Yuan sipped the tea, finding the flavor far more intense and refreshing compared to his past life.
Looking toward the horizon, he saw the Lotus Sect—its grand structure beyond anything he could have ever imagined.
Then, he looked at Huo Yan, whose presence had become a strange comfort to him.
Over the past week, both of them had changed, and so had the relationship between them.
Huo Yan had grown fond of him, and sometimes even clung to him silently, like holding his sleeve when they are near.
The emotional walls she'd built—walls that told her never to depend on anyone—had begun to show cracks.
He still remembered her clinging to him the day after the auction, whispering, "I won't leave you."
As for Yuan, he liked Huo Yan.
She was beautiful, yes—her mere presence made his heart flutter. But more than that, there was a kindness in her.
Perhaps what tied them together even more was the weight of shared secrets.
Yuan carried the frightening possibility that he was a possessor. Huo Yan, on the other hand, might come to possess a Demon Bloodline.
This similarity brought them closer.
Especially since neither minded the other's identity.
Feeling his gaze, Huo Yan looked at him and offered a small, genuine smile. It was soft, joyful, and wordless.
Well, she was that type. She expressed herself in nods or a simple, "Yes."
She had yet to say "No" to him.
Yuan suspected it wasn't because she agreed with everything, but rather because she didn't want to offend him by denying his goodwill.
Also, over the past week, the two of them had gone on a date—not only to strengthen the rumors, but also to help Huo Yan become more familiar with Taichian City.
Yuan placed his tea on the table, glancing at the three swift mail that had arrived on his doorstep today.
The other two were from the man in shadow and from the Taichian Young Masters Club.
The first he read was from—
"Taichian Young Masters Club."
Reading the name, he couldn't help but notice the thick layer of narcissism in it.
And yes—Wu Qiong was also part of it.
In fact, he could be considered one of its leaders. That was also how he had managed to sit next to Lan Yue in their club's booth.
After superficially reading it, Yuan considered the contents.
'With the Taichian Spiritual Festival approaching, they want to host a grand party every day from the start of the festival.'
'After the Day of Awareness, they plan to hold a friendly tournament lasting a day. That very evening, they'll host a party grander than all the others combined—inviting not only from Taichian City but also from outside.'
Yuan couldn't help but be baffled by these people, reveling in their family's wealth.
Seven days of feasting and flexing?
Parties for seven days straight?
And that was just the prelude?
What?!
Yuan shook his head at their extravagance. And realizing Wu Qiong was their leader—meaning he was technically one of them now—he shook his head even more.
Yuan then looked at the black swift mail. This one was from the man in shadow, left in the secret room where they met.
He read it more seriously, but it only contained the time and date to meet—nothing more.
Yuan noted the date and time before discarding it too.
Finally, there was the swift mail from Hei Yin, which should contain information about Chen Mo.
This one was the most important.
If he had to fight Chen Mo, then he at least needed to know everything about him.
***
'So, Chen Mo is originally not from Taichian City... powerful family background.'
'He arrived in the city at the age of eleven and lived with the Chi Family, where he was bullied by the young masters... a classic revenge arc.'
'At fifteen, he disappeared—and only a month ago, he reappeared in the city, suddenly a genius... face-slapping plotline.'
Yuan tried to deduce what could have happened to Chen Mo, especially during the years he disappeared.
Before, he had been a good-for-nothing. Now, he was a genius. Something had definitely happened.
But what?
Yuan thought for a moment and came up with a single theory: that Chen Mo had returned to wherever he originally came from.
Then, why had he been sent here in the first place? And why again?
With another wave of questions rising on the horizon, Yuan shook his head. Without knowledge, a guess would always remain just that—a guess.
He focused on the final paper, where Chen Mo's history before his disappearance—and the most likely reason for it—was written.
And it was related to Wu Qiong.
'Wu Qiong kidnapped Chen Mo's fiancée, forcing him to break off the engagement. When Chen Mo tried to expose Wu Qiong after she was released, the elders turned a blind eye to his pleas, dismissing them as baseless and demanding proof.'
'Chen Mo asked his fiancée for help, but she slapped him instead—for trying to expose an incident that could ruin her future.'
'Shortly after the incident, Chen Mo disappeared.'
Yuan was stunned as he read this, because as he did, it felt like a lock in his memory was breaking—and Wu Qiong's memories of the incident surfaced in his mind.
And within Wu Qiong's memories, the truth was revealed.
Wu Qiong had merely been acting on someone else's orders—someone who had planned everything and promised him various rewards.
In truth, Wu Qiong had been nothing more than a scapegoat, discarded the moment his purpose was served. The fact that even his memories had been locked away proved that.
'Chen Mo's fiancée, Chi Siyan, is the real perpetrator.'