The resounding neigh of the white horse carried far, instantly throwing the entire Huo Residence into commotion.
From Huo Leqing down to the lowliest servant, everyone in the Huo family knew that their current standing in Qianshan City was entirely owed to the powerful Venerables, He Yiming and Chu Haozhou.
And the distinctive cry of the lightning steed was impossible to forget once heard. Thus, upon hearing that sound, nearly every prominent figure immediately set aside whatever they were doing and rushed out to greet the arrivals.
A flash of white light, and the white horse, Leidian (Lightning), came to a steady halt before the gates of the Huo Residence.
The moment He Yiming dismounted, the main gate was thrown wide open, and Huo Leqing and Zhang Hetai emerged side-by-side.
Both wore ingratiating smiles, their deference toward He Yiming surpassing even the respect they showed Zhan Hongtu.
A shimmer of light in the sky, and Bai Lingba and Chu Haozhou descended from the air almost simultaneously.
The eyes of the Huo family members betrayed undisguised envy.
Figures capable of flying through the air like birds were far beyond their comprehension. Subtly, in the hearts of the onlookers, Chu Haozhou’s status seemed to edge even higher than that of Zhan Hongtu, the Old Ancestor of the Qianshan Sect.
Of course, this thought was confined to their minds; no fool would ever voice it aloud.
He Yiming’s ears twitched slightly, and he laughed, “Brother Chu, your good apprentice is still practicing diligently in the rear courtyard. It seems you worried for nothing on the journey.”
Chu Haozhou snorted. Though inwardly delighted, he felt too self-conscious to praise his disciple in front of He Yiming.
Huo Leqing bowed deeply and announced loudly, “Greetings to you esteemed guests before—” His voice cut off abruptly, as if severed by a blade.
Everyone present was immensely curious and simultaneously looked up.
Upon seeing these top-tier figures, the crowd had initially kept their heads bowed cautiously, daring not to meet their gaze levelly.
Yet, stealing a glance now, they first froze, and then their eyes filled with an exceedingly strange expression.
If not for the immense prestige of these individuals and their ability to reduce them to dust with a mere flick of a finger, these people would have burst into open laughter long ago.
He Yiming paused, turned to glance at Chu Haozhou, and instantly understood why they were reacting this way. Unable to help himself, he burst into hearty laughter.
Although they had been down by the sea for half a month, Chu Haozhou’s hair had only grown into stubble, and the thick beard on his chin remained. Compared to the elegant, almost ethereal old man he once was, this was an entirely different persona.
Huo Leqing and the others showing only a flicker of surprise was already a remarkable restraint.
Chu Haozhou shot He Yiming a harsh look. If anyone else had laughed so unrestrainedly, he would have already lashed out with his Dragon Whip. But since it was He Yiming...
Shaking his head, the old man walked away with heavy steps, refusing to look at the younger man again.
Bai Lingba turned and also headed toward the rear courtyard.
That area not only contained Bai Lingba’s room but also those of Baozhu and Leidian, all exquisitely decorated—even superior to the chambers of the master of the house, Huo Leqing.
This clearly showed the immense care the Huo family, and indeed the entire Qianshan Sect, had taken for He Yiming and his companions.
Leidian flicked its tail, and under the gazes of fear or reverence from the crowd, followed Bai Lingba into the rear courtyard.
He Yiming shook his head and smiled, “Patriarch Huo, my companions have somewhat peculiar temperaments. Please forgive any offense.”
Huo Leqing quickly replied, “I dare not, Venerable He jokes.”
He thought to himself, I would love to find fault, but I lack the courage and the power to do so.
Even Lord Zhan Hongtu dares not put on airs in front of you people. If I showed disrespect, I’d probably lose my head without even knowing how.
After a few polite exchanges, He Yiming suddenly asked, “The main force of the Qianshan Sect rushed to various parts of the island to purge the remaining Sea Heaven Sect remnants, correct? Why are you two still in the city?”
Zhang Hetai quickly replied, “Replying to Venerable He, Patriarch Zhan specifically ordered this disciple and Patriarch Huo to remain in Qianshan City to attend to you venerable guests.”
He Yiming chuckled wryly, “What is there for you to attend to us about?”
Zhang Hetai repeatedly affirmed his compliance, then nervously ventured, “Venerable He, may I ask why Venerable Chu… changed his hairstyle? Has our hospitality been unsatisfactory?”
As he spoke, his expression was extremely tense, his eyes fixed on He Yiming, and his ears pricked up, terrified of missing a single word.
He Yiming found it amusing and fabricated an answer offhand, “You mean Brother Chu? After achieving his revenge this time, he found worldly life meaningless, with no attachments left in the mortal realm, so he decided to become a monk. Fortunately, I noticed in time and stopped him; otherwise, the world would have gained one more monk and lost one formidable master.”
