CHAPTER 544: CHAPTER 539: WHITE HORSE MOUNTAIN IN THE DARK NIGHT_1

Time quietly slipped by. An hour later, Qin Feiyang abruptly rose to his feet, his eyes sparkling brightly. He then stepped out of his private chamber, opening the stone door.

At that moment, only a few scattered individuals remained in the Elixir Fire Palace. The rest were outside, watching Mo Wushen streaking.

Upon seeing Qin Feiyang emerge, those few hurriedly escaped into an alchemy room, closing the stone door tight behind them as if warding off a thief.

Seeing this, Qin Feiyang was rather speechless.

Although I’m not a pushover, I consider myself a reasonable person. Is there any need for such fear?

With a gloomy heart, he stepped out of the Elixir Fire Palace to find the plaza filled with over a hundred people, whispering about something.

"Xia Hai!"

Suddenly, someone noticed Qin Feiyang.

In an instant, everyone present turned their heads simultaneously towards Qin Feiyang, their expressions varied. Some looked surprised, others bewildered, and a few even wore fawning expressions.

The plaza near the Resource Hall and Training Hall was also bustling with people who had come to see the spectacle.

Qin Feiyang surveyed the crowd, then raised his head to look at Mo Wushen, who was streaking in the sky.

Coincidentally, Mo Wushen was also looking at Qin Feiyang.

The moment their eyes met, an invisible spark seemed to ignite between them.

Qin Feiyang’s gaze flickered, and he said lightly, "Streaking means you should be completely naked, right? Why are you still wearing underwear?"

Upon hearing this, Mo Wushen stumbled in mid-air, almost toppling from the sky.

The people by the Training Hall and the Resource Hall also noticed Qin Feiyang, and their faces instantly contorted.

Is he actually demanding that Mo Wushen strip off his underwear? Isn’t that going too far? After all, Mo Wushen is a prodigy of the Inner Hall. Shouldn’t there be limits to humiliation? Moreover, one should consider the master before hitting the dog. No matter what, Mo Wushen is a disciple of the Lord Mansion Master. Even if Qin Feiyang doesn’t give Mo Wushen face, shouldn’t he show some respect for the Lord Mansion Master?

Seeing everyone’s reactions, Qin Feiyang smiled faintly, said nothing more, and turned towards a deserted mountain peak.

Once he left, the three main peaks erupted into an uproar.

The mountain peak was thousands of feet high. Vegetation flourished there.

Qin Feiyang stood on the peak, looking down at the mountain stream below; no one knew what he was thinking.

In reality, he was waiting for someone. He knew that someone would certainly come to find him.

Sure enough, not long after, a shifty-eyed young man in black robes crept to the mountaintop, hiding behind a rock and curiously eyeing Qin Feiyang.

Without turning his head, Qin Feiyang said, "Come out!"

"Hmm?" The black-robed young man looked startled.

Has he been found? Or are there others hiding nearby?

The young man in black couldn’t help looking around, but he didn’t see anyone else.

However, when he turned back to look at Qin Feiyang, Qin Feiyang was already standing right in front of him.

Immediately, the black-robed young man jolted in shock and retreated hurriedly. He stood more than ten meters away, his eyes wary as they watched Qin Feiyang.

Qin Feiyang looked at the young man in black, expressionless. He said, "You’ve got guts, daring to follow me."

"I... I didn’t..." the young man in black stammered, shaking his head.

"No?" Qin Feiyang gave a cold smile. "If I’m not mistaken, you’re probably wondering right now if I’m really Xia Hai."

Hearing this, the young man in the black robe felt increasingly frantic.

Qin Feiyang’s gaze grew colder still.

But suddenly, a faint smile appeared on Qin Feiyang’s face. "He Jiu, I admire you. You’re intelligent and you know how to assess situations. But sometimes, being too clever can be your own undoing."

"What Senior Brother Xia said is very true, but I really don’t deserve to be called intelligent," He Jiu replied fearfully.

Qin Feiyang said casually, "Don’t be modest. Even though you usually act incompetent and weak, that’s just an illusion you’ve created to deceive everyone."

He Jiu felt a chill in his heart.

Qin Feiyang didn’t elaborate further. He asked, "Do you know where the Hall Master resides?"

"Hall Master?" He Jiu was momentarily dumbfounded. "May I ask which Hall Master Senior Brother is referring to?"

Qin Feiyang said, "The Hall Master of the Elixir Palace."

A fleeting gleam passed through the depths of He Jiu’s eyes. "If the Hall Master is not in the Inner Palace, then he is definitely in the depths of the Holy Temple mountains."

Qin Feiyang mused for a moment, then asked, "Are there any renowned places near State City?"

"Yes."

"White Horse Mountain," He Jiu answered.

"Location, coordinates," Qin Feiyang commanded.

"White Horse Mountain is located south of the city, several miles from State City." After saying this, He Jiu also provided Qin Feiyang with the coordinates.

"Thank you." Qin Feiyang responded with a polite smile, then opened a portal and left directly.

Finally, He Jiu breathed a sigh of relief. But soon after, his gaze flickered again.

This Xia Hai... regardless of his gaze or demeanor, he bears the shadow of Ma San. And like Ma San, he knows nothing about State City. This person must be that ’Ma San’ imposter in disguise! But who was that ’Ma San’ an impersonation of? Actually, he had realized long ago that this ’Ma San’ was not the real Ma San. The real Ma San had perished long ago. But as a clever person, he had rationally chosen to stay silent. After all, someone who dared to kill even Commander Nie wouldn’t hesitate to kill him, an Inner Hall disciple.

