In the entire immortal palace, not only was Yin Li hiding things from him, the servants and maids were also mostly evasive when speaking to him. If he ever touched on a crucial point, the servants and maids would thus not dare to speak any longer, even at the risk of their life.
Saying that there was nothing hidden in such a situation; even a ghost wouldn't believe it!
But no matter how suspicious he was, Gu Bai could not resist right now. He could only endlessly chat with the servants and maids serving him and do his best to acquire information, as well as think of ways to leave this imperial palace.
Yes, he had to leave as soon as possible. Although Yin Li appeared very compliant toward him, giving him anything he wanted, this person was extremely obstinate when it came to certain matters.
Even if he agreed to give him time to slowly accept everything, he was already very publicly beginning to prepare for the dao companion ceremony.
If they completed the dao companion ceremony, it would probably be difficult for him to leave the immortal palace.
In that world where he once was a yao for the mission, he learnt from his yao inherited knowledge that the dao companion ceremony for this immortal world was completely different from that of the cultivation world; once they became dao companions, they would be tied by a fated marriage for all their lives and could not separate in any life or world!
He definitely would not accept something like this. Also, he currently did not know what was going on with Ye Cang.
Harbouring such anxious feelings, Gu Bai would chat with the servants and maids every day while throwing many curveballs. After half a month, he had finally made a bit of progress.
These servants and maids' lips truly were sealed, but it wasn't like there weren't any gaps. Under unrelenting efforts of polite civilities, he could always figure out a few clues.
That is, though Yin Baigu did not have many friends in the heavenly palace, he was often close to the immortal world's Feng Siming and Yaoji Fairy, and even made friends.
This Feng Siming was the white-dressed man who had stood next to Yin Li when he woke up, and was the leader of the immortal realm's phoenix clan. The nirvana method Yin Baigu had used was provided by him.
Gu Bai also believed that Yin Baigu and this Feng Siming were once friends.
This was because ever since he came to the immortal realm, aside from the servants, maids, and Yin Li, the one he saw most often was this Feng Siming. The other was not talkative, but would occasionally take the initiative to drink with him, play chess, or whatnot, his attitude very familiar and gentle.
As for the other Yaoji Fairy, whose real name was Lu Yaoji, she had a very large influence and was the daughter of the previous emperor, as well as a junior disciple of the same teacher. She got acquainted with him in the lower realm.
However, according to what the servants and maids had said, Lu Yaoji had a quiet and cold character, and had not stepped out of her palace for thousands of years, living in deep seclusion. He had not met her yet and was not too clear about this.
Lu Yaoji who was in seclusion could not be visited at the moment, so Gu Bai could only focus on Feng Siming.
However, compared to the servants and maids, this Feng Siming was even more tight-lipped and could simply be described as someone whom not even oil or salt could enter. Even his expression did not change much, and he replied with a respectful expression from beginning to end.
"There is no need for Your Immortal Lordship to cling to your past memories. As a person, one must always look forward&#k2026;"
There was no need to cling to the past? If there was nothing, what would it matter if he spoke a little of the past?
Gu Bai continued to speak with a smile. "Though people should look toward the future, since my past memories were so beautiful, losing them is too much of a pity. Feng Siming, is there truly no way to restore my memories?"
"The nirvana method and the Phoenix sect's inheritance. Once they're used, the past will be washed away and cannot be restored. From the past to present, there was never an exception…"
Feng Siming still replied gently and respectfully.
"Fine, since it's like this, then forget it… Oh right, Feng Siming, I was chatting with the maids and servants a few days ago and heard that I used to often drink and talk with you. It seems that our relationship should be very good, so why is it that ever since I've returned to the immortal world, you've been rather estranged from me?"
Gu Bai's eyes were boring holes at Feng Siming, a faint smile on his lips.
This time, Feng Siming did not reply immediately. A small, cracked expression finally appeared on his face, and his gaze towards Gu Bai flickered for a moment.
