Otherworldly Affairs Office-Chapter 707: Aftermath of the Battle - Part 1 (Request Subscription)

The frustrated Saraf had nowhere to vent his anger, as Pei Yan and the others brought Li Songtao all the way back to Yirong Pavilion. As they stepped through the gate, they bumped into Sword Stand Man, who had returned ahead after their arrival at the Immortal Palace. Seeing his disheveled and despondent appearance, Pei Yan could guess almost entirely what had transpired within the manor. After exchanging a knowing glance with Gu Shenghui, he let the others escort Li Songtao inside while he pulled Sword Stand Man to a secluded spot in the courtyard.

"Ah, Brother Jian, this time I made a big deal out of nothing! Judging by the current situation, this isn't a trap set against me or your faction but a personal vendetta by Li Songtao." Pei Yan clasped his fists and bowed slightly, his face apologetic.

"Ever since you captured Li Songtao, I've been hastily summoned back by my master. Just now, seeing the flashing lights and constant explosions from the direction of Yonghe Square, I figured Fellow Daoist Pei might have once again gloriously showcased his skills tonight." Sword Stand Man, diverting from the topic, smiled bitterly.

"Oh no, it's nothing, just a bit of showmanship. Is there anything that has happened within your faction during this time?" Pei Yan hesitated for a moment before cautiously asking.

"Ah!" Sword Stand Man sighed, seeing Pei Yan wasn't letting the topic go, and said, "Your ploy worked. After all the evacuation of you, me, and the surveillance personnel from the investigation hall, someone couldn't resist violating the sect's orders to contact the outside. The whole scene was witnessed clearly by the inner sect elder secretly monitoring the situation."

"How many? Surely it doesn't include your wife?" Pei Yan asked in shock upon seeing Sword Stand Man's anguished expression.

Sword Stand Man raised his eyelids wearily and said, "If Yiyun was involved, would I still have the energy to stand here talking to you? Three!"

At this point, Sword Stand Man choked up and couldn't continue. Pei Yan could feel his inner agony from his expression. Finding three traitors among fellow disciples whom one trusted implicitly is something nobody could handle well. Pei Yan didn't know how Celestial Sword Manor would deal with these three traitors, but regardless of the approach, it wouldn't end well for them.

"Which sects were they contacting?" Anxious for the answers he wanted, Pei Yan didn't beat around the bush and asked directly.

Sword Stand Man merely shook his head and walked towards the courtyard exit without saying a word. Watching his lonely figure, Pei Yan didn't pursue, unsure whether he didn't know the answer or just didn't want to say. After standing for a long while, he sighed deeply, scratched his head helplessly, and returned to his quarters.

"Did you find out anything?" Gu Shenghui asked Pei Yan, who was slumped in a chair in low spirits, offering him a cup of warm water.

Pei Yan waved away the kind offer, picked a piece of fruit from the plate on the table, and chewed while mumbling, "Family matters are often not suited for public discussion, and they are unwilling to share more. We have left a few surveillance nanomechanical insects, which captured how the disciples communicated externally, but we don't understand the techniques of the Daoist Realm, so we can't pursue further." He spat out the fruit seed and asked in return, "How is Li Songtao?"

"Elder Lin has already started treating him in detail. Three elders, plus the six of us and other agents, will take turns guarding him, so rest assured, he won't be able to fly away." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

"I'm not worried about him escaping, but I'm afraid he might kill himself." Pei Yan supported himself on the chair to stand up, but the sudden movement made him feel dizzy and faint. Seeing this, Gu Shenghui hurriedly helped him and said with concern: "Are you alright? Ever since you fought Li Songtao, your face has looked pale. You haven't retained any hidden injuries, have you? I'll call Elder Lin to check on you!"

Pei Yan grabbed Gu Shenghui's wrist, shook his head, and refused, "No need, no hidden injuries, nothing serious. Right now, Li Songtao's life or death is the key issue, and I'm fine!" With that, Pei Yan stretched lazily, yawned, and said, "The attacks that damage the soul are indeed troublesome; earlier, amid the tense situation, I didn't feel much. Now that things have relaxed a bit, the fatigue is hitting me in waves. Gu Chu, I can't hold on any longer and need a good rest and sleep. The rest is up to you guys."

"Off you go, don't worry and have a good rest!" Gu Shenghui, saying this, waved to Wang Wenze, who came over immediately to support Pei Yan. They helped him back to his bedroom. Looking at Pei Yan, who collapsed onto the bed and immediately started snoring, Wang Wenze and Gu Shenghui couldn't help but feel both amused and sad. The two helped remove Pei Yan's outer clothing, settled him comfortably, covered him with a quilt, and quietly left the room, gently closing the door.

Simply sleeping provides a certain restorative effect on the soul, but it's hard to counteract the damage caused by intentional magical attacks. Fortunately, when Pei Yan first arrived at the Hell Plane, Lin Junzhao had trained him rigorously, allowing him to maintain a protective flow of Yuan energy in all actions, even while sleeping. Only in this state could his Yuan energy subtly replenish his significantly depleted soul while he slept.

Pei Yan had no idea how long he had slept when a delicate fragrance entered his nose in his deep slumber. Following the delightful scent, he instinctively turned his head, and his cheek suddenly touched something cold, startling him awake. But the coldness quickly turned warm, and Pei Yan groggily struggled to open his eyes, the first thing he saw was a flushed cheek, followed by a pair of watery big eyes.

"Ah, Yuan Hu!" Pei Yan lazily said before closing his eyes again, about to continue sleeping when he suddenly realized something was wrong. He abruptly opened his eyes, sat up on the bed, and exclaimed, surprised to see Zhao Yuanhu: "Zhao Yuanhu! What, what are you doing here?"

"Uh, Elder Lin just finished examining you, and Sister Pei Jin watched over you all night. I saw she was quite tired and just took over for her, letting her rest for a while." Finishing her explanation, Zhao Yuanhu, overcoming her initial shyness, looked at Pei Yan, who had instinctively covered himself with the bedsheet, and chuckled, teasing him: "You didn't think I was going to do something to you, did you?"

Her words brought Pei Yan's muddled brain back to clarity, and he couldn't help but recall his mother's instructions before he left. Yes, he wasn't a child anymore, and it was clear they both had feelings for each other. Her initial surveillance wasn't her true intention. Being an adult and getting hung up on little things was petty of him. He should take the initiative. Thinking this, Pei Yan boldly threw off the sheet, revealing his well-built upper body, and teased, "I wouldn't mind you doing something to me; after all, it's not like I'd be at a loss, right?"