Coming to Yang Ai, one definitely didn't have to ask where the city lord's estate was. Sitting tall in the center was a blue estate, its thick stone gate wrapped around the perimeter with two giant doors. Shi Lihua let Wu Huan knocked on the lion head handle.

It was a youngster who first poked his head out before asking in a timid voice, "May I ask who the young masters are?''

"Shi Lihua," His senior brother said without blinking.

The youngster didn't question any further and bowed politely after inviting them in. They were taken to Gao Li's workroom. The old man was writing something on a piece of scroll, his huge belly poked out from under the table which only flattened out a bit when he stood up to greet them.

"It's great to finally see the two famous young masters of this generation. Sect leader Shi has entrusted me to take care of your journey to Yang Ai," his voice was dribble with honey and sick smiles. Wu Huan hid behind Shi Lihua subconsciously, scratching his head and rearranging his clothes. He was scared of dealing with such a fake person naturally. He didn't want to smile back or glare sternly either. He just didn't want to be impolite but he didn't want to be pretentious either.

"I've come here to discuss the kidnapping case in your city."

"Ah yes! Of course! This city lord has already prepared the necessary documents for your inspection. But first of all, it must have been tiring to travel from so far away. Wouldn't you two like to rest for a bit? I've even prepared two clean rooms ahead of time."

"There's no need." Shi Lihua walked to a guest seat. Wu Huan silently found himself one. "Please bring the documents here."

Gao Li stood seemingly frozen for a moment. He looked funny trying to conceal his shock but nevertheless, he picked up a bunch of scrolls and books and laid them neatly onto the table. Even though he had the title of a city lord, he still had to hug this type of people's thigh. He was obviously angry as he went back to his seat and made a show of drinking and dropping teacup.

"Wu Huan, take half of it."

They spent a whole afternoon, shuffling from scrolls to scrolls and comparing cases. Gao Li didn't interrupt them either and left for some meetings. In the evening, a servant came to take them to dinner. She had told them that Gao Li wouldn't come back until late in the night as he would be busy. But Wu Huan thought that it was weird for this old man to overwork till so late at night. He didn't have the heart to ask the servant either.

[Maybe he just wanted to avoid dealing with rude young people.]

What was most important was that they have discovered similarities among all the witnesses, no trace, and lead. However, there was one witness who reported back something weird that happened during the kidnapping. They planned to talk to the man after leaving Gao Li's mansion.

"They say that Gao Li has a manmade hot spring at the back of his house. I wonder if he ever gets bored of luxurious things." Wu Huan murmured as he rummaged through his qiankun bag for his night rope.

"And what are you doing in my room?" Shi Lihua said coldly, standing rigidly by the door holding his sword. He looked tired and upset after spending the whole noon inspecting such an upsetting case. His words also sounded lower than usual. Wu Huan didn't know he was such a sensitive person. Day by day, he started to be able to crack the surface of the giant ball of rock. When he peeked inside, it wasn't just darkness he saw but also a grimmer of light. At this time, he doubted Shi Lihua was a heartless person. Maybe he was even more sensitive than other people including himself.

"I was going to invite senior brother to take a bath together," Saying that, he grinned childishly folding his change of clothes and got ready.

"No."

"Why not?" For whatever reason, he wasn't surprised.

"I don't take baths with strangers."

Wu Huan watched him walking to his bed and laid down with a heavy grunt. "But,...I'm not a stranger?''

"Out."

"..."

He was nearly lost on his way to the hot spring. He thought it would be a lame fake indoor giant hot tub but when he discovered that the door only led to a big courtyard outside. There were bamboos all-around acting as petitions and sitting in the middle was a relatively big size hot spring. The water was an orange glow from the surrounding candles and lights. Dipping his butt into the warm water, he actually thought it wasn't that bad from the Sect's hot springs.

The stiff pain on his neck gradually seized as he submerged deeper, his wet head resting against the red stone. Wu Huan was going to fall asleep but then his ear kept catching the small movements by the other plantations behind. He wanted to ignore it at first and told himself it was just some squirrel but it continuously sounded more and more ambiguous. He had also requested the servants to keep out of the yard, lest they saw his naked glory. Therefore, with the other possibilities being ruled out, there was only one left.

In the inside of Shi Lihua's room, the senior brother himself hadn't fallen asleep. Something was very itchy about Gao Li's auction house. Those items people have acquired were only rare, it was ancestry rare in a sense. Even if all of the disciples of Taohua dedicated their energies to finding those, the result was too obscure to determine. First, some of them belonged to heroes of the past and naturally, those heroes would not expose their weapons and cultivating methods except if they have had to pass them down to the later generation. And even if this was the case, one question also needed to be answered.

Why would the inheritor decide to auction out something so valuable and that belonged to their ancestor's legacy? He doubted he or she needed money. It must be of a bigger reason or of a different reason altogether.

Feeling the start of a headache, he raised the quilt and buried himself in. In the darkness, he committed to close his eyes and slept away his messy thoughts.

Bang!

Suddenly, the door jolted closed, suddenly shaking his whole room and probably the whole estate. He hadn't had the time to react when he felt his quilt moved and the person slid inside smoothly.

"Senior brother!" the person whispered, snaked his hands around his arm. "I'm scared."

"Wu Huan...what are you doing?'' Shi Lihua tried to pry his cold hands-off but he only clung to him tighter.

"I-I think there was a pervert outside...''

It took a moment for the senior brother to process. He eventually calmed down, "Pervert? By the hot spring?''

"Yes, he had really huge eyes and a big shadow...I barely managed to put on my pants and ran here."

"What in the world are you talking about?"

"I'm sure it was a pervert. S-senior brother, do you think...it's that person?'' His voice dropped considerably at his last word and his grasp was tighter under the quilt.

Shi Lihua turned to the slight blur of human shape beside him, his face was a mixture of suspicion and doubt in the dark. "Who?"

"Gao Li..."

"..."

"Senior brother?"

"You said you're the same age as me but why are you so obnoxious? Why would the old man sneak around looking at a tasteless pervert like you instead of the city's young red-lips girls?" Scolding him just like that, he wrenched his arm away and turned grumpily to the other side. His brain beat loudly against his skull. What was the future of this trip having someone so annoying as a partner?

Wu Huan stayed frozen in his position from the word 'tasteless pervert'. He actually didn't mind anything else but the word was stuck in his head. What was weirder was the fact that he wasn't even upset. He only thought this person was very funny when he tried to insult.

So, he could only bite his lips suppressing the incoming burst of laughter.

Rearranging his position to face the ceiling, he continued in a low voice, "Senior brother, then what if it was a ghost?"

"..."