The Northern Song Dynasty returned south, seeking the truth of the Dao.

After seeing Ao Shuang off, Wang Zhenhuan closed the door. He sat alone at the table, unable to calm down for a long time. The shock Ao Shuang had brought him tonight was no less than the day he met Daoist Xuan Yangzi.

First, he learned a great deal about the three branches of Taoism. He also understood why Xuan Yangzi was willing to pay such a high price, even sacrificing his life, to protect this true scripture.

It turned out that the Taiqing Sect had long since fallen into ruin, and this true scripture was their last hope. Wang Huanzhen suddenly felt a heavy weight on his shoulders; nothing in the world was heavier than being someone else's hope.

After realizing the heavy responsibility he bore, Wang Zhen's excited heart calmed down considerably. Indeed, just as Ao Shuang had said before, only what is in one's hands is truly an opportunity.

Before leaving, Master Luo Puzi had given him some advice: "Think thrice before you act. Tonight's events may seem like a tremendous opportunity, but you must carefully consider the pros and cons before making a decision."

Wang Huanzhen got up, opened the window, and let the cold winter wind howl into the room. Although the biting wind was icy, it completely calmed him down.

He closed his eyes, recalling the events of the night. The events of the night could be divided into two phases. The first phase was when the female ghost named Chen Ruoruo came to him seeking help.

She claimed that she learned Wang Zhenhuan's identity from the waiter. This corresponds to the earlier encounter where she saw the waiter faint outside the door. Therefore, it shouldn't be a lie.

Chen Ruoruo's purpose in asking Wang Zhenhuan for help was to find the tortoise treasure hidden by the Chen family patriarch. According to her, this tortoise treasure was very important to Ao Shuang, as it was related to whether he could cultivate in the future.

However, when Ao Shuang arrived later, he didn't mention the tortoise treasure at all. Moreover, Chen Ruoruo was overjoyed to see him. This suggests that Ao Shuang has very likely already obtained the tortoise treasure.

As Wang Zhenhuan recalled the details he hadn't paid attention to at the time, he analyzed them in his mind. A person's speech, appearance, and even temperament can be faked, but details are very difficult to fake.

When Chen Ruoruo saw Ao Shuang, the love in her eyes was undisguised, and Ao Shuang did not refuse her hand-holding. From this, it seems that Chen Ruoruo was lying when she said she had never met Ao Shuang before.

The two clearly knew each other long ago, or at least had met before. Otherwise, Ao Shuang wouldn't have gone to the trouble of preserving Chen Ruoruo's soul after her death.

Thinking even deeper, was Ao Shuang's contact with this Miss Chen intentional? Was her purpose to retrieve her tortoise treasure? If that were indeed the case.

Ao Shuang was definitely not the carefree and generous person he had just portrayed. However, looking at it another way, the abbot of Puji Temple had come to perform the Buddhist rituals, and the local people had all witnessed it.

This cannot be faked. In other words, Ao Shuang did not obtain the tortoise treasure before the abbot of Puji Temple arrived. In fact, Chen Ruoruo's soul was only able to enter the Chen family long after the abbot had finished the ritual.

This means that Ao Shuang only obtained the tortoise treasure. In other words, even if Ao Shuang has cultivation, her strength shouldn't be very high. Otherwise, according to Chen Ruoruo, the abbot of Puji Temple came to the Chen family to set up a protective formation, preventing her from entering the Chen residence.

It's understandable that a recently deceased soul like her wouldn't be able to enter the Chen residence, which is protected by an array. However, Ao Shuang is a powerful demon in human form; if even he can't get in, there are only two possibilities.

One possibility is that it's the abbot of Puji Temple, who possesses great magical power. The other possibility is, as Wang Zhenhuan previously guessed, that Ao Shuang's strength is not strong. Therefore, they could only retrieve their tortoise treasure after the formation disappeared.

Verifying this matter is quite simple. Just go to Puji Temple tomorrow and consult the abbot; the answer will be clear then. If the abbot possesses great spiritual power...

This indicates that Ao Shuang's strength is not great, so it's reasonable for him to seek cooperation with Wang Huanzhen in exploring the cave. If the abbot's cultivation level is only average, then Ao Shuang would be in serious trouble.

Knowing full well that Wang Zhenhuan's strength was not high, he still concealed his own abilities to seek his help. There's only one possibility: he wanted Wang Zhenhuan to die so he could break the restrictions on the cave.

As the saying goes, you can know a person's face but not their heart; you can draw a tiger's skin but not its bones. His life and fortune were at stake, so he couldn't afford to be careless. Confirming Ao Shuang's cultivation level was only one factor; the second was the matter of this immortal's cave.

To be fair, did the King of the Cave really want to go? Yes! I believe no cultivator would pass up such an opportunity. Only immortals leave behind their caves after ascending to heaven.

Cave dwellings are not tombs. Most cave dwellings are places where immortals cultivated before their ascension to heaven. The things left behind in these places are things that the ascended immortals wanted to leave to the world, or things they could not take with them.

Therefore, it is highly likely that this contains the immortal's cultivation methods, various spells, and magical artifacts used in their lifetime. Any one of these items would be priceless treasures for a cultivator.

Wang Zhenhuan pondered the matter again and again, but still couldn't make a decision. He wanted to go to the cave, but he was afraid it was a trap. Ao Shuang's cultivation level was unknown, and they were just strangers who had met by chance. It was hard for him to trust her.

Moreover, the name Ao Shuang reminded Wang Zhen of some things. It seems that the surname Ao is exclusive to the dragon race in the sea, and the four dragon kings and their descendants all have this surname. If that's the case, then Ao Shuang may very well have a trace of dragon blood.

No wonder, although his true form is a tortoise, after transforming, he is incredibly handsome, making it impossible to discern his true identity. There are rumors that dragons are arrogant and look down on humans.

Whether Ao Shuang is an exception is unknown, but the Dragon Clan values ​​promises above all else. If he truly possesses Dragon blood, and his cultivation level is confirmed, a vow can be made with him before descending into the cave.

Wang Zhenhuan tried his best to consider everything carefully, leaving no detail overlooked. He understood that this was his first opportunity since entering the Dao, and he didn't want to miss it.

So tomorrow, he plans to go to Puji Temple to confirm the abbot's strength. If, as he suspects, the abbot's strength is not high, then Ao Shuang's strength shouldn't be much higher either.

If a conflict were to break out, he would be confident that he could escape unscathed. As Sun Tzu's Art of War states: "A general should consider defeat before victory, and thus he will never be defeated in a hundred battles."

Only by planning an escape route in advance can one avoid panicking and making hasty decisions in case of emergencies. By the time he had figured these things out, it was already dawn. The sleeping town of Xiayi gradually awoke under the morning light.

Wang Huanzhen got up and stood by the window. Looking at the gently flowing Huai River outside, a sense of calm returned to his heart. Sometimes, one needs to be decisive.

Just like the sunrise and sunset, they never linger in the sky...