Spring Wind Envoy

Fei Nanying gave the white-haired old monk another careful look, and when he spoke again, although his words were stern, there was no hint of disdain in his tone:

"Who do you take me for? You're not some junior like yourself who dares to show off in front of me. Go back and wait for my letter."

Since even a dignified cultivator had spoken up, Zhou Yixiu naturally dared not say anything more. He then joined the Chongming Sect members who were waiting outside. After listening to the complaints from his two senior brothers, Yuan and Jiang, they returned to Little Ring Mountain together.

Fei Nanying Huiyi younger generation, and instead took out an abacus from his Storage Bag and began to stroke it. He then asked Fei Enwen, "Has there been any news from Ying Prefecture?"

Without hesitation, the latter replied, "A letter arrived from Ying Prefecture three days ago, saying that after Kang Dabao won first place in the Ice Mallow Grand Gathering, the elders were still discussing how to reward him. As for other matters, I haven't heard anything else yet."

"Yes, the Imperial Guardian's residence must not allow Chongming Sect tokens to enter these days. That kid doesn't know what's important; we mustn't let such trivial matters delay his own path to cultivation."

Fei Nanying's tone left no room for argument. After saying this, he turned to Chu Yanran and her husband and asked, "I intend to speak with Chu Han of the Hehuan Sect, but I wonder if you two could spare the time to accompany me?"

"Of course I'll go." Chu Yanran was decisive and agreed without hesitation. Afterwards, she advised, "The two fellow Daoists from the Ye Prefecture Yang Household, Daoist Wufeng from Ding Prefecture, and Daoist She from Fa Prefecture, surely they won't stand idly by?"

After pondering for a while, Fei Nanying that although the cultivators Chu Yanran mentioned had no fundamental interests with the Ying Prefecture Fei Household, they were somewhat close to the Fei Household because Fei Tianqin had led them to several successful battles. It was not impossible to unite them and use them as allies.

However, Fei Nanying reconsidered and abandoned that idea, instead saying, "Let's discuss this further after I've spoken with Chu Han."

"If that's the case, then we'll do as you say, fellow Daoist."

---- Little Ring Mountain, Chongming Sect

"Zhe'er would have been better off killing all those scoundrels from the Three Immortals Cave back then; it might have even provoked the Hehuan Sect."

Jiang Qing's eyes were filled with anger. Even though he wasn't as dedicated to teaching his disciples as his fellow disciples, the words "master and disciple" and "father and son" were still true.

Not only him, but these days all the leaders of the sect have been filled with worry as they watch Ming Zhe's soul lamp, which is enshrined in the Ancestral Hall, dying.

Ye Zhengwen made no attempt at formalities and readily took on the task of presiding over the meeting.

He sat at the head of the table and listened to Jiang Qing's words, but then sighed again, "If what Junior Brother Junior Brother Jiang said is true, then the Spring Wind Envoy Hehuan Sect the Hehuan Sect might not even bother to make things difficult for my caravan. He might just gather his fellow disciples and attack Little Ring Mountain to overthrow my sect."

The latter's expression froze, and he remained silent, clearly realizing that he had just spoken out of turn.

With so many people around, how could the news be kept secret?! If Ming Zhe really slaughtered all those scoundrels from the Three Immortals Cave, it would truly bring disaster upon him.

As Ye Zhengwen said, Hehuan Sect Nascent Soul the Hehuan Sect, which is neither entirely righteous nor entirely evil, would hardly bother to find an excuse to wipe out a Foundation Establishment sect.

The Chongming Sect is somewhat special because, thanks to the sect leader's skillful management, he has connections with several high-ranking cultivators within the Office of the Duke of Qin. This is why Chu Han has to put in some effort and devise a plan to avoid making things too ugly.

Seeing Jiang Qing's expression, Ye Zhengwen knew that the latter had taken his words to heart and was much State of Mind. In fact, even if Ye Zhengwen hadn't asked, Jiang Qing would have understood on her own.

This is understandable, as Kang Rongquan's misconduct nearly led to the Chongming Sect deaths of everyone in the Chongming Sect outside Learning Forest Mountain. It was only thanks to the fact that Kuai En, a relative by marriage whom Sect Leader Kang Da and Pei Yi had been supporting, was taken under the wing of the Prince of the South that the situation was averted.

It's true that Jiang Qing has a certain arrogance and pride, but that doesn't mean he would actually do something unwise.

Having witnessed the wickedness of the Three Immortals Cave, not Ming Zhe, but most of the elders present also lacked the courage to take any action.

The atmosphere fell silent again. After looking around, Ye Zhengwen spoke again, "The best course of action now is perhaps to send a message to Ying Prefecture and ask the sect leader for his opinion."

Unexpectedly, as soon as he said this, Yuan, Chiang, and Zhou all shook their heads in rejection.

Yuan Jin frowned and said, "Since my eldest brother went to Ying Prefecture, I heard that he has already overpowered all the disciples of the Nascent Soul sects and won first place."

