Pei Changjing narrowed his eyes as if recalling something.

“That kid Meng Qiuran took Brother Yin out early this morning, saying they were going to receive an esteemed guest,” Pei Changjing said lazily, but his gaze grew increasingly sharp. “They are still up in the sky respectfully waiting right now. Since you claim to be a judge personally invited by Meng Qiuran, you should at least know who he went to receive, right?”

Lai Li’an’s heart skipped a beat. Meng Qiuran went to receive someone, could it be him? That kid actually ran up to the sky to “respectfully welcome his arrival.”

Great. Meng Qiuran was in the sky, and he was on the ground. The two of them were waiting for each other in completely different places, waiting for absolutely nothing.

“If nothing unexpected has occurred, the person he is receiving should be this Venerable,” Lai Li’an said without changing his expression. “It is just that this Venerable did not agree on a meeting place with him, so I did not expect him to be waiting in the sky.”

Pei Changjing raised an eyebrow. “Oh? As far as I know, they are carefully searching the sky just so they don’t miss a single cultivator, yet you appeared here. Do you have any proof?”

“I have no proof,” Lai Li’an answered frankly. “However, since Alchemist Pei knows Little Friend Meng’s whereabouts, why not send someone to fetch him? Asking him face-to-face will clear everything up.”

Pei Changjing stared at him for another moment, then suddenly chuckled. He straightened up: “Alright, let’s go together then. It’s the perfect opportunity for me to see if you really are the ‘Senior’ that kid has been blathering about for a month.”

Saying so, he took the lead down the stairs. Elder Sun turned slightly and made a gesture of invitation.

But suddenly, everyone stopped in their tracks, because Lai Li’an was still standing in his original spot, not having moved a single step.

Pei Changjing took a few steps before realizing there was no movement behind him. He turned his head, a trace of puzzlement surfacing in his eyes: “Fellow Daoist Lai? Why aren’t you moving?”

Lai Li’an stood with his hands behind his back, his dark blue robe fluttering gently, his face still bearing that calm and unruffled expression.

However, beneath this poised and tranquil exterior, his inner self was screaming madly:

“What is the meaning of this, Fellow Daoist Lai?” A hint of impatience crept into Pei Changjing’s tone. “Don’t tell me you expect us to carry you over?”

The guard who had lost face to Lai Li’an earlier seized the opportunity, muttering sarcastically: “Such grand airs, not even giving face to Elder Pei.”

The other guard chimed in, “Exactly. Just a moment ago he was claiming to have been invited as a judge, and now he won’t even step out the door. Could it be he has a guilty conscience?”

Elder Sun stood to the side, frowning slightly, and remained silent. It wasn’t that he felt Lai Li’an was putting on airs; in fact, ever since their interaction at the Public Hearing Hall, he had felt there was something indescribably peculiar about how this man surnamed Lai did things.

But if this composure was faked, it was faked a little too well. Just as the atmosphere was growing increasingly tense, Elder Sun finally spoke up.

“Enough.” He raised a hand, stopping the two guards, and turned to Pei Changjing. “Alchemist Pei, Fellow Daoist Lai and Martial Nephew Meng indeed have a past acquaintance; this old man can attest to that. Why not send someone to fetch Martial Nephew Meng first and confirm it face-to-face? It will save us from wasting time here. The convention’s opening is imminent; surely everyone cannot stay stalled in this corridor forever.”

Pei Changjing glanced at Elder Sun, then at Lai Li’an, and finally, as if feeling this scene was getting rather tedious, waved his hand. “Fine, I still have to give face to Elder Sun.”

He casually took a Sound Transmission Talisman from his sleeve and flicked it lightly with his fingertips. The talisman turned into a streak of flowing light and flew away.

It wasn’t long before a swift streak of sword light shot over from the distant horizon and came to a sudden halt in front of the crimson building.

Meng Qiuran jumped directly off the sword. He was followed by a man who appeared to be in his forties, with sharp features and a steady bearing, wearing a spotless dark blue Daoist robe.

