CHAPTER 366: CHAPTER 320

The residence seemed unremarkable, not very large, but it took quite a bit of time to explore—corridors, gardens, rockeries, lakes, halls, bamboo forests, etc.

As Lan Tian wandered aimlessly, she suddenly spotted across the bamboo forest a vague, large dark shadow; startled, she instinctively hid behind the rockery and peered out cautiously—it appeared to be a two-story building.

A building hidden away in such a secluded spot clearly indicated something was amiss. Lan Tian didn’t act rashly; instead, she turned around, her back against the rockery, wondering if someone was inside.

The moonlight was bright and frosty, pouring down in torrents, and the quiet bamboo forest seemed to only echo with the sound of wind rustling the bamboo leaves with a "slish-slosh."

Lan Tian stood up, peered over the rockery, and looked towards the building. It didn’t seem to pose any danger; it looked just like an ordinary building with no one guarding the front. Since she was already there, Lan Tian thought about going over to take a look.

Stepping out from behind the rockery, she extended one foot, with half of her body still hidden behind it. Just as she was about to step out, the Cleansing Heart Technique in her Sea of Consciousness suddenly stirred, sending a cool sensation from her Sea of Consciousness to her limbs. Lan Tian stiffened, a chill running down her spine.

Something was very wrong.

Retracting her foot, Lan Tian ducked back behind the rockery, recalling every detail since she had entered the residence—her every movement, the surrounding crowds, side decorations, the layout of the hall, the structure of the garden, etc., all seemed normal.

Except for the noisy laughter and chatter, and the chirping of insects in the shrubs...

Insect sounds?

Lan Tian’s eyes suddenly widened; she realized where the anomaly lay.

It was too quiet in this part of the forest.

As she had wandered around from the garden, despite changing locations, she could always hear the noisy festivities in the distance, the volume varying only in loudness.

Approaching this bamboo forest, she could faintly still hear the bustle of the garden and the chirping in the shrubs, yet here, not only were there no sounds from the festivities, but she couldn’t even hear the insects in the grass beside the path—nothing but the soft "slish-slosh" of the wind through the bamboo leaves, the surroundings deathly silent.

A layer of cold sweat formed on her back. Looking again at this quiet bamboo forest, it seemed to come alive, its branches flailing like the claws of a massive, ferocious beast pouncing forward, sending shivers down her spine.

The building seemed like a beast lying in wait, silently anticipating the prey that would walk right into its jaws—Lan Tian felt that the intended prey was herself.

That was close! Unknowingly, she had fallen into a trap; she didn’t even realize when it happened, nor did she sense any danger. If not for the Cleansing Heart Technique snapping her alert, stepping forward could mean death without even knowing how.

Lan Tian was sure, this must be where the cultivator was hiding. An Array was set from the entrance of the bamboo forest to that building, the other party’s Cultivation was several realms higher than hers, that’s why she could not detect any signs of the Array.

At the banquet, the host family was not seen; that cultivator must still be in the building. Lan Tian did not make any rash moves. After watching from behind the rockery for a while and discovering nothing, he dared not use his spiritual power and took the same path back. Only when he heard the familiar sound of insects by his ear did Lan Tian finally breathe a sigh of relief, his tensed heart settling slightly. He looked back at the bamboo forest hidden in the night, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, feeling a wave of fright.

......

After 7:30 pm, the Four Major Families seemed to have arranged to arrive fashionably late. The four elders exchanged pleasantries at the entrance, followed by a group of promising younger family members. Everyone knew the calculations each had in their minds, but no one pointed it out.

Compared to the other three families, the Ji Family appeared much colder. There were only Mr. Ji and Ji Feng from the Ji Family, no one else, followed by bodyguards. After a brief chat among the elders, they all entered the house with smiles.

The guide led the elders through a special passage to the Hua Hall, without disturbing the crowd in the garden. Ji Feng accompanied Mr. Ji in courtesies for a while, his gaze sweeping through the crowd. Seeing Mr. Mo in the Hua Hall but no sign of Lan Tian, he informed his grandfather. Mr. Ji looked towards Mr. Mo and nodded, after which Ji Feng instructed the bodyguard to take good care of his grandfather and headed towards Mr. Mo.

The two had a quiet conversation for a moment; Ji Feng then looked outside before standing up and heading to the garden.

The younger generation in Beijing knew that the Ji Family had a Crown Prince. Previously unwell, Ji Feng spent years recuperating at Hidden Dragon Mountain, and few people had met him, even fewer knew him well. Yang Lan, Ye Junying, Hua Kongque, and Zhang Shenjing were among the few who did.

In the garden, there was a small fountain playing a splendid piece of music, with couples embracing and dancing together, and others standing by, enjoying the view.

Ji Feng mingled in the crowd for a while, holding a glass of red wine and gently swaying it, blending into a corner of the garden. It looked like he was watching the dancers, yet also as though he was not watching anything at all.

While he had not finished his glass of wine, at some point, Hua Kongque and Zhang Shenjing also stood in the corner, the three of them peering through the bushes at the dancing couples.

"Where is she?" Ji Feng sipped his red wine.

"After separating from Mo Junhua, she roamed the garden for a while. Mo Junhua’s whereabouts are unknown. In the middle, Ye Junying tried to follow her, but we stopped her. Hua Kongque followed her for a while but then lost her, and we couldn’t find her despite searching everywhere," Zhang Shenjing reported to Ji Feng, too embarrassed to meet his eyes. They were specially trained, and yet they lost track of a girl, too shameful to face anyone.

"It’s normal to lose her; if she didn’t want to be followed, you couldn’t keep up. Just wait here, she should be back soon," Ji Feng finished his wine in one gulp, furrowed his brow – Mo Junhua, why was he joining in the commotion, then he stepped back into the crowd.

Lan Tian had ventured out, Ji Feng had his suspicions, and had been unable to find "He Xu Palace" before, but having found it now, he surmised Lan Tian must be checking on that cultivator. Mo Junhua had joined in, but he couldn’t lose to him. Ji Feng touched the peach chain on his wrist, set down his glass, and disappeared into the night.

......

Lan Tian silently slipped into the crowd, picked up a glass of juice, and walked over to the lighthouse beside the fountain, leaning against the lighthouse and watching the men and women twisting in the dance pool.

No one knew she had left for a while and then returned; the few aware were her own people. Hua Kongque and Zhang Shenjing didn’t even know she was back, still quietly waiting in the corner of the garden.

Lan Tian sipped her juice, looking towards the entrance of the garden; it was quarter past eight, unsure if Ji Feng and the others had arrived. Being in enemy territory, Lan Tian dared not use her divine sense to search for people. Her gaze shifted around, and spotting Hua Kongque and Zhang Shenjing in the corner, her eyes lit up.