Heng Yu's smile froze instantly on her face, feeling somewhat puzzled. Clearly, she had previously noticed that the other party was wavering.

But why!?

"If the lord has any additional conditions, please feel free to propose them. If we can fulfill them, we will definitely cooperate. This is the original words of the host!" Heng Yu said earnestly.

"No additional conditions." Shangguan Feihua said calmly. He looked up toward the horizon bathed in the sunset's red glow.

"Moreover, we are still at war and are adversaries."

"Therefore."

He tore off his cloak, revealing a sturdy body towering at three meters.

"According to the rules."

"I will now kill you."

Heng Yu suddenly felt a chill throughout her body, her expression changed drastically, completely unexpected, half an hour ago his attitude was still good, and now merely after ascending the tower once!?

Unbelievable.

"Lord you!!?"

Suddenly her pupils contracted, her body rapidly retreated, swiftly leaving towards the distance.

Her speed was so fast, just two seconds to traverse dozens of meters.

In the eyes of ordinary people, one could only see a blur before she disappears from sight.

But unfortunately.

She had just retreated several meters when suddenly her head spun, and in an instant, she found herself still in the same place!?

"This is!!? Heart-Seeking Illusionary Method!?"

Heng Yu opened her mouth, wanting to beg for mercy.

Yet she suddenly found she couldn't breathe anymore.

Upon looking down.

It was only then she was shocked to find an enormous hollow appeared unknowingly in her chest.

An entire human head-sized blood hole emerged in her chest, with the spiritual line inside frantically trying to explode out.

But all was blocked by a deeper-colored spiritual line covering it. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

The silhouette of Shangguan Feihua slowly emerged before her at this moment.

In the eyes of others, it seemed like he walked slowly step by step to the opponent, and struck a palm, nothing more.

While Heng Yu seemed petrified with fear, she could only stand dazed without resistance.

"Host....! Cannot...." Heng Yu managed to utter the last few words with difficulty.

"Nature's way, the operation of all things, all beings possess Daoist methods."

Shangguan Feihua spoke calmly.

"Without rules, there's no order. The path I want to walk doesn't need extra noise."

He proceeded to walk past her without looking back.

Behind him, Heng Yu's body rapidly blackened, turned to ashes, and scattered with the wind.

*

*

*

October 17, 1188.

Great Capital turmoil.

Zhenyi, Western Sect, joined forces to expel the Great Dao Teaching followers.

On the following day, a major fire broke out simultaneously at Taiji Palace's True Buddha Temple, causing over a hundred casualties.

Spirit Court issued an imperial warrant to capture the Moon King of the Sensing Sect.

"Moon King!?"

Zhang Rongfang sat behind the official desk, looking at the letters just delivered from the courier.

The wanted notice of the Moon King had reached here!?

Indeed, the letter mainly detailed the portrait and bounty of the Sensing Sect's suddenly resurfaced Moon King.

The bounty amounted to ten thousand gold taels.

"Sir, it's said that this gold bounty is jointly offered by Zhenyi and the Western Sect." Zhang Yunqi said softly from the side.

He's now assisting Zhang Rongfang in mobilizing Rebel Sect members, responsible for intelligence gathering.

"It seems Zhenyi Western Sect suffered quite a loss in this Great Capital turmoil." He speculated.

Zhang Rongfang nodded.

Thinking about the many masters dispatched from Jade Void Palace before.

This truly is....

One can imagine the Great Capital now, in each province of Great Spirit, there might at any moment be fierce exchanges between Grandmasters.

Perhaps within this period, the fallen top experts will exceed those of the past decade.

"Furthermore, yesterday Lord Shangguan already led people to the Zhenyi Western Sect's side. Possibly to strike at them..." Zhang Yunqi spoke softly.

Zhang Rongfang knew where he meant.

Here in the Ze Province, there are still Zhenyi Western Sect Grandmasters leading battles against each other.

"At such a crucial moment, they haven't returned yet. Based on the intel we collected, it seems they are vying for something?" Zhang Yunqi explained.

"No matter what they're vying for, once Lord Shangguan makes a move..." Zhang Rongfang shook his head slightly.

They're doomed, beyond saving.

The people here, it seems, are mostly troublemakers and discards; otherwise, they wouldn't be abandoned so easily.

"Next, sir, it appears that soon the Great Dao Teaching could monopolize the situation." Zhang Yunqi sighed.

Zhang Rongfang nodded.

From Shangguan Feihua, such a top expert, tearing situations apart and acting against two major local forces, one knows the outcome in the Great Capital.

If the Great Capital lost, this side wouldn't be so decisive.

Only with victory.

This side could act without scruples.

"It seems..." Zhang Rongfang began to speak when suddenly a Rebel Sect subordinate quickly entered the hall, kneeling on one knee.

"Sir, there's a letter for you, from the Dan Province."

"Dan Province?" Zhang Rongfang was slightly stunned. Among all he knows, none are from the Dan Province.

Due to Dan Province's unique terrain, sparsely populated and vast, with dense forests mainly composed of mountainous plateaus, there are rumors that deep within the forests of Dan Province, wild men appear.

Who would send him a letter from Dan Province?

