Old Villa Master Yu Canghai's heartfelt words had been half-true, half-false. Chen Chao was not easily deceived; as the Old Villa Master probed him, he was also probing him back.
When the Old Villa Master finally finished drinking and staggered off, Chen Chao saw him to the courtyard gate, then returned to his room and sat in meditation.
The night passed swiftly, and as dawn broke, a maidservant from the villa came to knock on the door. She was good-looking, though her face showed unease. After all, with the Divine Water Mountain Villa seemingly on the brink of collapse, these servants were uncertain about their future.
The more perceptive, attractive maids had already begun seeking out influential guests in hopes of securing a path forward. The ones with average looks were less fortunate; once the villa ceased to exist, they would have to find another way to survive.
Chen Chao opened the door with a smile. The maidservant quickly concealed her gloomy expression, forcing a smile as she explained that today, the villa would host a welcoming banquet for the guests, as tomorrow was the Immortal Spring Gathering. It would be determined whom the young villa master would be entrusted to.
Many guests had already arrived at the villa. Most who should have come had already arrived, so holding such a banquet was understandable.
Chen Chao shook his head, indicating he did not wish to attend, and asked the maidservant to convey his apologies to the Old Villa Master.
The maid nodded, but after a moment's hesitation, she kindly advised, "Sir, although today is only a welcoming banquet, there will be fine wine brewed with immortal spring water and a small flask of the spring water itself. If you don't attend, you'll miss out on a rare opportunity."
Hearing this, Chen Chao merely shook his head again, smiling as he replied, "I'm feeling unwell, so I won't join the gathering."
Hearing this, the maid said softly, "In that case, allow me to report this to the Villa Master and see if it's possible to bring Sir's share of the immortal spring directly here."
Chen Chao had not expected this maid to be so considerate. After some thought, he nodded and said, "Then I'll have to trouble you. If there's anything difficult at the villa, don't force yourself."
The maid smiled and nodded before turning to leave.
Chen Chao returned to his room and did not step out of the courtyard all day. By dusk, the maid came back, and indeed brought along a small flask of immortal spring water. Chen Chao accepted it with a smile and took out a few skygold coins. The maid quickly waved her hands, saying, "Sir, this servant cannot accept this."
Chen Chao did not mind and just smiled as he said, "It's just a small token of appreciation since I've troubled you a lot."
Unable to refuse, the maid finally accepted the coins. However, she then lowered her voice and said, "If Sir can avoid leaving the courtyard tonight, it would be best to stay inside."
Chen Chao looked at the maidservant and raised an eyebrow.
The maidservant hesitated before saying awkwardly, "I truly don't dare to tell Sir more."
Chen Chao chuckled and replied, "I'll just pretend I didn't hear anything."
The maid nodded and did not stay here any longer, quickly leaving the courtyard.
Chen Chao glanced at the sky which was already turning dark.
Stay in the courtyard?
Most likely, someone would try to make a move on the immortal spring tonight.
As for why that would involve him? Chen Chao could not figure it out for the time being.
Chen Chao clicked his tongue. "That's so unreasonable for you. Since you're the ones committing evil deeds here, where's the revenge in that?"
The white-robed man was about to retort when his gaze shifted to the icy pool nearby. To his shock, the water in the pool suddenly began to dissipate, drying up entirely within moments.
The white-robed man's expression changed dramatically, but before he could speak, a bright light suddenly burst forth from the dense forest in the distance.
Divine Water Mountain Villa's retainer guards rushed forward, surrounding everyone present.
The old villa master, Yu Canghai, arrived in a rush with his people, his expression ugly. The moment his gaze landed on Chen Chao, a strange look flickered across his eyes.
"Fellow Daoists, my Divine Water Mountain Villa has treated you with courtesy. How could you do something like this?!"
The Old Villa Master looked at the group, his face darkening further.
A steward of the villa stepped forward, glancing at the now-dry spring. After a moment, he exclaimed in shock, "Villa Master, the immortal spring was destroyed by them?!"
Hearing these words, the expressions of the Lasting Joy Sect disciples became rather ugly. By this point, even the dumbest among them could grasp the situation.
This was clearly a trap set for them.
Ye Qingyun's expression changed slightly but he quickly called out, "Old Villa Master, don't misunderstand! We followed this thief here and witnessed with our own eyes, it was he who destroyed the villa's immortal spring!"
"Thief, hand over your life!"
As she shouted, Ye Qingyun leaped forward. The sword at her waist unsheathed instantly, thrusting toward Chen Chao in one swift motion.
It all happened in the blink of an eye, leaving almost everyone present no time to react.
In an instant, Ye Qingyun was already in front of Chen Chao. From the very beginning, this Lasting Joy Sect female cultivator had sought to make things difficult for Chen Chao at every turn. To her, Chen Chao's apparent tolerance and lack of resistance made him seem like an easy target.
Her thoughts were simple too: kill Chen Chao with a single sword strike. Even if they were accused of wrongdoing, the blame could conveniently fall on Chen Chao.
After all, the dead could not speak.
The plan seemed flawless.
But reality was rarely so perfect.
Chen Chao shattered the sword in Ye Qingyun's hand with a single palm strike, then grabbed the white-robed woman by the throat with one hand, lifting her into the air. Her face turned red as she struggled, dangling helplessly.
This white-robed woman should have died the previous night.
But dying now did not seem to make much of a difference.
Chen Chao crushed Ye Qingyun's throat, then casually tossed out her dead body. Looking at the group of Lasting Joy Sect cultivators, he asked calmly, "Did you see me destroy the immortal spring with your own eyes?"