Qi Xuansu and Yao Pei had known each other for less than an hour. By any measure, they could hardly be considered acquaintances, let alone friends. They were at most a step above strangers.0

It was often unwise to have too deep a conversation with acquaintances, especially if it was regarding matters of life and death. As such, Qi Xuansu would never readily admit anything, even if he suspected that Yao Pei might have some relation to Madam Qi, given that they shared the same last name.0

Qi Xuansu outright denied it. “Daoist Yao, your question seems baseless. I’m not even a Heavenly Being. How could I possibly have any association with someone who ranked first on the Taiping Leaderboard?”0

“That may not be entirely true,” Yao Pei responded indifferently. “I heard that during the battle in Jinling Prefecture, Mogul Yao from Seven Treasure Pavilion fought with the Heavenly Court’s Grand Leader, Wu Guangbi, over the Xuan Jade. In the end, Mogul Yao tossed the Xuan Jade to you. It’s hardly convincing if you claim to have no connection with her.”0

Qi Xuansu did not answer directly. Instead, he remarked, “Daoist Yao, your network of intelligence is truly impressive. You not only heard about the secret agreement between the Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect, but you’re...0