Chapter 649 204: Marquis of Ren De's Family Banquet (3)

However, Shen Bai felt this was a long-term effort. It wasn't something he could investigate and get immediate results from.

Upon hearing Shen Bai's reply, Wang Teng quickly nodded. "Since Lord Shen is aware, I can rest assured."

As subordinates of the Daoist Si, they all knew that easing Lord Shen's burdens was both their job and their responsibility.

So, since Shen Bai was aware, they understood he would surely make a move soon.

Shen Bai waved his hand. "For now, focus on these two matters. Follow the plan and begin your investigation. Don't worry about anything else for the time being."

Originally, Shen Bai had planned to conduct a thorough investigation of the entire Observatory after he returned.

His Void-breaking Red Eye could uncover information, and he wanted to see if he could use it to find any trace of the remnants from the Era of Ten Thousand Cities.

But there weren't many people at the Observatory right now; most were away on missions. Because of this, Shen Bai felt there was no need to rush.

'Those on missions will have to return eventually. Once they're back, I'll just investigate them one by one.'

'Just like the investigation into the Marquis of Ren De, this is a long-term project that will require time.'

Seeing that Shen Bai didn't wish to say more, the men all nodded in agreement and departed from the five-story building.

Ma Yuan was the last to leave, pulling the door shut behind him.

Once the door was closed, the room fell silent.

Shen Bai watched Red Makeup brewing tea, lost in thought.

The tea leaves in his cup slowly sank to the bottom.

"Master, have you already come up with a plan?" Red Makeup asked, tilting her head as she refilled his cup.

Shen Bai nodded. "I have the beginnings of a plan, but I'm still refining it. It's not fully formed yet."

Amber was the most carefree of the group. Upon hearing Shen Bai's words, she immediately scooted closer to him and asked excitedly, "Is Master going to fight someone again? Amber will do her best!"

Shen Bai placed a hand on Amber's head, gently stroking her cat-like ears. "It's not about fighting this time," he said. "I just want to pay a visit to each of the major factions in Lingyun Dao."

At this, Amber's spirits immediately fell. She lowered her head and said dejectedly, "In that case, Amber won't be much help."

She was a Deceitful Beast with a keen sense of her own limitations.

When it came to fighting, she could offer Shen Bai her combat prowess. But as for visiting major factions... in Amber's mind, that was something she wasn't cut out for.

The classical aura about Red Makeup had grown even richer after Shen Bai had helped her cultivate it the other day.

She set down the teapot, gently turning it so the spout faced away from them before speaking. "Master means to see if there are any individuals from the Era of Ten Thousand Cities who have possessed people within the other major factions."

Shen Bai nodded. "Exactly. Yang Jian alone can't represent all of them. Perhaps some were unwilling to commit suicide. If we can capture one alive, it would be a major breakthrough. I refuse to believe their only mole was inside the Observatory."

'Just investigating the Observatory won't yield many clues. If Yang Jian was truly the only one, then I'll have wasted my time.'

'That's why I plan to turn my attention to the major factions of Lingyun Dao. Perhaps new clues will surface there.'

"That's a viable plan, Master," Red Makeup said with a nod.

Shen Bai rose to his feet and began searching the bookshelves in the room.

Before long, he pulled out a thick volume.

The title on the cover read, *An Outline of the Factions of Lingyun Dao*.

As the title suggested, the book contained records of all the major factions in Lingyun Dao.

Every branch of the Observatory had a copy; after all, keeping such records was part of their job.

Fortunately, now that Shen Bai possessed the power of the Unity Realm, he could read with incredible speed.

In no time at all, he had familiarized himself with all the major factions of Lingyun Dao.

Lingyun Dao had a total of five major factions, all intricately connected.

These were Luofu Mountain, Cangyun Ridge, White Canyon, Luoyun River, and the Celestial Cloud Sect. Together, they were considered the most prominent factions in all of Lingyun Dao.

Of these, Luofu Mountain and Cangyun Ridge were known to be on friendly terms with the Observatory.

The other three, however, had a more neutral relationship with the Observatory.

After getting the general picture, Shen Bai mused, 'I can start by visiting Luofu Mountain and Cangyun Ridge, then check on the other three factions afterward.'

'The factions friendly with the Observatory will naturally be easier to deal with.'

'As for the other three... to put it bluntly, with my status as Daoist Si, they wouldn't dare refuse a visit from me.'

"Master, will you begin today?" Red Makeup asked.

"There's no time to waste. I'll pay them a visit today," Shen Bai said with a nod.

He was about to head out and have Wang Teng at the registration office arrange for a team of men to accompany him. He planned to visit both Luofu Mountain and Cangyun Ridge before the day was out.

Just then, however, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from outside.

Shen Bai turned to see Ding Quan of the Jia Division rushing toward him.

Shen Bai stopped and waited patiently.

"What's the rush?" Shen Bai asked once Ding Quan reached him. "Do you have business with me?"

'I'm the only one on this fifth floor. For Ding Quan to come rushing up like this, he must be looking for me.'

Sure enough, as soon as Shen Bai spoke, Ding Quan immediately clasped his hands in a salute.

"My apologies for the disturbance, Lord Shen. I have an urgent matter to report."

"Go on," Shen Bai said with a nod.

Ding Quan took a moment to organize his thoughts before speaking. "An invitation just arrived. The Marquis of Ren De will be hosting a private banquet and has invited both you, Lord Shen, and Lord Zhang, the Daoist Order of Lingyun Dao."