Ink Painting thought for a moment and could only sigh again.

His cultivation was low now, and his array law attainment was limited. Even if Mr. Zhuang had difficulties, he felt he couldn’t help him.

“I’d better cultivate properly and learn array law well. In the future, when I achieve the Dao, I’ll repay Mister for imparting the Dao and instructing me.”

Ink Painting nodded. Seeing that the time had come, he immersed his divine sense into his Sea of Knowledge, borrowed the Dao Stele, and began practicing the Reverse Spirit Array meticulously.

Days passed calmly. Ink Painting cultivated and drew array laws as usual.

Besides, Ink Painting also cared very much about the matter of Hei Shan Zhai, but he didn’t know how the Court Si’s progress was.

Several days later, at noon, Ink Painting visited Old Mr. Feng and got some daily-use elixirs. On his way home, he saw Zhang Lan.

Ink Painting quickly greeted Zhang Lan.

Zhang Lan was walking with his head down. When he heard a child’s voice calling “Uncle Zhang,” he knew without thinking it was Ink Painting.

Ink Painting walked in front of Zhang Lan, lowered his voice, and secretly asked, “How is it?”

Ink Painting was naturally referring to the Dao soldier matter.

Since the matter involved a secret, Ink Painting was very careful not to say it out loud.

Zhang Lan looked left and right and said, “There are many people here with mixed ears. Let’s go to the food shop to talk.”

The two went to the food shop and sat at their usual spot. Jiang Yun brought up some wine and dishes.

Zhang Lan saw that everyone around them were familiar customers, mostly demon hunters, who were drinking lively and wouldn’t notice their corner. He then also spoke in a low voice to Ink Painting:

“I told the details to the Palm Si. The Palm Si has also already submitted a memorial, reporting to the Dao Court. Now we just need to wait for the Dao Court’s approval. If the Dao Court agrees, it won’t be long before they dispatch Dao soldiers to exterminate Hei Shan Zhai.”

“Will I have to wait a long time?”

“If the Dao Court agrees, it won’t take long.”

“What if the Dao Court doesn’t agree?” Ink Painting asked.

Zhang Lan took a sip of wine, thought, and said:

“If what you saw is real, and there are five or six hundred evil cultivators inside Hei Shan Zhai, and they are still killing people to refine human elixirs, then the Dao Court cannot let evil cultivators act recklessly. They will definitely dispatch Dao soldiers. You can rest assured.”

Ink Painting nodded, clearly relieved.

Zhang Lan looked at Ink Painting, sighing in his heart.

This matter was actually not that simple. The most difficult part was how to prove that there was indeed such a stronghold deep in the mountains, and that there were really five or six hundred evil cultivators inside the stronghold, and that these evil cultivators were still really refining human life elixirs.

Currently, these were all just Ink Painting’s words.

The only evidence was just the two maps drawn by Ink Painting: one was the Fog Forest guide map, and the other was the Hei Shan Zhai situation map.

Besides that, there was no other witness or physical evidence.

They believed Ink Painting, but the Dao Court wouldn’t believe a small cultivator who was only ten years old.

Moreover, Ink Painting had no official rank, and his identity as a first-rank array master was also useless.

Zhou Palm Si also had a difficult time.

He was already very old, and was about to retire stably and enjoy his later years. He wanted to have a good ending in the position of Palm Si.

Now that the matter of Hei Shan Zhai had come up, he was somewhat in a dilemma.

If he reported to the Dao Court, and Ink Painting’s intelligence was wrong, that there was no such stronghold deep in the mountains, or that there were no evil cultivators inside the stronghold, then the old Palm Si’s responsibility would be great.

If the Dao Court pursued responsibility, although it wouldn’t be as severe as being imprisoned, he would definitely lose his position as Palm Si.

If he didn’t report it, and let the evil cultivators occupy the deep mountains and further expand, then all the cultivators in Tong Xian City might encounter a great disaster someday in the future.

Should he be safe and seek a good end for himself, or take a great risk to seek peace for Tong Xian City.

It was really a difficult choice.

But finally, Zhou Palm Si still chose to report the matter of Hei Shan Zhai to the Dao Court.

