The group finalized their plan: Shi Ming would first sternly reject Xiao Suo, but let slip a hint of temptation. He needed to stall Xiao Suo long enough for them to complete their encirclement, at which point they would capture the man in one fell swoop.
Shi Ming agreed repeatedly, though he smiled bitterly to himself.
He wouldn't even have to act. He truly was a little tempted.
Priest Li He also instructed Shi Ming to fish for information the next time he encountered Xiao Suo, to see if the man had other hideouts in the Nine Provinces.
Shi Ming wasn't good at coaxing information out of people, so Priest Li He taught him what to say, line by line.
Afterward, the group ended their communication. They had Priest Li Long carefully patrol the vicinity, warning him not to venture too deep to avoid actually clashing with Xiao Suo and getting hurt.
Once the connection with the Myriad Ancient Pagoda was cut, Priest Li Long led Shi Ming back to the carriage.
The commotion finally woke Deng Jun, though Su Asi, their driver, was still fast asleep.
"Lord Priest?" Deng Jun didn't recognize the man, nor did he know why a priest was here. He hurriedly shot a glance at Shi Ming, silently asking what was going on.
Deng Jun froze.
Off to the side, Su Asi finally woke up as well. Seeing the group talking a short distance away, however, he didn't dare interrupt.
Shi Ming hadn't expected Priest Li Long to tell Deng Jun straight out.
He had thought the priest would keep Xiao Suo's presence a secret.
But a moment later, he understood the man's intentions.
He had sought out the priest specifically to report the incident with Xiao Suo. If Priest Li Long hid that from Deng Jun, it would clearly signal they were plotting something in secret.
If Xiao Suo was still nearby observing their reactions, that secrecy would likely put him on high alert.
Deng Jun had seen the Black Robe Xiao Suo twice before.
Both times, the man's appearance had been utterly terrifying.
Once, he had nearly killed Li Ban. The other time, he had turned the Myriad Ancient Pagoda at the Unreturning Place completely upside down.
Deng Jun was deeply afraid of running into Xiao Suo again.
The man wouldn't even need to consciously try to kill him. Just the lingering shockwaves from a slightly intense battle would be enough to grind him to dust.
Right now, Deng Jun no longer had any desire to keep hunting bugs in Yanzhou. He just wanted to get back to the Myriad Ancient Pagoda as quickly as possible.
"Hit the road immediately and head back to the Myriad Ancient Pagoda at the Unreturning Place," Priest Li Long told them. "We will continue searching this area."
The defenses at the Unreturning Place were much tighter now. If Xiao Suo truly wanted to do something to Shi Ming, he would definitely trail him—or approach him again—before he reached the pagoda.
Following Priest Li He's instructions, Shi Ming asked hesitantly, "We have to go back now? I've already reported this to the Myriad Ancient Pagoda, so he shouldn't come looking for me again."
Li Long gave Shi Ming a deep look. "Go back immediately."
Shi Ming hurriedly nodded. "Understood."
With sleep no longer an option, the three immediately packed their things and prepared to set out.
Priest Li Long noticed their driver, Su Asi.
"Who is that?"
"An ordinary mortal we saved on the road," Deng Jun quickly explained. "He was almost killed by bugs."
"If he hasn't been with you the entire time, do not bring him back to the Myriad Ancient Pagoda," Priest Li Long said coldly.
"Ah?" Deng Jun recalled his promise to give Su Asi a chance to earn a meal, but with the priest giving the order, he couldn't disobey. "Understood."
Su Asi heard them this time. He dropped to his knees with a thud. "My lords, my lords! Please don't abandon me in this desolate wilderness! My lords, I truly won't survive out here alone!"
A ruthless glint flashed through Deng Jun's eyes. He wanted to just kill Su Asi right then and there to save them the trouble.
But he hesitated. After all, neither the priest in front of him nor Shi Ming were his former superiors from the Assassin Hall.
Sure enough, while Priest Li Long didn't want them bringing a stranger back to the Myriad Ancient Pagoda, he didn't actually intend to abandon the man in the wilderness.
"Take him with you for now. Drop him off when you pass through a county town."
Su Asi let out a visible sigh of relief.
"Thank you, master! Thank you, my lord!"
