Decision, Part Two

Heng Yu's smile froze instantly. She was puzzled, because she had clearly noticed that the other party was wavering.

But why?!

"If you have any additional conditions, please feel free to make them. We will cooperate if we can meet them. These are Heng Yu Abbot's exact words!" Prefecture Lord said earnestly.

"No additional conditions," Shangguan Feihe said calmly. He looked up at the sky, which was dyed red by the setting sun.

"Furthermore, we are still at war, and we are enemies."

"So."

He ripped off his cloak, revealing a robust, three-meter-tall physique.

"According to the rules."

"I'm going to kill you right now."

Heng Yu suddenly felt a chill run through her body, and her expression changed drastically. She never expected that just half an hour ago, the other party had been so polite, and now, after only going up the tower once, they hadn't even met her!

"Prefecture Lord, you!?"

Suddenly her pupils contracted, and she retreated rapidly, quickly flying away into the distance.

She is extremely fast, able to cover a distance of tens of meters in just two seconds.

To the average person, they would only see a fleeting shadow before disappearing from sight.

But unfortunately.

She had only retreated a few meters when she suddenly felt dizzy. When she regained her senses, she was still in the same spot! "This is...? The Heart Seeking Illusion Art!?"

Heng Yu opened his mouth as if to beg for mercy.

But she suddenly realized that she could no longer breathe.

I looked down.

She was horrified to discover that there was a huge hole in her chest.

A bloody hole the size of a human head appeared in his chest, and the Spirit Thread inside were frantically trying to burst out.

But they were all covered and blocked by a Spirit Thread of a deeper color.

Shangguan Feihe's figure slowly appeared in front of her at this moment.

To outsiders, it simply appeared as if he slowly walked up to the other person, struck out with a palm, and that was all.

Heng Yu seemed to be stunned, and could only stand there blankly, offering no resistance.

"Abbot! No." Heng Yu to utter those last few words with difficulty.

"Heaven and earth are natural, all things operate, and all living beings follow the laws of nature."

Shangguan Feihe said calmly.

"Without rules, nothing can be accomplished. The path I choose to take needs no extra noise."

He strolled past the other person without even glancing at him.

Behind him, Heng Yu's body rapidly turned black, then turned to ashes and scattered with the wind.

***October 17, 1188. Turmoil in Great Capital.

True One and Western Sect joined forces to expel the followers of the True Great Dao Sect.

The following day, a fire broke out at the Taiji Palace True Buddha Temple, resulting in over a hundred deaths and injuries.

The Ling Ting issued an imperial warrant for the arrest of the Moon King of the Sensing Gate.

"Moon King!?"

Zhang Rongfang sat upright behind the desk in the Prefectural Office, looking at the letter that had just been delivered from the official post station.

The Moon King's wanted poster has been sent here!? Yes, the letter mainly contains a portrait of the Moon King that suddenly reappeared through the Sensing Gate, as well as a wanted poster and a reward.

The reward is as high as 10,000 taels of gold.

"My lord, it is said that the bounty of gold was offered jointly by True One and Western Sect," Zhang Yunqi said softly from the side.

He is now assisting Zhang Rongfang in mobilizing members of the Rebel Sect and is in charge of intelligence investigations.

"It seems that the True One Western Sect suffered considerable losses in this turmoil in Great Capital," he guessed.

Zhang Rongfang nodded.

Thinking back to how many experts Jade Void Palace had previously dispatched.

It is truly conceivable that at this moment, in the Great Capital and various provinces of the Great Ling, there might be fierce battles between grandmasters at any time.

Perhaps more top experts will fall during this period than in the previous ten years.

"In addition, Prefecture Lord Shangguan led a group to the Western Sect True One's side yesterday, probably to take action against him," Zhang Yunqi said in a low voice.

Zhang Rongfang knew where the other side of the road was.

In Ze Province, there are still masters from the True One Western Sect leading teams in mutual battles.

"At such a critical moment, they still haven't returned. According to the intelligence our people have gathered, they seem to be fighting over something?" Zhang Yunqi explained.

"No matter what we're fighting Prefecture Lord Shangguan will take action," Zhang Rongfang slightly.

They're doomed, beyond saving.

Most of the people here seem to be troublemakers or outcasts; otherwise, they would never have been abandoned so easily.

"Looking ahead, my lord, it seems that the Great Dao Sect may soon dominate the market," Zhang Yunqi sighed.

Zhang Rongfang nodded.

The fact that a top expert like Shangguan Feihe would directly break with tradition and attack the two major forces in the province tells us the true outcome of the battle in Great Capital.

If Great Capital had lost, they would never have acted so decisively.

Only by winning.

Only here can one be completely uninhibited.

"It seems..." Zhang Rongfang was about to speak when suddenly a subordinate of the Rebel Sect quickly entered the hall and knelt on one knee.

"Sir, there is a letter for you, from Dan Province."

"Dan Province?" Zhang Rongfang was slightly taken aback. None of the people he knew were from Dan Province.

Because Dan Province has always had a unique topography, with a sparse population and vast land, dense forests, mainly mountainous plateaus, and a high density of poisonous insects, there are even rumors that wild men roam deep in the Woodland of Dan Province.

Who would send him a letter from Dan Province?

With doubts in his heart, Zhang Rongfang took the letter, smelled it, and then quickly tore it open to examine it.

The letter was actually sent by my senior, Zhang Qingzhi.

