The Ferocious God in the Celestial Master's Mansion

Chapter 52 Zhang Yulei's Explanation

Zhang Yulei's gaze lingered briefly on Feng Baobao's face before returning to Zhang Chulan's obsequious expression. Watching the young man's fawning and ingratiating manner, a few dark lines involuntarily appeared on his forehead. He thought to himself, "This kid…did he get too badly punished last time and become too scared? Why does he act like this the moment he sees me?"

Back when Zhang Chulan first arrived at Longhu Mountain, although he wasn't exactly flamboyant, he still possessed a youthful cleverness, with a hint of unwillingness and tenacity in his eyes. Now, his appearance, as if he wanted to have the word "well-behaved" etched on his face, made Zhang Yulei somewhat uncomfortable.

He coughed lightly, breaking the silence, and answered Zhang Chulan's question in a calm tone: "Not long after you went down the mountain, I discussed it with your master and we decided to go down the mountain and travel for a while."

Zhang Chulan and the others listened intently, even Feng Baobao stopped fiddling with the hem of her clothes, her eyes filled with curiosity.

"After all, I've been in seclusion in the mountains for decades, and I can't say for sure what the outside world has become now," Zhang Yulei said slowly, his gaze sweeping over the room full of ruins, as if he were truly lamenting the passage of time. "I always wanted to see with my own eyes just how much has changed in these decades."

At this point, he turned his gaze to Wang Ye beside him, his eyes carrying a hint of scrutiny: "Originally, we planned to go to Wudang Mountain first to see some old friends. But halfway there, we received news that this little guy exposed the Feng Hou Qi Men at the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony and was expelled from Wudang as a result."

He paused, a faint smile curving his lips, as if genuinely out of curiosity: "Feng Hou Qi Men is one of the Eight Extraordinary Skills. Wudang has such a treasure, yet it can't tolerate a disciple who possesses this skill? I'm curious to see what kind of young man this is that could make Wudang make such a decision."

After he finished speaking, the scene fell silent.

Zhang Chulan's smile froze, his mind racing with calculations. Wang Ye raised an eyebrow, a knowing glint in his eyes. Zhuge Qing maintained his composure, seemingly calm, but his fingertips unconsciously rubbed his cuffs—his words sounded far too deliberate.

Of the four, only Feng Baobao truly believed it. She blinked, looked at Zhang Yulei, then at Wang Ye, seemingly pondering how serious "being expelled from the sect" was, and whether she should help them fight.

Zhang Chulan knew perfectly well who this Grandmaster Uncle was. He'd been secluded on Longhu Mountain for seventy years, and upon emerging, he dared to wreak havoc during the Quanxing Sect's rampage, without even the Old Celestial Master uttering a word. Why would someone like that need to specifically "consult" the Old Celestial Master before descending the mountain for a trip? And why did he have to hear about Wang Ye's affairs on the way and stop by to check it out?

You're kidding me!

But he dared not speak. The memory of being beaten to the ground last time was still fresh in his mind, and the bruises on his buttocks had only faded a few days ago. How could he dare to question this scoundrel's words? He could only swallow back the questions that were on the tip of his tongue and continue to put on a simple, honest smile.

Wang Ye understood perfectly. The Feng Hou Qi Men incident had caused quite a stir, and those who wanted to cause him trouble could stretch from Beijing to Longhu Mountain. But would a top expert like Zhang Yulei bother using "curiosity" as an excuse to come to this dilapidated building to "take a look"? The power of that self-destruction just now was so great that ordinary extraordinary people wouldn't even have time to dodge it, yet this guy stood directly at the center of the explosion without even getting a speck of dust on him—this wasn't "taking a look," he had clearly been watching the commotion here all along.

But he didn't intend to expose him. Zhang Yulei's strength was unfathomable, and his attitude was unclear; pressing him for answers now would only be pointless. Since the other party hadn't shown any hostility, it was wise to back down for now.

Zhuge Qing thought it through more simply. Zhang Yulei's real purpose in coming down the mountain was not really his concern. As long as this senior from the Celestial Master's Mansion didn't interfere in their affairs or target Wuhou Qimen, he would keep to himself. As for Wang Ye's troubles, that was Wang Ye's own business, and he didn't need to risk offending this senior for the sake of others.

Thus, each of the four had their own thoughts, and tacitly refrained from questioning the flaws in Zhang Yulei's explanation.

Zhang Chulan chuckled twice, scratched his head, and tried to make his tone sound more sincere: "Grandmaster Uncle is right, things have really changed a lot in the past few years. Skyscrapers are denser than the pine trees on Longhu Mountain, and there are metal boxes everywhere that can run faster than a horse... If you'd like to take a look around, I'll have Xu Si arrange a guide for you later, and I guarantee he'll take you to every nook and cranny!"

As he spoke, he was rapidly calculating in his mind: Xu Si had told him before that the headquarters of Na Du Tong was paying close attention to this grandmaster uncle who had suddenly emerged from seclusion, and had even sent Xu Si to Longhu Mountain to gather information. Now, the very person in question was right in front of him. Could this be considered major intelligence? Should he quickly call Xu Si to report it?

If I report it, will my grandmaster find out and think I'm up to no good, and I'll get another beating?

If he doesn't report it, he'll be held accountable by the local authorities, and those two bastards, Xu San and Xu Si, will probably try to make things difficult for him...

Zhang Chulan's smile became even more stiff, his eyes darting around, glancing at Zhang Yulei one moment and then at the door the next, clearly struggling with his decision.

Zhang Yulei took in all his little actions and understood. This kid looks honest and simple, but he's actually full of tricks up his sleeve. He's probably figuring out how to get in touch with everyone.

He didn't point it out, but simply said, "There's no need for a guide. I'm fine walking around by myself; too many people would make me feel uncomfortable."

After speaking, he turned to Wang Ye, his tone softening slightly: "You are Wang Ye?"

Wang Ye composed himself, cupped his hands in greeting, and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Junior Wang Ye greets Senior."

"You've mastered the Feng Hou Qi Men technique quite well." Zhang Yulei nodded, his tone neither praising nor criticizing. "It's just that this technique is too conspicuous. You're so young, and possessing such a treasure is a crime. Your future path may not be easy."

These words struck a nerve with Wang Ye. He gave a wry smile: "Senior is right, this is exactly what I'm struggling with."

"You have to finish the path you chose, even if you have to crawl on your knees." Zhang Yulei said this and then stopped talking. His gaze returned to the wall that had collapsed due to the self-destruction, as if he were searching for something.

The atmosphere at the scene fell silent once again. Zhang Chulan's inner turmoil, Wang Ye's helplessness, Zhuge Qing's detached observation, Feng Baobao's bewilderment, and Zhang Yulei's unfathomable calmness intertwined in the dusty ruins, creating a subtle tension.

Zhang Chulan gripped the phone in his pocket, his fingertips turning slightly white.

To report or not to report?

This question weighed on his mind like a stone, making it difficult to even breathe. He stole a glance at Zhang Yulei's back, seeing that the other was focused on the wall, seemingly oblivious to him, and the thought in his mind grew stronger—

Or... should we find an opportunity to send a message to Xu Si?