"How can I accept this?" Zhang Qingzhi declined, "We've already troubled you for so long..."

"It's no trouble at all, Brother Qingzhi. You must accept it. Otherwise, I won't bring you any medicine next time." Xin'er said earnestly.

"This..."

"Since it's a kind gesture, you should accept it."

Just as Zhang Qingzhi was about to refuse, a towering figure slowly approached from not far behind them by the lakeside.

The voice came from this person.

This voice?!

Zhang Qingzhi suddenly lifted his head and quickly looked towards the person.

As the figure came closer, his face of doubt instantly turned into joy.

"It's you! Junior Brother Ying!! How did you get here!?"

The person who came was none other than Zhang Rongfang, who had gathered the treasured medicine and came to visit.

With the help of Treasure Harmony Pavilion, he quickly found the general area where Zhang Qingzhi and the others were hiding.

Then he came in person and unexpectedly discovered Xin'er, the girl who delivered medicine every day, venturing into the deep mountains and forests.

Upon further searching, he quickly tracked and found them here.

There was a fair bit of luck involved, as he had planned to return to Qingchuan to refine medicine if he couldn't find them.

Unexpectedly, he found them so quickly.

"Senior Brother, long time no see, how have you been?" Zhang Rongfang approached with a smile.

"I'm doing well... It's just Xiaohao..." Zhang Qingzhi's smile froze, showing some worry.

"Then I'll take my leave... I don't want to disturb you." Xin'er, very perceptive, promptly excused herself.

"Take care, Xin'er, and stay safe." Zhang Qingzhi hurriedly bid farewell.

He was always courteous and gentle to everyone.

Though he appeared weak and feeble outwardly, he was more steadfast than anyone else.

Particularly when it came to Lin Qianhe.

Steadfast and unwavering.

Zhang Rongfang couldn't help but sigh at his words.

Watching Xin'er slowly leave, he turned back to Zhang Qingzhi.

"That little girl likes you."

"Sigh... I..." Zhang Qingzhi sighed, apparently aware, yet said nothing.

"You seem to know, so handle it well and don't break her heart." Zhang Rongfang said softly. "I came this time firstly to see how you, Senior Brother, are doing, and secondly... to ask you about Yue Shi."

"You can see how I'm doing. I lack nothing, but Xiaohao seems to have an unknown illness... that can't be cured." Zhang Qingzhi sighed.

"I'm asking about you, how are you? You look very tired?" Zhang Rongfang asked.

"I am fine... healthy, it's just Xiaohao."

"As long as you're healthy. If you need help, you can go to Treasure Harmony Pavilion in the nearby city and mention my name, they should give me some face."

"Next, I want to focus on asking about Yue Shi. When Yue Shi sent you out of the Great Capital, what was it like?

Can you recount the entire process word for word?" Zhang Rongfang asked seriously.

"What? Could it be that something happened to Yue Shi?!" Zhang Qingzhi was shocked and immediately questioned back.

"No, nothing happened. I just have some doubts I want to clear up." Zhang Rongfang replied.

"That's good... At the time... I was actually in the Celestial Treasure Palace doing morning exercises..." Zhang Qingzhi didn't delay and immediately recalled the situation at the time.

*

*

*

Fu Province · September Mountain.

At dusk, the cold sunset dyed the entire mountain range a pale yellow.

Among the September Mountains, there is a place called Sun Holding Peak, steep and withered-yellow, entirely composed of large, wind-eroded rocks.

Atop the peak are the remnants of a burnt and ruined mountain gate structure, while halfway up are the faint outlines of a collapsed stone pavilion and small house.

From the foot of the peak to the top, there is a winding mountain path, entirely made of stone steps.

Most of the steps are covered in dry, yellow moss.

The mountain wind howled at that moment, as if lamenting and complaining.

On the steps, a person dressed in a purple Daoist robe was calmly and swiftly ascending the mountain.

The person's pace wasn't fast, but the speed was extraordinary, appearing from afar like a light purple cloud gliding by, unlike any ordinary person.

Before long, the purple-robed Daoist came to a stop at a dilapidated mountain pavilion halfway up the peak.

"It's been a long time. I didn't expect this place to be so desolate."

"Yue Dewen, since you have summoned us with the Moon King Order, you should give us an explanation, no?"

Two towering, gray-skinned strong men slowly emerged from behind the rocky wall of the pavilion.

The men wore crescent moon marked masks representing the Sensing Sect.

The masks had a crescent pattern on the forehead and were entirely black.

The purple-robed Daoist raised his head, revealing a much younger and fuller face belonging to Yue Dewen.

"Why do you address me by my name? Since I hold the Moon King Order, I should be as if the Moon King himself has arrived! I am the Moon King!"

He glanced sharply at the two men.

"What, do you intend to disregard the sect regulations?"

"Yue Dewen, do you think getting the Moon King Order automatically makes you the Moon King? Right now, more than half of the five territories and thirteen factions are here!

It's no longer as it was before, a mere token won't make us submit. Don't be so delusional."

From the cliffs on the other side, several figures in pale yellow cloaks appeared faintly.

"What our friends from the Taijing Lineage said is correct. We recognize the Moon King Order, but as for becoming the Moon King, Sect Leader Yue, you might not be qualified enough."

On the stone steps above the peak, another contingent descended.

