She hurriedly slipped into her room at the inn, being careful all the way, and believed that she had not been discovered by anyone.

As soon as he entered the house and closed the doors and windows, a chill suddenly ran down his spine.

He turned around abruptly and saw Li Baiyu sitting on the bed, and then he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Elder Li, when did you arrive?" Su Nian patted her chest and breathed a sigh of relief.

Li Baiyu glanced at the pastries on the table and said to Su Nian, "The waiter was delivering pastries to each room earlier. When he got to your room, he knocked on the door for a long time but there was no response. I happened to be passing by your room, so I delivered it in his place."

Su Nian raised an eyebrow slightly. "This is a men's room. Isn't it inappropriate for Elder Li to come in?"

Li Baiyu's face was as calm as a lake that could not be disturbed. "Who do you think took off your clothes and put you in the spiritual spring when you were seriously injured that day?"

Su Nian exclaimed in surprise, "I thought women like Elder Li would be very resistant to touching a man's body, but I didn't expect that it was Elder Li who let me in that day?"

“Regardless of gender, once undressed, you’re just a lump of flesh to me. I’ve long since suppressed my desires and have no worldly pursuits, so you don’t need to care so much. You can treat me as a fellow man; there’s no need to be reserved,” Li Baiyu said calmly.

"That may be true, but I am not as open-minded as Elder Li. I have kept myself pure for many years, and suddenly being seen naked by a member of the opposite sex makes me feel a little uncomfortable." Su Nian shook his head and sighed helplessly.

Li Baiyu pondered for a moment and said, "You want me to take responsibility?"

"No, no, I was just joking." Su Nian smiled indifferently.

He sat down and began to eat his snacks.

Li Baiyu looked at him and asked again, "What were you doing just now?"

While eating snacks, Su Nian said, "I had nothing to do, so I went out for a stroll."

“Now that all forces in Holy Fire City have gathered, and Quanxiu is at the bottom of the nine major sects, there are countless sects that want to replace us and squeeze into the ranks of the nine major sects. As the number one genius of Quanxiu, you have attracted much attention as soon as you entered the city. You don’t think that… if you wear a mask, those eyes won’t recognize you, do you?” Li Baiyu stared intently at Su Nian and said seriously.

Su Nian smiled indifferently, holding a piece of mung bean cake in her hand and shaking it, saying, "First of all, I can't afford to be the first genius. It should be Ye Hua now. Secondly, Elder Li, the purpose of this mask is to tell someone who I'm going to see."

Li Baiyu frowned. "You did this on purpose? Who are you trying to protect yourself from?"

"Whoever pretends to be dead after discovering I'm not there is the one."

Li Baiyu thought for a moment.

When they entered the inn, the elder instructed the innkeeper to prepare some snacks, which would be delivered to each of them after they checked in. If Su Nian's door remained unreachable, it would certainly attract attention.

"Did you deliberately let the waiter find out you weren't in the room? So that someone could investigate what you were doing? Even though you're wearing a mask, your figure is easy to remember. With a little investigation, they can figure out where you went. This way, you can divert their attention elsewhere?" Li Baiyu guessed.

Yes, but not entirely.

"That is...?"

"Don't rush, Elder Li. The bait has only just been cast out, and we haven't even reeled it in yet. If we alert the snake now, it will be a loss."

Li Baiyu remained silent for a long time.

If Su Nian said that, it means there are people in the inn who are keeping a close eye on him.

At this time, the inn was a mixed bag, with people from Quanxiu and Siji Sect as well as several other sects. Li Baiyu found it difficult to determine who Su Nian was wary of.

"Oh, right." Li Bingyu suddenly remembered something.

"Just now, Senior Sister Hong and I received a letter. The Grand Elder of the Holy Radiance Sect invited us to a banquet."

"A shared dinner? When do we leave? Now?" Su Nian raised an eyebrow.

Li Baiyu nodded. "Yes, besides us, the two elders leading the Four Seasons Sect also received the letter. We are about to set off immediately and may be back later. I have also discussed the matter of leading the team with Xu Xinrou. With the two of you here, I feel much more at ease."

“Ah, this…” Su Nian scratched her head.

The gathering of top-level combatants—isn't this happening a bit too fast?

If the enemy attacks now and doesn't give them any chance to breathe, wouldn't the elders be in great danger?

Su Nian stroked her chin and pondered for a long time.

If this gathering is just an ordinary meeting, that's fine. But if the other side has already decided to take action, then Holy Fire City might become a living hell...

"What did the Grand Elder say?"

Li Baiyu said, "She had some doubts about the authenticity of this banquet, so she first went to visit the two elders of the Four Seasons Sect."

"Is that so..."

Su Nian was deep in thought.

Since the man in black could secretly control the Third Elder of the Seven Star Sect, controlling all the sect elders who came to Holy Fire City would naturally be no problem for him as well.

As the Grand Elder of Quanxiu, Hong Jiuquan possesses considerable combat strength. Currently, there are few people in the entire Holy Fire City who can rival her. The two elders of the Four Seasons Sect are among them, followed by several high-ranking elders of the Holy Radiance Sect.

If even the two elders of the Four Seasons Sect have their minds controlled, then this trip must be a trap. If they are not controlled, then even if it is a trap, they will have the ability to escape.

“It’s right to go and verify whether the two elders of the Four Seasons Sect are under control first. But even if half of the people who go are not under control, or even in the worst-case scenario, if only the four of you are not under control, wouldn’t it still be very dangerous?” Su Nian muttered to herself.

Upon hearing Su Nian's words, Li Baiyu said, "Senior Sister Hong and I have also thought of this. There is still a considerable amount of time before nightfall, so we plan to visit the elders of each sect one by one to confirm everything before setting off."

“But…” Su Nian frowned, “That thief’s puppetry skills are extremely sophisticated. Even if you meet him, how can you tell whether he has been controlled?”

No sooner had Su Nian finished speaking than a loud shout rang out.

"Buried on the other side!"

With a loud bang, a window in one of the guest rooms shattered. They went to the window and looked outside, where they saw a man and a woman standing on a flying sword. The male elder angrily said to Hong Jiuquan, "Elder Hong! We have no grudge against each other! Why did you suddenly attack me?"

Hong Jiuquan sheathed his sword and said calmly, "I'm sorry, but I have my reasons for doing this. I'll explain it to you later."

Su Nian's lips twitched slightly, speechless.

Should I just give you a sword right away when we meet?

This is one possible solution.

Although the controlled person's cultivation level remains, their body will become stiff and their combat power will be greatly reduced. If such a sword is thrust at them, as long as they are not controlled, they should be able to block it.

"Now you understand Senior Sister Hong's method, right?" Li Baiyu said.

"I understand, I understand..."