What mischief was he trying to pull? Playacting?

Even Aqing had spotted something off, yet still couldn't work out the reason. If Jin Baowen thought he'd found a backer and meant to forcibly seize Big Brother Shen's heaven-and-earth treasures, they'd already reached the gate — he need only duck inside; why the extra trouble of putting on such a clumsy little show?

"I..."

Jin Baowen scrambled to his feet, instinctively looking up at the sky, a measure of dread welling in his eyes. Clearly, he too had realized that conduct like this was bound to make Shen Yi misunderstand him. But the other had come in the guise of a rogue cultivator. If he behaved too abjectly, explaining anything on the spot would give the game away, wouldn't it? For doing something as two-faced as this, there was no principle of taking it back — and if he ended up pleasing neither side, his little life would likely not be kept.

And these two gatekeeper boys — how was their strength so vast? Strange!

At the thought, Jin Baowen hurriedly withdrew his gaze and put on an air of furious indignation. "Absurd! I've been the Zheng family's marriage relation for years — by what right do you bar me outside! My devotion to the Zheng family is utterly sincere. These few are new friends this old man has made; hearing of the Zheng family's renown, they've come especially to visit. You mustn't be so discourteous!"

Every sentence from his mouth invoked the Zheng family, yet the true object of his pledged loyalty was someone else.

A flicker of something odd crossed Xu Wanyun's expression. She quietly glanced at the young man beside her. Just what ability did the other have, to frighten that old man into such a state?

"..."

Shen Yi hadn't suspected Jin Baowen from the start. He lowered his eyes toward the two young gatekeepers.

Just now, in the instant the two struck, there had been, of all things, no fluctuation of aura. Such a situation wasn't unfamiliar to Shen Yi. After all, all along the way…