We continued our unhurried pace. Before long, Long Yue, leading a few escorts, hurried towards us. We met about fifty meters from the ancient sacrificial altar.
Long Yue clearly recognized Lin Xi’s face (easily found on Shabiya’s official website; she was a Spirit Guide, after all). She clasped her hands and said, "Captain Lin, hearing of you is not as good as meeting you. You are indeed heroic and spirited."
After speaking, Long Yue turned to Whale God and clasped her hands again, "I, the minor demon Long Yue, pay respects to Elder Whale God."
In one sentence, she used "参" twice, but with different pronunciations. The first, "cān" (like in ginseng), indicated her identity and humble demeanor, referring to herself as a "minor demon." The second, "cān" (like in "to see" or "to attend"), meant to pay respects, showing deference to the elder Whale God.
Chen Ke, Ya Nan, and I stood behind. Long Yue likely mistook us for Lin Xi’s subordinates and paid us no mind. She merely glanced at the only male face in my team before her gaze returned to Whale God, her expression respectful as she awaited his return courtesy.
However, Whale God ignored her. Instead, he smiled at Xialuo Sha behind Long Yue and said something in Russian.
Xialuo Sha, startled, immediately knelt, babbling in Russian, seemingly begging for mercy. It was likely the Russian equivalent of "forgive my transgressions."
Whale God, indeed possessing a magnanimous spirit, did not blame Xialuo Sha for the sneak attack. He waved his hand, allowing him to rise and stand aside.
It was then that Lin Xi spoke, "Leader Long Yue, we at Shabiya only recently obtained information about you. I didn't expect you to be the big boss of the Mohe group. You've been hiding quite well."
Long Yue lowered her hands and smiled faintly, "Regardless of who the leader of Mohe is, we have always maintained separate spheres, with no direct conflict with your bureau. May I ask the purpose of Captain Lin’s visit?"
"Accompanying Whale God to investigate ancient ruins. Is there a problem?"
"...No problem," Long Yue’s lips twitched slightly. "Then, you may proceed with your investigation. I shall take my leave."
"Aren't you looking for a little ginseng spirit? Go ahead and catch it then," Lin Xi said with a smile.
"The internal affairs of my Shan Hai are not Captain Lin’s concern," Long Yue no longer concealed her intentions. She directly revealed her identity, "It is not the target we are looking for. If Captain Lin is interested, you can catch it and boil it for soup. Farewell—let's go!"
With that, Long Yue led her group, splitting into two paths, bypassing us five.
Judging by her words, she didn't take that little ginseng spirit?
I quickly focused my Qi-Sensing technique on the altar fifty meters away. I found only a seemingly normal red aura. While there were two energies, indicating a demon, its aura was ordinary, more like an average human easily overlooked in a crowd.
After Long Yue’s team had passed, Lin Xi suddenly remarked, "What you're looking for is a reincarnation of Shan Hai, isn't it?"
Long Yue paused but did not turn back, acting as if she hadn't heard. She continued forward.
"I might have some news about a Shan Hai reincarnation that I could share with you," Lin Xi added.
This time, Long Yue finally stopped and turned back to ask, "What?"
"According to our Shabiya spies embedded within 'Chi You,' Shan Hai reincarnated several days ago and is now in Jiangnan. The Miao King and his people are actively searching for the reincarnated Shan Hai. You wouldn't want to fall behind, would you?" Lin Xi said with a smile.
Long Yue turned and took two steps forward, her expression serious as she asked, "Captain Lin, is this information accurate?"
Lin Xi shrugged. "I'm just repeating what I heard. I've never seen Shan Hai myself. Even if it were placed before me, I wouldn't know if it was real or not. Aren't you and the Chi You organization on good terms? Why hasn't the Miao King informed you of such a significant matter?"
Long Yue narrowed her eyes and sneered, "Captain Lin, if you ask me, you're trying to sow discord between me and the Miao King."
"What benefit would it bring me to sow discord between you two? You hunt your demons, we manage ours. We’d be delighted if you could capture all the demons in Yan Xia and refine them into demon cores, saving us the endless worry and effort!"
Although it sounded somewhat cruel, this was likely Lin Xi’s honest sentiment.
Long Yue remained noncommittal, not engaging further.