Li Changqing had someone from the Changqing Trading Company bring over some pre-made dishes, which he then heated up.

Although the tavern was no longer open, Li Changqing still brewed his own wine. After tasting his own brew, he found that the wine from outside just didn’t measure up.

Xue Qianbai poured himself a glass and downed it in one go.

Then he filled his glass again.

And downed it again.

Li Changqing watched with a pained expression.

He wasn’t feeling sorry for Xue Qianbai; he was feeling sorry for his precious wine.

Drinking it like this, without savoring it, was a waste of his good wine.

It wasn’t until Xue Qianbai had forced down five glasses that he finally stopped.

“Alright, what’s going on? Tell me, I’m listening,” Li Changqing said, knowing that Xue Qianbai must have had a rough time in the Qingyang Dynasty to be drinking like this.

While concerned for his friend, Li Changqing couldn’t help but feel a bit gossipy.

Could it be that Xue Qianbai was rejected by Princess Qingyang?

Xue Qianbai hesitated for a moment before recounting the whole story. He was clueless when it came to matters of the heart and wanted Li Changqing to analyze whether he still had a chance.

But Xue Qianbai didn’t know that in his previous life, Li Changqing was just as clueless.

On his wife’s first birthday, Li Changqing had given her a piece of wood.

He even explained that it was a very good piece of wood. His wife had been so angry that she walked away. It was only after the matchmaker intervened that she agreed to give Li Changqing another chance. Otherwise, Li Changqing would have remained single in his previous life.

But in front of Xue Qianbai, how could Li Changqing admit he was just as clueless?

“You went empty-handed?” Li Changqing couldn’t help but ask.

Going to confess with empty hands, really? At least I brought a piece of wood.

“Uh.” Xue Qianbai nodded awkwardly, admitting he had indeed brought nothing.

“Alright, continue,” Li Changqing said, waving his hand in exasperation.

After Xue Qianbai finished his story, Li Changqing fell silent for a moment before saying, “So, she still can’t forget her ‘white moonlight.’”

“White moonlight?” Xue Qianbai was puzzled.

“Qingyang is your white moonlight. Do you understand now?” Li Changqing explained.

“Oh, I get it now.” Xue Qianbai nodded thoughtfully.

“Don’t be too hung up on it,” Li Changqing sighed. “He’s been in the Black and White Forbidden Zone for so many years. He might have died in there long ago, or he might never come out. Qingyang is a good girl. She made a promise to wait for him. If she breaks that promise, she’s not worth your affection. If he can’t come out of the Black and White Forbidden Zone, Qingyang will eventually give up on him.”

“By then, you’ll have your chance,” Li Changqing said, patting Xue Qianbai’s shoulder in comfort.

“But what if he’s still alive?” Xue Qianbai asked, feeling a bit pessimistic.

“Well…” Li Changqing paced a few steps before saying reluctantly, “The Black and White Forbidden Zone hasn’t opened yet. Even Cangyuan Pavilion has no intelligence on it. So, it’s hard for me to help you investigate whether he’s alive. We’ll only know when the Black and White Forbidden Zone opens.”

“By the way, what’s his name? I can look up his information to see if there are any loopholes,” Li Changqing said, concerned for his good brother.

“Feng Wulin,” Xue Qianbai said, naming his rival.

“Hmm?”

Li Changqing was stunned upon hearing the name.

“What, you know him?” Xue Qianbai asked, pouring himself another glass of wine.

“Take a look at this,” Li Changqing said, pulling out a piece of paper from his Acceptance of Rings and handing it to Xue Qianbai.

“What’s this?”

Xue Qianbai took the paper curiously. It had a list of names, all belonging to various factions.

“Six days ago, a branch of the Longevity Sect was exposed and attacked by several Ghost Clan forces from Yunhuang. They found a list among the spoils, a list of people who might come out of the Black and White Forbidden Zone this time.”

“Look, Feng Wulin’s name is on it,” Li Changqing said calmly.

Xue Qianbai looked down and indeed saw Feng Wulin’s name. When he read the information next to it, he stood up in disbelief.

