The evil talismans were laid out before Yan Shouyi. If they hadn't served as evidence, Yan Shouyi would have likely burned them with a single burst of flame.
After explaining the talismans' functions to Xia Zhi, her expression also turned grim.
She understood perfectly the trouble the sold talismans would bring to Rongcheng.
"I need to question those people promptly," Xia Zhi said. "The sooner we retrieve those talismans, the sooner we might save a life."
Questioning could not be delayed.
Without time to contact A Gong, who was handling the bar's scene, they left through the back door, abandoning the Maybach. They got into Xia Zhi's police car and headed back to the precinct.
…
Meanwhile.
Lin Zitong drove her Bentley and slowly parked in front of a tea house.
This tea house was located in a small county town under Rongcheng's jurisdiction, only fifty kilometers from the city.
As the county's tea was renowned nationwide, tea had become the pillar industry. The roads leading here were lined with neatly trimmed tea mountains.
From the outside, the tea house resembled a large estate of a wealthy landowner. Inside the main gate was a screen carved with peacocks. Though the courtyard was not visible, the screen alone conveyed the establishment's opulence.
Before even exiting her car, Lin Zitong looked at the luxurious tea house and let out a cold snort.
"This tea house was originally a Taoist temple opened by a direct disciple of the Lushan Sect, named Luyun Temple. It gradually grew and developed to a point where the Lushan Sect could no longer directly control it. So, my master had our Lin family sponsor them to build this tea house, solidifying their position in the county."
In other words, the tea house before them was essentially a Taoist temple, inherited from the Lushan Sect, with the Lin family of Licheng as its financial backer.
The reason Lin Zitong came here was because this sect had strongly supported her bid to become sect leader. However, after Lu Xin's arrival, the sect switched its allegiance to Lu Xin.
Even after Lin Ruofu cut off their funding, they showed no remorse and continued to support Lu Xin.
Her visit today was to investigate why they were so unreliable.
The three women alighted from the car and walked directly into the tea house.
As soon as they entered, a tea ceremony master, wearing a green qipao and possessing an alluring figure, approached them. "Greetings, esteemed guests. Do you have a reservation?"
As the saying goes, the truly wise hide in plain sight. The Lushan Sect's temple was located in Sanfang Qixiang, while the Luyun Sect's temple disguised itself as a tea house, and a high-end one at that.
Ordinary people could not afford to patronize it; only the affluent and influential were qualified to enter, which was a testament to the Luyun Sect's network of connections.
The tea ceremony master was quite beautiful and had a curvaceous figure. Her demeanor was akin to a television starlet.
However, compared to Lin Zitong, she was vastly inferior, appearing somewhat vulgar.
Luo Ning was also inherently beautiful, and her prolonged exposure to corpses gave her an aura of cold aloofness. Powerful men often gravitated towards such women, so the tea ceremony master considered Luo Ning to be more attractive than herself.
As for Zhao Yiyao, her personality was boisterous and uninhibited. Her thick northeastern accent would only lead men to see her as a buddy, not a goddess, even though Zhao Yiyao's beauty was on par with the tea ceremony master's.
If anyone else had entered the tea house, this tea ceremony master would not have been so friendly. But seeing the three beautiful women, each with her unique charm, and clearly not ordinary people, she lowered her stance considerably.
Lin Zitong stated plainly, "I am a shareholder coming to inspect the operations. Do I still require a reservation?"
Luo Ning and Zhao Yiyao chuckled inwardly. Wealthy people certainly spoke with authority!
Who wouldn't want to be a beautiful, wealthy woman like Lin Zitong, while also keeping a powerful yet gentle gigolo like Yan Shouyi?
The tea ceremony master blinked, then scrutinized Lin Zitong.
"Please wait a moment, esteemed guest. I shall call the manager to come over…"
With that, the tea ceremony master hurried towards the back, seemingly feeling unable to attend to a guest of Lin Zitong's caliber.
"Wait!"
Lin Zitong called out to the tea ceremony master and stated calmly, "There's no need for a minor figure like the manager to see me. Have the manager summon your sect leader to meet me. Just say Lin Zitong has arrived."
The tea ceremony master paused, then quickened her pace towards the back.
Lin Zitong glanced at the tea table nearby and, treating herself as the hostess, sat down. She picked up a packet of expensive tea, priced at thirty thousand per jin, from the display stand and began brewing tea for Luo Ning and Zhao Yiyao.
As they were on their second cup of tea, a group of people walked over from the back courtyard with hurried footsteps and expressions.
Leading the group was an old man with a youthful complexion, his attire somewhat similar to Lu Jingsheng's.
With a broad smile, he approached Lin Zitong and bowed. "Ah, it is Martial Aunt. Please forgive our lack of timely welcome, our lack of timely welcome!"
This man was Shang Xuyi, the current sect leader of the Luyun Sect. By seniority within the Lushan Sect, he was one generation below Lin Zitong, so even though he was over sixty, he had to address her as Martial Aunt.
When Lu Jing had previously toured Jianzhou Province with Lin Zitong, they had visited this place and greeted Shang Xuyi.
At that time, Shang Xuyi had praised Lin Zitong's exceptional talent, deeming her the perfect candidate to succeed the sect leader.
Yet, this very man had defected most readily, even daring to antagonize the Lin family.
Lin Zitong, educated from a young age to respect the elders and cherish the young, was not here to pay homage to the elderly. Thus, she maintained a somewhat superior posture.
Seated on a root carving chair, she casually glanced at Shang Xuyi and said in a clear, cold voice:
"Sect Leader Shang appears well and vibrant, suggesting your recent life has been quite comfortable. I presume your work and personal life have been smooth sailing, free from worries."
A flicker of sharpness crossed Shang Xuyi's eyes, clearly a sign of his displeasure at this young girl's condescending attitude.
However, he dared not truly express his anger and replied with a forced smile, "As a cultivator, I focus on self-cultivation and nurturing my disposition. My cultivation has progressed slightly recently, hence my improved complexion."
With that, Shang Xuyi took a few steps forward, and without waiting for Lin Zitong's invitation, sat opposite her and reached for a teacup on the table.
Unexpectedly, Lin Zitong flicked her finger, and the teacup slid towards Zhao Yiyao.
"This is my cup," Zhao Yiyao stated.
Shang Xuyi's face became awkward. "But you already have a cup in front of you."
Zhao Yiyao, taking cups one after another as if drinking white wine, downed the tea and then wiped her mouth, complaining, "I truly cannot understand southern tea. It's neither robust nor thirst-quenching. After two cups, I feel nothing!"
Shang Xuyi inwardly considered Zhao Yiyao to be ill-mannered and wasteful, and a spark of anger ignited within him.
With a stiff expression, he asked Lin Zitong, "May I inquire if Martial Aunt has come today with any guidance?"