Zhang Hetai and Huo Leqing exchanged glances, their minds filled with doubt.
If Chu Haozhou intended to withdraw from the world, how could He Yiming have found him so easily? Moreover, since Chu Haozhou had just accepted Huo Dongcheng as a disciple and personally instructed him, it hardly seemed like someone ready to abandon the mortal coil.
Of course, the most bizarre element of He Yiming’s story was that tonsure only removes hair; no one had ever heard of it removing a beard as well.
However, despite their suspicions, faced with He Yiming, they wouldn't dare question him even if granted a hundred times the courage.
Zhang Hetai hesitated for a moment and then said, “Venerable He, news arrived from Sea Heaven City the day before yesterday.”
He Yiming paused slightly, “Is this news related to me?”
Zhang Hetai gave a wry smile, “Perhaps somewhat related.”
He Yiming’s curiosity piqued, and he asked, “What news?”
Zhang Hetai’s face fell, “Venerable He, the bodies of the four Old Ancestors of the Sea Heaven Sect you and Venerable Chu jointly killed have gone missing.”
He Yiming’s steps halted immediately. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes as he turned back abruptly, “Who did this?”
Zhang Hetai shook his head, “This junior does not know.”
He Yiming’s cold gaze fixed upon him, immediately causing Zhang Hetai to break out in a cold sweat.
After a moment, He Yiming let out a laugh, “If someone stole the corpses, that is indeed interesting.” With that, he also turned and entered the rear courtyard.
Only after He Yiming’s silhouette vanished did Zhang Hetai dare to wipe a cold sweat from his brow.
Although He Yiming was usually affable and easygoing, even treating everyone like brothers, the moment he set his face grim, his imposing bearing and immense pressure were displayed unequivocally.
This was a Venerable—an exceptional figure whose power was incomparable to anyone else.
He Yiming naturally paid no mind to the thoughts of Zhang Hetai and the others. He went to the rear courtyard, immediately found Chu Haozhou, and recounted the entire matter.
Chu Haozhou’s expression shifted slightly, “It is one thing for the corpses to be stolen, but what about the treasures in Sea Heaven City?”
He Yiming’s gaze sharpened, “Besides the few of us, no one else knows the location of the treasure, so I did not inquire.”
Chu Haozhou said gravely, “In my view, you should ride Leidian and go there immediately, move all the treasure out in one sweep. That is the most permanent solution.”
He Yiming nodded slightly. In fact, as soon as he heard the corpses were missing, He Yiming had already considered the whereabouts of the treasures.
Since Chu Haozhou shared the same thought, he dared not delay.
That very night, He Yiming rode the white horse and left the city silently, stirring no one along the way.
Leidian’s speed was pushed to the absolute limit; it covered the entire island in just one hour, arriving at Sea Heaven City.
Upon arrival, He Yiming instructed Leidian to wait outside, and he himself flashed into the city.
Sea Heaven City had significantly decayed compared to before. Especially at night, there were few people about. Even the night watchmen were disciples from the Qianshan Sect or the Lingjiu Valley. The Sea Heaven Sect had been utterly annihilated.
He Yiming arrived at the site of the former main hall; the ruins there had been mostly cleared.
His gaze swept the surroundings, He Yiming confirmed the location, and gently triggered the mechanism.
Entering the subterranean chamber, He Yiming looked around and confirmed that no one had entered since they had left.
He took the spatial necklace down from his neck, and under a surge of True Qi, the mysterious space opened.
He Yiming first went to the back and dumped the hundred or so rare items into the space in one go. Then, he slowly began moving the gold into the necklace space.
The gold collected by the Sea Heaven Sect was indeed vast, all molded into high-quality ingots stacked together. He Yiming spent nearly half an hour moving everything out.
Glancing over the empty basement, He Yiming donned the necklace and turned to leave.
Before he even reached the surface, he heard hurried footsteps approaching. He Yiming paused slightly, immediately realizing someone must have seen the suddenly appearing pit.
Smiling faintly, He Yiming neither dodged nor evaded, jumping straight out of the pit.
He glanced toward the approaching figures but paid them no mind. His body moved, already distancing himself from the area like a shooting star chasing the moon.
After leaving the city, there was already a clamor within; clearly, the opened passage had been discovered.
He Yiming mounted the white horse, Leidian, and an hour later, returned to the Huo family’s rear courtyard without alerting anyone.
Chu Haozhou, who had been waiting, saw He Yiming’s expression and immediately knew his haul this time was considerable.
The two exchanged a knowing smile and never mentioned the matter again. As for the suspicious individuals in Sea Heaven City, they were henceforth He Yiming’s concern no longer.