Chapter 1075 - 900: Hence the Trial

The little girl from the back room of the paper shop came out holding a pinwheel, and happened to see the terrified look of the shopkeeper's wife, she froze and called out, "Mother."

The tall, skinny man who was slicing bamboo slits in the back room also heard the scream, and suddenly darted to the little girl's side, looking around the shop interior but seeing no one else, puzzled as to why his wife was frightened.

He sidestepped past the little girl and quickly went behind the counter to ask, "What happened?"

The shopkeeper's wife was too scared to answer, she even trembled slightly.

The tall, skinny man's gaze followed his wife's to the ground, where he saw a package of pastries. The packaging seemed familiar, since it had fallen and flipped over, he couldn't see the mark printed on the paper until he nudged it with his toe to reveal the "Ou's" emblem.

This mark made his pupils contract instantly, he understood why the packaging seemed familiar, he also understood why his wife was so frightened. This packaging should not have appeared here.

His breathing also became rapid, he looked around, thinking he had hidden well enough, confused as to why they were discovered.

Yet, his overreaction quickly calmed, and he regained composure in an instant. Extending his hand through the air, he performed a spell to investigate the contents, finding nothing unusual inside. It seemed to just be pastries. He held his wife's arm and gently asked, "Where did it come from?"

The shopkeeper's wife looked up at him, her eyes filled with fear, "I don't know, the items on the counter were messy, I found it while organizing them."

The tall, skinny man asked again, "Did someone come to buy something earlier? Is it from them?"

The shopkeeper's wife shook her head, "I don't know, I didn't notice."

"Mother." The little girl holding the pinwheel squeezed in, looking up eagerly.

The shopkeeper's wife suddenly squatted down and hugged her daughter, tears streaming down her face. She was scared, genuinely scared. Previously it was fine to hide with her husband, but now what if they had to sneak around with their daughter like thieves. The problem was they were clearly being targeted, would they be able to escape with their daughter?

The tall, skinny man's face tightened as he turned to look at the shop across the street. Because of his wife's scream, curious gazes were focused this way from across the street.

He stepped out of the counter, initially cupping his hands towards the merchants across the street to indicate nothing was wrong, not wanting to disturb them, while secretly observing their reactions, then he closed the shop's door.

The woman from the shop diagonally across saw this, stepped to her neighbor's side on the steps, whispered asking what was happening, and they began murmuring to each other.

"Mother, what happened?"

The little girl from the paper shop struggled out of her mother's embrace, trying to wipe her mother's tears, which only caused them to flow more fiercely as the mother hugged her tighter.

The tall, skinny man who returned crouched in front of the package of pastries, carefully checked and confirmed there was no problem before picking it up and placing it on the counter, saying, "Take the daughter to the back to hide for a moment."

Worried there might be hidden dangers in the pastries, he feared for his wife and daughter, so caution was necessary.

The shopkeeper's wife understood and immediately took her daughter to the back.

Once no one was around, the tall, skinny man cautiously began to unseal the packaging.

Originally holding a bit of hope in his heart, just in case the packaging was similar. But when the powdery green pastry inside was unveiled, his heart truly sank. Some pastry ingredients were unique to the Netherworld, and this pastry was once the signature item of the 'Ou's', diagonally opposite their previous shop 'Stone Records'. It was called 'Nether Jade Cake'.

The appearance of this 'Nether Jade Cake' shattered his last bit of hope and made him increasingly terrified.

Initially, he instinctively suspected it was related to Shi Chun, but now it seemed wrong. Even Shi Chun's group wouldn't know his former residence in the Netherworld. The person who deliberately placed the 'Nether Jade Cake' here was clearly saying they knew more than he imagined.

Comparatively, he wasn't too afraid of Shi Chun's group, he feared that some other people found him, having previously utilized information from the 'Blood Shadow Pavilion'.

But how could the 'Blood Shadow Pavilion' have pastries from the Netherworld?

He crushed one corner of the pastry, rubbed some under his nose to smell it, even licked some to taste it, regardless of poison, ultimately confirming it was indeed 'Nether Jade Cake'.

Did the sender intend merely to prove they knew of his existence?

Upon closer inspection, he quickly found a line of text inside the wrapping paper, which read: Awaiting at the pavilion by the mountain lake outside the South City!

He took a bamboo strip to scrape and inspect the text for a moment, contemplating intensely, then swiftly went to the back hall, found his wife, still holding their daughter tightly, and conveyed via sound transmission: "Don't cry, first take the daughter to the bustling restaurant at the street corner, order some dishes, sit in a prominent spot. If I can't come to find you within the next two-hour, immediately shout for the shopkeeper to send you to the City Lord Mansion to surrender. Beneath the stone sculpture in the city I've often mentioned, lies something that ensures the safety of you both. After alerting the Royal Court, you can reveal the whereabouts of the item, handing it over ensures your safety."

It felt like he was giving his last instructions, the shopkeeper's wife wiped her teary eyes, suspiciously asking, "What are you going to do?"

The tall, skinny man transmitted his voice: "For the daughter's sake, hurry up, delay could bring change."

Thinking of her daughter's safety, understanding her husband must have a reason for this, the shopkeeper's wife hurriedly bit her lip, soothing her daughter, and moved quickly.

The man immediately went to his room, sat cross-legged on the bed to cast spells. Soon, a mass of red mist, invisible to normal sight, drew a red line out the door and caught up with the lady holding her daughter, observing the surroundings as they escorted her.

Until the lady took her daughter into the designated tea house, and sat down to order food as instructed, the red mist stayed outside the door to observe for a while. After detecting no anomalies, it swiftly departed, headed straight to the south of the city.

