could think of, only to realize that Tianzi City was fraught with crises. How had the brilliant experts of the past managed to make it out?

Little Tianzi City ran deep, and if he wasn't careful, he would capsize. The Lingtian Sect's recruitment was about to begin. With Lavender's strength, she could pass the trials easily, and she likely wouldn't sense the dangers in the city... but the Xun family was a different story.

It was true that he was raised by Xun Tianxing, but he had no relation to the others in the Xun family. Xun Tianxing’s greatest wish was to become the overlord of Tianzi City. If he took down the Zhang and Yan families, the debt of his upbringing would be repaid. If he saved him in a moment of danger, and he had saved his life in return, they would be even.

With grievances settled, neither would owe the other anything. That would be best for everyone. His godfather was likely still dreaming of uniting Tianzi City.

[PS: Prosperity, democracy, civility, harmony, freedom, equality, justice, the rule of law, patriotism, dedication, integrity, and friendliness.]