He Jiu gazed up at the sky, a trace of melancholy in his eyes, muttering to himself, "Not only is his strength overwhelming, but his talent for alchemy is also demonic. Truly astounding!"

Knowing the truth yet not daring to speak it—this was the sorrow of an insignificant person.

「Meanwhile.」

Qin Feiyang descended over a towering peak.

The giant peak was thousands of feet tall, devoid of soil, weeds, or trees; it was a single, solid monolith. Moreover, it bore no trace of any other color; its entire body was pure white, like jade. From afar, it truly resembled a magnificent steed galloping across the earth, possessing an extraordinary aura.

This place was White Horse Mountain.

Qin Feiyang surveyed the terrain, entered the ancient castle, asked Lu Hong for a pen and paper, and hastily wrote a line of words.

Next, he folded the paper, slipped it into an envelope, and wrote a few large characters on the envelope.

Then, Qin Feiyang tucked the envelope into his robes, left the ancient castle, slightly altered his appearance, and flew towards State City.

「Midnight!」

The waning moon hung in the sky, casting the land into darkness.

A vague white figure evaded the guards’ patrols and silently entered State City, heading straight for the central district.

An hour passed.

The shadowy figure stopped before the great doors of the Holy Temple, peering at the reception hall.

The great doors of the hall stood wide open. Inside, candlelight flickered.

Through the candlelight, two old men could be clearly seen sitting opposite each other, drinking and conversing cheerfully. One was dressed in white, the other in black.

The figure in the darkness had a slight glint in his eyes. He pulled an envelope from within his robes and flicked his wrist.

Immediately, the envelope shot through the air like a flying blade, heading towards the two old men in the hall.

Simultaneously, the shadowy figure silently retreated.

Inside the hall, upon hearing something whistle through the air, the two old men immediately rose and looked.

The old man in white stretched out his aged hand and grabbed the envelope.

Both of them looked down to see a few large characters written on the front of the envelope.

—To be opened only by the Hall Master of the Elixir Palace!

"Whoever you are, please show yourself!"

The two men exchanged glances and rushed out of the hall together, standing in the middle of the square and scanning in all directions.

However, not only was there no one in sight, but there was also no response.

The old man in white said, "I will go find the Hall Master. You stay here and keep watch. If you spot any suspicious people, apprehend them immediately!"

The old man in black nodded.

WHOOSH!

The old man in white soared into the air, heading towards the depths of the Inner Palace.

Deep within the Inner Palace lay a range of undulating mountains that, under the cloak of night, exuded a mysterious aura. And nestled amongst the mountains were three courtyards.

The courtyards were rather large. Inside, flower gardens and orchards, small bridges over flowing streams, pavilions, and kiosks complemented each other, resembling a Xanadu.

This was the residence of the Holy Temple’s three most powerful figures.

The old man in white streaked across the night sky, landing before one of the courtyards. He bowed respectfully and said, "Hall Master, this subordinate has matters to request an audience."

"Come in."

A flat voice echoed from within the pavilion.

The old man in white pushed open the courtyard gate and walked into the pavilion’s reception hall. At the same time, candles flickered to life inside the pavilion.

A middle-aged man in white descended from upstairs, looked at the old man in white, and asked, "What is it?"

"Someone just delivered a letter."

The old man in white handed the envelope to the Hall Master of the Elixir Palace.

The Hall Master glanced at the envelope, grasped it, and opened it. As he unfolded the paper and saw the contents, his brows furrowed slightly.

There were only two messages written on the paper.

The first message read: "If you wish to know Ma San’s whereabouts, come to the summit of White Horse Mountain for a meeting!"

The second message read: "You must come alone!"

A few moments later, the Hall Master of the Elixir Palace looked up at the white-haired old man and asked, "Who brought this?"

The white-robed old man bowed his head and said, "This subordinate was incompetent and failed to see the person who delivered the letter."

"Hmm."

"I understand. You may leave."

The Hall Master of the Elixir Palace waved his hand. After the white-robed old man left, the Hall Master pondered for a moment, a glint flashing in his eyes.

He muttered to himself, "To break into the Holy Temple undetected... I’d like to see just who you are!" Then, he opened a teleportation portal and, gripping the letter, strode into it.

「Outside the city!」

Under the moonlight, White Horse Mountain was like a precious jade, exuding a dim and hazy glow.

A white figure stood on the cliff edge at the mountain’s summit, facing the wind. He gazed at the vast mountains and rivers, his deep eyes like the water in an ancient well, without a ripple, utterly calm.

SWOOSH!

Suddenly, the figure vanished into thin air, leaving no trace.

Not long after the figure disappeared, another white figure descended on the summit—it was none other than the Hall Master of the Elixir Palace!

Sweeping his gaze over the empty summit, the Hall Master of the Elixir Palace announced loudly, "I have arrived as requested! Please show yourself, esteemed one!"

The robust voice echoed through the night, reverberating amongst the mountains, long-lingering.

But there was no response at all.

The Hall Master of the Elixir Palace raised an eyebrow and said, "You were the one who invited me here, yet you refuse to show yourself. What is the meaning of this?"

Yet, there was still no response.

A clear trace of anger now appeared between the Hall Master’s brows.

SWOOSH!

Suddenly, a white figure appeared on the cliff edge at the summit, but it vanished in an instant, leaving no trace, as if it had never been there at all.

But the Hall Master of the Elixir Palace caught sight of it instantly.

After a moment’s hesitation, the Hall Master of the Elixir Palace walked towards the cliff edge step by step, a hint of contempt in his voice as he said, "Playing tricks and acting mysterious... it seems I overestimated you."