“Feng Wulin… is a member of the Longevity Sect?”

Xue Qianbai’s expression turned complicated.

“Feng Wulin’s original surname was Zhou. He was the son of Zhou Wanshu, an official of the Qingyang Dynasty who was executed for treason. Zhou Wanshu entrusted his youngest son to his friend Feng Jincheng before his execution.”

“Feng Jincheng’s wife had just given birth, but the child didn’t survive. So, Feng Wulin took the child’s place and became Feng Jincheng’s son. When Feng Wulin grew up, he learned of his true heritage and joined the Longevity Sect to work for them.”

“The second prince, who was the most likely to inherit the throne, was assassinated and drowned in a pond. Feng Wulin was the one who did it.”

“But I don’t understand how Feng Wulin entered the Black and White Forbidden Zone. It wasn’t supposed to be open at that time,” Li Changqing said, puzzled.

Xue Qianbai looked at the information in his hand and quietly said, “The Black and White Forbidden Zone takes a long time to open, but entering it doesn’t necessarily require it to be open. However, coming out does.”

“There might be an entrance to the Black and White Forbidden Zone deep in Yunhuang, just like how the Longevity Sect mysteriously found a way into the Ghost Devil,” Xue Qianbai explained, gripping the paper tightly as he prepared to leave.

“Where are you going?” Li Changqing asked, startled.

“I’m going to find Qingyang,” Xue Qianbai said urgently. “I need to tell her about this.”

“Oh.” Li Changqing sat down and said, “Go ahead. But don’t blame me if you go and ruin your chances with Qingyang forever.”

Xue Qianbai stopped in his tracks.

“Qingyang probably already knows how you feel. If you go and tell her this now, what will she think? She’ll think you’re willing to do anything to get her,” Li Changqing said. “Even if she believes Feng Wulin is a bad person, you’ll be the one who shattered her dream. You’ll always be a thorn in her heart. So, I don’t recommend you go.”

“Then what should I do?” Xue Qianbai asked, confused.

“Wait. Wait until the Black and White Forbidden Zone opens, then adapt to the situation,” Li Changqing said, pouring Xue Qianbai another glass of wine. “Come on, drink. Stop thinking about unhappy things.”

Xue Qianbai returned and drank in silence.

“Li Changqing, your Changqing Trading Company has such strong intelligence capabilities now? You even have information from Yunhuang?” Xue Qianbai asked, surprised.

The Changqing Trading Company had only been established for a little over a year, yet its intelligence capabilities were already so strong. It was unbelievable.

Li Changqing smiled but didn’t explain. Instead, he said, “Our Changqing Trading Company is improving every day. Xue Qianbai, I’ve always wanted to ask if you’d like to join us as an honorary president.”

“Me?”

“I’m from the Dao Mountain Ancient Land. How can I join your Changqing Trading Company?” Xue Qianbai asked, surprised.

“That’s why it’s an honorary position,” Li Changqing said, raising his glass and clinking it with Xue Qianbai’s. “You can use our resources freely. Just help us when we need it. You understand, we won’t bother you on ordinary days.”

“I’ll think about it,” Xue Qianbai said, not agreeing immediately.

“If you agree, I promise to help you win over Qingyang,” Li Changqing said firmly after some thought.

“Qingyang or not, it doesn’t matter. The important thing is that I consider you a brother. If your Changqing Trading Company needs help, I’ll definitely step in. So, what’s the problem with being an honorary president?” Xue Qianbai said earnestly.

Li Changqing: “…”

Seeing Xue Qianbai’s serious expression, Li Changqing almost believed him.

“By the way, take a look at this,” Li Changqing said, handing Xue Qianbai another piece of paper. “Can you tell me where this place is?”

Although Li Changqing had resources from Cangyuan Pavilion, he wouldn’t waste them unless necessary. Since Xue Qianbai was here and knowledgeable, he decided to ask him.

Xue Qianbai opened the paper and saw just four words.

Bronze Immortal Mansion.