As soon as Meng Qiuran landed, his gaze swept past the crowd and locked straight onto Lai Li’an.

Although Lai Li’an had changed his robes and wore a half-mask over his face, his demeanor remained exactly the same as before. Meng Qiuran recognized him almost at a glance.

“Senior Lai!” Meng Qiuran strode forward, cupped his fists, and bowed deeply. “This junior is late to welcome you and has made Senior wait here for so long. It is truly my negligence! I beg for Senior’s forgiveness!”

This extremely respectful bow instantly froze the expressions of the two guards. Pei Changjing crossed his arms over his chest, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.

Meng Qiuran straightened up, only then noticing that the atmosphere around them was a bit off. He looked at Lai Li’an, then at the two guards beside him whose faces had turned green, and faintly guessed what had happened. Just as he was about to ask, the middle-aged man in the dark blue Daoist robe behind him slowly stepped forward.

“Qiuran,” the man’s voice was steady and calm, yet carried an undeniable coercive pressure, “is this the Senior Lai you’ve been constantly talking about?”

Meng Qiuran hastily stepped aside to make the introductions: “Yes, exactly! Senior Lai, this is Senior Yin Zheng from the Alchemy Sect Main Branch. Senior Yin is a Rank Seven Alchemist and has been invited to serve as the Chief Judge for this convention.” He then turned to Yin Zheng, speaking with a touch of fervent enthusiasm, “Senior Yin, this is the senior I mentioned to you! Senior’s attainments in the Alchemy Dao are unfathomable. You didn’t see it with your own eyes, but the heavenly lightning drawn down by that furnace of pills leveled an entire mountain peak!”

Yin Zheng’s gaze fell on Lai Li’an, taking his time to size him up.

This person was different from the sharp, overbearing Alchemy Dao Grandmasters he usually met. The young man standing before him exuded an elusive calmness from head to toe.

“Fellow Daoist Lai, a pleasure.” Yin Zheng cupped his hands. “This kid Qiuran has incredibly high standards. There aren’t many people who can thoroughly convince him. To meet you today is truly my honor.”

Lai Li’an returned the courtesy: “Alchemist Yin is too polite.”

Seeing this, the two guards hastily stepped forward to cup their hands and apologize, their earlier snide attitude having long since vanished into thin air.

Lai Li’an waved his hand: “No matter, you were just doing your duty, as is proper.”

Although Meng Qiuran didn’t know exactly what had just happened, he had already guessed the gist of it.

He secretly cursed his own negligence in his heart. Back then, he had been so caught up in his excitement that he only left the Senior a Jade Slip, entirely forgetting to send a formal invitation.

This was originally his duty, yet he had neglected it due to his closed-door cultivation for Alchemy, causing the Senior to be stopped at the gate and publicly humiliated.

He felt both guilty and terrified, wishing he could kowtow a few more times on the spot to apologize to Lai Li’an. However, with so many people around, it wasn’t appropriate to go to such extremes. He could only try to make up for his mistake by quickly stepping aside to lead the way: “Senior, Elders, the conference is about to begin. Please proceed to the venue; everything has been arranged properly.”

Pei Changjing yawned and took the lead, stepping forward. Yin Zheng gave a slight nod and walked side by side with Elder Sun.

Lai Li’an remained standing where he was with his hands behind his back, watching them walk a few steps away. Meng Qiuran took two steps, noticed something was wrong, and looked back to see that Lai Li’an still hadn’t moved an inch.

Yin Zheng also stopped and looked back. Pei Changjing’s eyes were filled with the helpless look of “here you go again.”

“Senior Lai?” Meng Qiuran was a bit puzzled.

Lai Li’an coughed lightly and said unhurriedly, “You all go ahead, this Venerable will arrive shortly.”

Meng Qiuran opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Lai Li’an added, “You don’t need to wait for this Venerable. This Venerable will take the opportunity to enjoy the scenery along the way.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of the several people present varied.