Priest Li Long paid them no further attention. He flew up into the air, waiting for the other priests to arrive and regroup.
Deng Jun still had Su Asi drive the carriage for them. "Follow this road; there's a village up ahead. You're a grown man, you can make a living anywhere. I'll give you another string of copper coins to cover your wages for the last two days."
Su Asi nodded repeatedly. He honestly didn't make any other demands as he climbed onto the carriage and resumed driving.
Priest Li Long waited until they left before taking out his Self-Seeking Mirror. He spoke to the person on the other side. "They've departed. I've left a hidden mark on them."
"Xiao Suo has always been cunning," the person in the mirror replied. "He will definitely spot your mark."
Li Long smiled. "Xiao Suo loves to play games right under our noses. Finding the mark is exactly what will put his mind at ease."
He then stowed the mirror and continued to stand guard, waiting for his companions to arrive.
Although they believed Xiao Suo would follow Shi Ming, they were also worried that he might actually remain behind in the mountain forests of Yanzhou.
Shi Ming's group didn't encounter any unexpected accidents.
They dropped Su Asi off at a mountain village. From there, Deng Jun took over driving the carriage, leaving Shi Ming alone in the cabin. Shi Ming sat with his head bowed and his hands tightly clasped, extremely anxious.
Seeing that they were about to arrive at the Unreturning Place, a familiar voice suddenly drifted into Shi Ming's ears.
"You are about to return to that cage. Have you thought it through? This is your very last chance to change your destiny."
Xiao Suo had indeed followed him.
Shi Ming snapped his head up, looked around in panic, and even pushed open the carriage door.
But everything was perfectly quiet around them. Deng Jun had his back turned as he drove the carriage, seemingly completely unaware of the voice.
Hearing the door open, Deng Jun glanced back. "What's wrong?"
Shi Ming opened his mouth, but held back his discovery. "Nothing, just checking where we are."
Deng Jun was also a little nervous. "We'll be at the Unreturning Place shortly. Once we're back in the Myriad Ancient Pagoda, we'll be safe. No matter how crazy Xiao Suo is, he definitely wouldn't dare break into the pagoda a second time."
Shi Ming forced a smile, closed the door, and sat back inside the carriage.
A little while later, the carriage stopped bumping along.
Shi Ming knew they had finally merged onto the official highway.
Once on the highway, it would only take two quarters of an hour to reach the patrol radius of the Myriad Ancient Pagoda's priests.
Xiao Suo's voice didn't ring out again.
But Shi Ming's heartbeat grew faster and faster.
"I... I—what do you want me to do?" he asked in a low voice.
He had finally compromised.
A long time passed, and Xiao Suo's voice still did not return.
Shi Ming looked left and right in a panic, thinking he truly had missed his final opportunity.
Just as he was at a total loss for what to do, Xiao Suo's voice finally sounded right by his ear, as if the man were sitting directly beside him.
"Very good."
"Step one: use the dagger at your waist to slice open your palm. Then, find a way to wipe your blood onto any Spirit Awakening Priest."
Shi Ming tightly gripped the dagger at his waist.
Either Xiao Suo had tampered with the dagger, or he had tampered with Shi Ming himself.
He didn't know what the other party was planning, but he knew the priest who got smeared with his blood would likely meet a grim end.
He hesitated.
"They treat you like a tool, yet you still treat them as your benefactors. Is that it?" Xiao Suo's voice spoke again.
Shi Ming gritted his teeth. "I... I don't want to be a tool forever."
For others, being a tool was a lifetime's burden at most.
But if he couldn't shake off his identity as a mortal corpse, he would be reduced to a tool for all of eternity.
"But I don't want to be your tool, either. If I do as you say, how can you guarantee I'll safely escape the Myriad Ancient Pagoda's surveillance?"
"If you can't give me a way out, I'd rather just dutifully act as a tool in the Myriad Ancient Pagoda."
"Heh," Xiao Suo chuckled lowly. "The Nihility State. As long as you hide in the depths of the Nihility State, the White Robes won't be able to find you. Once you complete your integration, I will send you into the Shattered Realm. Over there, quite a few black-robed priests are able to live completely free and unrestricted."