Jia Tianlong: Today I'll kill you, this Seven Profound Sect prodigy!

Three days later, Setting Sun Peak Square.

The sky was barely light, morning mist still lingering, as nearly a hundred elite members of the Seven Profound Sect gathered here, each with steady breaths, standing in solemn silence.

On the high platform.

Sect Master Wang Juechu stood with his hands behind his back, beside him Vice Sect Master Wu, who would soon lead the delegation for negotiations.

Wang Juechu's gaze swept across the faces below—some young, some resolute.

It finally settled on Han Feng among the crowd, filled with both hope and worry.

"This journey is fraught with danger. Follow Vice Sect Master Wu's orders without question! Uphold the prestige of the Seven Profound Sect and return safely!"

Vice Sect Master Wu, hot-tempered as ever, stepped forward, his voice booming like a bell.

"All of you, get your spirits up! Those scum from the Wild Wolf Gang are nothing but a rabble! On this negotiation, let them see the backbone of the Seven Profound Sect!"

After a brief rally, the group set off.

In the crowd, Han Feng, Han Li, and Li Feiyu walked side by side.

Li Feiyu was brimming with excitement, his hand constantly resting on the knife at his waist, itching for action.

Han Li, on the other hand, seemed more composed. He glanced at Han Feng beside him and felt a measure of relief.

The negotiation team marched down the mountain in full force.

At the foot of the mountain, several accompanying carriages were already waiting.

Vice Sect Master Wu waved his hand, and a few disciples stepped forward to lift the carriage curtains.

"Hiss..."

The disciples who saw what was inside couldn't help but draw in a sharp breath.

The carriages weren't loaded with supplies or provisions, but with neatly stacked square shields.

These shields were forged entirely from Fine Steel, exceptionally heavy, glinting coldly in the morning light.

A full forty-some of them.

"Are we... bringing shields to a negotiation?"

"In a martial arts brawl, it's all about Movement Technique and Martial Skill. Why lug around such dead weight?"

"Exactly, this thing's heavier than what the army uses. How are we supposed to fight with it?"

Murmurs rippled through the disciples, many faces etched with confusion.

These shields were something Han Feng had specifically requested over the past few days.

In his capacity as Young Sect Master, he had overruled objections and ordered the sect's blacksmiths to work through the night forging them.

At the time, several Elders had questioned the decision, arguing that a martial arts skirmish wasn't a siege battle and that shields were a pointless burden.

But Han Feng insisted.

In the end, Wang Juechu chose to unconditionally trust his Final Disciple.

Seeing the disciples' reactions, Vice Sect Master Wu also had his doubts, but he barked sternly, "Shut it! This is the decision of the Sect Master and the Young Sect Master. Carry out the orders!"

No one dared to speak further.

The group set off again.

The journey was long; they traveled by day and rested by night.

On the second night, the group set up camp in a Forest Clearing.

Campfires crackled, and most of the disciples had already fallen asleep.

Han Feng, though appearing to rest with his eyes closed, had his spiritual sense covering the entire camp.

Suddenly, a furtive figure slipped away from the group, sneaking deeper into the woods.

Han Feng opened his eyes and lightly nudged Han Li and Li Feiyu beside him.

The three exchanged glances, then vanished into the night like ghosts.

Deep in the forest, after confirming no one was around, the figure took a small Bamboo Tube from his robe and released a carrier pigeon.

Just as the pigeon was about to flap its wings and take flight.

Whoosh!

A faint, almost imperceptible sound cut through the air. The pigeon let out a mournful cry as a dart precisely struck it from the sky.

The man froze, then spun around sharply.

Under the moonlight, Han Feng, Han Li, and Li Feiyu stepped out slowly, blocking his escape.

"Protector Li, I never expected you to be a spy for the Wild Wolf Gang!"

Li Feiyu glared at the familiar Protector before him, rage burning in his chest.

Protector Li's face turned ashen. He had never imagined his actions would be exposed so quickly.

"Since you've caught me, do as you will—kill me or torture me, I'm at your mercy!"

Knowing he couldn't escape, he simply drew his blade and charged straight at the three of them.

"Looking for death!"

Li Feiyu bellowed and met him head-on.

Blades flashed, and the clang of metal rang out without pause.

In just three exchanges, Li Feiyu's long saber had already slit Protector Li's throat.

Staring at the corpse lying in a pool of blood, Li Feiyu was still seething with anger.

"A traitor feeding off the master's table!"

Han Feng picked up the carrier pigeon from the ground and untied the note bound to its leg. On it were only a few words.

"Bring shield. Report swiftly."

Just as he suspected.

If he hadn't removed this thorn in advance, the contingency he'd prepared would have been severely compromised.

After disposing of the body, the three returned to camp as if nothing had happened.

Three more days passed, and the group finally arrived at the agreed negotiation site.

Luosha Slope.

It was an open stretch of loess terrain—flat ground with excellent visibility, but the earthen slopes on both sides could easily conceal men, making it a perfect ambush spot.

The Wild Wolf Gang had already arrived.

Only a few dozen of them were present. At the lead was a tall man in a gold-embroidered brocade robe, exuding an imposing air of authority and a chilling murderousness born of long-held power.

This man was Jia Tianlong, the chief of the Wild Wolf Gang.

Han Feng's spiritual sense swept lightly across the area. Beneath the slopes on both sides, at least five hundred men lay in ambush.

"Heh, where's Wang Juechu? Why hasn't he shown up? Could he be hiding like a turtle, scared of our Wild Wolf Gang?"