All those captured or killed by Zhang Zhongjin and the disciples of the Lingxiao Palace were herded outside and crammed into a tight cluster. Furthermore, the wide-brimmed bamboo hats they wore had all been removed, exposing their true faces.

When He Yiming saw their features, he noticed that several of them looked vastly different from ordinary people; instead, they bore a slight resemblance to Romyar from the past.

Nodding slightly, He Yiming murmured, "Indeed, they are men from the West."

As he spoke, a torrent of questions flooded his mind: what heinous, heaven-defying deeds had Jin Zhanyi committed? Not only had the Yellow Springs Gate listed him as the top fugitive on their Black List, but now the Western Assassin's Guild had also involved themselves.

Moreover, the assassins dispatched this time were no mere bunglers; they were genuine top-tier experts, reaching the 'Yixiantian' (First Line of Heaven) realm.

If Jin Zhanyi hadn't possessed unfathomable power and supremely sharp reactions, there might genuinely have been a chance for the assassination to succeed this time.

Zhang Zhongjin frowned deeply. "The Yellow Springs Gate and the Western Assassin's Guild are two powerful factions that clearly have no connection. I truly cannot fathom why they would join forces to kill Junior Brother Jin."

He Yiming narrowed his eyes. "Senior Brother Zhang, did you not manage to extract a confession?"

"I questioned some, but their status wasn't high enough. They only knew that the Assassin's Guild had suddenly received a massive commission, explicitly demanding Junior Brother Jin's head. These men came here merely for that bounty," Zhang Zhongjin stated gravely.

"Coming all the way to Great Shen in the East just for some bounty?" He Yiming was skeptical. "Senior Brother Zhang, surely they weren't just talking nonsense?"

Zhang Zhongjin gave a wry smile. "Brother He, you are unaware. The social customs and moral values of the Western nations differ greatly from our East. They will travel vast distances for money and possess an extreme spirit of adventure. Things that seem utterly unbelievable to us are just routine matters for them."

He Yiming then understood, recalling how Romyar and the other two had spent several years crossing over from the far side of the great mountains—an act that still seemed incredible to him now.

This confirmed the differences in thought and custom between the two sides, making the actions of these men easier to comprehend.

Clearing his throat lightly, He Yiming inquired, "Brother Jin, what universally condemned atrocity did you commit in the Western nations that provoked them to place a bounty on your head?"

Jin Zhanyi pondered seriously for a moment, his brow furrowing slightly. "Nothing much, really. A few years ago, to push past my limits, I just took a trip to the Western nations and challenged their innate experts. Along the way, I killed one 'Sanhua' (Three Flowers), two 'Yixiantian,' and a handful of other innate masters."

He Yiming's mouth slowly fell open, his gaze upon Jin Zhanyi filled with a strange brilliance.

Jin Zhanyi suddenly snorted in anger. "So what if I killed a few useless fellows? Their temples still sent Venerable-level experts to chase me across thousands of miles, nearly costing me my life! I can't believe they still won't let it go—it's simply outrageous!"

The muscles in He Yiming's face twitched faintly. He finally let out a long sigh and said no more.

So, Jin Zhanyi had achieved such 'glorious feats' in the Western nations; it was no wonder they were so keen on getting revenge.

If the roles were reversed and Jin Zhanyi went on a rampage in the Northwest, the entire Northwest would surely be thrown into an uproar, and every Venerable from the Heavenly Pool would be compelled to descend the mountain to take his life.

Zhang Zhongjin, however, waved his hand slightly. "Brother He, although Junior Brother Jin has forged an irreconcilable feud with the West, our East and West have never been amicable. While this situation is rare, it is not unprecedented. But the response this time is rather strange—sending people tens of thousands of miles away suggests it might not be a simple matter." He sighed softly, "It's a pity that both of you killed them. If we had managed to keep one alive, we might have learned something."

He Yiming gave an awkward smile. Even with a face as thick as a wall, he couldn't bring himself to admit that he had briefly captured one, only for the man to successfully commit suicide due to his inexperience.

As for Jin Zhanyi, he merely scoffed. "Senior Brother Zhang, it makes little difference whether we ask or not. Even if I could have captured him alive, the chance of him spilling the truth would be minuscule. Better to kill him with one shot and save the effort."

Zhang Zhongjin shook his head slightly but clearly had little recourse against his junior brother.

Just then, the old man tending the fire in the small temple brought out the freshly boiled water again. Although he had been terrified senseless earlier, he was a long-time resident here and had seen plenty of fights.

In his worldview, the actions of He Yiming and Jin Zhanyi that day were no different from the usual street brawls between butchers and dog-killers—drawing blades at the slightest disagreement.

