Snick.

He gently lit a candle for himself and inserted it into a freshly made cake.

The cake had no cream, just a simple base.

Whoosh.

Zhang Rongfang blew out the candle.

"After today, I'll be twenty-two...." he said to himself calmly.

He removed the candle, picked up the cake, and took a bite.

During yesterday's execution, those core members of the Righteous Alliance left a deep impression on him.

Such fearlessness; he had never seen it in anyone else in this world.

"The Righteous Alliance... I wonder what their relationship with Master Zhang Xuan and the others is..."

He quietly put the last piece of cake into his mouth.

Closing his eyes, he then opened up the attribute panel.

There were two new attribute points.

Zhang Rongfang allocated them all to his life attribute.

Now that the Golden Toad Skill had improved, the accumulation of attribute points was much faster.

After doing this, he turned his thoughts to Shang Dingye.

At the same time, his gaze gradually turned cold.

"This Shang Dingye is narrow-minded and troubled me over the issue with Yue Shi. Now, he's completely opposed to me..."

Recalling before, if Shang Dingye had really captured Master Zhang Xuan and the others, Zhang Rongfang might have been exposed.

By then, he would have only two choices.

First, release them and immediately flee.

Second, pretend not to know them and proceed with the execution.

"Now it seems, keeping this Shang Dingye around is a problem. I need to find a way to deal with him..."

Zhang Rongfang didn't feel he had absolute confidence in getting rid of this person.

He's only twenty-two years old, while who knows how old Shang Dingye is—he could be seventy or eighty.

It's only because he worships the gods that he doesn't show his age, appearing youthful.

So to safely deal with this person... it seems I can only wait until Uncle Zuo arrives to act together....

Zhang Rongfang stood up, swallowed the last of the cake, and opened the window to gaze outside.

He lived in an official post station in Ning'an Prefecture.

Generally speaking, officials traveling to various places would stay at post stations.

In the courtyard outside his window, three servant soldiers were cleaning.

These three wore their uniforms loosely, with pale, tender skin, clearly having never experienced hardship.

Zhang Rongfang couldn't help but recall the old man's words before the execution.

"You three, one of you come over here, I have some questions." he called out.

"Yes!"

The three halted immediately, straightened their backs, and approached.

They didn't know which one Zhang Rongfang was referring to, so all three came over.

All three were men, with ingratiating smiles on their faces, they approached Zhang Rongfang and bowed again.

"Sir, what would you like to command us?"

The speaker, with a sharp face like a monkey, wasn't timid and asked with cupped hands.

They knew the person staying in this room was a high-level official but didn't know his exact position.

So they uniformly addressed him as "sir."

"Let me ask you, in Ning'an Prefecture, whose lands are the main ones around here?" Zhang Rongfang asked in a deep voice.

"Lands?" the three blinked. "The most belongs to the Shangguan family, followed by the Xiao family, then the Ding family, and the Shang family."

"Their lands account for about ninety-nine percent, and what's left are the remote, poor-quality fields that nobody wants, still being tilled by those wretched types," one replied.

"Wretched types?"

"Oh, it's a local term for those barbarians and indentured servants," the speaker said with a laugh. "Although the barbarians are lowly, if one of them turns out to be good-looking, they might have the chance to rise. Maybe marrying a Spirit Person as a concubine and living in comfort. Much better off than the indentured servants."

"Barbarians... has it come to this?" Zhang Rongfang paused, having joined the Great Dao Teaching's Qinghe Palace from the start.

So he had never really lived as a barbarian in society.

Listening now...

"It's not so bad, those barbarians were utterly uncultured in the past, then they followed the fallen Confucian scholars to learn literature, still clueless, so now they're left being wretched types," one explained with a laugh.

"Then... are there many barbarians and Confucian scholars in Ning'an Prefecture?" Zhang Rongfang continued to ask.

"There were a lot the year before last, but this year there are suddenly fewer. We don't know why; we've heard they went elsewhere for something big. What can these lowly people possibly accomplish? Just listen, sir, don't take it to heart."

"Something big...." Zhang Rongfang mused. "And you? You work here, is the income high?"

"It's not about the income, sir." The three revealed an awkward look on their faces.

The one with the sharp face as a monkey spoke up to explain.

"You may not know, sir, but our family requires too many tax exemptions. Just relying on our religious income isn't enough, so they sent us wrongdoers or collateral relatives to work here.

The court has regulations; those who support post stations with money and effort can enjoy significant tax exemptions."

"I see...." Zhang Rongfang nodded, then asked a few more simple questions.

The three answered each one.

After about ten minutes, Zhang Rongfang gave them three pieces of silver as a reward and closed the door, ending the conversation.

Looking at the burning lamp on the table.

Plans gradually formed in his mind.

"The campaign to suppress the Righteous Alliance's uprising has basically concluded here. Next, I must return to Qingchuan Prefecture.

And Shang Dingye will return to Jade Void Palace. Shangguan Feihua should leave directly as well."

"It seems I can only wait until Uncle Zuo arrives, then find an opportunity to catch Shang Dingye alone and strike directly!"

He has realized Shang Dingye's malice towards him.

So this person must die!

Even if he's a devout Grandmaster, it doesn't matter!

"The key is, how to handle the aftermath after killing Shang Dingye.... How strong is the Righteous Alliance really? Do they have the strength to encircle and kill Shang Dingye?"

The Righteous Alliance is too mysterious; he hadn't heard of them before.

It's difficult to judge their strength.

Zhang Rongfang stood inside the room, pondering strategies, but none were perfect.

'It seems I'll really have to investigate what's behind the power of this Righteous Alliance.'

At once, he decided to act.