Among them was an elder holding an iron staff, with a solemn face, unmistakably Yan Xi, the Grandmaster of the Sensing Sect who had previously joined the Western Sect.

Alongside him, several individuals walked with steady momentum, each not losing any ground, some even emanating a presence that overshadowed Yan Xi, superior by a margin.

"The Taiyuan Lineage has come in response to the Moon King Order. Yue Dewen, since you gathered us, it must be to establish the legitimacy of your position as the Moon King. So... are you ready to be tested?"

In this group, a tall elder with a head full of yellow hair, bare-chested, wore special black arm bracers. His gaze pierced through a mask, landing squarely on Yue Dewen with no fear.

"Master of the Primordial Vein? Interesting... I didn't expect our sect to still have so much strength left!" Yue Dewen looked at him, sensing something in his aura, his eyes immediately lit up with joy.

"All these years, you're not the only one who has made breakthroughs. We have always remembered what happened back then." The Master of the Primordial Vein said in a deep voice.

"Well said!" Yue Dewen clapped his hands. "Who else wants to test this old man? Come out all at once."

He smiled, completely unperturbed by the other's rudeness.

The moment he finished speaking, several figures leapt into the air from the stone forest below, landing with a light touch before deftly crossing a hundred meters in the blink of an eye, arriving on the steps behind him.

"I too want to see what authority the so-called number one Sect Leader of the Great Dao Teaching possesses. If you can convince us, then following the rules, acknowledging you as the Moon King is no issue."

Among the newcomers were five people, the leader clearly a woman.

The speaker had an elegant figure, wearing silver tight-fitting armor revealing her curves, black pants, and boots. Her long black hair reached her waist, and she wore a human skin mask, her expression stiff and numb.

"New Four Seasons Envoy?" Yue Dewen recognized her attire immediately. This outfit was the standard for the Four Seasons Envoy in the past.

Behind the Four Seasons Envoy were her original four Grandmaster subordinates scattered around.

Li Fan of the Spring Breeze Sect, Xia Plian of the Great River Gang, Huang Li of the Falling Flower Palm, Zhong Xue of Baimei Manor.

Their temperaments varied, some cold, some carefree, some serious, some gentle.

"As expected, more than half of the top ten Grandmasters of our sect have come."

The Four Seasons Envoy's gaze swept over everyone present.

Not only were there Grandmasters, but there were also three god-descending Grandmasters like her and the Master of the Primordial Vein.

Down the mountain, there were many other experts like the Taiqing and Taijing lineages observing the changes quietly.

In the shadows, countless more experts gathered to see if Yue Dewen was truly the Moon King.

Everyone was waiting.

Waiting for him to produce a credible answer.

"Today, with more than half of our sect's strength in the Great Spirit gathered here," the Four Seasons Envoy said calmly.

"If you are the Moon King, we will all honor you as the new leader. But if you are not... you know the consequences."

"What consequences?" Yue Dewen smiled.

"Even if you are the strongest Spirit General, if you play us, you alone cannot possibly leave Sun Holding Peak alive." The Four Seasons Envoy remained calm, as if simply stating a basic fact.

"Hehehe..." Yue Dewen burst out laughing. He was indeed very strong, but facing so many supreme experts present, ordinary Grandmasters aside, the god-descending Grandmasters each had their secret trump cards. If there were several consecutive descents of a deity...

As the Four Seasons Envoy said, he truly could not leave alive.

But this outcome was inevitable from the start.

Having agreed to come alone, he naturally anticipated this situation.

If he wasn't alone, there's no way the Sensing Sect would dare gather so many here.

"I came alone because I am absolutely confident!" Yue Dewen continued.

"Anyone else coming? If not, let's find someone to oversee and begin this challenge."

Surrounding silence enveloped the area, despite numerous experts present, not a single person made a sound.

"I will oversee." Suddenly a pure white figure floated in, wearing a pure gold mask with no gaps, a special silver-thread woven headdress on her head.

As her skirt fluttered, her skin was as smooth as jade, her posture graceful.

"The Moon Queen!?"

The crowd gasped slightly.

The smile on Yue Dewen's face paused slightly, he focused his gaze on the newcomer.

"So you're not dead."

"If you're not dead, how could I be?" the Moon Queen replied indifferently.

The Moon King and Moon Queen, though nominally a pair, were in fact not allies, but two major branches within the Sensing Sect, akin to the Celestial Treasure Palace and Jade Void Palace of the Great Dao Teaching.

*

*

*

"Speaking of which, at the time I was having an early lesson, suddenly Master burst in with a group, told me to pack some dry food and silver coins, and leave immediately.

Not even allowed to bring silver notes or gold notes, only basic gold and silver." Zhang Qingzhi recalled the situation at the time, still feeling fearful.

"Afterward, it wasn't long before I heard of Master's death. At that moment..." he took a deep breath, a heavy look flashed in his eyes.

"At that moment I fell to the ground weeping, vowing to track down the killer and seek revenge for Master, then immediately turned towards the Jade Void Palace for support from Uncle Master Jin Yuyan.

Unexpectedly, before getting very far, I was caught up by Master Yue."

"Caught up by Master?" Zhang Rongfang was astonished. "Wasn't Master Yue supposed to be dead then? When was it you got caught up? By whom?"

"It was Master Yue who caught up with me. He appeared perfectly fine, even gained some weight." Zhang Qingzhi said helplessly, "Just on the third day after news of his death, he showed up again."