Qichen Star, Puxu City.
Chen Qingyuan had some recollection of this place and suddenly remembered a friend.
"Pingyan, go to the nearby Qianlan Sacred Land and deliver this letter to someone named Han Shan."
Inside the letter was some content, which Chen Qingyuan handed to Lin Pingyan.
"Master Uncle, what about you?" Lin Pingyan's face showed some concern. "I can't just leave you here alone, I'm not at ease."
"I'll stay here and won't go anywhere. If you're worried, you can set up a few barriers," Chen Qingyuan replied.
"Is this letter really that important?" Lin Pingyan asked.
"As long as we find that familiar person, things will be much easier here, and our chances of finding the Ghost Doctor will be greater," Chen Qingyuan nodded slowly.
"Alright, I'll go quickly and return quickly."
Before leaving, Lin Pingyan sealed Chen Qingyuan inside the stone cart and activated the special protection mechanism.
After Lin Pingyan left, a serious expression appeared on Chen Qingyuan's face. He muttered to himself, "I need to figure out a way to trick little Pingyan back, only then can I take care of the important business."
Up until now, Chen Qingyuan hadn't told anyone about the reshaping of his spiritual root. Only when he became stronger would he be safe from others' covetous eyes, and avoid causing chaos.
"I'll have that little brat Han Shan set up a scheme. I'm sure I can trick Pingyan back."
With that, Chen Qingyuan made up his mind, then relaxed, lying in the cart, closing his eyes and resting, waiting for time to pass.
Several days later, Lin Pingyan returned dressed in white, accompanied by a young man in black clothes. This young man was Han Shan. Upon seeing the letter, he immediately recognized it was written by Chen Qingyuan, as the details inside could not be faked. Therefore, Han Shan set aside everything he was doing and rushed over in a hurry.
"Brother Chen, it's really you!"
Upon seeing Chen Qingyuan, Han Shan was both shocked and overjoyed.
The Tianyuan incident a century ago had caused a huge stir. Even in the Yunhai Star Region, Han Shan had heard about it. When he learned that Chen Qingyuan had died in Tianyuan, he had mourned for a long time.
Upon seeing the letter, Han Shan was completely stunned. It wasn't until Lin Pingyan explained everything that he understood Chen Qingyuan had faked his death and escaped, being incredibly fortunate.
"Old Han, I saved your life back then, now it's time to return the favor."
Chen Qingyuan got straight to the point, not interested in reminiscing with Han Shan.
A hundred years ago, Chen Qingyuan had arrived at a certain place in the Yunhai Star Region and accidentally met Han Shan. They entered a secret realm together to investigate. The secret realm was very dangerous, and Han Shan had nearly lost his life. It was Chen Qingyuan who saved him.
"Return the favor? Of course, I will," Han Shan nodded seriously.
"Come in and talk," Chen Qingyuan gestured towards the stone cart.
In the blink of an eye, the three of them were inside the stone cart, having tea and talking in detail.
To ensure the conversation didn't leak, Lin Pingyan added several layers of protective barriers.
Half an hour later, Han Shan roughly understood the situation.
During the conversation, Chen Qingyuan looked at Han Shan with a deep gaze and spoke earnestly, "Old Han, you are the local powerhouse of Qichen Star, you should be able to find the Ghost Doctor, right?"
"I'll try my best," Han Shan met Chen Qingyuan's gaze, his expression serious.
Through Chen Qingyuan's look, it seemed Han Shan understood something, and the two exchanged a knowing glance.
"As for the whereabouts of the Ghost Doctor, I've heard a little about it. It's said that he is hiding in Puxu City. Many powerful figures have come seeking him, but unfortunately, they have all found nothing."
Han Shan spoke slowly, "You two stay in the city for now. Give me some time to gather information. Once I find any clue, I'll inform you immediately."
"Alright," Chen Qingyuan nodded.
Lin Pingyan stood up and clasped his hands in gratitude, "Thank you, fellow Daoist."
"There's no need for such formalities," Han Shan replied.
Before leaving, Han Shan gave Chen Qingyuan a lingering glance.
After Han Shan had walked a distance, Lin Pingyan's face showed a hint of worry. He quietly asked, "Master Uncle, do you trust him?"
