Upon hearing Zhuang Yating’s words, Li Yundong started in surprise, springing to his feet, but quickly settled back down, saying calmly, “Oh? How do you know there’s a mole in the Fox Zen Sect?”
Zhuang Yating’s face was clouded with worry. She sighed softly and said, “Sect Master, do you think I wouldn’t notice? I overheard everything you whispered privately with True Person Ziyuan. I took note then, but I just didn’t dare confirm it, which is why I hadn't told you.”
Li Yundong smiled faintly and said, “Then you also know that Ziyuan and I suspect you?”
Zhuang Yating nodded. “I do! Which is all the more reason I must prove my innocence.”
Li Yundong countered, “How can you prove your innocence?”
Zhuang Yating stated gravely, “Sect Master, if you just take a look inside Cao Yi’s room, you will know.”
Li Yundong felt a chill run down his spine. He stood up and said in a deep voice, “What’s wrong with Cao Yi’s room? Take me there now!” Just as he was about to leave, his phone suddenly began vibrating violently.
Ever since Feng Na mentioned it, Li Yundong had started carrying his phone again. He picked it up and saw it was Cao Kefei calling. Li Yundong felt a flicker of strangeness. He pressed the answer button and immediately heard a woman’s voice shrieking in sheer panic: “Li Yundong? Is that Li Yundong?”
Li Yundong heard the terror in her voice, so extreme it was almost hoarse, and he said solemnly, “Who is this?”
The woman shrieked, “It’s Liu Fei’er! Li Yundong, hurry and save her, Sister Cao has been harmed!”
Li Yundong was greatly alarmed, hurriedly asking, “What happened? Don’t panic, what’s going on?”
Liu Fei’er choked out, “Someone is trying to kill Sister Cao! Hurry up, Sister Cao is dying!”
Just as Li Yundong was about to press for the room number, he heard the sound of the line disconnecting—dududu. Li Yundong started, completely forgetting Zhuang Yating for the moment. He rushed out the door, hurried onto the balcony, and shouted toward the adjacent one, “Ziyuan! Ziyuan!”
Ziyuan rushed over from her balcony when she heard him. She asked curiously, “What’s the matter, why are you in such a rush?”
Li Yundong said urgently, “Someone is trying to kill Cao Kefei. I need to go check on her. You gather everyone together and tell them not to wander off.”
Ziyuan’s expression changed to alarm, but she quickly composed herself and nodded. “Go ahead, don’t worry about this side. I’ll handle things here.”
Li Yundong nodded. He glanced at Zhuang Yating and said, “We’ll talk about this when I get back.” With that, his figure blurred, and he shot up into the air, transforming into a streak of azure light heading toward the Emperor Hotel.
After Li Yundong left, Su Chan, still in her pajamas, entered the living room. She asked Ziyuan, “Sister Ziyuan, what happened?”
Ziyuan offered a faint smile. “Nothing much. Li Yundong had something urgent come up. Gather everyone together first.”
Though puzzled, Su Chan went from door to door, rousing all the members of the Fox Zen Sect. When she arrived at Cao Yi’s room and knocked, there was no response after several attempts.
Su Chan wondered aloud, “That’s strange, isn’t Martial Aunt Cao Yi here?”
Zhuang Yating suddenly sneered, “It would be strange if she were here!”
Su Chan blinked, asking, “Martial Aunt Zhuang Yating, how do you know Martial Aunt Cao Yi isn’t in?”
Zhuang Yating snorted coldly and remained silent.
Su Chan’s eyes darted. She paused, then raised her hand to knock again, but just as she did, the door creaked open. Cao Yi stepped out, dressed in a loose Daoist robe, and asked with a puzzled expression, “What is it? What’s going on?”
Su Chan brightened. “Martial Aunt Cao Yi, you’re here! Third Martial Aunt said you weren’t around.”
Cao Yi shot a swift glance at Zhuang Yating and replied with a smile, “Third Martial Aunt probably thought I had stepped out.”
Su Chan chuckled. “Where could you go this late at night?”
Cao Yi smiled faintly. “Right, what is it so late?”
Su Chan said, “The Sect Master asked us all to gather in the living room.”
Cao Yi looked curious. “What happened?”
Su Chan shook her head. “I don’t know either, I just heard him say we needed to do this.”
Cao Yi nodded. “Since the Sect Master commanded it, I will naturally comply.” With that, she smiled and headed downstairs.
As Cao Yi passed by Su Chan, the younger girl’s nose twitched slightly. She sniffed the air, and a sudden thought struck her: How odd, why does Sixth Martial Aunt smell faintly of blood?
Su Chan found this curiosity nagging at her, and she instinctively took two quick steps after Cao Yi, trying to confirm the scent. Her movement caused Cao Yi to instantly turn around, regarding her with suspicion: “Chan’er, what is it?”
Su Chan sharply sensed a flicker of unnatural tension in Cao Yi’s demeanor. She immediately laughed it off. “Nothing, I’m just going to knock on the other Martial Sisters’ doors.” Saying this, she hurried past Cao Yi. As she passed again, she took another quick sniff—yes, there was definitely a faint smell of blood.
Su Chan prided herself on her keen sense of smell and knew she couldn't have been wrong twice in a row. A sense of dread crept up on her. Where is the blood smell on Martial Aunt Cao Yi coming from?
While Su Chan was privately speculating, Li Yundong had already flown swiftly to the Emperor Hotel. Without getting too close, he landed in an unobserved area and then sprinted toward the hotel entrance.
