North of the Nameless Forest, beside an ordinary mountain stream, two figures sped through the decaying woods. They silently slipped into the nearby creek and dove as fast as they could into the unfathomably deep underground river at its bottom.
They navigated the complex tunnels of the underground river and emerged from a tributary of the Five Divine Rivers on the outskirts of Changwen Prefecture.
The two were none other than Guanmao and the Artifact Cultivator. The moment they climbed out of the river, they changed into the round-collared, narrow-sleeved clothes of a wealthy father and son on an excursion.
"I'm surprised. You and your master are closer than I thought."
Guanmao's words carried a hint of mockery.
The Artifact Cultivator exhaled, glancing back toward the forest. "If we were that close, I would've stayed. I wouldn't have run away by myself."
"Fellow Daoist Dongcan, there's no one else here. Why the pretense?"
"…"