“Bronze Immortal Mansion…”

Xue Qianbai frowned and said, “The Bronze Immortal Mansion is a legendary place in Yunhuang. It’s more like a secret realm that doesn’t stay in one location. It can appear anywhere at any time.”

“Legend has it that the Bronze Immortal Mansion was once the residence of an Immortal. Many have explored it, but it’s so vast that no one has fully explored it. Some have gained great fortunes inside, while others never came out. It’s said to contain items only found in the Immortal Realm and is extremely dangerous.”

“Are you planning to go to the Bronze Immortal Mansion? It’s as dangerous as the Black and White Forbidden Zone,” Xue Qianbai said. “More importantly, you never know when it will appear. You might never find it in your lifetime, or you might wake up tomorrow and find its entrance by your bed.”

“Is it really that magical?” Li Changqing was surprised by such a place.

“There’s a legend that the Bronze Immortal Mansion can fulfill all your wishes, but it’s just a legend. No one has ever confirmed it. However, it’s said that a common Ghost Clan member once entered it and later became the Painting Sage,” Xue Qianbai said, finding it incredible.

A million people might not produce a single high-level Painter.

Even among ten thousand high-level Painters, there might not be a single Painting Sage.

This showed how difficult it was to become a Painting Sage.

This piqued Li Changqing’s interest. The information about the Bronze Immortal Mansion was obtained at the Blood Mist Trade Fair in exchange for the Nimbus Cloud, which indicated the location of the Overlord Immortal Spear.

He had planned to retrieve the Overlord Immortal Spear for his son, but now it seemed it wouldn’t be easy.

First, he had to find a way into the Bronze Immortal Mansion.

Even if he got in, finding the Overlord Immortal Spear in such a vast place would be challenging.

Li Changqing even wondered if he had been deceived.

The person might have just written “Bronze Immortal Mansion” to fool him.

Tianhai City.

Jiang Tianyun had entered seclusion again.

This time, his seclusion was quite mysterious, leading many families in Tianhai City to speculate whether Jiang Tianyun had been seriously injured in his previous battle with Li Xuanxi.

Despite the speculation, no one could confirm it.

After the battle with Li Xuanxi, Jiang Tianyun had shown no signs of injury.

No one knew if he was healing from injuries or if he had gained new insights and was cultivating.

Tianhai Pavilion.

Lin Qingyi, dressed in green, walked slowly towards the pavilion. His lazy gaze turned serious as he looked at Tianhai Pavilion.

“Lord Lin.”

Jiang Feng approached. “The Realm Lord is in seclusion and cannot be disturbed.”

“I am here on orders,” Lin Qingyi said calmly.

“Let him in,” Jiang Tianyun’s voice came from inside, emotionless but with a hint of desolation.

“Yes,” Jiang Feng quickly stepped aside.

Lin Qingyi climbed the steps and reached the entrance of Tianhai Pavilion. Behind it was an endless sea of clouds, giving a sense of infinity. Rare Spirit Beasts roamed the vast cloud sea.

“How’s the investigation going?” Jiang Tianyun asked wearily.

“I investigated Li Hengsheng but found no clues,” Lin Qingyi said. “I’ve reviewed everything over the years and found nothing suspicious, except for a three-day disappearance on White Snake Path. Even Cangyuan Pavilion has no records of those three days.”

“But during that time, someone was very close to Li Hengsheng.”

“Who?”

“Lu Shiran of Guanglan Palace.”

“Investigate! Cough, cough,” Jiang Tianyun said, unable to suppress a cough.

“Are you alright, Realm Lord?” Lin Qingyi asked, seemingly concerned.

“I won’t die,” Jiang Tianyun said, taking a deep breath.

“Understood.”

Lin Qingyi didn’t ask further and turned to leave. As he moved farther from Tianhai Pavilion, his expression grew more intense.

His eyes revealed something unfathomable.

Night fell.

The gates of the Endless Prison opened once more.

Yue Qingwu’s figure appeared again in the Endless Prison.

“Brother, the time has come,” Yue Qingwu said to the figure.