All the way there, Li Yundong was consumed by anxiety. He knew Cao Kefei had shown him kindness. It wouldn't be right if he simply vanished without a word. Feeling a pang of guilt, his pace quickened until he was running like a wild horse. Especially when crossing the road, he paid no heed to the speeding cars on either side, leaping across like an agile monkey—with just a few powerful bounds, he cleared the street.
Li Yundong jumped with ease, but the drivers were less fortunate. They saw a figure dart past their vehicles in a few swift movements, his agility almost inhuman. They were instantly stunned, whipping their heads around to look at him.
In moments, the road was filled with the sounds of crunching metal—bang, bang—as rear-end collisions occurred. Soon, the entire street was completely gridlocked.
Li Yundong paid no attention to the chaos behind him. He dialed Cao Kefei’s number again, trying to get the room number, while charging into the hotel.
A security guard, dressed in a white shirt and black trousers, noticed Li Yundong’s tense expression and hurried gait and became suspicious. One of the guards stepped forward and asked, “Sir, please stop. May I see your identification?”
Li Yundong, holding his phone in one hand, patted his other hand up and down his clothing, then froze. “I don’t have it!”
The guard said sternly, “Then you cannot enter.”
Li Yundong held the phone out to the guard and said, “I have a friend in trouble, listen if you don't believe me?”
The guard looked at him suspiciously, took the phone to listen, but quickly handed it back, saying, “Busy signal.”
Li Yundong grew frantic. “It was connected just a moment ago, what’s going on? Hello, my friend is truly in trouble!”
The guard shook his head stubbornly. “No, you cannot go in.”
Li Yundong became angry. “Saving a life is like fighting a fire! Are you going to let me through, damn it?”
The guard sneered. “Where is the trouble? I’ll call for help! But you cannot enter!”
Li Yundong roared, “If I knew where, why would I be wasting time talking to you!” With that, he shoved the guard aside, shouting, “Get out of my way!”
Li Yundong’s strength was far beyond that of an ordinary person. With that single push, the guard flew backward. Seeing the situation escalate, the guards lining the hall immediately called the police or drew their stun batons, converging on him from all directions.
Li Yundong snorted in disdain and charged toward the front desk. Any guard who got close was thrown aside without a word. The hotel guests watched in stunned silence as these burly security men were flung away; the furthest ones flew over ten meters, as if launched from an aircraft. They stood frozen, too terrified to even breathe, lest they draw the attention of this fiend upon themselves.
The young woman at the reception desk was frantically hitting the silent alarm button under the counter with one hand, her other hand clenched tightly, her body trembling, yet her face was strangely fixed in a professional smile.
Li Yundong reached the counter and saw the poor girl shaking too much to stand steadily. He paused, his expression softening slightly, and asked gravely, “Is there a guest named Cao Kefei staying here?”
When the receptionist saw Li Yundong’s expression ease, her heart relaxed instinctively. She thought to herself: He’s quite handsome, but he’s probably here for revenge; not a good person!
So, she summoned her courage and shook her head. “No, no!”
Li Yundong exploded with anger. “You’re saying no without even checking? What nonsense is that? She just called from here! Check quickly and tell me right now!”
Li Yundong’s roar was enough to make even cultivators pause in awe, let alone this young and beautiful receptionist.
The receptionist shuddered, her hands flying across the keyboard. As she was searching, she saw a guard behind Li Yundong bravely throw his stun baton at him.
Li Yundong did not look back; he simply reached out and caught the baton.
The moment he gripped the baton, the receptionist and the guard felt a surge of relief. They knew the device could instantly discharge tens of thousands of volts, capable of making a person seize up instantly, unable to move.
But the smiles on their faces froze instantly.
Li Yundong stared at the guard who had sneak-attacked him, holding the baton, completely silent, his presence imposing without him needing to show anger.
The guard froze, momentarily thinking he hadn’t pressed the switch. He pressed the activation button several times, hearing the characteristic crackling sound of high voltage from the baton. But Li Yundong didn't budge an inch, glaring at him like an insulated stone statue.
Li Yundong had no patience to mess with these people. He suppressed his rage and hissed, “Are you done?”
The guard immediately let go of the baton, raising his hands, looking at Li Yundong with utter terror, as if he were staring at a demon.
Li Yundong glared at him, then slapped the baton onto the counter with a thwack. “Have you found it yet?”
By this time, the smile had not quite faded from the receptionist’s face, but her expression was now a mixture of fear and dread, making her smile look uglier than a cry. She stammered in terror, “Room 19035.”
Without another word, Li Yundong turned and sprinted up the stairs. No one in the lobby dared to stop him as he went; the crowd stood motionless, watching his retreating figure in a daze.
After Li Yundong was gone, the receptionist curiously picked up the baton and pressed the switch. Seeing the familiar crackling sparks, she muttered to herself, “Impossible. Why didn’t it shock him? Could it be a defective product?”
Several equally frightened receptionists recovered their composure and loudly declared, “It must be defective! Otherwise, how could he touch it without consequence?”
The receptionist who had answered Li Yundong cautiously touched the baton to the hand of the guard leaning on the counter. The moment the guard’s hand made contact with the electric sparks, he convulsed violently, pitching backward. He fell to the floor, seizing like he had epilepsy, foam frothing at the corners of his mouth.
It was then that the receptionists realized: the baton hadn't been useless; the man just now was not human at all.