Fengle Tower.
Inside a spacious, luxurious private room.
Fang Hong sat at the head of the table, with Chai Hongzhou and seven others seated around it.
Apart from Su Yao, all of this cohort of newly promoted inner disciples of the Yin-Yang Sect were present.
Quick-witted and sociable, Chai Hongzhou introduced everyone to one another as soon as they met.
Fang Hong needed no introduction. He had killed more than twenty cultivators of his own level in the secret realm, winning fame in a single battle and securing the Ice Soul Spirit Fruit. Everyone in this cohort of disciples knew of him.
Even the Yin-Yang Sect's other outer and inner disciples had now heard something about him.
To his left sat a tall, handsome youth in silver-white brocade embroidered with dark patterns, simple yet elegant. His face was fair, his posture straight as a spear, and his eyes bright.
His name was Xiao Yuansha. Originally a disciple of the Xiandu Sect, he came from the Xiao Household of Biluò Island. His Dao companion, Fan Jingyun, was his junior sister in the Xiandu Sect.
Fengle Tower was a property of the Xiao Household.
His younger clanswoman Xiao Xiaoxiao had become Chai Hongzhou's Dao companion in the Dragon-Phoenix Hall. Through her efforts to establish contact, they had successfully persuaded Xiao Yuansha to join their association.
To Fang Hong's right sat a voluptuous, alluring woman.
She carried herself with languid, seductive charm, her glances enticing, her eyes seeming to speak as they roamed.
Her name was Chu Yuechai. She came from the Wonderful Sound Pavilion and had become the Dao companion of a cultivator from the Yue Household of Black Demon Island.
To Fang Hong's surprise, these two had been the first pair of disciples to emerge from the Dragon-Phoenix Hall after successfully mastering "Dragon-Phoenix Guidance."
As expected of a woman from the Wonderful Sound Pavilion. She truly has exceptional talent in the art of dual cultivation!
This Chu Yuechai seemed to have quite a few tricks at her disposal. Though the Yue Household disciple had no shortage of arrogance, at her side, he deferred to her in everything.
And she was precisely the woman who had caused an "ominous sign" to appear in Fang Hong's Fate Mirror back in the Dragon-Phoenix Hall.
The final pair of inner disciples both came from the six great aristocratic clans of Black Demon Island. The man was named Gu Hongchen, and the woman Du Yueniang. Each had their own exceptional qualities.
After exchanging pleasantries, everyone became acquainted, and the maids of Fengle Tower brought out plates of spirit cuisine and fine wine.
Cups passed back and forth as they chatted and laughed, gradually growing familiar with one another.
When talk turned to next year's Fish-Dragon Assembly, everyone agreed to huddle together for warmth, regularly sharing intelligence and exchanging what they needed to take targeted measures against the pressure from veteran outer disciples at the assembly.
Especially those who had originally been inner disciples and cultivated one of the three great Nascent Soul-level cultivation methods, only to be pushed out later.
Not only were their cultivation levels higher than those present, but the quality of their magical power was no lower either.
If they wanted to reclaim their positions as inner disciples, this cohort of newly promoted inner disciples would be their first targets.
Chai Hongzhou volunteered, "I'll gather information on them. We can discuss it together at our next gathering."
"We must also guard against those ninth-level Qi Refining outer disciples." Gu Hongchen of Black Demon Island added coolly, "As far as I know, there are some ruthless figures among them too."
He came from the Gu Household of Black Demon Island. Short and stocky, with ordinary looks, he faintly exuded an aura of yin baleful intent.
Chai Hongzhou nodded. "Senior Brother Gu, you can pass along any information you have to me too. I'll organize it."
Gu Hongchen acknowledged him, then turned to Fang Hong and said, "I hear the Xun Household of Black Demon Island has already been contacting some outer disciples, preparing to make trouble for you at the Fish-Dragon Assembly, Senior Brother Fang."
Holding his wine cup, Fang Hong raised it to Gu Hongchen with a smile. "Thank you for telling me, Junior Brother."
Chu Yuechai's eyes shifted as she cast Fang Hong a coquettish glance. "Senior Brother, aren't you worried that the Xun Household's Foundation Establishment elders might come after you in secret? After all, you killed so many of their clan's disciples."
Before Fang Hong could speak, Gu Hongchen sneered. "Without a word from their Golden Core patriarch, how would they dare come? The news from Black Demon Island is that the Xun patriarch has already placed strict restraints on the Foundation Establishment elders involved, forbidding them from privately seeking revenge against Senior Brother Fang and bringing disaster upon their clan."
