Zuo Xuan was the first to attack. As an Artifact Cultivator, she was the fastest. A dense cloud of her Embroidery Needles instantly engulfed the disgusting Star God and the person beside him.

The Star God, having lost its Star Iron and Iron-Eating Insects, seemed to have no way to cast spells and offered no resistance to the attack.

This came as a bit of a surprise to Zuo Xuan.

A head was quickly swept into Zuo Xuan’s hand by the swarm of Embroidery Needles. She hesitated for a moment before reading the memories in the person’s mind, and her brow furrowed.

"It’s a puppet. The memories have been wiped," Zuo Xuan explained to Wang Ping via voice transmission. She was referring not to the Star God, but to the person behind it. As for the Star God itself, she wasn’t foolish enough to directly read the memories of a madman.

The fight on Wang Ping’s side had also ended; his opponent hadn’t resisted either.

He reached out and manipulated the Wood Spirit Qi, taking hold of the dismembered Star God’s bloody, severed head. Using a Puppet Bird as a medium, he transferred the memories into the Array Runes inside the bird. He then used Wood Spirit Qi to reduce the head to a bloody pulp, fertilizer for his Wood Spirits.

"Is it over just like that?" Yu Lian asked, her tone filled with doubt.

"No, this is just the beginning," Wang Ping replied, looking toward the approaching Tianshan Daoist.

"This was a huge haul. I’ve profited handsomely," Tianshan Daoist said, shaking the Jade Green Gourd in his hand. "Once I’ve refined some Magical Artifacts, I’ll send a couple over to you. Don’t refuse. I don’t like taking advantage of others."

"We’re the ones who’ve profited," Wang Ping said humbly, cupping his hands.

"It’s nothing for an elder to be at a slight disadvantage," Tianshan Daoist said, stroking his beard lightly. He then brought out his Jade Green Gourd again and absorbed the curtain of light surrounding the village and town.

Yunshan also took down his barrier and walked over. Looking at Wang Ping, he said, "I’ll stay here to clean up. Fellow Daoist, you should return as soon as possible and explain things clearly to Fellow Daoist Zi Luan. Using puppets to ’raise’ mad Star Gods is an extremely serious matter. We need to uncover the truth quickly."

Wang Ping was toying with the puppet head that had controlled the Star God, and he discovered it was actually made of Thousand-Year Spirit Wood.

At the last moment, following its preset instructions, the puppet had destroyed its own remaining memories. The only memories left to read were those of the two mad Star Gods.

Wang Ping didn’t dare to read these two sets of memories himself. He would have to take them back to the Daoist Scripture Hall and have specialized Cultivators decipher them slowly.

"Kid, who exactly did you provoke for them to go to such great lengths to deal with you?" Elder Wu asked bluntly.

"I’d like to know that too!" Wang Ping frowned.

"You youngsters, your schemes are too grand. This world is full of hidden masters; you need to be more cautious. Let go of what you should, compromise where you can. The prerequisite for any plan is your own survival."

Tianshan Daoist advised earnestly.

"Yes, Martial Uncle."

Wang Ping replied obediently.

By then, Zuo Xuan had finished cleaning up the battlefield and flew over, holding four storage pouches.

...

Wang Ping and the others split into three groups. Wang Ping and Zuo Xuan went to Jinhuai Prefecture to discuss the next steps with Daoist Zi Luan. Yu Cheng, Tianshan, and Elder Wu returned to Qianmu Temple to clear the remaining Star Iron from the Mountain Peak Dojo. Meanwhile, Yunshan and the other disciples from Qianmu Temple stayed behind in Baihua River Village and Town to investigate any potential remaining clues.

After listening to Wang Ping’s report, Daoist Zi Luan contemplated for a moment with a chilling smile before speaking. "Raising mad Star Gods is an extremely serious matter. You were lucky this time. Not everyone receives the blessing of a ’Star Demoness’."

