The Ferocious God in the Celestial Master's Mansion

Chapter 53 Wang Ye's Test, Zhang Yulei's Protection

Zhang Chulan's fingertips repeatedly rubbed the phone case, the cool plastic touch unable to suppress the heat in his heart. He secretly glanced at Zhang Yulei's back; the old senior was standing in front of the collapsed wall, looking at something, the wide hem of his Taoist robe lifted by the draft, revealing the faded undergarment underneath.

"Sending a message shouldn't be a problem, right?" Zhang Chulan muttered to himself, his finger already touching the power button. Last time at Longhu Mountain, he truly experienced the power of his grandmaster uncle firsthand. The hardness of that Golden Light Mantra, the force with which he struck—even now, thinking about it made his buttocks tingle. But the pressure from All-Tong was also very real on his shoulders. The image of Xu Si patting his shoulder before leaving and saying, "Keep a close eye on things, report any disturbances immediately," seemed to be right before his eyes.

On one side are the elders of his sect whom he cannot afford to offend, and on the other side are his workplace whom he cannot afford to offend. Zhang Chulan felt overwhelmed and wished he could disappear on the spot.

"Old Zhang."

Wang Ye's voice suddenly rang out beside him, causing Zhang Chulan's hand to tremble, almost causing his phone to slip out of his pocket. He hurriedly pressed his hand against his pocket, turned to look at Wang Ye, and forced a smile that looked more like a grimace: "Huh? Old Wang, what's wrong?"

Wang Ye gave him a wink, gesturing for him to look at Feng Baobao. Feng Baobao was squatting on the ground, using a piece of wire she'd found to poke at a warped steel bar with great interest, her fingers moving with the agility of a toy. She seemed completely oblivious to the undercurrents around her, her attention entirely absorbed by the twisted metal.

"Stop overthinking it." Wang Ye lowered his voice, his tone tinged with helplessness. "Who is this senior? Our little schemes are like transparent objects to him. If we really need to report, we might as well be frank and say it openly; that would make us seem more open and honest."

Zhang Chulan was taken aback for a moment, then realized what Wang Ye meant. Yes, with Zhang Yulei's cultivation level, how could he possibly hide such a small trick from him? Rather than sneaking around and getting caught, it was better to admit it openly, and maybe he could even earn a reputation for being "honest".

Even so, the thought of being beaten up last time made his legs tremble. He leaned closer to Wang Ye with a bitter face: "Brother Wang Ye, you have no idea, this Grand Uncle has a terrible temper. Last time, all I did was hesitate to save someone and think about it for a while, and I was completely humiliated..."

Zhuge Qing, who was listening nearby, couldn't help but interject, "Chu Lan, the elders of the Celestial Master's Mansion have their own rules and regulations, and they are unlikely to get angry over such a small matter. On the contrary, your evasiveness is more likely to arouse suspicion." He paused and looked at Zhang Yulei's back, "Besides, since this senior has taken the initiative to show himself, he probably doesn't intend to really hide anything."

Zhang Chulan was somewhat swayed by what the two said and was wondering how to start the conversation when he saw Zhang Yulei suddenly turn around.

"What are you talking about?" Zhang Yulei's gaze swept over the three of them, finally landing on Zhang Chulan, his eyes holding a half-smile. "Are you figuring out how to report my whereabouts to All-Knowing?"

"!!!"

Zhang Chulan was so frightened he almost jumped up. The color drained from his face instantly, and he stammered, "Grand...Grand Uncle, I...I didn't..."

"No?" Zhang Yulei walked over slowly, each step feeling like it was treading on Zhang Chulan's heartbeat. "Then the phone in your pocket, you've practically squeezed it dry, are you practicing some kind of special Qi technique?"

Zhang Chulan's face flushed bright red instantly, the blush spreading from his ears all the way down his neck. He wished he could disappear into the ground. Only then did he realize that his thoughts had indeed been seen through by the other party long ago.

Wang Ye and Zhuge Qing exchanged a glance, both seeing helplessness in each other's eyes. This Chu Lan is far too easily frightened.

Feng Baobao seemed to have finally gotten tired of playing with the wire. She stood up and walked to Zhang Chulan's side, looking up at his flushed face and thick neck. She asked curiously, "Zhang Chulan, do you have a fever? Your face is so red."

"No...no..." Zhang Chulan was on the verge of tears and could only look to Wang Ye and Zhuge Qing for help.

Wang Ye cleared his throat and stepped forward to defuse the situation: "Senior, Chu Lan was just doing his duty. It's a rule in all places that special circumstances need to be reported promptly. He was just following the rules and didn't mean to offend anyone."

Zhuge Qing nodded in agreement: "What Wang Ye said is true. Chu Lan is caught in the middle, in a dilemma. I hope Senior will understand."

Zhang Yulei looked at the three of them and suddenly smiled. That smile was different from his previous indifference; it carried a hint of an elder's tolerance towards a younger generation, which eased the tense atmosphere considerably.

"Never mind." He waved his hand. "It's not a big deal for the authorities to know my whereabouts. After all, it's normal for these 'managers' to have some doubts if an old man like me suddenly comes down from the mountain."

He looked at Zhang Chulan, his tone softening slightly: "If you want to report, then report. Just say that I, Zhang Yulei, have come down the mountain to travel and visit some old friends and juniors. I have no other intentions for now."

