Outside the cave, Lü Qiao, Hong Rui, and the "Bai Nanny" were gagged and tied up like rice dumplings, discarded unceremoniously on the ground.
When QingWu and Xie Zi Yuan emerged, looking thoroughly "disheveled," they were greeted by the sight of Xiao Chenyuan standing with a thunderous expression. Behind him, the black-armored guards exuded an overwhelming, oppressive aura.
Among the captives were several of Xie Zi Yuan's subordinate officials, restrained and escorted by the black-armored guards. Nearby stood a group of Taoist priests from the Temple of Cloud's Origin, their faces a mosaic of awkwardness and shock. At their forefront was the yellow-robed abbot, his expression twisted between outrage and disbelief. Wu Chen lurked at the back, his smug satisfaction evident as he eagerly awaited the spectacle to unfold.
