Chapter 81

"Then I thank you, Junior Sister." Zhang Yan took the map, glanced over it briefly, then folded it and put it away in his sleeve.

With this map, he wouldn’t be led around by the nose by Zhao Zhen. However, it was only to this extent; the places where the True Man Peng could go might not be accessible to him. Therefore, the greatest use of this map was to provide a reference, preventing him from getting lost.

Qin Nan blushed and said, "Senior Brother is too polite. Last time, Senior Brother helped me, and I haven’t thanked you yet..." Saying this, she exclaimed, "Oh, I still need to return that flying boat to Senior Brother." She reached into her waist pouch to retrieve the flying boat.

However, Zhang Yan raised his hand to stop her, smiling, "Keep the flying boat, Junior Sister. I don’t need it now, and it will make it much more convenient for you to visit my Spirit Page Island in the future."

Qin Nan thought for a moment and nodded vigorously.

The two chatted for a long time. Seeing that it was approaching the hour of the Dog and the sky was gradually darkening, Qin Nan personally led the way, guiding Zhang Yan to the eastern side hall.

The layout of the Shouming Palace was simple, with the main halls arranged along a north-south axis, and the side halls on either side. The terrain was lower in the south and higher in the north, and the tallest building in the entire palace was the Flying Crane Tower, which was the center of the island’s restrictions.

The Sea Eye was located beneath the Flying Crane Tower, and it was only by this tower that the demon lair was suppressed, preventing the demons from causing trouble in the outside world.

Qin Nan accompanied Zhang Yan to the door of the hall before leaving. Without her special instructions, the attendant Daoist nun in the hall wouldn’t dare to offend the guest of the revered master’s favorite disciple, so she hurriedly welcomed him.

Zhang Yan was about to step into the hall when he noticed someone passing by hurriedly. He stopped and called out, "Senior Brother Feng, how have you been?"

The person who arrived was Feng Ming. Since losing the sword duel on Yingluo Island and receiving Elder Xun’s warning, he had been avoiding Zhang Yan. Even at Xiaolang Mountain, he had tried to avoid him. He didn’t expect to run into him again. After a moment of surprise, he awkwardly clasped his hands and said, "It’s Senior Brother Zhang."

Zhang Yan was a generation senior in the sect, but in terms of seniority, he had joined later than Feng Ming. It was appropriate to address each other as senior and junior brothers.

Zhang Yan glanced around and saw that Feng Ming was heading towards the western hall, walking hurriedly, either to meet Fang Zhen or to attend to some important matter. Narrowing his eyes, he had a plan in mind and stepped forward, saying, "Entering the demon lair is extremely dangerous. Senior Brother Feng is an elite of the sect, so you must be very careful."

Feng Ming responded perfunctorily, "Yes, yes, with Senior Brother Fang around, there’s nothing to worry about."

Zhang Yan kept Feng Ming engaged in small talk, intercepting him every time he tried to take his leave. Feng Ming wanted to leave, but Zhang Yan’s friendly demeanor made it hard for him to do so.

At this moment, Zhang Yan caught a glimpse of a figure out of the corner of his eye. He didn’t show any reaction, but raised his voice slightly, "Today’s conversation with Senior Brother was very enjoyable. Let’s have a candlelit talk another day."

Feng Ming was puzzled, thinking, "When did we become such good friends?" But he could only politely respond, "Certainly, certainly."

Zhang Yan smiled slightly and took his leave.

Feng Ming shook his head and turned to leave. However, after just a few steps, a cold voice came from behind, "Junior Brother Feng, you seem quite close to Senior Brother Zhang."

Feng Ming was startled and turned around to see Fang Zhen standing there. He hurriedly said, "We just ran into each other on the road, Senior Brother, please don’t misunderstand."

"Oh, is that so?" Fang Zhen’s face showed a mocking smile as he stepped forward and lightly patted Feng Ming’s shoulder, saying, "Junior Brother Feng, you’re overthinking it. Zhang Yan and the others are doomed. Why should we care about a bunch of people who are about to die?"

Feng Ming was stunned and asked, "What do you mean, Senior Brother?"

Fang Zhen sneered, "Do you really think the demon lair is so easy to enter? Xie Zongyuan and the others only know some fragmented information, and some of it was deliberately spread by me."

Feng Ming looked up in shock at Fang Zhen.

Fang Zhen chuckled, "Are demons easy to deal with? Not to mention the Yin Demons and Xing Demons, there are many True Demons wreaking havoc. If we encounter them, they can easily kill us, who are only at the Bright Qi stage. When Senior Brother Zhuang was cultivating in the demon lair, he set up some restrictions in certain places where we can cultivate safely, but Xie Zongyuan and the others don’t know about it. Junior Brother Feng, as long as you follow me, you will smoothly enter the Xuan Guang stage and perform well in the Three Ponds Battle, earning some merit. In the future, if I establish my own sect, there will definitely be a place for you."

Feng Ming drew a sharp breath, not daring to say anything more, and could only repeatedly agree.

Fang Zhen nodded in satisfaction and then lowered his voice, "This time, I brought the Five Fire Divine Soldier Circle. Even if Zhang Yan and Xie Zongyuan have good luck and aren’t targeted by the demons, I will take the opportunity to settle our scores."

Before leaving, True Man Yan had called him for a detailed briefing, saying that if there was an opportunity, he should consider getting rid of Zhang Yan, who was an obstacle, to prevent him from being pushed forward by Meng and Sun in the future. However, he was instructed to be discreet, and for this purpose, the "Five Fire Divine Soldier Circle" that had been taken away was given back to him.

Feng Ming was shaken. Sibling rivalry, what a bold move by Senior Brother Fang. He wanted to advise, but when he saw the hateful look in Fang Zhen’s eyes, the words died in his throat. After a moment of hesitation, he moved his lips and said, "This might not be a good idea. There’s also Han Ji, a disciple of the Han family, on this trip. There could be many variables, and if it leaks out..."

Fang Zhen waved his hand, showing no concern, "You don’t need to worry about him. Don’t be intimidated by the Han family’s name. In my opinion, he will most likely die here. If he becomes a problem, we can kill him too."

Feng Ming was shocked, "Senior Brother, he is a member of the Han family."

How could a disciple of one of the Five Great Clans be killed so easily? Even if Fang Zhen was a disciple of True Man Yan, would he really not fear the Han family’s retaliation?

Fang Zhen snorted, showing disdain, "Han Ji is the son of a concubine and suffered severe injuries in the womb. His father didn’t want him to be born, but his mother insisted. He has never been favored in the Han family. After thirty-eight years of cultivation, he is only at the third level of Bright Qi, and that’s only because his mother stole a cultivation method. Later, his mother was beaten to death for the leak, and he was only confined for three years because he was a member of the Han family."

Fang Zhen continued with a mocking laugh, "To the Han family, he is a disgrace. Sending him here probably means they hope he dies."

Feng Ming was increasingly shocked, wondering, "How did Senior Brother Fang know these secrets of the great clans?" He felt a mysterious and intimidating aura from Fang Zhen, and his eyes showed more fear.

Seeing his expression, Fang Zhen knew he had intimidated him and felt a sense of satisfaction, saying, "To me, Zhang Yan, Xie Zongyuan, and the others are just dead bones in a grave. In the future, the world of the next generation of the Mingheng Sect will belong to you and me."

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PS: We’ve gone VIP, thank you all for your support. Before going VIP, I will release two public chapters. This is one of them, and the other will be released tomorrow morning.