After a brief chat with Hu Tu, I left the area.
I returned to my current residence, ate, and rested.
Nothing out of the ordinary happened for the rest of the day. It wasn't until the next morning, shortly after I woke up, that I saw a figure in a black robe watching me quietly from not too far away.
I was all too familiar with this attire. On the first day I arrived at the Duan tribal village, it was someone dressed exactly like this who attacked me at night.
It was none other than the most elite assassination unit under the High Priest, the Shepherd's Emissaries!
"What is the meaning of this? Is there something you need?"
It was broad daylight, and I was in the camp of the temple guards. I wasn't afraid of the Shepherd's Emissary making a move on me. I ate my meat and teased him.
"Commander Ba Du, the Saintess wishes to see you."
The figure in the black robe was unfazed by my words. He simply conveyed the order and then turned to leave.
Pan Lili wants to see me?
My first thought was that the mysterious man was plotting something unspeakable again.
As far as I knew, Pan Lili was merely a puppet in the hands of the mysterious man. If I were to think more darkly, she was probably part of a deal struck between the mysterious man and the High Priest.
Should I go see her?
Given my current status, I had considerable autonomy. After all, I was supposedly injured. Although I had just defeated Gu Li yesterday, I could shamelessly claim I needed to recover. Pan Lili and the mysterious man wouldn't have any other way to trouble me.
That mysterious man was no good. His schemes were like a net, and the more I interacted with it, the harder it was to escape.
Thinking of this, Pan Lili's mysterious face suddenly appeared in my mind, and I felt a sense of schadenfreude.
The greatest joy in the world is seeing your ex-girlfriend in trouble, especially one who betrayed you and later tried to have you killed.
Pan Lili, you've fallen on hard times!
I calmly finished the meat in my hand, practiced a set of punches, and finally decided to go and see what the situation was.
I mulled it over. Since the mysterious man had shown me goodwill yesterday, he wouldn't turn on me today. Moreover, this trip might be an opportunity to find clues about removing the black spider on me, and also to probe his intentions.
Nothing in this world could truly frighten me. Only the unknown made me feel apprehensive.
Having made up my mind, I took care of my affairs and leisurely walked towards the temple.
It was rather strange. Although the temple guards were responsible for protecting the temple, the High Priest, and the Saintess, there was a considerable distance between the two camps.
I had no idea what the person who designed this system was thinking, creating such a large gap between the two camps. If something happened, the High Priest might be shot eight times before the temple guards even arrived at the scene.
As I walked, I suddenly stopped. A figure in a black robe blocked my path.
I assumed it was another Shepherd's Emissary and impatiently called out.
"What is it? I'm on my way to see the Saintess."
The black-robed figure did not reply. Instead, he beckoned me and then darted into the nearby bushes.
Is this guy crazy? Can't he speak?
I was taken aback by his actions, my brow furrowed. However, I followed him.
On one hand, I was confident in my own skills. Even if this person was an impostor Shepherd's Emissary, I was still confident I could escape.
On the other hand, his secretive behavior had piqued my curiosity. I was here to gather information anyway, and perhaps there would be unexpected gains.
I followed the black-robed figure, who led me left and right, down a hidden path.
"Where are we going?"
Seeing that we hadn't reached our destination after five minutes, my impatience grew. Suddenly, a sense of alarm washed over me.
Had the High Priest grown impatient and decided to make a move on me, sending someone to feign a meeting and lure me into a trap?!
I immediately stopped, my body tensing, ready to apprehend the black-robed figure if he didn't answer my question.
The black-robed figure ahead stopped upon hearing my question and looked back at me. Seeing my wary expression, he hesitated, and finally spoke.
"Don't worry, I'm not trying to harm you. Come with me, I have something to tell you."
The voice was so familiar that it caught me completely off guard.
I hadn't expected it to be her!
Knowing the identity of the black-robed figure, I silently followed her for another ten minutes. She led me to a dark cave and then removed her hood.
Seeing the strange tattoos on her face, countless questions arose in my mind.
Pan Lili, what exactly does she want by bringing me to this place?!
Before I could ask, Pan Lili spoke first.
Her words caught me completely by surprise.
"You are not from here!"