Zhang Rongfang was puzzled as he took the letter, sniffed it, then quickly tore it open to examine.

The letter turned out to be from his senior brother, Zhang Qingzhi.

It mentioned that he had quietly left the Great Capital, gone to Dan Province, disheartened after their master's passing, he followed Xiaohao and went into seclusion in the mountains of Dan Province.

We shall meet again if fate allows.

".....Hiding in the mountains? With Lin Qianhe?" Zhang Rongfang was at a loss for words.

If it were someone else, he might believe it, but who is Lin Qianhe?

She could deceive Zhang Qingzhi easily even when outnumbered. Would she willingly follow someone into reclusion? The idea is laughable.

"This letter... comes suspiciously." Zhang Rongfang closed his eyes and pondered.

After replenishing his energy, he felt his mind working much faster.

"But judging from the handwriting and phrase habits, this letter was indeed written by my senior brother, so he should be relatively safe now."

He placed the letter down.

"Should we send someone to investigate?" Zhang Yunqi asked.

"Yes. Make sure to choose suitable candidates, that area is infested with poisonous insects, they need to be sharp." Zhang Rongfang nodded.

This is the benefit of having many people, the forces under him can serve as substitutes when he can't be in multiple places at once.

"Wait a minute." Suddenly Zhang Rongfang felt something was off, and he picked up the letter again.

He read it carefully, word by word.

'Before the master's passing, he asked me if I could let go of the past and start anew....' That's the first paragraph.

'Unexpectedly, the world changes, waking from a drunken stupor like the sky collapsing....' That's the second paragraph.

'After the events, I now realize, aware of my own shallow accomplishments...' That's the third paragraph.

'Without a doubt, now our teaching is weakening, as Daoists in the future need to....' That's the fourth paragraph.

'The time ahead is long, the mountains are high, the waters are deep, the clouds unpredictable, if junior is free, he can come to Dan Province....'

This... when combining the first word of each paragraph... it forms a sentence!

Zhang Rongfang scanned with his eyes.

Is it a coincidence?

Impossible.... Just purely coincidental, it can't be that precise.

So....

He recalled the manner of his master's death.... Although it sounded formidable, with so many Grandmasters hunting him down.

But it was still too careless.

Considering Old Yue's cunning, would he really notice nothing before it happened?

If he were determined to escape, he would have delayed quite a bit.

Yet why did he die so plainly?

"Sir, what are you planning to do next?" Zhang Yunqi also saw the problem.

Zhang Rongfang pondered for a moment.

If the master is truly fine, then whether he goes or not doesn't matter right now.

"No matter.... Whether or not the master is fine, I should go back once."

"Since Old Yue is unwilling to appear, it means he still wants others to believe he's dead. At this moment, I should cooperate with him and display deep master-disciple affection.

Going to the Great Capital is necessary."

Zhang Rongfang pondered for a moment.

"I shall leave tomorrow!"

"But... Zuo Han is not here right now... Sir, relying solely on us..." Zhang Yunqi hesitated.

"I'll go alone." Zhang Rongfang said decisively. "You stay here, manage this place. With the Ning family's support, there won't be any issues here. Given the actions of the Shangguan family, the Shangguan head's problems are likely not serious. This place might become our foundation in the future."

"But sir, your safety...."

"Uncle Yunqi, there are no outsiders here, you know whether I'm safe or not, don't you?" Zhang Rongfang said slowly.

"The letter advises you not to go to the Great Capital." Zhang Yunqi frowned.

"Who said I'm going to the Great Capital? I don't need to really go there, just to show that I'm going out is enough. As for where I actually go, who knows?"

Zhang Rongfang smiled.

He actually wanted to take this opportunity to break away from his apparent identity, to really investigate the situation closely.

Sitting at a high position does provide broad power and information.

But it's difficult to obtain first-hand information.

He increasingly feels that his position is already binding him, and he can no longer be free.

Therefore, his trip this time is to ascertain whether the master is truly all right. If he's fine, he intends to return to see his sister and them.

After all, he hasn't gone back for a long time.

Finally, his core goal is to complete the final points of replenishment for his body.

"Actually, at the beginning, my official position and identity were my protection.

But now.... these external coverings have changed from protection to constraints. So, breaking the cage is the only way to regain freedom."

With his current strength and backup, he really doesn't fear the average Grandmasters. What's there to worry about?

Considering the vastness of Great Spirit, what's the chance of encountering a Grandmaster?

"Besides. The last ingredients I need couldn't be found, could they?" Zhang Rongfang squinted his eyes.

"Old Zuo told me, perhaps one of the five lands thirteen sects of Sensing Sect, the Five Cauldrons Sect, might have what I need."

"Five Cauldrons Sect...." Zhang Yunqi mused. "But the Five Cauldrons Sect now seems to have joined the Celestial Lock Teaching.... Your plan is...."

"Step by step. This time, I want to sort everything out and prepare." Zhang Rongfang said sternly.

With the master gone, no one monitored his achievements.

It's time to shed the constraints and wholeheartedly step on the path to strength....

All the current obstacles and difficulties are mere illusions.

If he achieves world-conquering strength, he can do whatever he wishes, who could stop him?

Even if his relationship with his sister is known, no one would dare touch her then.