"Don't worry," Chen Qingyuan reassured him. "Old Han and I are life-and-death friends; there won't be any issues."
"That's good then."
It was natural for Lin Pingyan to have such concerns. When traveling outside, one could not trust others too easily, as it could lead to trouble.
Lin Pingyan stored the war chariot into his Qiankun Bag and walked with Chen Qingyuan into Puxu City.
This city was enormous, housing millions of beings, and it was incredibly prosperous.
Finding the Ghost Doctor in such a vast city was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
The two found a safe inn for cultivators to stay at. To ensure Chen Qingyuan's safety, they rented a large private residence, with barriers set up on all sides to prevent anyone from entering.
After resting for a night, Chen Qingyuan decided to take a stroll around the city. "Since we're here, we might as well enjoy ourselves."
"Master Uncle, we should be cautious. It's better not to wander around too much," Lin Pingyan said, his face full of concern.
This place was far from the Xuanqing Sect, and if they ran into any trouble, it could place Chen Qingyuan in a dangerous situation. For safety, it would be best to stay inside the residence and not go out.
"Why are you being so cautious?" Chen Qingyuan chuckled and scolded lightly. "The city is protected by a guard force. In normal circumstances, nothing should go wrong. It's perfectly safe."
"It's better to be safe than sorry. It never hurts to be cautious," Lin Pingyan insisted, not allowing Chen Qingyuan to go out, and directly sealed all the exits.
"You're being unreasonable," Chen Qingyuan muttered. He had originally planned to take a walk and use his special methods to send a message to Han Shan, telling him exactly how to proceed. However, with Lin Pingyan blocking the door, he abandoned the idea.
"Forgive me, Master Uncle, but this is for your safety," Lin Pingyan said, taking on a righteous air.
Seeing this, Chen Qingyuan could only give up and lay down on a soft bed to rest. "Fine, I won't go out."
The dull and uneventful days passed for half a month, and finally, Han Shan arrived.
Han Shan had exchanged communication talismans with Lin Pingyan, so it was easy for them to locate each other.
"Master Uncle, there's news!" Lin Pingyan said, his voice filled with excitement.
"Really?" Chen Qingyuan was slightly taken aback, his face displaying a strange expression, but there was no clear joy on his face.
"Brother Han is currently at East Street. Let's go find him."
With that, Lin Pingyan unlocked the barriers, and using a gentle force, he pulled Chen Qingyuan along. They swiftly made their way to East Street.
East Street—at the entrance of a narrow alley.
Han Shan was standing there, quietly waiting.
"Brother Han," Lin Pingyan appeared with a flash and clasped his hands in salute.
"Brother Lin," Han Shan returned the salute, his gaze flickering toward the alley, and he lowered his voice, "After much investigation, I've ruled out most of the locals and narrowed it down to a few suspicious individuals who've arrived in Puxu City over the past ten years."
"Get to the point," Chen Qingyuan said.
"I have a list of over a dozen suspects, any of whom could be the Ghost Doctor. We'll have to go through them one by one," Han Shan replied seriously.
To be honest, Han Shan had indeed made efforts to investigate the whereabouts of the Ghost Doctor and wasn't lying. However, he was also doing this to ease Lin Pingyan's concerns and prevent him from growing suspicious.
From the previous exchange of glances with Chen Qingyuan, Han Shan had roughly understood his intentions. The idea was to create a fake lead on the Ghost Doctor to deceive Lin Pingyan, though Han Shan didn't fully understand the deeper meaning of this plan—he simply followed Chen Qingyuan's instructions.
The bond of life-and-death between brothers was such that, even after a hundred years, their feelings had not faded.
Chen Qingyuan had multiple plans in mind. Once he had the cover of the Ghost Doctor's treatment, he could publicly claim to have been healed, eliminating any suspicions. This would allow him to reveal his true cultivation without anyone questioning it.
In addition, once Lin Pingyan was sent away, Chen Qingyuan could deal with his own affairs and take the opportunity to focus on his cultivation.
For everything to make sense, one key premise was needed: Lin Pingyan must believe that the Ghost Doctor had truly been found and was willing to treat Chen Qingyuan.
"Let's go, we'll go inside and check it out," Han Shan led the way, with Chen Qingyuan and Lin Pingyan following closely behind.