Chapter 96 Testing the Waters

Pleasing words are universally welcomed, so Li Zisheng naturally offered a round of direct flattery regarding Yanhong’s proud White Tiger Hall. After all, this place was Yanhong’s painstaking creation, holding immense importance to her. Hearing such praise brought a faint flutter of pleasure to her heart.

"I never imagined Young Master Li would hold such a high opinion of our Triple Flavor Residence. This humble one is quite flattered."

Acting the picture of shyness, Yanhong instinctively leaned back slightly, covering her smile with her sleeve.

Beneath the surface, Li Zisheng knew well that Yanhong was no simple character. As the saying goes, people do not visit the Hall of Three Treasures without a purpose. If she could be so easily swayed by a few flattering remarks—even with his connections—she certainly wouldn't act like a normal master of a hall. Every gesture of hers betrayed a ruthless and merciless nature. Since he was no longer a greenhorn entering the world for the first time, Li Zisheng kept a cold, unimpressed gaze, refusing to be carried away by excitement.

"Hall Master is too modest. To build such a magnificent structure, you must have poured a tremendous amount of effort into it. You are truly an extraordinary woman, and I am deeply impressed."

"Ah, an extraordinary woman? I am merely a chess piece manipulated by others. After struggling for years, I only realized I had merely stepped out of a small cage and into a larger one, with no hope of ever escaping. Unlike Young Master Li, who despite your youth has already been appointed as the Inspectorate Envoy of the twenty-two prefectures east of the pass, you are truly the envy of everyone."

There was not a trace of pretense in the envy shining within Yanhong's eyes; the yearning revealed in her gaze laid bare her true thoughts, which were undoubtedly sincere.

"I am well aware of what the Hall Master desires in her heart."

"Oh? I wonder how Young Master Li could possibly know what is on this humble one's mind?"

Yanhong looked at Li Zisheng with a renewed sense of interest.

"Hall Master simply wishes to see the sun."

"Young Master Li is truly as sharp as ice and clever as snow. I wonder how you managed to divine my innermost thoughts?"

"When one stays in the dark for too long, an intense yearning for the light takes root. It is a mere intuition. Hall Master Yanhong, you will surely become a person of great consequence in the future."

This could be considered the highest praise Li Zisheng could bestow upon Yanhong.

Li Zisheng understood that those dwelling in the underworld harbored an almost desperate longing to witness the light.

The obsession with light among those living in perpetual gloom bordered on madness. Although Yanhong's face was caked in thick layers of rouge, preventing Li Zisheng from seeing her features clearly, he did not even need to guess that her true complexion must be deathly pale. Ordinary cosmetics could never conceal the sickly pallor born from a long-term existence in subterranean darkness.

This was precisely why he had deduced her profound yearning for the surface world. From the very first moment he met her, he had accurately guessed what her true desires were.

A heavy, oppressive fragrance of rouge always clung to Yanhong. The reason likely stemmed from her bitter resentment toward being trapped indefinitely in the subterranean underworld—vast and earth-shattering though this underground realm might be. Yet, one thing was certain: prolonged habitation in such a place warped a person's psyche drastically. Judging from Ling'er's words, Yanhong's psychological state was already close to perverted. The brutal torment and torture of those who fell under the punishments of the Triple Flavor Residence, such as skinning and tendon-pulling, were practically everyday occurrences for her.

Therefore, when Li Zisheng finished speaking, Yanhong wore a look of utter shock. It was as if something she had desperately tried to conceal was suddenly dragged out into the open for public discussion, souring her expression considerably. Yet, she refrained from flying into a rage.

"Young Master Li, why would you make such a definitive assertion?"

"Intuition, Hall Master. You are waiting for an opportunity—an opportunity to leave this place. I can sense that you have no desire to remain here any longer."

"Young Master Li is truly a dragon among men. Your insight into the human heart commands my admiration. I wonder if Young Master Li might be able to provide such an opportunity?"

As soon as the question left her mouth, Yanhong felt a brief pang of surprise, wondering why the words had slipped out so impulsively. But since she had already asked, there was no turning back.

She stared straight into Li Zisheng's eyes, awaiting his response.

Li Zisheng had not anticipated such a question from her.

"Hall Master, have you ever heard of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?"

Driven by some inexplicable impulse, Li Zisheng posed a question that struck even himself as rather peculiar.

A look of nervous tension crossed Yanhong's face as she stared at him.

"Young Master Li is remarkably well-traveled to even know of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. However, I fail to see how the pavilion you speak of could assist me in leaving the White Tiger Hall. After all, this humble one is merely a delicate woman unsuited for high society, and the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is far beyond my reach. Still, should Young Master Li be willing to offer an introduction, I am not so narrow-minded as to refuse a way forward."

"This time around, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has mobilized a considerable force for the reigning Emperor's sacrificial ceremony and imperial ascension."

Li Zisheng left his words hanging. He knew very little about the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion, but from Yanhong's phrasing, it was clear she possessed some knowledge of it. He could not afford to pass up any opportunity to learn more about this organization. While he had gained a certain understanding of the Triple Flavor Residence and other factions, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion remained an absolute blank slate to him. Among all the powers he was aware of, it was arguably the most mysterious and far-reaching influence of all.

Hearing this, Yanhong remained unsure of what Li Zisheng was trying to convey, suspecting only that he must be privy to the pavilion's schemes on this excursion.

"Young Master Li, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is the most mysterious faction across the Great Tang and the entire realm of mankind. How could mortal beings like us possibly comprehend the depths of their plots and plans?"

Li Zisheng easily detected the probing tone in her words; she still harbored doubts about his knowledge regarding the pavilion.

In Yanhong's eyes, even though he was a relative of Elder Zhang, he surely wouldn't have access to the internal secrets of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion—secrets accessible only to figures of Elder Zhang's caliber. Thus, every word she uttered served as a test.

"This time, the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has dispatched a figure of great virtue and prestige to Ling Prefecture."

Li Zisheng dropped a single piece of hard information he possessed, keeping the rest unsaid.

"What? The Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has sent someone to Ling Prefecture?"

This time, Yanhong was genuinely shaken. For her, and indeed for the Triple Flavor Residence, this was monumental news.