Zhang Chulan was stunned, seemingly not expecting Zhang Yulei to agree so easily. He blinked, making sure he hadn't misheard, then, feeling relieved, he quickly nodded, "Yes! Thank you, Grandmaster Uncle! I will definitely convey your message!"

As he spoke, he didn't care about being discreet anymore. He took out his phone and quickly typed a message for Xu Si, checking even the punctuation several times to make sure there were no problems before sending it.

When the message was successfully sent, Zhang Chulan breathed a long sigh of relief, feeling as if a weight had finally been lifted from his heart.

Seeing his relieved expression, Zhang Yulei's eyes flashed with a hint of a smile, which quickly returned to its calm. He turned to Wang Ye: "What do you plan to do next? There are more people eyeing Feng Hou Qi Men than just those who did today."

When the topic turned to business, Wang Ye's relaxed expression faded, and his brows furrowed again. "Let's take it one step at a time. First, we need to get our family to a safe place, and then we can slowly find out who's behind this." He paused, then looked at Zhang Yulei. "However, this junior's abilities are limited, and I'm afraid it will be difficult to handle the trouble ahead."

These words, though seemingly ordinary, carried a hint of probing. Wang also wanted to know whether this senior from the Celestial Master's Mansion would intervene in this matter.

Zhang Yulei naturally understood his implied meaning, but did not answer directly. He simply said, "You chose this path, so you have to bear the trouble yourself. However..." He changed the subject, "Feng Hou Qi Men, in the end, is just a cultivation method and should not be reduced to a tool for some people to fight for power. If you really encounter an insurmountable obstacle, perhaps... you can go to Longhu Mountain and report my name."

Wang Ye's eyes lit up, and he quickly cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you, senior!"

He knew the weight of Zhang Yulei's words. With these words from this top expert of the Celestial Master's Mansion, he would at least have more confidence when facing those petty villains.

Zhuge Qing was also somewhat surprised, and his gaze towards Zhang Yulei became more scrutinizing. This senior, seemingly indifferent, was not truly indifferent.

Zhang Chulan also breathed a sigh of relief. Wang Ye was his friend, and naturally he didn't want anything to happen to him. With his Grandmaster Uncle's words, Wang Ye's safety was at least an extra layer of protection.

"Alright, I've said what I needed to say, I should go now." Zhang Yulei looked at the sky; it was completely dark outside, with only the distant streetlights casting a dim yellow light. "You guys should finish up here as soon as possible; this place is not safe to stay any longer."

After saying that, he turned and walked toward the broken wall, his steps not fast, but with an indescribable sense of freedom.

"Take care, seniors!" Wang Ye and Zhuge Qing quickly bowed and saw them off.

Zhang Chulan chimed in, "Grandmaster Uncle, please be careful! Come visit Beijing sometime! I'll treat you to Peking duck!"

Zhang Yulei didn't turn around, but simply waved his hand, and his figure disappeared on the other side of the wall as if he had never been there.

Only after the figure completely disappeared did the group breathe a sigh of relief.

"Phew... This Grand Uncle's aura is really too strong." Zhang Chulan wiped the sweat from his forehead, feeling more tired than if he had fought a tough battle.

"Indeed," Wang Ye remarked, "No wonder he has been in seclusion for seventy years. His cultivation and state of mind are beyond our reach."

Zhuge Qing gazed thoughtfully in the direction Zhang Yulei had disappeared, saying, "His last words were probably more than just empty talk. It seems this senior is not entirely ignorant about Feng Hou Qi Men, or even about those behind-the-scenes manipulators."

"Who cares?" Zhang Chulan shook his head. "At least we're safe now. Let's quickly clean up this mess and then meet up with Brother Du to see if we can pry anything out of those who were arrested."

Wang Ye nodded: "That's right. Sister Bao'er, let's go."

Feng Baobao said "Oh," then looked down at the wire on the ground that she had played with so much that it was in terrible condition. She seemed a little reluctant, but still obediently followed.

Without further delay, the four quickly cleaned up the scene, and after confirming that no clues about their identities had been left behind, they left the abandoned building filled with the smell of gunpowder.

The car was driving back to the city, and the carriage was quiet.

Zhang Chulan gazed at the fleeting night scenery outside the window, but his heart was not as calm as it appeared. He had a feeling that his Grandmaster Uncle's descent from the mountain this time was not simply for travel. Especially that self-destruction, and his Grandmaster Uncle's mention that "Feng Hou Qi Men should not be reduced to a tool," both carried an unusual implication.

He took out his phone, looked at the message he had just sent to Xu Si, hesitated for a moment, and then added: "Grandmaster Uncle seems to be very concerned about the Feng Hou Qi Men matter, and even told Wang Ye that if he encounters trouble, he can go to Longhu Mountain to find him. In addition, a Qi self-destruction occurred at the scene, with great power, but the specific cause is unknown."

After sending the message, he put away his phone, leaned back in his chair, and let out a long sigh.

No matter what happens next, at least for now, they are safe.

Shortly after they left, a figure quietly appeared on a large tree outside the unfinished building.

It was Zhang Yulei, who should have already left.

He stared intently in the direction the car had driven away.

"Feng Hou Qi Men... eerie Qi... and those forces hidden in the shadows..." he murmured, "It's getting more and more interesting."

With a light leap, his figure disappeared into the night, leaving only a few leaves blown by the wind, swirling in the air and slowly falling.