Rumor has it that the Fei Household, Ye Shui, not only forgives past grievances but also intends to bestow more spiritual gifts to help him achieve the Core Formation. Senior Brother has encountered another rare fortuitous opportunity; we must not allow him to be burdened by the sect again, as we did at Learning Forest Mountain."

Zhou Yixiu was much more polite than Yuan Jin when he spoke. He coughed a few times before continuing, "Senior Brother Ye, even if Senior Brother were to return from Ying Prefecture now, I'm afraid he would have difficulty participating in this Golden Core matter."

I imagine that, as usual, my senior brother will need to listen to the teachings of the upper cultivator before he can act. After all, there has been no news from the place of the Marquis of Gucheng yet, so we might as well wait a little longer."

Jiang Qing held the green sword in his hands without saying a word, but judging from his expression, he agreed with what his two fellow disciples had said.

Ye Zhengwen indeed understood this to be true, so he put aside his thoughts and turned to Yuan Jin, asking, "Junior Brother Yuan, how are your preparations going?"

The latter replied, "The Azure Jue and Crimson Zhang Guards have made progress, and the local militias of Ping and Jin counties, Pine Wind Volunteers Army in Cold Crow Mountain, are also ready for action. We can take action once things become clear."

From this day forward Hundred Arts Pavilion will operate with the furnaces running at full speed, and all equipment and weapons, including alchemy tools, talismans, and arrays, will be fully prepared. The Spirit Plant Hall and Beast Garden have also prepared spirit rice and warhorses, ensuring that the army will not be disturbed by trivial matters.

However, as for the generals of each faction within the alliance...

When Yuan Jin mentioned the various factions in the alliance, he was vague, clearly lacking confidence. As the cultivators in the hall frowned in unison, they all knew that this was to be expected.

After all, the name of the Nascent Soul Hehuan Sect, a Nascent Soul sect, is quite prestigious. How could ordinary small sects in the borderlands dare to provoke them? Therefore, the alliance they made in the past was difficult to enforce, and it was only natural that they ended up fleeing when disaster struck.

However, Ye Zhengwen did not intend to sit idly by. In recent times, there have only been some vague rumors circulating about the Chongming Sect being troubled by the Golden Hehuan Sect of the Golden Core Sect, and nothing has been confirmed.

Although the various factions within the alliance were somewhat anxious about the prolonged absence of news from the Double Brightness Caravan, they still did not know the root of the matter. This meant that there was still room for maneuver in this incident, but it certainly wouldn't drag on for too long.

"Perhaps we could take advantage of this brief lull to gather the alliance's forces together?" Ye Zhengwen had this thought, but he immediately dismissed it. After all, once this was started, the "protesting too much" vibe would be too obvious, and it might backfire.

"My dear junior disciple, is everything ready at the Nurturing Qilin Hall?!"

Ye Zhengwen asked Ye Yaoling to speak. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Reporting to my senior uncle, the disciples in the Nurturing Qilin Hall have now been divided into two groups."

If things truly reach a point of no return, one group will seek refuge in Xuanwei City, asking the Fei Household for protection; the other group will break up into smaller groups, scattering to various places, hiding their identities, cultivating individually, and waiting for the right opportunity.

Ye Zhengwen pondered Ye Yaoling's arrangement for a while and found it quite appropriate, unable to find any major flaws. After inquiring about some details, he was finally satisfied.

At this point, Ye Zhengwen turned his gaze to Jiang Qing. He had been mentally preparing his response for a long time, but ultimately abandoned his probing questions and spoke directly, "Junior Brother Jiang, if things truly come to that point, perhaps Junior Nephew Ming will have to..."

Jiang Qing's face suddenly turned pale, and the expressions of the cultivators in the hall also became extremely ugly.

Fortunately, the disciples summoned to the meeting at this time were all pillars of the sect. Even Kang Rongquan, who was once the most impulsive, had become very calm and composed.

Jiang Qing finally lowered his arms, which had been holding his sword, and then glanced at the expressions of his fellow disciples in the hall before closing his eyes to hide his pain and saying in a deep voice, "Junior brother, you should know that for the sake of the sect, we cannot let one person ruin the overall situation."

After Jiang Qing finished speaking, the faces of the fellow disciples in the hall all turned ugly. Yuan Jin himself had cracked the glass cup in his hand, but he took a deep breath and whispered to his junior brother to comfort him:

"The Marquis of Gucheng comes from a prominent family and seems to have designs on becoming the next head of the Ying Prefecture Fei Household. We must be mindful of appearances when dealing with him, and Chu Han might not be too pushy. Perhaps all our preparations will be in vain, and nothing might even happen to my nephew Ming."

As Yuan Jin finished speaking, his voice grew softer and softer, clearly indicating that he was aware his words were unlikely to be believed.

Jiang Qing gave Yuan Jin a faint reply, but what flashed through his mind was the image of the soul lamp enshrined beneath the statues of the ancestral masters in the ancestral hall. The flickering flame of that lamp caused a slight tremor in his heart, a pain that Jiang Qing could not express.

