The visitor sat in the second seat and glanced at Liu Xin.

"No. 3, what matter required my personal presence? Couldn't you have left a message?"

"No. 2, this generation's White Sun Holy Mother has fallen." Liu Xin's tone was very calm, devoid of any ripples, quite unlike how he was before the White Sun Holy Mother as the High Priest.

The shadow of No. 2 sat there motionless, as if digesting this news.

After a moment, No. 2 slowly spoke.

"What do you want to know?"

"I want to know how this generation's White Sun Holy Mother died."

"I'll help you investigate, but what information can you offer? You still owe me information from last time."

"The Crown Prince of Dazhen fell three days ago. Emperor Zhen used the National Seal to suppress the disturbance in the fortunes, so the news won't be publicly disclosed for a while."

"Did the Crown Prince of Dazhen die at the hands of King Xiang?"

"That's not important. What's important is that the Crown Prince led the army on his father's behalf to eradicate the rebels and yet fell in battle. The vanguard army of thirty thousand he commanded was wiped out. Is this information sufficient?"

"Enough, within three days, I will find out the information you want for you."

After completing the information exchange, No. 2 didn't leave immediately but continued.

"I have another piece of information I can tell you for free."

"Hmm?" Liu Xin was a bit surprised. Free information was rare during face-to-face exchanges.

"No. 7 is dead."

"He's dead? How did he die? When?"

"He died a few months ago, and his ring is missing too. I've been waiting for a new No. 7 to appear, but after several months, there's still no sign, not even a response when called."

"I see."

After saying these things, No. 2 got up and walked downstairs.

Liu Xin sat there silently contemplating.

He had obtained this ring decades ago and learned it was part of a loose organization for exchanging information, called Seventh Floor.

Of course, this Seventh Floor is not the same as the one being talked about outside.

The one outside is the Outer Seventh Floor, which is actually part of their Inner Seventh Floor, specifically created.

It serves as both a line of sight and an intelligence organization outside to indeed supplement some intelligence.

On the other hand, some people do need a source of intelligence when trading information.

The Seventh Floor outside serves as the intelligence source's guise to mislead and act as a shield in critical times.

The members of the Inner Seventh Floor do not know each other, nor do they know who the other is. They never meet during information exchanges.

Even after a long period, everyone has some vague guesses about each other's identities, roughly within a certain range, but everyone keeps it to themselves and never mentions it.

Just like before, No. 2 once told Liu Xin that Dali had acted against the White Sun Evil Cult and the Western Desolation General personally rushed to the Hengduan Mountains.

No. 2 didn't explicitly reveal his identity, but for such targeted information, it's impossible that No. 2 didn't know who he was.

The members of the Outer Seventh Floor were much more complicated, and those complex guys never knew there was an Inner Seventh Floor.

They all thought they were the Seventh Floor, without any distinction between inside and outside.

The person who managed the Outer Seventh Floor daily was No. 7 from the Inner Seventh Floor, who died several months ago.

Liu Xin knew nothing about it because it was normal not to contact for months sometimes, and some people wouldn't show up for two or three years.

Although he was a member with a seat in the Outer Seventh Floor, his identity made it inconvenient to participate in its operations openly, at most occasionally obtaining some intelligence from No. 7.

Besides him, the other five from the Inner Seventh Floor were not members of the Outer Seventh Floor.

Those five didn't want any contact with the Outer Seventh Floor, each more cautious than the last.

At first, Liu Xin had only had contact twice and realized No. 7 wasn't a worthy character nor a person of noble origins, and he even had ambition. So, Liu Xin instigated the creation of the Outer Seventh Floor.

The other five indeed knew about it, but it was beneficial to everyone. Sharing the same name, all being intelligence organizations, everyone could access the information, and if something went wrong, everyone could push it onto No. 7 and the Outer Seventh Floor.

No. 7 was certainly aware but still went through with it.

In such a loosely organized group, where everyone's identity is unknown, there's no room for loving bonds and mutual trust.

The only trustable point is that no one gives false information during trades.

And this was also due to the feature of the Seventh Floor ring, which was mysterious, and no one could deliberately trade false information when activated and manifest as the seventh-floor high tower.

Liu Xin kept pondering whether to take over the Outer Seventh Floor now that No. 7 was dead.

Though the Outer Seventh Floor consisted of unsavory elements and had a bad reputation, many wanted them dead, but their intelligence operations were lively, and the organization members hid well.

No matter how many people they offended, there were always buyers for their information.

He knew how members contacted each other, records kept by No. 7 for precaution if either abruptly fell, allowing the other to know how to contact subordinates and not let the Outer Seventh Floor collapse overnight.

