A Rebellious Streak

Hearing this, Venerable Yao froze, and even Venerable Feng standing beside him was slightly stunned. What was going on? Why was there a fourth person who knew of the existence of the Fen Jue? He had never mentioned it, not even to his direct disciples, and his close friend certainly wouldn't have spoken of it, so that left only...

At this moment, Feng Xian looked toward the disciple standing at the head of the group behind the spatial gate—the one his friend had raised since childhood... Han Feng... It could only be this fellow...

However, Han Feng was also staring outside with a look of astonishment. He had indeed leaked information about the Fen Jue, but he had no knowledge of the Dou Sheng expert appearing in the sky. Could it be that Mu Gu Elder had revealed it?

No... This has nothing to do with me... That's right, I haven't said anything... I cannot lose my master yet...

"Yao Chen... what should we do now?" Venerable Feng asked in a low voice, his face filled with worry.

"What else can we do? You and I will never cultivate this Fen Jue. Rather than letting it remain in our hands and inviting disaster, it would be better to give it away to preserve the Starfall Pavilion. With just the two of us, how could we possibly be a match for the person before us? Even with my powerful soul, I cannot see through their strength. I suspect they are at least a four-star Dou Sheng or higher..." Venerable Yao looked helpless, though he was merely weighing the options in his heart. Handing over the Fen Jue, a heaven-sent opportunity, in hopes of calming the situation was the only way. At least the visitor showed no obvious killing intent; otherwise, murder and robbery were common occurrences on this continent.

"Four-star or higher... My heavens..." After sighing, Venerable Feng said no more, as the item belonged to his friend and the decision rested with Yao Chen.

Just as the two elders were deliberating, Zhang Nian had no patience for them. Although he only had this one task for the trip, the journey through space had already taken nearly ten minutes. If he delayed any longer, he wouldn't be able to make it back.

"I say, hurry up and decide. I'm on a tight schedule. Give me a straight answer. If three grade-nine medicinal herbs aren't enough, I'll give you five." His tone was impatient and just a little bit arrogant, carrying the air of someone who would gladly pay more if they weren't satisfied.

"Uh..."

"Saint, I am willing." With a sincere expression, Yao Chen flicked a faint light from the ancient Storage Ring on his fingertip, and a tattered-looking manual, wrapped in a piece of worn cloth, was presented in his hands.

Zhang Nian tapped his finger, and a powerful spatial force erupted. The manual in Yao Chen's hands levitated and drifted slowly through the air, landing lightly in Zhang Nian's palm.

He glanced down at the slightly ragged Fen Jue in his hand. He didn't know if it was genuine, but the system provided a notification immediately.

[Ding! Detected cultivation technique "Fen Jue". It is an evolvable technique. It is recommended that the host cultivate it.]

Not bad, very user-friendly.

He turned and took five grade-nine medicinal herbs from his storage. It was a simple transaction—money for goods. Zhang Nian wasn't one for petty theft, though using his status to pressure others was an inevitable part of the process. If you can't beat me and you're carrying a treasure, I'm going to target you; that's just the law of survival.

As the five herbs drifted down, Yao Chen could tell at a glance that these were rare treasures. Each one, if taken out, would be enough to cause a stir across the Central Plains...

"My heavens... Penglai Immortal Spirit Fruit..."

"Bodhi Purifying World Lotus..."

"Nine Nether Sumeru Flower..."

"Thank you for your grace, Saint!" This thanks came from the bottom of Yao Chen's heart. He had long since memorized the cultivation path of the Fen Jue, so discarding this copy meant nothing; he could write a new one at any time. But these five grade-nine herbs were rare, priceless treasures that even the Yao Clan likely possessed few of. One had to realize that such treasures could only be found in the ruins of Dou Di in the current era.

"Transaction complete. Farewell."

With a thought, a spatial rift opened behind him. Just as he was about to turn away, he seemed to remember something, turned back, and looked at Yao Chen below.

"The young man at the very edge of that spatial gate should be your disciple, right? He carries your scent."

Before Yao Chen could give a clear reply, Zhang Nian continued, "Emm, I'm a bit of a physiognomist. That person has a body weighing one hundred and twenty pounds, but one hundred and eighteen pounds of it is pure rebellion. I'm off."

Hm?

Why did that sound like there was a hidden meaning?

The two looked at each other, then turned their heads toward Han Feng inside the gate. His slightly panicked face revealed endless guilt... and how could that escape the sharp eyes of these two?

On the other side.

Remembering her master's instructions, Medusa sat in the main hall as told. Since the sect had just been established, there were no major affairs to attend to, so she looked toward the two maids beside her.

"What are your names?"

The two quickly stood up and bowed. "Reporting to you, Milady, my name is Xiao Qing."

"My name is Xiao Hong."

"Very well. You don't need to be so cautious around me from now on. I don't like noise. If I am practicing, you may find things to do or rest, as long as you don't disturb me."

She lifted her slender hand, picked up the tea on the table, parted her vermilion lips, and took a small sip. Her gaze fixed on the outside, and the room returned to its previous silence.

"Was Master in a hurry when he came this morning?" she asked suddenly. Xiao Qing, standing to the side, hurriedly lowered her head and replied, "Yes, the Saint left very quickly. He seemed quite anxious."

Xiao Hong, thinking of what Ya Fei had told them the night before, quickly interjected, "However, I noticed that after the Saint came out of your room, he wasn't as anxious anymore. I suppose he was just concerned about your well-being..." As she said this, Xiao Hong's heart pounded. She wasn't sure if the other party would accept such a remark.

Medusa fell into a brief contemplation after hearing this.

Is Master very concerned about me...

The two maids glanced over cautiously, their eyes darting back and forth. Seeing Medusa's reaction, they felt they had a handle on the situation. This was clearly a case of mutual affection. It seemed Ya Fei hadn't lied to them. If this matter really came to fruition, a bright future was beckoning to them!

"That's right, that's right. And look, the Saint has two disciples, but he treats you so well. He bestowed pills upon you yesterday, and this morning he was still..." Xiao Qing stopped mid-sentence; she had been eavesdropping at the wall that morning...

"Perhaps it's because our Lady is talented and looks so lovely," Xiao Hong quickly interjected, fearing Medusa might catch on.

If Zhang Nian were to hear this, his heart would likely be in turmoil. You think I did this to flirt? It was to maximize benefits, okay!! I really want to thank your whole family!

Thinking of the Heavenly Flame he had snatched specifically for her, a warmth spread through her heart. Master is truly good to me...

From childhood to adulthood, only Granny Snake and Elder Li had treated her as their own. Zhang Nian's appearance filled a large void in Medusa's life. This feeling of having someone to rely on was easy for a young woman to fall into. At this moment, Medusa felt an unprecedented peace in her heart.

Suddenly, a call came from outside the sect gate.

"Yun Shan, Sect Master of the Misty Cloud Sect, along with his disciples, has come to congratulate the Qinglian Saint on his relocation!"