But very soon, he restored his stubborn and gentle appearance.
"Your Immortal Lordship has an honourable identity. This small immortal dares not call Your Immortal Lordship a friend, and has only occasionally played chess and passed the time with Your Immortal Lordship…"
Since his words only reached this point, it would still lead to the same conclusion no matter how much further he probed, so Gu Bai no longer questioned him and smiled as he saw him off.
So what if his lips were sealed? In the end, he still exposed a flaw. It appeared that this issue of whether Feng Siming had been friends with Yin Baigu or not really was worth contemplation.
Now that he had gotten a breakthrough from Feng Siming, there was finally only the clue of Lu Yaoji left.
The dao companion ceremony was near at hand, and there was no more time for Gu Bai to consider and plan. Since he could only get the last breakthrough from Lu Yaoji, he had to find a way to see her no matter what.
The dao companion ceremony of the immortal world's king was extremely grand. Even if there were immortal servants arranging the matters, Yin Li, as the leading role of the ceremony, was also very busy, so Gu Bai soon found a chance to slip away.
Lu Yaoji's immortal palance wasn't hard to find. Even if the other was usually in seclusion and had not shown her face in front of everyone for several thousand years, as the previous king's daughter, her identity was respectable, and the palace she resided in was naturally the most magnificent aside from the king's.
Gu Bai soon found it, but it was different from the palace he had imagined.
The palace Lu Yaoji lived in might be impressive, but it was when he sneaked in that he realised that not only was there not a single serving maid inside, the entire courtyard was overgrown with weeds breaking out everywhere, looking exactly like a place that had been abandoned for a long time.
Even if she was just cultivating in seclusion, as the daughter of the grand past king, her palace shouldn't be this neglected, right?
Gu Bai sharply sensed a trace of abnormality and began to survey the entire immortal palace, and then he finally discovered movement in one of the palaces.
The palace at the center of the entire immortal palace was sealed off by a shroud of white light that was so impenetrable that even the weeds outside could not reach inside, isolating it from the world.
And at that palace, a beautiful woman dressed in an elegant maid dress was sitting at the doorstep of the palace's entrance. Though her body was clean, her hair was a mess and her expression was hard to describe. She would laugh from time to time, then sob, as if she was insane.
"Who's there?!"
Suddenly, the palace maid dressed woman sensed Gu Bai's presence and sharply lifted her head to look in his direction.
Gu Bai did not hide and openly walked over. Looking at this woman's appearance, perhaps she was sealed within the shroud of light and could not come out, so there was no need for him to fear.
The senses of immortal cultivators were all extremely sharp, let alone these people who had already ascended to immortality. The palace maid dressed woman instantly locked her gaze on Gu Bai the moment he walked out.
Instantly, when she saw Gu Bai's appearance, her pupils shrank and her stern gaze turned alarmed. She staggeringly crawled to the edge of the light shroud, shouting while exposing an appearance of having lost her sanity.
"Yin Baigu!"
Hearing the palace maid dressed woman's voice, Gu Bai's pupils shrank as well, his breath stuttering.
It had to be known that even though everyone treated him as Yin Baigu, he had been in his spirit state when he returned to the immortal world, so his appearance was Gu Bai's.
If he did not explain, those who met him for the first time would not recognise him. However, this woman unexpectedly recognised him at first glance and even reacted this strongly…
Gu Bai did not speak for a time. Instead, it was the palace maid dressed woman who was extremely stirred up. After briefly losing rationality, her state of mind went out of control as she hammered her hands against the light shroud, roaring in resentment.
"It really is you; the aura from that day really was from you! You're actually still alive! If you wanted to die, why couldn't you have died more thoroughly? Why did you have to come back? How could it be, how could you still be alive…"
When she reached this point, the palace maid dressed woman began crying again, releasing a weeping howl as if she was unwilling to accept reality.
Gu Bai watched her seemingly crazed expression, but wasn't mad at her cursing him. On the contrary, a burst of delight appeared in his heart when he heard her words.