It also prevented losing control over the Outer Seventh Floor.

No. 2 told him No. 7 died for free, hinting perhaps he should take over the Outer Seventh Floor.

With the current situation, and the Holy Mother dead, Liu Xin felt an urge.

Leaving the Seventh Floor, his consciousness returned to his body, with the seven-layer tower on the ring face transformed back to a triangle. Liu Xin removed the ring and reabsorbed it into his body, nurturing it with True Yuan.

After much thought, Liu Xin decided to take over.

He shared one trait with No. 7.

He resorted to every means to achieve his aims; as long as he could reach his objective, reputation woes, dirty work, flattering the Holy Mother were nothing.

...

"Home is still the most comfortable, ah; this natural coolness, coupled with the rich yin qi, is invigorating."

Standing outside the locust forest, Yu Ziqing took a deep breath and sighed.

Inside the locust forest, a thick layer of fallen leaves automatically gathered, forming the shape of a small boat, waiting for Yu Ziqing to board.

"No need, I'll walk in myself."

Yu Ziqing waved his hand and stepped into the locust forest.

The leaf layer sensibly made way for him.

After being out for days, fighting and conducting carpet searches, he really missed this place over the months.

Encountering so many events made him feel his knowledge was somewhat lacking, even needing Uncle Yang's remote assistance.

This time he must study well, systematically.

Before leaving the locust forest, Yu Ziqing heard booms in the distance and thought something was wrong, quickening his pace out of the forest. Upon seeing afar, he was stunned.

In the distance, a three-zhang-high, pitch-black goat with metallic sheen fur stood upright.

Intense fierce evil qi and demon qi mixed like smoke rising to the sky.

Where its hoof fell, a large crack extended hundreds of zhang on the ground.

In contrast, on the other side,

A human figure engulfed in red flames moved so quickly, only a red blur was seen, sublimating snow into vapor instantly as it passed.

That small-looking figure unexpectedly suppressed the Great Demon-like Black Mountain Sheep, with every punch and kick reverberating loudly.

Yu Ziqing just watched for a few breaths and they had smashed the area within Li, scattering rocks and raising dust and vapor.

"How long have we been out?" Yu Ziqing turned back and asked Cece.

"Young Master, we've only been out for less than half a year." Cece replied, eyes still locked on the two, face filled with astonishment.

"I thought we had been out for decades…"

"Simply ridiculous; just a few months! And my Third-tier Body Refinement is still incomplete!"

Yu Ziqing was incredibly shocked.

Never mind Uncle Yang; that old geezer could have entered Dao long ago, probably holding back to build up his foundation.

Even if hurriedly undergoing Demon Transformation, with such a solid foundation, fast entry makes sense.

But what's the situation with the village chief?

Progressing faster than Uncle Yang.

Able to suppress Uncle Yang, even if just through pure physical combat, it was absurd.

Just as Yu Ziqing was about to call out, Er Han rushed to him, carrying a taller-than-human sledgehammer, lowering his voice.

"Ziqing, you're back, don't shout, really, let them fight."

"What happened?"

"Uncle Yang said my Ah Ye's progress was too fast and a little dangerous; he couldn't just focus on Body Refinement, he needed to spar more for physical activity, which would also help digest cultivation progress. Without comprehensive assimilation, it'd be too dangerous."

"Hmm?" Yu Ziqing glanced at Er Han: "Anything else?"

"If you shout now, my Ah Ye would definitely stop, and once Uncle Yang goes back to watch over his vegetable patch, my Ah Ye will surely use me for practice."

At this, Er Han grimaced, extending a hand.

"Five times! This month, Ah Ye nearly beat me to death five times."

"But you look fine?"

"Uncle Yang said I had good health and that I hadn't taken any pills before, so the effect of Healing Pills was particularly good, bringing me back to my feet by the next day."

Yu Ziqing opened his mouth but didn't know what to say.

It was the first time he knew that advancing too quickly in Body Cultivation could be dangerous, learning something new every day.

"What's the sledgehammer for?"

"When they finish up, I need to flatten the ground they tore up until my patched ground remains unscathed under their blows, then my job will be done."

They waited a moment as the battle ended.

The village chief donned his clothes, leaning on a cane, juggling two stone balls in his palm.

"Hahaha, Ziqing's back."

Just as he laughed, the stone balls in his hand crumbled into powder.

Uncle Yang resumed his usual form, casting a sidelong glance at the village chief.

"You crushed them again; you shouldn't train for a few days until the stones remain intact."