Even though Jin Zhanyi's performance in the rain had been a bit profound and inexplicable, which he couldn't quite grasp, the fundamental essence remained the same.

Thus, after the victor was decided, the old man finally composed himself and returned to stoking the fire.

As he finished refilling everyone's tea cups with boiling water and turned back toward the stove, before he could place the large teapot back on, a white shadow suddenly darted in from outside, sliding right up to the stove, hugging the old man's ankles.

The old man yelped loudly in fright, only then realizing that on the stove he had been firing for decades, there now sat a small white pig.

This little pig clung tightly to the stove, refusing to let go, just as it had once hung from Bai Lingba's chest.

"Baozhu?" He Yiming stood up abruptly, blinking twice. Finally, he was certain he hadn't misjudged the situation.

Zhang Zhongjin and Jin Zhanyi also rose. Although they had heard of Baozhu's name and origins, they certainly hadn't spent half a year with it like He Yiming had.

Baozhu hugged the scalding hot stove, seemingly unfazed by its intense heat.

Upon hearing He Yiming's call, it turned its head, wrinkled its small snout, squinted its eyes into slits, and emitted a faint grunting sound from its mouth, as if responding to He Yiming.

However, He Yiming’s face was now ashen. He knew perfectly well the immense status Baozhu held at the Heavenly Pool.

This creature was the favorite pet of the Heavenly Pool Ancestor. Throughout the dozens of miles surrounding the Heavenly Pool, its fame even surpassed that of the Venerables residing on the main peak.

Although He Yiming had never personally met the legendary Ancestor who remained perpetually in seclusion, the fact that even the unshakably composed Ai Wenbin and the haughty Li Mingxuan adopted expressions of utter reverence when mentioning the Heavenly Pool Ancestor was enough to convey the Ancestor's overwhelming power.

Yet, now the most cherished pet of this powerful Ancestor had left the Heavenly Pool and appeared before him...

He Yiming swallowed hard and suddenly thought of something, his expression turning even uglier.

"Baozhu, did you follow Bai Lingba here?" He Yiming asked in a deep voice.

Baozhu let out another low hum. Others naturally couldn't decipher what it was doing, but He Yiming understood its answer.

Heaving a deep sigh, He Yiming was filled with profound regret.

Knowing how close Baozhu was to Bai Lingba, he realized he had been too careless.

Within the territory of Great Shen, masters and capable individuals were numerous. He Yiming dared not keep Bai Lingba openly by his side, so he tasked him with covert protection.

In fact, Bai Lingba had successfully completed his mission; he had provided warnings in his own unique way regarding the assassins hidden in the carriage the first time, and the group outside the small temple the second time.

But all of that did not compensate for the crime of letting Baozhu leave the Heavenly Pool with Bai Lingba.

If the Heavenly Pool Ancestor learned that Baozhu had left following Bai Lingba, he would likely face imminent disaster.

Jin Zhanyi and Zhang Zhongjin also showed flickerings in their eyes, and upon seeing He Yiming's expression, they immediately grasped the reason.

Jin Zhanyi stepped forward, lightly patted He Yiming's shoulder, and smiled bitterly, "Brother He, we are powerless to help with this matter. You can only look out for yourself."

Although he hadn't seen Baozhu before, he had been thoroughly briefed by Zhang Zhongjin on this peculiar spirit beast before arriving. Zhang Zhongjin had repeatedly warned him that under no circumstances should he kill it with a single shot, or the consequences awaiting him would be far more terrifying than slaughtering the innate masters of the Western nations.

Though he was forthright, he wasn't an idiot; he knew which actions to take and which ones would only invite burning fire upon oneself.

He Yiming wore a long face, his heart filled with helplessness. The once very adorable little creature now represented tremendous trouble, and trouble he might not be able to withstand.

Zhang Zhongjin cleared his throat lightly. "Brother He, you need not worry too much." He offered comfort. "Your status is unique, after all. You hold the record for achieving the Three Flowers realm at such a young age in the Northwest... no, in the entire continent, in millennia. Lord Di Shitian, the King of the Heavenly Pool, should show some leniency."

He Yiming shook his head slightly; such lukewarm persuasion was unlikely to comfort anyone.

Letting out a soft sigh, He Yiming finally cast aside his deep anxiety. Since the little fellow had arrived, sending it back seemed impossible now; he would just have to let it stay.

He would face whatever came his way. As long as he could ensure its safety, everything else was negotiable.

Furthermore, this little creature, seemingly useless, possessed strength that should not be underestimated.

Others might pretend to be pigs to eat tigers; this one didn't need to pretend to devour them. Anyone who underestimated it because of its cute appearance would certainly leave a lesson they would never forget.

Composing his mind, He Yiming’s gaze finally settled upon the stove tightly grasped by Baozhu.