When the wine was finished and the guests had dispersed.

  Even Bai Qi was somewhat tipsy before Xia Li had Liu Xiaoxiao escort him back.

  After bidding farewell to Bai Qi, he continued searching for his own lodging.

  Following the number on his waist token, he quickly found a small courtyard. However, sounds of a man and women frolicking came from within.

  This made Xia Li frown. He took out his waist token and confirmed once more. After verifying it was indeed the courtyard assigned to him, he pushed open the gate and walked in.

  Inside the courtyard.

  A man sat in a rattan chair with as many as five women attending to him, his posture suggesting he owned the place.

  This scene made Xia Li wonder if he had come to the wrong place. But he still raised his waist token and pointed at the number on it.

  "Daoist friend, did you come to the wrong place? This is my courtyard."

  After Xia Li spoke, the man looked at him without any intention of producing his own waist token to verify. His eyes held only displeasure, even a hint of blame—as if reproaching Xia Li for being inconsiderate.

  "I'll only say this once. Get out."

  The man's attitude was arrogant, but Xia Li didn't get angry. He didn't believe it could be this coincidental—while many in the cultivation world acted arrogantly based on status, they couldn't possibly keep running into him, right?

  Besides, the previous encounter with Qiao Yuan wasn't coincidental either—it was Zhu Song deliberately orchestrating a borrowed-knife scheme.

  "Alright."

  Xia Li smiled and nodded, stepping back.

  "Go find out who I am. This courtyard is mine now. No refund on spirit stones."

  "Alright."

  "Without lodging, even with a waist token you're not allowed on the sky island. Perhaps you should scram down below."

  "Okay, I'll scram right away."

  Xia Li continued nodding in agreement to everything, like a coward without dignity. The women also looked at him with mocking expressions.

  When Xia Li left the courtyard, he even considerately closed the gate behind him.

  After leaving the courtyard...

  Xia Li directly took flight, leaving the sky island to return to the female cultivator where he had purchased his waist token.

  "My lodging has been occupied."

  Xia Li's tone carried accusation. This might be coincidence, but the probability was low. More likely, someone had targeted him again.

  "That only proves your own incompetence. Return the waist token. No refund."

  "Is that so? Alright."

  Xia Li returned the waist token and turned to leave.

  This intense feeling of someone trying to provoke him into causing trouble was unpleasant. Someone was scheming something.

  Especially this female cultivator selling island tickets—during their last meeting, her expression had been normal. But now, she looked at him with obvious contempt.

  "Wait."

  "Anything else?"

  "You snuck onto the island without a waist token. You need to pay ten thousand spirit stones in compensation!"

  "Alright."

  Xia Li directly threw out ten thousand spirit stones from his phase ring. Spirit stone rain fell from the sky, scattering across the ground.

  Before that female cultivator could react and come up with another excuse to make things difficult, Xia Li fled at lightspeed.

  He felt very uneasy right now!!

  After leaving the sky island, Xia Li had no intention of lingering. He didn't look for other flying treasures, nor did he intend to enter the city. Instead, he plunged straight into the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

  Someone wanted to provoke him...

  This meant the other party couldn't act against him directly yet and needed an excuse.

  He naturally wouldn't give them that excuse. But acting so subservient didn't mean he was safe—other excuses would probably be fabricated soon.

  With this thought, Xia Li took out a transmission jade slip and contacted Bai Qi.

  "Brother Bai, immediately contact your sect's elders to come get you. Someone has targeted me, and it might implicate you."

  "Wh-what's going on... I'll contact my master immediately!"

  Bai Qi still hadn't sobered up from drinking with Xia Li, but hearing Xia Li's warning, he instantly became alert. After taking sobering medicine, he immediately contacted his master.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  After contacting the sect, Bai Qi continued replying to Xia Li, who also explained what had happened after he left.

  "Big Brother Xia, you must be careful. Even though you're in the Hundred Thousand Mountains, the other party might still..."

  Halfway through the transmission, Bai Qi suddenly cut off.

  Sensing trouble, Xia Li didn't dare stay in place. He continued deeper into the Hundred Thousand Mountains while taking out the Purification Bottle to wash away any residual aura on his body.

  After all, he had indeed been drinking and making merry on the sky island.

  Over ten minutes later, Bai Qi finally transmitted to Xia Li again.

  "Big Brother Xia, something happened. The island master's son is dead—killed in the courtyard you were assigned."

  "Heh... what a lousy scheme."

  Xia Li now felt this scheme was pathetically transparent. What followed would be nothing more than throwing dirty water and seeking vengeance. The island master's "grief over losing his son" would make it seem reasonable for him to bully those weaker than himself.

  All this setup just to have the strong bully the weak, the many bully the few—typical Heaven Alliance style. It seemed he had been spotted by Heaven Alliance's eyes and ears when he arrived at Demon-Slaying Pass.

  After all, he was missing his nose and eyes now, unable to use the spiritual treasure Thousand Faces for disguise. Of course, he wasn't afraid of being discovered.

  He also needed an outlet. If Heaven Alliance dared invade in force here in the Savage Continent, they'd be seeking death.

  "You don't need to worry about me. My master is already on the way. I've also made clear my identity, stating that treating you to food and drink was just business."

  "Mm, Brother Bai, take care of yourself. I'll keep moving."

  After saying this, Xia Li cut off the transmission. He now just thought Heaven Alliance's people were being stupid.

  If he were Heaven Alliance, he would at least wait until the sky island took flight, wait until all the formations around the island were activated before making a move. Being so hasty—wasn't that alerting the enemy?

  Did they really think he was some hot-headed fool who'd rage blindly?

  Though he would strike deadly blows without warning, he wouldn't do so regardless of time and place.

  Actually, he was quite cowardly.

  As long as he sensed something unreasonable, he absolutely wouldn't make the first move.

  【Based on your speculation, this matter may be an execution-level error.】

  【Would you like logical deduction?】

  The Heaven Chip could deduce outcomes from causes. Of course, this was obvious enough that Xia Li could figure it out himself without the Heaven Chip's calculation.

  "No need. That island master is probably from Heaven Alliance, but he didn't want to act against me after the sky island took flight—that would damage the island's reputation and his interests."

  "So he thought himself clever, setting up this full-of-holes provocation scheme, even sending out his own son to act against me."

  "The result... not only did he scare me off, but when his superiors came to question him, he could only shift blame to his son. Then he'd make a show of 'killing kin for righteousness' and use that as an excuse to hunt me down."

  This was Xia Li's deduction of cause and effect, which also confirmed one thing—Heaven Alliance wasn't united. Its members still had their own positions.

  Take that island master, for instance.

  He cared more about his own interests. The sky island's reputation and standing mattered more. Acting against guests after the island took flight would ruin the reputation he'd built over so many years.

  Alliances formed for profit are destined to dissolve when profit dictates.

  【Your deduction is correct】

  The Heaven Chip's deduction matched Xia Li's.

  【Then it is suggested you maintain full combat readiness from now on】

  The Heaven Chip reminded Xia Li that a fierce battle lay ahead. Retaliation after tearing off all pretenses would be utterly ruthless.