Chapter 59: Reunion Part 2

After all that, they finally reached the main point, and Xiao Kun’s expression grew solemn.

“My first encounter with Zhou Wang and Yelu Yari was in Chang’an,” Baoyin said. “I entered the pass via Yulin and discovered Zhou Wang in an underground ancient waterway. Accompanying him were two others: a pitch-black fellow named ‘Mr. Zhao.’”

“There’s more?” Xiang Xian and Xiao Kun were on the verge of collapse.

“How did another one appear?” Xiao Kun asked incredulously.

“Could it be the Official Family we made last time?” Xiang Xian’s expression grew complicated.

“Huh?” Chaosheng asked curiously upon hearing this. “How did you know we went to Chang’an?”

“Want to know?” Baoyin laughed. “Come closer, and sister will tell you secretly.”

“Get to the point!” Xiao Kun said.

Baoyin immediately replied, “Qingshan and I can sometimes connect through dreams. In his dream, I saw Chang’an—and that he had encountered grave danger.”

Everyone fell silent for a moment before Xiao Kun asked, “What were the Demon Race subordinates doing back in Chang’an?”

Baoyin answered, “I don’t know. Seemed like they were looking for something? But these Demon People were quite polite.”

Chaosheng said, “They’re all bad people.”

“I know,” Baoyin laughed again. “But you don’t hit a smiling face, right? Even if I sometimes curse people’s mothers inwardly, as long as I smile, folks hesitate to attack me out of nowhere.”

Baoyin switched to a smiling face toward Chaosheng. Xiang Xian knew she was ostensibly addressing him but actually trying to win over Mu Qingshan—after all, Baoyin wasn’t to be trifled with. She had quickly seen that Chaosheng and Mu Qingshan were closest, and Chaosheng could influence him to some extent.

Xiao Kun had finally met someone even more shameless than Xiang Xian.

“To deal with smiling faces, a burlap sack does the trick,” Xiang Xian said with a smile toward Baoyin. “Put it over their head, and no qualms.”

Baoyin laughed. “Has your sweetheart done that to you? Not many in the world could sack and beat you, I imagine?”

“Only I beat him; he has no reason to beat me.” As Xiang Xian spoke, he playfully punched Xiao Kun’s arm. Xiao Kun ignored him, so Xiang Xian added, “See? He doesn’t dare retaliate.”

Xiao Kun: “Enough.”

Now Xiao Kun felt Xiang Xian was the more annoying one, but how had Baoyin known they were sweethearts… close? Oh… right. Xiao Kun noticed everyone eyeing the red rope on his and Xiang Xian’s wrists. He subconsciously wanted to cover it with his sleeve but fiddled with it several times before leaving it exposed.

“Continue,” Xiao Kun said, striving for a calm tone. “Sounds like you all got along splendidly.”

“It was fine,” Baoyin replied. “Mutual utilization, that’s all.”

And so Baoyin informed the three Demon People that she was searching for her runaway fiancé. Mr. Zhao had proactively invited her to head south to Kaifeng together and explicitly told her that the White Deer they sought was in Kaifeng.

“I think Mr. Zhao was their leader,” Baoyin said.

“What did he look like?” Xiao Kun asked. “Middle-aged?”

“Hmm,” Baoyin thought. “Ten or so years older than me? His speech… like a martial artist. Come to think of it, we got along well; his martial skills were decent.”

Xiang Xian and Xiao Kun fell silent for a moment. Xiang Xian said, “Not Zhao Ji?”

“Who’s Zhao Ji?” Baoyin knew nothing of their journey or the various deductions.

“Later, he left the group at Sanmenxia. The rest of us—me, Zhou Wang, and Mr. Yelu—entered Kaifeng,” Baoyin recalled. “After Mr. Zhao left, I barely spoke to the other two; we were just traveling companions. That kid had heavy Baleful Qi on him, like he’d been… anyway, full of hatred for heaven and earth. Even the Heart Lamp probably couldn’t save him.”

Baoyin had almost said “like his whole family was killed,” but with her beloved nearby and his tribe exterminated, she sighed, then resumed her smile. “That’s all. What do you have to say?”

Xiao Kun didn’t respond directly but discussed with Xiang Xian: “Where did Mr. Zhao go? From this, he’s probably not the newly fabricated Daojun Emperor.”

“That’s even worse—hope it’s not Taizu.” Xiang Xian, who had learned Taizu Long Fist in his youth, held a natural reverence for Zhao Kuangyin. With King Mu having demonized Qin Shi Huang, Han Wu, and now Tang and Song ancestors, just thinking about it chilled his spine.

“You afraid of him?” Xiao Kun asked.

“Nothing like that,” Xiang Xian quickly backtracked.

Xiao Kun: “If you can’t bring yourself to act, I’ll handle it.”

Xiang Xian: “I’m just thinking… where the other Demon People went… hmm.”

With so many matters unresolved, Xiang Xian’s head ached.

“Back to the point,” Xiao Kun said. “We must settle a few things today.”

The sky gradually darkened, and the sunset’s glow bathed the Exorcism Division in a golden hue.

“You say it, or me?” Xiao Kun asked the pensive Xiang Xian.

“What’s wrong?” Chaosheng rarely saw them like this.

Xiang Xian made a “please” gesture, and Xiao Kun nodded before solemnly addressing everyone: “With everyone here today, Xiang Xian and I have a request.”

Xiao Kun held the Department Envoy’s main seat, while Xiang Xian usually sat beside him. Both rested on the hall’s central mats, with a small table for tea and snacks.

The Department Envoy and Deputy Emissary shared the courtesy of “riding in the same carriage, sitting at the same mat” to show closeness. But as Xiao Kun spoke today, Xiang Xian tried to move from the main mat to the deputy seat on the left lower side. Xiao Kun grabbed his hand, signaling it was fine, and had him stay seated.

“The hardships of this journey, everyone has seen,” Xiao Kun said. “In the past, I often consulted with the Deputy Emissary on how to defeat the Demon King and avert the impending catastrophe.”