At this moment, Shangguan Feihua and others were still tracking the Righteous Alliance's upper echelon, and the operation had not yet completely finished.

In a few days, they would need to disperse again.

By then, contacting Shang Dingye would be much more troublesome.

Without delay, Zhang Rongfang's bones contracted throughout his body, quickly shrinking from two and a half meters tall to around two meters and twenty centimeters.

His figure also became significantly smaller.

Quickly changing into a different set of clothes, he took out a black mask and put it on.

He quietly opened the opposite window, and with a flash of his figure, suddenly dashed out into the desolate wilderness outside the inn.

Racing through the wilds, Zhang Rongfang soon reached an extremely secluded woodland.

Stopping and standing, he looked around to ensure no one was following him.

At once, he took out a small delicate porcelain bottle from his chest.

The bottle's exterior was a deep purple-black, with a finely engraved character for 'sink'.

Removing the stopper, Zhang Rongfang placed it among the branches of a tree at a high spot. Then he waited quietly.

Gradually, a faint fragrance drifted out from the porcelain bottle.

After about half an hour.

A shadowy figure dressed in black silently emerged from the forest, cupped his fists as he approached Zhang Rongfang and saluted.

"Subordinate Thousand Stone Vulture, greets the Lord."

"Your advance party finally arrived. Where is Uncle Zuo? Where have they reached?" Zhang Rongfang would attempt to contact subordinates every few days using the secret fragrance.

The secret fragrance could attract a type of scent-tracking insect from tens of kilometers away.

The insects would continuously fly toward the fragrance, making it useful for secret communications.

During his years in Citong, Zhang Rongfang, with his immense wealth, influence, and resources, had developed numerous unique methods of contact, and this was just one of them.

"Reporting to the Lord, the Sect Leader and others will arrive in two days. They were ambushed along the way, but fortunately, the Sect Leader was hidden among the team, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable." Tuying replied solemnly.

"An ambush? Do you know the assailants?" Zhang Rongfang felt a chill in his heart; indeed, as soon as the master's death was revealed, someone couldn't wait to take action against him.

"Not clear, but the leader is a Spiritual Veins practitioner, certainly someone sent by a faction to probe." Tuying said.

"Two days... excellent..." Zhang Rongfang felt assured.

Shang Dingye, just let you live a little longer.

"Also, how many were in your advance party?" Zhang Rongfang knew they were from the Thousand Stone Sect, gathering a few people near and within Ze Province, surely not many.

"Twenty-three in total, all absolutely trustworthy people. About two hundred on the outskirts." Tuying quickly answered.

Since the Thousand Stone Sect became wealthy, its development had improved tremendously compared to before.

Previously, there truly were only twenty-three people....

"Then, let me ask you, do you have any information on the Righteous Alliance, their masters?" Zhang Rongfang continued to ask.

"The Righteous Alliance? Subordinate does not know. The Righteous Alliance is extremely secretive. Even if captured, their members keep their mouths shut, preferring death over revealing secrets.

This organization frequently incites public anger in various places, instigating uprisings. Although they always fail, inevitably getting extinguished, they persist without tiring, without knowing their purpose." Tuying said in a deep voice.

"Send someone to investigate." Zhang Rongfang instructed. "I want detailed information on them."

"Yes!"

At once, Tuying swiftly retreated.

Zhang Rongfang stood in place, exhaled deeply with a soft sound, and also disappeared in an instant.

About ten minutes after he left.

A person suddenly stood up quietly from a bush on one side of the woodland.

This person had a tense expression, constantly scanning left and right, fearing someone might discover his whereabouts.

He was an agent sent by Shang Dingye specifically to track Zhang Rongfang.

The Shang family's influence in this area was significant.

This person, as a Super Grade expert within the family, was skilled in infiltration and gathering information.

Upon seeing Zhang Ying unexpectedly leave and change his form, he quickly followed.

Unexpectedly, he overheard such shocking news.

'Must return immediately! Report to Grandmaster Ding Ye! Zhang Ying actually collaborates with the Thousand Stone Sect of the Sensing Sect! We've been enemies with the Sensing Sect for years; this is outright treason! This could be a great merit!'

The person stealthily sped off in another direction.

Passing through the woodland.

The outside suddenly opened up to a clearing by a small stream.

Yet this ordinary night scene made the person abruptly stop, his eyes narrowing.

Only to see Zhang Ying Daoist, who had left just moments ago, was already waiting by the stream.

"As expected.... After you receive the message, just waiting in the direction towards Shang Dingye guarantees results."

Zhang Rongfang turned to face the person, softly sighed.

The silhouette's expression drastically changed, and turned to flee.

Yet before his eyes blurred, Zhang Ying, who had been over ten meters away, was beside him in a blink.

With two muffled sounds.

A large hand covered his mouth and nose, while another hand drove straight into his lower back.

A vast amount of Qi and Blood poured out from the back injury.

Under the moonlight, that person's crazed struggling shadow quickly grew limp and then gradually quieted down.

Until, at last, his hands drooped powerlessly, becoming gaunt like an old man.

"Considering it, this method has become a very convenient means to deal with Spiritual Veins.... Although this guy has no value for replenishing flesh."

Zhang Rongfang released his grip, watching the now dumbfounded person.

With a casual palm strike to his forehead.

Puff.

The person instinctively tried to resist, but was just a Spiritual Veins instinct left, no match for Zhang Rongfang's casual blow.

With a soft noise.

The person fell to the ground, his entire body gradually blackened, breaking apart into black ash, disintegrating, scattering.

Zhang Rongfang blew out a breath, transforming into a gust that blew away the black ash, watching it disperse into the stream before turning away, and suddenly vanished into the woods.

Next, preparations must be made in case Shang Dingye retreats into the Jade Void Palace.