Chapter 103: The Two Old Men

Wang Ai’s subtle private gestures were, of course, unknown to Ye Yan.

Meanwhile, under the guidance of Xiao Yuzi, Ye Yan was making his way toward the Old Celestial Master.

Before they even approached the reception room, the Old Celestial Master’s hearty laughter could already be heard through the closed door... it sounded quite cheerful.

Xiao Yuzi stood by the door, gently knocking on the sealed entrance before calling inside, “Master Zhiwei, I have brought Mr. Ye to see you.”

“Then come in.”

“Understood, Master.”

After the Old Celestial Master responded, Xiao Yuzi stepped aside and gestured politely to Ye Yan, “Mr. Ye, please.”

“Thank you.”

Ye Yan harbored a favorable impression of this polite and reserved little Taoist, smiling as he pushed open the door that had been slightly ajar and stepped inside.

Upon entering, Ye Yan saw two elderly men of about sixty seated in the main chairs of the reception room, leisurely chatting over tea and playing chess. The atmosphere was warm and congenial.

As Ye Yan entered, the Old Celestial Master stood up cheerfully and strode over to greet him.

“Come, come, young friend Ye, let me introduce you. This is Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts, a wizard and ranked third on the global spiritual energy list.”

“Headmaster Dumbledore, let me introduce you to Ye Yan, a rising star in our supernatural circle, a Night Watchman.”

The Old Celestial Master introduced them to each other. Ye Yan surveyed the elderly man with graying hair before politely nodding.

“Greetings, Headmaster Dumbledore.”

“Hello, young friend Ye.”

Though Dumbledore was a foreigner, his Mandarin was fluent, albeit with a slight accent.

But it did not impede communication.

As Ye Yan observed him, Dumbledore also studied Ye Yan for a long moment before he sighed thoughtfully, his gaze tinged with puzzlement.

“Old Celestial Master, although young friend Ye appears promising, the qi within him is not as refined as I imagined.”

Though Dumbledore was a wizard, he was a friend of the Old Celestial Master and was somewhat familiar with matters in the supernatural realm, including qi.

The qi in Ye Yan’s body was loose, like a clear spring.

In terms of qi refinement, even on Mount Longhu, there were many more refined practitioners than Ye Yan, let alone when compared to the boundless depths of the Old Celestial Master.

For a moment, Dumbledore could not discern what merit Ye Yan possessed to earn the Old Celestial Master’s high praise.

Hence his confusion.

The Old Celestial Master took a sip of tea and laughed heartily, “Old D, you must not underestimate young friend Ye. If you judge him solely by the refinement of his qi, you will be gravely mistaken.”

“Your wizardry also categorizes and differentiates styles, yes? This young friend is a Night Watchman passed down through ancient methods. He has profound attainments in wizardry, soul arts, and especially spirit control, which even astonishes me greatly.”

The Old Celestial Master’s unexpected compliment caught Ye Yan off guard.

Ye Yan smiled and cupped his hands in respect, “Master, you flatter me. Everyone knows you are the strongest of our time.”

“Ha ha, you rogue.”

The Old Celestial Master was thoroughly pleased by Ye Yan’s flattery. He smoothed his sleeves and pulled Ye Yan over to the chessboard. “Come, come, young friend Ye, don’t just stand there. Sit here and keep us old geezers company with a game of chess…”

Ye Yan was led to sit beside the two top-tier masters and earnestly observed their back-and-forth on the chessboard.

Suddenly, after placing a piece, Dumbledore reached out to move it back to its original position, muttering in his peculiar Mandarin, “No, I can’t make this move. If I do, your horse will be captured by my cannon.”

Hearing this, the Old Celestial Master’s eyes widened suddenly. He instinctively reached to hold Dumbledore’s hand and said with an expression of disbelief, “Old D, you can’t handle losing, huh? Now you’re taking back your move?”

“I’m not!”

“What do you mean you’re not? I saw it with my own eyes.”

“I just made a mistake.”

“That’s just taking back your move! Old D, what are you trying to deny?”

“I didn’t, stop talking nonsense.”

“...”

Watching the two old men argue fiercely over a game of chess, Ye Yan felt utterly speechless.

The Old Celestial Master, ranked first on the spiritual energy list.

Dumbledore, ranked third.

Both formidable masters.

It was hard to imagine such distinguished figures bickering like children over a mere game, and no one would believe it if told—they lost all their aura of strength.

Most absurdly, as they argued, a faint golden glow appeared in the Old Celestial Master’s hand, while Dumbledore quietly drew his wand from behind his back.

They were putting on a live demonstration of what it meant to be “plastic brothers” in old age—brothers one moment, ready to fight the next.

“Master Celestial, Headmaster Dumbledore, please calm down. Put away your powers first; we can talk things through... It wouldn’t be good to ruin the flowers and plants.”

Ye Yan, feeling overwhelmed, hurriedly stepped in to mediate. If these two started fighting here, the Celestial Master’s residence might well be leveled.

That would be disastrous.

With Ye Yan standing between them, their tempers gradually cooled.

Each withdrew their powers, pouting stubbornly like children.

Ye Yan rubbed his face helplessly. Seizing the opportunity to defuse the tension, he changed the subject.

“Master Celestial, you summoned me here so suddenly—is there something you wanted to discuss?”

Ye Yan couldn’t fathom the Old Celestial Master’s intentions.

But he suspected that at this critical juncture, it might be related to a full-scale campaign.

Other than that, nothing else seemed likely.

“Oh, it’s nothing much. You’ve been searching for a method to produce absolute darkness, right? Since Old Dumbledore is here, I thought I’d introduce you two. His wizardry is profound; perhaps he can inspire you.”

“I see.”

Ye Yan nodded, noting the two great beings’ expressions had calmed, understanding the matter was settled for now.

“Young friend Ye, you’re pursuing a method to create absolute darkness?”

Dumbledore’s curiosity was piqued by the Old Celestial Master and Ye Yan’s conversation and asked.

“Yes.”

“What do you intend to do with such a method?”

“To perfect a legacy technique of our Night Watchman lineage. Progress has been slow because we cannot yet produce true absolute darkness.”

Ye Yan gave a rough explanation but concealed parts involving the ascent to mastery.

After all, working in isolation is not the only path; pooling wisdom is also a good approach.