Toward evening, the villa was alive with voices. Everyone except Qiu Lingshan had arrived. Keeping his word to Qiu Lingshan, Wu Chengtian reported the matter to the company over the meal.

The lively atmosphere fell silent at once at this sudden news. The danger of the last attack by the Iron Robe Sect and He Dantou and his lot was still fresh in every mind; had Lin Dongfang not appeared out of nowhere to save the day, it was hard to say how things would have ended. Now a band of mysterious experts of unknown origin had suddenly appeared—who was to say they were not coming for the same people again?

"I have actually heard something of this as well," Yu Bing said suddenly. "The Ice Palace was on edge over it for a while yesterday, and even sent word to friendly sects to sound them out."

"Oh? So what exactly is the situation?" the others pressed.

"The details do not differ much from what the Bureau of Mysterious Investigation has," Yu Bing said. "The only thing certain at present is that a good many unfamiliar cultivators are indeed moving about, and judging by their strength they must be at least of the ancient level. Yet they belong to none of the ancient sects we know. Everyone guesses they are likely some ancient sect that has hidden from the world all along—only that we never knew of it before."

"That is possible," Wu Chengtian nodded. "Sects like the Iron Robe Sect rarely involved themselves in outside affairs in the past, and few even knew of them. If not for that last clash, how would we ever have learned that the Iron Robe Sect had such depths?"

"But if it is an ancient sect that has hidden from the world," Zhao Qitan said doubtfully, "why would it suddenly be active everywhere now? Has something momentous happened?"

The others frowned as well. Every ancient sect had its own rules, and those hidden sects in particular generally restricted their disciples most strictly from entering the mundane world. For so many unfamiliar cultivators to appear all at once, there had to have been some great upheaval.

"Let us each think of ways to sound out news afterward," Wu Chengtian proposed. "Whatever the case, we must tighten our guard this time. Better safe than sorry, after all."

Everyone nodded. Wei Zhao had entrusted the comatose women to their care, and they could not betray his trust. The last raid by the Iron Robe Sect and He Dantou had left them shaken long after. This time there must not be the slightest mishap.

"In that case, extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures," Yu Bing nodded. "I suggest that from today we go back to working in pairs—one more person is one more safeguard—and that everyone keep their phones on at all times, so that no matter what happens we can reach one another at once."

"Mm, understood." The others nodded readily. It was not only these unfamiliar cultivators of unknown origin now; even Brother Dafeng said the Center was brewing some plan of its own. They could not afford to let down their guard.

"If only Wei Zhao were here," Xu Shilan sighed suddenly.

"Yes. Who knows how he is doing now? He sent a letter two years ago, but since then there has been no word at all," Cheng Yiyi sighed as well.

"I have written several letters already, just waiting for the Center Express to come again. They are gathering dust by now," Sun Jingyan said, pursing her lips.

"You are not the only one writing letters in secret. We have all saved up quite a few. A pity the Center Express is so unfathomable—otherwise we would not be waiting around like this," Wu Chengtian said with a bitter smile. He was serving as steward now and dealt with everyone a great deal; many present had a thick stack of letters saved up, just waiting for the Center Express to come knocking.

"If it could deliver the first time, there is no reason it cannot deliver a second," Lai the Fatty said worriedly. "It has been so long with no news—you do not suppose something has happened to Leader Wei Zhao?"

"What are you saying? You jinx!" The others glared at him in unison.

"Bah, bah, bah! Evil words do not come true, good ones do!" Lai the Fatty hurriedly slapped his own mouth, then consoled himself: "With Leader Wei Zhao's strength, he can make his way anywhere. He was fine in the last letter. How could anything have happened to him? The way I see it, something must have gone wrong with the Center Express. Otherwise the leader would have written long ago."

"Oh no! You do not suppose the letters we wrote last time never reached Brother Wei Zhao at all?" Ying Ziyu cried out all at once.

"That..." The others grew tense as well. Their letters had not been return receipts—they had simply been sent off, and whether they had actually reached Wei Zhao's hands, they did not know.

They had simply taken it for granted before that the letters would reach Wei Zhao. Now, thinking it over, with no word from him for so long, perhaps he had never received their letters at all, and that was why he had not replied.

"I hope that is not the case. A pity we cannot write to Cloud Terrace Island on our own initiative, and the Center Express gives no reliable word either. All we can do now is wait," Wu Chengtian said with a bitter smile.

"In his last letter, Brother Wei Zhao mentioned only Tianchan and Xueli. Who knows how the others are doing? Ah, I miss Chen Xi a little," Ying Ziyu said, lapsing into melancholy for once.

Chen Xi had gone up to Cloud Terrace Island under the alias Tianxi, together with Tianchan and Tiandie of the Five Luminaries Sect. But from what Wei Zhao's letter said, she had likely been separated from Tianchan once she got up there. So much time had passed—who knew whether she had managed to reunite with Wei Zhao.

"Do not worry. Heaven looks after the good. Leader Wei Zhao will surely find them. Who knows—tomorrow morning, before you are even awake, Leader Wei Zhao may be knocking at your door," Wu Chengtian comforted her.

"Mm." Ying Ziyu nodded firmly, then winked at Wu Chengtian. "Lonely little sprite—I never saw it before, but you are actually pretty good at comforting people!"

"Lonely little sprite?" Everyone froze in unison, looking at Wu Chengtian with strange expressions. "What is that supposed to mean?" they asked in one voice.

"N-nothing..." Wu Chengtian's old face went red as he waved his hands again and again. He shot a fierce glare at Ying Ziyu, who was covering her mouth and giggling. To think he had meant well, comforting her—this girl was too wicked!

The group dissolved into laughter and teasing. Little did they know that Wu Chengtian's words of comfort, spoken without much hope, would soon become reality. Ever since Aotian Zhou agreed to help, Wei Zhao had been homesick these past few days, so restless that he could not even settle down to cultivate at the Heavenly Elixir Pavilion, waiting only for word from Aotian Zhou.

While he waited, Wei Zhao also wrote letters to Han Jingyi on North Island and Wang Xinyan in the Eastern Continent, telling them he would be returning to the mundane world for a time. A pity neither of them was on Middle Island—otherwise they could have gone back together. To be continued.