"The question is... why did they try to assassinate me? What’s in it for them?" Wang Ping asked, picking up his teacup and gazing out at the small courtyard.

"Heh."

Zi Luan picked up his teacup and took a slow sip. Only when both Zuo Xuan and Wang Ping were looking at him did he finally set the cup down. "You’re being too modest," he said. "Have you considered what would happen to Nanlin Road if you were truly assassinated? And what would become of all the arrangements you’ve made?"

Zuo Xuan looked at the pensive Wang Ping and continued, "If Fellow Daoist Changqing were truly assassinated, Wudao Prefecture, Shang’an Prefecture, and Sanhe Prefecture would immediately descend into chaos. This would then destabilize all of Nanlin Road. While the turmoil could theoretically be quelled quickly, that’s only on the condition that... they don’t have a follow-up move."

"Fellow Daoist Zuo is correct. And perhaps it wouldn’t just be Nanlin Road; Mozhou Road might fall into chaos first. While that in itself isn’t a major issue, in the current climate, it’s a single thread that could unravel everything." Zi Luan’s fingers tapped a light, rhythmic beat on the Eight Immortals Table.

His eyes flashed as he looked at Wang Ping. "What were you on your way to do?" he asked.

"There were some things I wanted to figure out."

Wang Ping’s answer was deliberately vague, a clear signal to Zi Luan that he didn’t wish to elaborate.

Zi Luan nodded, respecting Wang Ping’s decision, and didn’t press the matter further.

"How long will it take to decipher the two Star Gods’ memories?" Wang Ping asked, steering the conversation back to the matter at hand.

"At least two months. Their memories are too chaotic; even I wouldn’t dare to read them myself. We can only hand them over to a Fellow Daoist who specializes in spiritual souls."

Upon hearing this, Wang Ping paused in thought, then glanced at Zuo Xuan. Taking the hint, she immediately rose from her Grandmaster’s Chair, made an excuse, and left.

Once Zuo Xuan was out of the courtyard, Wang Ping asked, "And Fellow Daoist Dan Chen?"

"There was a mission up north that required his coordination. He went personally and has been gone for over two months now, almost three."

Zi Luan’s reply was casual, but his eyes held a searching gaze. He knew Wang Ping hadn’t sent Zuo Xuan away just to ask about Dan Chen’s whereabouts.

However, Wang Ping didn’t follow up. He also picked up his teacup, his eyelids lowered. After a long silence, he asked, "Do you believe that Saints are real?"

Zi Luan found the question somewhat baffling, but an instant later, his smile vanished. "What kind of being," he asked, "do you think would be worshipped by a True Monarch?"

"What kind would that be?" Wang Ping asked, like a small child. And on this topic, he truly was one.

"I don’t know. And I wouldn’t dare to guess."

Wang Ping fell silent again. Just as he was about to ask another question, Zi Luan cut him off. "It isn’t proper for you or I to discuss matters concerning Saints. You can never know if they are real, or in what form they might exist."

Those words silenced Wang Ping. He thought of the vague phrasing in Dan Chen’s letter.

The two fell silent again. After a moment, Zi Luan broke the quiet. "Does Fellow Daoist Dan Chen have anything to do with these questions you’re asking?"

Wang Ping shook his head but didn’t answer the question.

Zi Luan didn’t press the issue.

When Wang Ping emerged from the Daoist Scripture Hall, Zuo Xuan, who had been waiting for some time, hurried to meet him. Just then, he saw a Qi Cultivator from Qianmu Temple approaching from across the street.

"Grandmaster, there is an urgent message for you from the temple," the Qi Cultivator said, handing Wang Ping a dispatch written in code.

’It’s one thing after another,’ Wang Ping thought. He took the dispatch and opened it right there at the entrance of the Daoist Scripture Hall, and the passing Qi Cultivators all gave him a wide berth.

The dispatch was from Yu Cheng Taoist, who had already returned to Qianmu Temple. It contained just three words: "Return at once."