Zhang Lan still remembered Zhou Palm Si’s words:

“I have been Palm Si for more than half my life, always fair and upright, and have never had any achievements. Later, when scattered cultivators relied on themselves and built the Artifact Refining Hall and Elixir Refining Hall, I instead received favor and gained merit. To be honest, I feel guilty in my heart…”

“Now that there is a hidden danger in Tong Xian City, I am the Palm Si of Tong Xian City. We share honor and disgrace, naturally I cannot protect myself wisely and stand by and watch.”

“The worst-case scenario is just being held accountable by the Dao Court, dismissed from my position, and spending some leisurely days.”

“The report on the extermination of Hei Shan Zhai must be reported to the Dao Court!”

Zhou Palm Si’s expression was very firm.

Zhang Lan knew that being dismissed by the Dao Court and resigning with a good ending had a world of difference in reputation and treatment. Zhou Palm Si’s heart was not as relaxed as he said.

Zhang Lan looked again at Ink Painting, who was eating meat with his head down, and secretly guessed in his heart.

The Palm Si making this decision was probably also taking into account this child, Ink Painting.

If it were someone else, even if they had investigated this intelligence, their Dao Court Si would not believe it, and Zhou Palm Si would be even more impossible to risk being dismissed and report to the Dao Court…

Ink Painting ate and ate, and when he looked up, he found that Zhang Lan was looking at him and couldn’t help but ask:

“Uncle Zhang, aren’t you eating me?”

Zhang Lan came back to his senses, smiled, and said, “No hurry, I’ll have some wine.”

Ink Painting picked up a piece of meat for Zhang Lan, “Uncle Zhang, eat more!”

Zhang Lan looked quite haggard. It was probably because of the matter of Hei Shan Zhai that he had been running around a lot, and his heart was also worried. He was a bit tired, and his body was also a bit thinner.

Zhang Lan was slightly startled, and his heart was somewhat moved.

Ink Painting continued, “Uncle Zhang, you look much more proper now, and you also have a bit of the appearance of a Dao Court Si standard Si.”

Zhang Lan’s face darkened again, and the feeling of being moved just now flew away:

“What do you mean ‘look more proper now’? I was originally a proper cultivator, not just now, but always have been, a dignified and proper cultivator!”

“Um, um.” Ink Painting ate beef and perfunctorily said.

Zhang Lan was a bit unhappy, but suddenly a bit uncertain, and then asked Ink Painting:

“How did I look before?”

Ink Painting recalled what Zhang Lan looked like when he first saw him, and tried to describe it:

“A little bit like a young master who doesn’t attend to proper business and idles about…”

After finishing, he was afraid that Zhang Lan would be unhappy, so he emphasized again: “Only a little bit.”

Zhang Lan was speechless.

How did he not attend to proper business and idle about? He came here to drink wine during duty hours, “observing the feelings of the cultivators in the folk.” How could that be considered idling about?

Still “a little bit”? If I were really a dandy, I’d be far from you…

Zhang Lan drank a mouthful of wine in a stuffy mood.

Ink Painting’s eyes rolled, and he asked again: “Uncle Zhang, what are you like in your family?”

It shouldn’t be this lazy appearance, right…

“In the clan?” Zhang Lan recalled for a moment and said, “Also like a jade tree facing the wind, romantic and unrestrained, popular with thousands of females, many wonderful age female cultivators wanted to be my Dao companion…”

Ink Painting said in a low voice, “Uncle Zhang, just cheat others, we’re so familiar, no need to be so polite…”

Zhang Lan choked on a mouthful of wine and couldn’t help but say, “Who is cheating people?”

Ink Painting silently looked at him.

Zhang Lan sighed, “Next time I won’t eat with you, otherwise I won’t be full, just filled with your anger.”

Ink Painting again picked up chopsticks of meat for him, “Then Uncle Zhang, you quickly eat, otherwise when you’re filled with anger, you won’t be able to eat.”

Zhang Lan heard this and felt both angry and amused. He shook his head, “You child…”

The two thus chatted and ate.

After arguing with Ink Painting for a while, Zhang Lan felt better and seemed not that tired.

These days, because of the Hei Shan Zhai matter, he had indeed run around a lot and worried a lot. In Tong Xian City, there were not many cultivators he could chat with like this.

After eating and drinking their fill, Zhang Lan wanted to get up and leave. Ink Painting called out to him again and asked:

“If by any chance the Dao Court really sends Dao soldiers, can I go and see them?”

Ink Painting’s eyes were shining. He had long wanted to see what Dao soldiers of the cultivation world looked like.

Zhang Lan thought for a moment, shook his head, “Not possible.”