Seeing Jiang Qing's reaction, Ye Zhengwen finally felt relieved. What he had feared most was that Jiang Qing wouldn't be able to bear this humiliation and would choose to take retaliatory actions, thus causing chaos.

It seems that after experiencing all sorts of things with the sect, Double Brightness Jiang Third has become more and more composed.

Having read this, Ye Zhengwen felt somewhat relieved, and then spoke up to comfort him, "These days, everyone has been performing their duties. Important places like the Hundred Arts Pavilion, the Beast Garden, and the Spirit Plant Hall have also needed to continuously replenish military supplies for the army's defense. However, there's no need to panic too much. The matter of the Three Immortals Cave is still unresolved, so we must not let our guard down and wait patiently."

---- Three Ting Prefectures, Xuanxiao Mountain, Hehuan Sect

"Release him?" Chu Han Spring Wind Envoy, raised an eyebrow, a hint of anger often seen on young women appearing on her face. She scrutinized Fei Nanying with her peach blossom eyes for a moment before speaking:

"That won't do. The Three Immortals Cave brought their own provisions to work for our sect. Let's Chongming Sect's territory, and let's not even talk about not being treated well. How can it be that one of their disciples was killed by a rebellious madman? They haven't even settled on a price with the Chongming Sect, so how can we talk about releasing someone?"

Normally, Fei Nanying would have rebuked him upon hearing this, but since they were on the territory of a Nascent Soul sect, he became much more cautious.

"What you say makes sense," Fei Nanying had never considered making a fuss about the incident where the cultivators of the Three Immortals Cave harmed the county's officials.

The reason is that the originally rigorous Code of Great Wei has long since become a piece of waste paper in the eyes of high-ranking cultivators. Since Chu Han, the Spring Wind Envoy, is willing to risk the condemnation of the world and allow the baseless accomplices he has lured with the name of the Hehuan Sect to wreak havoc on the people in various places, then he can reap more benefits from it. This has been said long ago.

"But is there any room for negotiation regarding this compensation?"

As soon as Fei Nanying finished speaking, a hint of pleasure appeared in Chu Han's eyes. The latter naturally knew that Fei Nanying were not about the compensation, but rather had another purpose.

However, he was extremely good at maintaining his composure, and in just a moment, he concealed the joy in his eyes, and then said, "Please forgive me, Marquis of Gucheng, but this concerns the fellow Daoists in the Three Immortals Cave. How could I, Chu, presume to take matters into my own hands?"

Fei Nanying an eyebrow, a hint of displeasure in his voice. "Just spare that brat's life, and all compensation will be as you suggested, fellow Daoist. What do you say?!"

Chu Han's smile remained unchanged as he shook his head, saying, "The Marquis of Gucheng still needs to discuss this with the fellow Daoists of the Three Immortals Cave. I, Chu, cannot make the decision."

"Fellow Daoist Chu, you really don't give an inch." Chu Yanran, who had taken her seat next to Fei Nanying, finally spoke up. After hearing this sarcastic remark, Chu Han turned his gaze back to the beautiful woman.

Having made a living as a gigolo, his judgment was naturally sharp. Seeing that Chu Yanran possessed extraordinary spiritual energy and, despite her low cultivation level, was remarkably solid, he couldn't help but glance at her a few more times, a hint of surprise rising in his heart. "Which Nascent Soul sect has this female cultivator come from?!"

Chu Han cast aside her thoughts and calmly replied to Chu Yanran, "Fellow Chu Han, it's not that I can't give in, but this involves lives, the price is too high, and there's no room for compromise."

Having said all that, Fei Nanying understood Chu Han's true intentions. "The Chongming Sect is just the first step. Could this fellow possibly even intend to drive my Fei Household out of Mountain South in the future?!"

"In that case, there's nothing more to discuss. Let's each rely on our own abilities. I've come in a hurry and I must leave in a hurry, so I won't bother you any longer."

Chu Han sensed the resentment in Fei Nanying's tone, and her own mood soured.

This was because he had been in this sect for a long time and was a close associate of True Person Crimson Snow, so he was always treated with the utmost courtesy and rarely heard a harsh word from him.

Therefore, Chu Han was naturally not afraid of the latter, the Golden Core Clan Head. After hearing Fei Nanying say goodbye, he tapped his fingers to send a message while simultaneously stopping Fei Nanying and whispering something to him:

"Fellow Daoist Fei brought many gifts when you came, and I, Chu, would not want you to leave empty-handed, as that would not be the way of the Hehuan Sect in hospitality."

At first, Fei Nanying thought Chu Han was just being modest, but as soon as the latter opened his mouth, Fei Nanying realized he was completely wrong:

"I have already sent someone to the prison to retrieve that Chongming Sect's head as a gift for you, fellow Daoist. Please wait a moment."

Chu Han's smile was friendly, but his words carried a chilling undertone, a stark contrast.