Intimidation

Drunken Immortal Pavilion.

The most luxurious restaurant in Ninghai City.

Sun Wuming was sitting at the wine table, feasting heartily, utterly unaware that danger was about to arrive.

"Elder Sun, with you personally taking action, this mission will surely be foolproof."

Hearing this, Elder Sun naturally beamed with delight.

"Liu Sheng, I simply love hearing you speak. It refreshes the heart and delights the soul. Once this is done and I return to the sect, I'll promote you into the outer sect and take you as a registered disciple under my name."

Liu Sheng was overjoyed upon hearing this. He hurriedly filled Sun Wuming's cup. With those words from Sun Wuming, he would have someone to rely on in the Jieqing Sect. He would no longer need to bow and scrape before others all day, secretly stealing opportunities to learn those assassination arts.

"This disciple thanks Master in advance!"

With a bang, the wine cup Sun Wuming had just raised was shattered by a burst of force.

"Who is it?!"

Just as he was about to rise in a furious rage, Feng Yang entered his line of sight first, followed by a young man—none other than Shen Yi, the target of Sun Wuming's assassination mission.

"I wondered which petty rat it was. So it was Elder Sun of the Jieqing Sect!"

Feng Yang sat across from him at the wine table, picked up the wine jug, and began drinking by himself without even glancing at the sweat-soaked Sun Wuming.

"Dean Feng, I trust you've been well."

Sun Wuming wiped away the cold sweat on his forehead, composed his expression, and respectfully bowed to Feng Yang.

Feng Yang did not answer. With a casual flick, he tossed the name card onto the table and looked at Sun Wuming with undisguised amusement.

"My worthless disciple merely wished to make the acquaintance of Shen Tianjiao. I never expected Dean Feng to come in person."

As he spoke, Sun Wuming hurriedly pulled Liu Sheng beside him, doing everything he could to explain himself to Feng Yang.

"Then what is the meaning of this thought force?!" Feng Yang roared. He slapped the name card, and a cold, sinister thread of thought force instantly shot out from the name written upon it, heading straight for Liu Sheng's face.

"Master, save me..."

Liu Sheng tried to beg Sun Wuming for help, but that thread of thought force instantly wiped him out. A bloody hole appeared in his forehead, blood trickling down onto the wine table.

A vicious gleam rose in Sun Wuming's eyes. He wanted to lash out, but a single look from Feng Yang suppressed him so thoroughly that he could not move. Terror surged through his heart: Golden Core Realm!

"With your mere Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivation, you still dared to make a move before me? You overestimate yourself!"

Feng Yang casually snatched the Cosmic Ring from Sun Wuming's hand. With a movement of his divine sense, he completely erased the divine sense imprint upon it. Sun Wuming gave a muffled grunt, clearly suffering a backlash, yet he did not dare utter a word of protest.

"Consider this thing an apology from your Jieqing Sect to my disciple. I know the rules of your Jieqing Sect, so I won't ask about the employer behind you. But if there is a next time, I will surely flatten your Jieqing Sect! Now get lost."

With a sweep of his sleeve, Sun Wuming flew away like a kite with its string cut, vanishing from sight.

"Thank you, Dean!"

Shen Yi had watched everything unfold and finally understood that someone had wanted to strangle him in the cradle. A chill of lingering fear rose in his heart.

"This is for you."

Feng Yang's eyes crinkled with a smile as he kept all the Spirit Stones and spiritual medicines for himself, then handed Shen Yi a thoroughly emptied Cosmic Ring and a Movement Technique Manual. Looking at his current money-grubbing appearance, where was the domineering aura he had displayed moments ago?

"For the time being, no one will dare attack you in Ningzhou City. But once you enter the Grotto-Heaven Ruins, you'll have to rely entirely on yourself."

After leaving those instructions, Feng Yang stepped into the air and vanished without a trace.

Shen Yi returned to his residence, intending to continue Secluded Cultivation, but then recalled Feng Yang's advice and decided to meet with the various factions.

No matter what intentions those factions harbored, Feng Yang's intimidation had made them much more obedient and restrained. At every meeting, Shen Yi received quite a few gifts. This continued for several days before finally ending. Still, Shen Yi had gained greatly—he had received so many Spirit Stones that his hands were practically numb from taking them.