It mentions that he had quietly left Great Capital and gone to Dan Province. His master had passed away, and he was heartbroken. He went to Dan Province with Xiao He to live in seclusion in the mountains.

We'll meet again someday.

"... Hidden in the mountains? With Lin Qianhe?" Zhang Rongfang was speechless.

If it were someone else, he might believe it, but who is Lin Qianhe?

That's a ruthless person who could outwit Zhang Qingzhi even when facing three opponents.

Would she willingly follow someone to live a secluded life in the mountains? It's laughable to even think about it.

"This letter... its arrival is suspicious." Zhang Rongfang closed his eyes and pondered.

After his flesh and blood were restored, he felt as if his mind was working much faster.

"However, judging from the handwriting and word choice, the letter was definitely written by my senior brother, so it seems that he should be safe now."

He put down the letter.

"Should we send someone to investigate?" Zhang Yunqi asked.

"Okay. Make sure to send suitable people; the area is teeming with poisonous insects, so they need to be quick-witted." Zhang Rongfang nodded.

This is the advantage of having many people; when you are unable to be in two places at once, your subordinates can completely replace you.

"Wait a minute." Suddenly, Zhang Rongfang felt something was wrong and picked up the letter again.

He read it carefully, word by word.

"Before my master passed away, he asked me if I could let go of the past and start anew." This is the first paragraph.

'Unexpectedly, life is full of changes. One day, after waking up from a drunken stupor, it felt like the sky had fallen and the earth had collapsed.' This is the second paragraph.

'Now that the matter is over, I have come to my senses and am keenly aware of my own shallow cultivation.' This is the third paragraph.

'Undoubtedly, our religion is now in decline, and we, as its Daozi, will need to continue to do so in the future' (Fourth paragraph).

"The future is long, the mountains are high and the waters are deep, the clouds are ever-changing. If you have the time, Junior Brother, you may come to Dan Province."

The first character of each paragraph, when strung together, forms a sentence!

Zhang Rongfang scanned the area with his pupils.

Coincidence? Impossible. It's not just a coincidence; it couldn't be that precise.

So, he thought of how his master died. Although it did sound very impressive—being surrounded and killed by so Great Grandmaster.

But it was still too frivolous.

Given Lao Yue's cunning, how could he have been completely unaware of any disturbance beforehand?

If he is determined to escape, he can at least buy himself a considerable amount of time.

But why did he die so quickly?

"My lord, what are your plans next?" Zhang Yunqi also sensed something was wrong.

Zhang Rongfang pondered for a moment.

If the master is really alright, then it's up to him whether he goes or not.

"No matter whether Master has something to do or not, I should go back!"

"Since Lao Yue is unwilling to come forward, it means he still wants others to believe that he is dead. At this time, I should cooperate with him and make a show of deep affection between master and disciple."

"Going to Great Capital is a must."

Zhang Rongfang pondered for a moment.

"I'm leaving tomorrow!"

"But Zuo Han is not here now, sir. We can only rely on ourselves," Zhang Yunqi said hesitantly.

"I'll go alone," Zhang Rongfang said decisively. "You stay here and take charge of things here. With the Ning Family's support, nothing will happen here. Judging from the Shangguan Family's actions, Prefecture Lord Shangguan should be fine. This place may become our base in the future."

"But sir, your safety is paramount."

"Uncle Yun Qi, there are no outsiders here. Whether I am safe or not, others may not know, but don't you know?" Zhang Rongfang said slowly.

"The official advice is to avoid going to Great Capital," Zhang Yunqi frowned.

"Who said I was going to Great Capital? I don't need to actually go to Great Capital, just to make it look like I'm going. As for where I actually went, who knows?"

Zhang Rongfang smiled.

He actually wanted to take this opportunity to step away from his public identity and really investigate the specific situation.

Although those in high positions wield great power and have access to information, they are not without influence.

However, it's often impossible to obtain firsthand information about many things.

He increasingly felt that he was bound by his position and unable to be free.

So, his purpose in going out this time was to check if his master was really alright. If he was, he planned to go back to his sister's place and see them.

After all, it's been a long time since I've been back.

Finally, his core objective is to complete the last few points of Blood Flesh Completion.

"Actually, in the beginning, my official position and status were a form of protection for me."

But now, these protective garments have become constraints. Therefore, only by breaking free of these shackles can we regain true freedom.

With his current strength and trump cards, he really wasn't afraid of most Worship God Grandmaster. So what was there to worry about? In the vastness of the Great Ling Realm, what were the odds of encountering a Worship God Grandmaster? "Besides, I can't find the last medicinal herb I need, can I?" Zhang Rongfang narrowed his eyes.

"Old Zuo told me that perhaps the Five Cauldrons Sect, one of the Five Regions Thirteen Sects of the Sensing Gate, could find what I'm looking for."

Zhang Yunqi of the Five Cauldrons Sect seemed thoughtful. "But, it seems the Five Cauldrons Sect has now joined forces with the Heaven Lock Sect."

"Let's take it one step at a time. This time, I need to sort everything out and prepare everything," Zhang Rongfang said in a deep voice.

With his master gone, no one is monitoring his cultivation anymore.

It's time to break free from constraints and wholeheartedly embark on the path to becoming stronger. All obstacles and difficulties now are in vain.

If he had invincible strength, he could do whatever he wanted, and who could stop him?

Even if people found out about his relationship with his sister, no one dared to do anything to him back then.