All the way out of the city, crossing a stretch of mountains and forests, amidst a sparkling scene of lakes and mountains stood a pavilion, its elegant charm lying beautifully between the mountain and water.

At this time, there was a person drinking alone in the pavilion; indeed, it was fine wine and delicacies, with a set of untouched bowls and chopsticks opposite.

Even sitting, one could tell this person was tall and large; it was none other than Wu Jinliang with no disguise.

Seeing it was this fellow, the tall, thin man sitting cross-legged and meditating inside trembled with his cheek muscles twitching fiercely; it was really these people.

In fact, he felt a slight sense of relief; it wasn't the worst outcome he feared after all, especially since he held major leverage against Shi Chun and his group.

After quickly calming his emotions, the mass of red mist invisible to the naked eye started searching the surroundings of the pavilion again, continuously expanding the search range, not even sparing the lake.

After confirming there was no one else around, the tall, thin man sitting cross-legged and meditating inside suddenly vanished like smoke, and reappeared in the pavilion amidst the lakes and mountains, with a sword already placed on Wu Jinliang's neck, sternly questioning, "How did you find me?"

Other nonsense was clearly unnecessary.

No hesitation in his hand, letting Wu Jinliang's neck see red directly, showing the intent to kill him at any moment; really furious, previously scared enough, never been so afraid in all those years between life and death.

Finally, it turned out to be this bastard, what a joke, he once even saved this one's life, how could he not be angry.

Although his true appearance had only been seen by Shi Chun secretly in the Netherworld stone shop, Wu Jinliang, who peeked sideways nonetheless recognized it as Yu Xuanbing upon seeing his clearly tall, thin figure.

Yu Xuanbing didn't use a false face to appear, simply knowing it was unnecessary; since the other party found the door, and even knew where he lived, they surely had already seen his true form.

Wu Jinliang also didn't bother with nonsense, pinched out a Jade Scroll with two fingers and passed it aside; the one given by Shi Chun, the one secretly delivered to Feng Chi, and the one hinting Lei Ying hired an assassin to murder.

Yu Xuanbing puzzled, sword tip pressing on Wu Jinliang's neck without loosening, received the Jade Scroll with the other hand to examine.

It was okay not to look, but upon seeing the content, the look of surprise flashed across his face hard to conceal, then sank directly into silence.

Observing Wu Jinliang's expression, he understood immediately, couldn't help but roll his eyes. Shi Chun asked him to try it, so he did try, and before trying, actually always thought the possibility of it being Yu Xuanbing secretly was very low. After all, given Yu Xuanbing's reclusive state, how would he know that kind of assassin's secret, clearly someone not wanting trouble how could possibly do such a thing.

Who knew the result after trying proved it really was this guy doing.

He didn't understand why this guy who didn't want to be involved with them in any way would take the initiative to do this.

Meanwhile, inside the tea house at the street entrance in the city, just as the food was served, the paper shop owner lady served herself and her daughter hadn't had a few bites when another identical tall, thin man suddenly appeared, directly walked to the counter to settle the bill for the mother and daughter, and asked to pack up the remaining food.

The mother and daughter had no suspicion, seeing him signaling them to hurry up and follow, immediately obediently followed him.

By the lake in the pavilion, Yu Xuanbing rotating the Jade Scroll in his hand, pondering over his secret delivery process for a good while, still couldn't figure out how he was exposed, suddenly frowned, pressing the sword again on Wu Jinliang's neck, "No, you didn't find me by reversing the delivery process of this Jade Scroll, 'Ou's' pastries, you knew where I was in the Netherworld beforehand."

This conclusion emerging made him jump with fear.

Wu Jinliang chuckled, "Before bringing the cake to your shop in the Netherworld, indeed didn't know where you lived, not even sure if the paper shop owner was Elder Yu you, now, that 'Ou's Pastry Shop' opposite, it naturally confirms that the couple from the former stone carving shop are indeed the elder couple."

Yu Xuanbing frowned, thinking through the logic in his words.

Wu Jinliang then questioned, "Elder Yu, do you think when we first met in the Netherworld, was it possible for us to know you were hiding in that stone shop?"

This question posed, Yu Xuanbing furrows wrinkled, he had confidence in his Divine Skills, also felt it was impossible for those people in the Netherworld at the time to know his hiding place.

Wu Jinliang flicked the sword tip with his fingers, "Alright, holding it is uncomfortable, given my cultivation I'm not your foe, there's no need for such caution, Elder Yu, could you sit down for a proper talk?" Pointed towards the empty bowls and chopsticks opposite.

Yu Xuanbing indeed retracted the sword but didn't sit at the specified position, instead vigilantly glanced around, paced diagonally opposite, propped the sword tip on a stone stool, spoke gravely, "Clarify, how did you locate that stone carving shop?"

Wu Jinliang touched the bloodstain on his neck, chuckled, took out an ointment to apply on the wound, simultaneously countering, "Elder, back then thinking if out of the Netherworld there'd never find you again, hence the affairs behind dealt somewhat crudely. Elder Yu, your stone shop isn't far from our hideout, you wouldn't not know this, right? By combining the several meeting times, plus the time you took your respected wife away, the estimation can more or less pinpoint you also in Zuoyong City. Next was to probe in the city, seeing if any couple disappeared, resulted finding a nearby match to our hideout…"

Speaking of it, spread his hands, "Conditions matched, yet couldn't confirm, estimated if really your couple's hiding place, couldn't not know the 'Ou's Pastry Shop' opposite, hence tried, now confirmed that the couple running 'Stone Records' are indeed the elder couple."

His words weren't babbling, came bearing significant responsibilities, meticulously prepared in advance.