“That was close.”

Lady Qinghua let out a quiet breath. It had been so long since she'd seen her master that she'd barely held herself back.

She could hardly remember the last time she'd been any use to him.

Working under her master was so much pressure… At any moment, some newly recruited “colleague” might replace her.

At that thought, Qinghua balled a small fist and gave herself a little pep talk.

The instant she stepped out of the formation, the ten-odd-zhang golden dharma form wore its cold, aloof face once more.

The immortal official's reappearance set the crowds buzzing again.

Normally, an exalted immortal who agreed to stay would linger a while at least. Had White Cloud Cave broken some taboo?

Or did this immortal official simply have no interest in befriending these juniors, and had only been doing the White Cloud founding patriarch a courtesy?

Each with their own thoughts, they watched the golden dharma form sweep back behind the curtain of clouds, and talk broke out on every side.

Countless eyes turned to White Cloud Cave's formation. They waited a long time, but it stayed as silent as the grave, and they couldn't help wondering.

But where a true god of the Immortal Court was concerned, who dared ask questions, let alone stick their nose in?

“Back now, my lord?”

The immortal officials of the retinue were just as curious, but they didn't dare ask either. Word had it that the new Protector of the Horses had once been an ascetic cultivator, a merit immortal, hard and cold by nature. She wouldn't even do the Azure Luan Might-Proclaiming General a favor.

Honestly, it was surprising enough that she'd gone into White Cloud Cave and sat for a while at all.

“Mm.”

Qinghua gave a slight nod and rode the clouds back toward the Immortal Court, the immortal officials in tow.

She'd sealed off the treasured site with the White Rhino seal for now. That should give her master enough time to deal with the trouble here.

Outsiders had their own tangled thoughts about it.

But the people…