After staying in this immortal world for so long, he had finally made a breakthrough. Looking at this woman's insane behaviour, it appeared easier to handle compared to Feng Siming's tight-lipped behaviour.
His thoughts turning, Gu Bai smiled lightly while gazing at her. "Why can't I return…"
It was just a small smile, yet the palace maid dressed woman was unable to control her provoked mood. Her eyes stared fixedly on Gu Bai as she continued howling crazily.
"Yin Baigu, you're a scourge who should die! You're just a human puppet, a puppet who obeys orders! What are you worth?! I am the daughter of the king, the daughter of the magnificent immortal world king. He actually treated me like this because of you, why…"
The palace maid dressed woman yelled with all her might, her eyes frantic and loathing. If it wasn't for the light shroud barrier, Gu Bai did not doubt that this woman would pounce over and tear him to shreds.
Gu bai stared blankly at the crazed woman before him, and the smile on his lips grew.
Ignoring the woman's craziness, he approached the light shroud and resumed talking.
"So what if I'm a puppet? In the end, I still lived and returned. Oh, right, let me tell you one more thing. In a few more days, he'll be performing the dao companion ceremony with me…"
"Dao companion ceremony… No, no!"
The palace maid dressed woman shook her head in disbelief, her eyes so large that visible veins could be seen. She pounded against the light shroud with all her might, wailing desperately.
"How could you perform the dao companion ceremony?! Yin Baigu, are you mad? You actually want to become dao companions with him! You're taking revenge against me; you're doing this on purpose, right?!"
"That's right, I'm taking revenge against you…" Gu Bai smiled with narrowed eyes.
"No…"
The palace maid dressed woman's eyes reddened further when she heard this, and the hatred in her eyes could no longer increase. She bared her teeth, an intense animosity shown on her crazed face. However, it soon turned into loud laughter.
"Hahaha, Yin Baigu, you idiot, even if three thousand years have passed, you're still this idiotic! Could you have forgotten Ye Cang? Didn't you love him so much? Love him so much that you used your life to curse me? Now, you've actually used this method to retaliate against me, yet you want to be together with Yin Li? Do you know what Ye Cang did for you the year you died? Hahaha, you don't know, you don't know…"
"What don't I know?"
"Hahaha, I won't tell you. I'm guessing that Yin Li definitely won't tell you either. He's waited for this moment for so long, so how could he dare tell you? Yin Baigu, I will watch you, watch as you suffer more than me, hahahaha…"
The palace maid dressed woman was laughing eccentrically, as if her hatred just now had disappeared in an instant, and there was only delight, a twisted sort of delight.
Just as the palace maid dressed woman was laughing heartily, Gu Bai suddenly felt a burst of powerful aura approaching. A golden ray of light fell on the woman and threw her into the wall so heavily she threw up blood.
When Gu Bai came back to his senses, he saw Yin Li with his golden brocade robes and a jade crown already appearing before him, glaring at the palace-dressed woman in the light shroud with an ugly expression.
When that woman saw Yin Li appear, a frightened expression appeared on her face, but it soon turned into a crazed one as she continued to roar in laughter.
"Why, are you angry? Hahaha, come kill me, kill me, ah! But, Yin Li, don't forget that if you kill me, he shouldn't think about living! But don't worry, I didn't tell him anything at all. Right now, I want to see you guys perform the dao companion ceremony. I am not happy in this life, but he will suffer for every world and all his lives. How could I want to ruin this? Hahaha…"
"Shut up!"
Yin Li's expression was already ugly to the extreme, the veins on his forehead pulsing as he could not help but throw another slap at the woman inside the light shroud before swiftly grabbing Gu Bai and leaving.
His martial strength wasn't enough, so Gu Bai did not resist, allowing Yin Li to take him away. He only listened to the carefree and resentful laughter from behind him, and the smile at the edges of his lips grew.