"I even heard that Xun Sanniang and Xun Li's mother have both been confined by the Xun patriarch."
"All they can do is take advantage of the sect's rules at the Fish-Dragon Assembly to suppress Senior Brother Fang, quieting the voices within their clan and preserving the Xun Household's reputation."
"Why is that?" Chu Yuechai looked at Gu Hongchen curiously, her face puzzled.
Gu Hongchen chuckled without answering.
Instead, his Dao companion Du Yueniang said softly, "Because Senior Brother Fang is the legitimate son of a Golden Core cultivator and comes from the Yunchuan Fang Clan. The Xun patriarch is unwilling to antagonize a great Golden Core cultivator over such 'trifles.'"
Chu Yuechai looked astonished. "So that's how it is. I was poorly informed."
She quickly stood and raised her wine cup, offering Fang Hong a toast in a sweet, delicate voice. "Forgive my discourtesy, Senior Brother. I'll drink a cup as my penalty."
With that, she tilted back her snow-white neck and drained her cup.
Watching her innocent, uncomprehending expression, Fang Hong sneered inwardly without end. He raised his cup and clinked it against hers, smiling. "You certainly hold your liquor well, Junior Sister."
He had already used the Fate Mirror to examine the fate-chart divine balefuls of everyone present. The others were fine, all ordinary.
Only this woman's fate chart was somewhat unusual: "Lone phoenix and widowed swan baleful intent, eight special, nine ugly, flowing water baleful intent"-all inauspicious balefuls!
Lone phoenix and widowed swan baleful intent in a woman's fate foretells harm to her husband and widowhood.
Eight special signifies extremely strong carnal desires, disregard for propriety, and multiple husbands.
Nine ugly signifies beauty and lustfulness, strong affinity with the opposite sex, and harm to one's husband.
Flowing water baleful intent means excessive water without restraint. It signifies overflowing lust, a nature as fickle as water and windblown willow, and the fate of a prostitute.
"Senior Brother, please look after me in the future." Chu Yuechai winked softly, her smile enticing.
Fang Hong's identity and background had long since been registered at the Yin-Yang Sect's General Affairs Hall. Chai Hongzhou and the others clearly already knew and were unsurprised.
Xiao Yuansha coughed lightly, seemingly disapproving of Chu Yuechai's conduct, and changed the subject. "Senior Brother Fang, I believe merely knowing our opponents' circumstances is far from enough."
"Though our backgrounds are respectable, there is still a considerable gap between us and the disciples of these great sects."
"Since we've formed an association, we should join forces to take on assignments at the Primordial Demon Hall, looking out for one another and earning Yin-Yang Talisman Coins to exchange for the sect's cultivation pills, talismans, and magical artifacts, improving our cultivation and combat techniques as quickly as possible."
Fang Hong set down his wine cup. "You make a good point, Junior Brother. But no one should be forced into this. Everyone can form groups voluntarily."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Chai Hongzhou also said, "The Yin-Yang Sect has an unwritten custom: any inner disciple may seek out a Foundation Establishment true disciple to serve as a senior brother patron and receive their guidance. Of course, they must also run errands and perform tasks for that senior brother patron, following his instructions."
"The sect's three great Nascent Soul cultivation methods are profound and abstruse. Without guidance from a Foundation Establishment true disciple, cultivating them on our own will inevitably take time and effort. We should also find a true disciple senior brother."
Gu Hongchen's expression shifted with interest, and he asked, "Senior Brother Chai, have you already found a suitable true disciple senior brother willing to take us in?"
If they could find a senior brother patron soon, they would naturally have a few more measures of confidence at the Fish-Dragon Assembly.
Chai Hongzhou shook his head with a wry smile. "Not yet. The sect's true disciple senior brothers and sisters are watching and waiting too. Only after the Fish-Dragon Assembly will they make their decisions based on our performance."
"Of course, there are exceptions..."
As they were talking, a maid entered to refill their wine.
The maid approached Fang Hong at the head of the table with a graceful, swaying gait and poured him a cup first.
Watching the gently rippling wine, Fang Hong caught its fragrance, richer and stronger than the spirit wine from before.
"What exceptions?"
He glanced at Chai Hongzhou and was just about to raise his cup for a taste when the candlelight within the Fate Mirror in his Sea of Consciousness suddenly flickered.
His brow furrowed, and he turned an unfriendly gaze on the maid.
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