Bai Xunli stood in front of Qinglan Residence's main gate. Behind her were her two Enforcers, a carriage, and six ICEB Warriors—ready to escort Feng Hailin and the three junior cultivators.
The surrounding neighborhood remained quiet, with little movement. It was still early morning.
I hope I'm not too early, Bai Xunli thought, silently praying she hadn't misjudged the hour.
She rapped on the wooden gate.
It was soon opened by Li Ran. "Good morning, Captain Bai," he greeted.
"Good morning, Li Ran. Is everyone up already?"
He nodded. "Yes, and they're ready to go."
Right on cue, Feng Hailin and the three junior cultivators were brought to the front by Shen Qingyu and his two shidis.
Yan Zhen and Luo Heng stepped forward, exchanged salutes with Shen Qingyu, and took custody of the four cultivators, leading them toward the carriage.
Bai Xunli greeted Shen Qingyu. "I'm under the impression that Shengzun wanted to go with us to the yamen. Is he still going?"
Shen Qingyu nodded. "Yes, Captain. They—should be out soon."
Bai Xunli raised an eyebrow. "They?"
Shen Qingyu smiled. "Yes. Xiao Shimei and Dr. Zhao are coming as well."
Before Bai Xunli could respond, Xuan Tian, Ling Yu, Zhao Zhi, and Gu Tianzhu appeared.
Bai Xunli immediately saluted.
Xuan Tian returned a calm, "At ease, Captain."
As she straightened, something caught Bai Xunli's attention. Her eyes widened. Mid Immortal Three? In one night?
Shen Qingyu noticed her expression and elbowed her lightly. "Captain, your shock is showing."
Bai Xunli quickly snapped back to focus, swallowing hard as her gaze shifted back to Xuan Tian.
His presence—though restrained—was stronger than the night before. He didn't look tired or wounded. Not at all. He looked like a tiger poised to strike. The calm in his expression did little to mask the raw power behind it. His face was cold, but not cruel—it held a quiet gentleness, a refined stillness. His sharp gaze swept the area like a hawk assessing the field.
In contrast, Ling Yu stood between him and Zhao Zhi, looking fresh but nervous. Her eyes darted everywhere, her gaze often unfocused, like she was dreading something.
Xuan Tian placed a hand gently behind her back. She instantly relaxed, exhaling slowly. She looked up at him, listened closely, and gave a small nod.
Then her gaze shifted to Bai Xunli.
"Good morning, Captain Bai. Zhao Ge and I are coming with you to meet Dr. Lin Qian and Dr. Xu Yun," Ling Yu greeted.
Bai Xunli nodded. "Yes, I assume you want to bring them back here as well?"
Ling Yu lit up, nodding enthusiastically. "Yes! We can, right?"
Bai Xunli smiled. "Yes, you can. Please—this way."
Ling Yu turned to Gu Tianzhu and saluted. "Shizun, I'm leaving for a while. I'll be back soon—with Lin Qian Jie-jie and Xu Yun Jie-jie."
Gu Tianzhu nodded. "Go. Be careful and be mindful."
"Yes, Shizun."
Gu Tianzhu and his four disciples bowed and saluted Xuan Tian. "Shengzun, have a safe journey."
Xuan Tian led Ling Yu and Zhao Zhi away from Qinglan Residence.
Once they were gone, Li Ran closed the gate and barred it.
Gu Tianzhu turned to his disciples. "We need to continue doing what we've always done at Ziyu."
"Yes, Shizun!"
------------------------------
Ling Yu was caught in a mix of emotions. She was happy—thrilled, even—that she was finally going to see her two friends. But beneath that joy, anxiety simmered. She couldn't stop worrying about their condition.
Xuan Tian, who had been keeping a close eye on her, noticed the signs of her unease. He wanted to comfort her—but that wasn't something he excelled at. Calming others, offering gentle reassurances... those were not part of his skillset.
So, he did the one thing he could do—stay beside her.
Ling Yu turned to him, voice soft but urgent. "Iron Wall... you think they're okay, right? Lin Qian Jie-jie is okay, right?"
Xuan Tian nodded. "I believe so. Captain Bai would've informed us otherwise."
"Right. You're right."
They finally arrived at the local yamen.
Bai Xunli led Xuan Tian, Ling Yu, and Zhao Zhi straight to the infirmary.
Xu Yun was carrying a bowl of medicine on a tray when she heard, "Xu Yun Jie-jie!"
Her head snapped toward the voice—and there was Ling Yu, rushing toward her with a wide smile.
"Ling Yu!" she cried. Then she spotted the figures behind her. "Xuan Ge! Zhao Ge! You're finally here!"
"We're finally here!" Ling Yu echoed, beaming. She ran straight into Xu Yun's arms, nearly knocking the tray over.
Xuan Tian quickly reached out and took the tray from Xu Yun, allowing her and Ling Yu to embrace freely.
"Sorry," Ling Yu said, though her smile remained, as if permanently etched on her face.
"Let me see you," Xu Yun said, beaming. "You look good. Really good."
"Xu Yun Jie-jie, are you okay?"
"I'm okay, I'm okay. Don't worry." Xu Yun laughed, then added teasingly, "I've only been gone for two nights. It wasn't that long."
"Too long already," Ling Yu replied.
Then her expression turned serious. "How is Lin Qian Jie-jie?"
Xu Yun's smile dimmed slightly. She sighed. "She's inside, resting. I just made some medicine for her. Let me take a look first, and I'll let you know when she's awake."
"Okay," Ling Yu nodded.
Xu Yun took back the tray from Xuan Tian and disappeared through a nearby door.
Ling Yu watched the door close behind her, then let out a long sigh. She was still worried. The last time she heard Lin Qian's voice, she'd been sobbing over Lei Wen's death.
It wasn't long before the door opened again.
Xu Yun appeared. "She's awake. You can all come in."
Xuan Tian hesitated. "I think it's enough if Ling Yu and Dr. Zhao go in. I don't want to overcrowd her."
Xu Yun shook her head. "It's okay. She actually asked for you too, Xuan Ge."
Bai Xunli spoke up, "Shengzun, I'll handle Feng Hailin first. Once I'm done, we can head to Mo Chaoren."
Bai Xunli knew one of the reasons Xuan Tian had come to the yamen was to see Mo Chaoren. ICEB's custody over him wouldn't be confirmed until Xuan Tian gave his word.
Xuan Tian nodded. "Okay. That works."
With that, he entered the room with the others.