"Brother Shen, only a few days have passed, yet your cultivation has improved again."

Wu Liujian was secretly shocked. Shen Yi's cultivation had advanced once more since their previous match. Such talent was truly terrifying.

Shen Yi accepted the wine jar Wu Liujian handed over and took a deep gulp, sweeping away the fatigue of the past few days.

"So, have you taken a liking to any faction?"

Wu Liujian asked casually.

"The human heart is too complicated."

Shen Yi did not answer directly. He merely drank freely with Wu Liujian, who immediately understood and said no more.

Suddenly, a fragrant breeze swept over them. Shen Yi's expression turned cold, and he threw a punch toward the river not far away. Violent spiritual power surged forth amid the howl of an elephant's trumpeting.

"Senior Shen is truly ruthless!"

The newcomer raised a hand and struck out with her palm, dissolving Shen Yi's attack. Once the water mist dispersed, Shen Yi and Wu Liujian finally saw clearly—it was Yuwen Yue.

"You two hid away here to enjoy yourselves, yet you didn't bring your junior sister along."

Yuwen Yue gave a haughty snort, snatched a wine jar from beside them, and sat down in front of the two men.

Shen Yi's head began to ache. Only after interacting with Yuwen Yue more often did he realize that her so-called gentleness and refinement had all been an act. The real Yuwen Yue was more like a little witch—sometimes seductive, sometimes overbearing.

"Senior Shen, if you have nowhere good to go in the future, why not come to my Yuwen Family? If you think you'd be getting the short end of the stick, then at worst, I'll marry you!" As she spoke, she leaned toward Shen Yi with alluring eyes, making him feel as though he were facing a great enemy. He hurriedly moved away.

"The Yuwen Family of the Former Qin Dynasty holds power over the realm. That would indeed be a fine place to go."

Holding his wine jar, Wu Liujian joined in the teasing from the side.

"The Yuwen Family is merely a vassal Lineage of the Former Qin Dynasty. In my view, Senior Shen would be better off joining my Qianyuan Dynasty. My Jiang Imperial Clan will certainly not disappoint Senior Shen."

Just as Shen Yi was at a loss for how to respond, a voice like heavenly music drifted over, making him feel as though he had been granted a pardon. Yet once he saw who it was, his headache only worsened.

Jiang Miaoyi.

The moment Yuwen Yue saw Jiang Miaoyi, her face changed. The two women immediately stood at daggers drawn, their confrontation so sharp that the very air seemed to freeze.

"I, Yuwen Yue, am willing to marry Senior Shen. Do you dare?"

Yuwen Yue puffed out her chest and looked provocatively at Jiang Miaoyi.

"You... you... why wouldn't I dare!"

Jiang Miaoyi stammered out the words, then flushed crimson and no longer dared look at Shen Yi. Yuwen Yue stared in dumbfounded disbelief, never expecting such an answer. Wu Liujian's face reddened as he struggled not to laugh aloud.

Shen Yi was stunned as well. Though he had transmigrated here, he had never seen such a scene before. He could only cough awkwardly. "Let's not talk about this today. Could you tell me about the major factions instead?"

With that one sentence, the awkwardness among them faded.

Wu Liujian swallowed a mouthful of wine and was the first to begin introducing them. "The Thirteen Prefectures are ruled respectively by the Three Great Dynasties: the Former Qin Dynasty, the Qianyuan Dynasty, and the Later Zhou Dynasty. In addition, there are the Five Great Sects—the Heavenly Evolution Sect, Misty Palace, Mysterious Nether Cult, Return to One Pavilion, and Immortal Hermit Sect—as well as the Three Great Immortal Academies: Zhi Shou Immortal Academy, Tianxuan Academy, and Tianyi Immortal Academy. As for the Hidden Families, they are countless. Take my Wu Family Sword Pavilion, for instance. Though it has some reputation in Huafeng Prefecture, among the Thirteen Prefectures, it is merely a Second-rate Bottom Family."

Shen Yi nodded, an idea forming in his heart.