As they made their way back, the three of them were filled with feelings of resentment and dissatisfaction.


    Their discontent had begun even before their retreat was abruptly interrupted, just when they were on the verge of breaking through the Niwan Pce.


    They had anticipated thatpleting significant tasks would yield substantial rewards. Instead, after being led by Jadiel on an unproductive journey at an altitude of 10,000 meters, they returned without having aplished anything.


    At this moment, Sara had a clearer mindset than the three elders.


    For the past few hours, her thoughts had been racing uncontrobly.<h3 style="background-color:DodgerBlue">


    At one point, she even considered traveling to Jinling herself to discover who had revealed the painting and to issue a distant warning.


    However, this fleeting thought was quickly dismissed. Her cautious nature prevented her from taking such risks.


    The most dangerous act she had evermitted was killing Aasif after he spurned her.


    On that asion, she had taken him by surprise from behind.<fn7b51> Official source is ?ovelFind</fn7b51>


    This time, however, she faced a mysterious individual lurking behind her, making her reluctant to expose herself to their gaze.


    Thus, she resolved to maintain a respectful distance.


    Jadiel temporarily ced the three elders in the secret meeting hall before urgently requesting to see Sara.


    Upon meeting her, he immediately asked, “My lord, you summoned me back in such a hurry—what’s the emergency?”


    Sara’s expression was somber as she replied coldly, “My identity has been exposed.”


    “What?!” Jadiel eximed in shock. “My lord… you haven’t left this ce in twenty years. Who could reveal your identity? Could it be Uncle?!”


    Sara shook her head, saying, “It doesn’t matter whether it was her or not. The crucial point is that this person knows not only my identity but also my teacher, and most importantly, they know my master!”


    “What?!” Jadiel stepped back in disbelief. “Ying Lord… Your master has been gone for over three hundred years! How could anyone in this world know him?!”


    Sara handed him a short video and said coldly, “Take a look for yourself.”


    Jadiel took the phone respectfully, watched the video intently, and gasped, “My lord, is this… the elderly figure in the video really your master?”


    “Yes,” Sara confirmed with a nod. “That is my master, Meng Changsheng (Willie), the painter who has created at least 90% of his works.”


    She continued, “I suspect there’s a high likelihood that this person knew my master even before I did. This painting dates back to the Tang Dynasty. It’s possible that they, or their ancestors, were acquainted with my master during that era.”


    “The Tang Dynasty…” Jadiel murmured, his eyes widening. “Considering the dynasties of Tang, Song, Yuan, and Ming, that spans over a thousand years. If the other person truly knew your master back then, they must be over a thousand years old. If it’s their ancestors who knew your master, it suggests they belong to a hermit family that has endured for millennia…”


    Sara nodded gravely and stated, “Now that this person is aware of my information, I’m not optimistic about any potential oues.”


    She added, “What puzzles me is why they would want to protect An’s family and what actions they might take.”