Chapter 383: Chapter 380: Those Who Believe in Me Shall Live

Taohua Village was originally Feng Liang’s private estate. Spanning over ten thousand mu and equipped with all manner of luxurious facilities, it had now been assigned to Mo Qi and his party.

Furthermore, Feng Lun had personally ordered that without Mo Qi’s permission, no one from the Feng Family was to trespass in Taohua Village—from servants to Elders, there were no exceptions.

"My Lord, that annoying old man has been standing outside all night. Should I go and run him off?" Liu Hui asked, looking at Mo Qi with reverence.

With his eyes closed, Mo Qi was lounging lazily on a recliner, his brow furrowed with worry.

Unlike his triumphant, high-spirited demeanor in the ancestral hall, Mo Qi now looked utterly exhausted.

Behind him, Niu Kexin reached out with her slender fingers, gently massaging his temples, her eyes filled with a pained tenderness.

She knew Mo Qi had worried himself sick ensuring everyone’s safety.

He might normally appear confident and in control, even daring to bargain with the Feng Family’s Immortal Ancestor.

But in reality, he had to carefully consider every single step, weighing his options again and again. And again.

Every time he played a trump card, every time he captured more of the Feng Family’s attention, he had to meticulously weigh the pros and cons.

Otherwise, a single misstep could lead to the Feng Family getting rid of him once he had served his purpose.

So far, all of his gambles had paid off.

But if you gamble long enough, you’re bound to lose.

He couldn’t afford for every future plan to be a high-stakes gamble; the risks were just too great.

If it were just him, he could up and leave whenever he wanted.

But now, he was also responsible for the Void Sect, the Mountain and Sea Empire, and for all his followers—people like Liu Hui, Jin Sanpang, the Women’s Corps, and many others.

Fortunately, his efforts had not been in vain. At the very least, he had now established a firm foothold within the Feng Family.

The first piece of the grand strategy he’d laid out had been successfully placed. Now, he just had to see if the game would continue to unfold according to his design.

Mo Qi opened his eyes. Instead of responding to Liu Hui, he asked, "Is everyone else settled in?"

Liu Hui nodded. "Everyone’s settled in. Stimulated by the environment here in the Hall of Envoys, many feel they’re on the verge of a breakthrough, so they’re all seizing the opportunity to focus on their Cultivation."

Hearing this, the corners of Mo Qi’s mouth curled into a satisfied smile.

Everything was developing just as he’d hoped.

"Send word for all our people to gather tonight. I have something to announce." ’It’s time to begin the second phase of my plan,’ Mo Qi thought.

"Yes, My Lord." Liu Hui accepted the order and was about to leave, but Mo Qi called him back.

"Oh, and let that old man, Feng Zhang, come in."

...

Outside Taohua Village, Feng Zhang stood at the main gate, as motionless as a wooden post.

With his gaze lowered in quiet contemplation, he ignored the pointing fingers and hushed chatter from the onlookers.

As the Feng Family’s greatest Alchemy Master, he had dedicated his entire life to the study of elixirs.

Elixirs were the source of his success, but they were also the cause of his ruin.

Alchemy Masters are constantly in contact with all kinds of Spirit Medicines. To gain a deeper and more thorough understanding of each one’s properties, the most common method is to test them on one’s own body.

As a result, the energy within nearly every Alchemy Master’s body becomes incredibly impure and chaotic.

If an Alchemy Master cannot completely refine these energies, they accumulate over time, and this chaotic power will begin to destroy the foundation of their Martial Dao.

In mild cases, their meridians reverse course, causing excruciating pain. In severe cases, the energy will turn on them, their bodies will break down and fester, and their Martial Dao will collapse entirely. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Normally, when the energies in their bodies accumulate to a certain point, Alchemy Masters will pause their work and try every method possible to purge them.

But Feng Zhang was different. Crazed in his pursuit of the Pill Dao, he couldn’t care less about such things.

If not for his considerable talent in the Martial Dao, which allowed him to break through to the Void Realm early on and use his Cultivation to forcibly suppress those energies, he would have died countless times over.

Even so, he couldn’t hold on for much longer.

He had been shocked when Mo Qi accurately described his symptoms in a single breath.

After all, not even the Immortal Ancestor had noticed anything was wrong with him.

Coupled with Feng Liang’s deep bloodline awakening and Mo Qi’s terrifyingly lethal Sword Skill, Feng Zhang was certain: Mo Qi had to have a way to save him.

That was why he was willing to swallow his pride, follow Mo Qi all the way to Taohua Village, and stand outside its gates for an entire night.

"Huh? Master Feng Zhang, what are you doing here?"

After a night of meditation, Feng Liang, his bloodline now deeply awakened, couldn’t resist coming to Taohua Village. There were things he truly needed to ask Mo Qi for guidance on.

Matters concerning his Taotie Bloodline, to be precise.

He never expected to arrive and find Feng Zhang standing motionless before Taohua Village, allowing onlookers to gawk, point, and whisper about him from a distance.

In the past, such a sight would have been utterly unthinkable.

Who was Feng Zhang?

He was the Feng Family’s greatest Alchemy Master, a man to whom even the Immortal Ancestor had to show deference!

He also had an exceptionally fiery temper. At the slightest disagreement, verbal and even physical abuse were commonplace.

Upon seeing Feng Liang arrive, Feng Zhang merely gave a slight nod before returning to his motionless posture.

Feng Liang scratched his head in confusion.

’What in the world is Master Feng up to?’

Just then, Liu Hui walked out from the gate.

"Hey, old man. My Lord has granted you entry."

Liu Hui made an inviting gesture.

Feng Zhang’s eyes snapped open. His gaze was piercing, sharp as a sword, but a flicker of relief could be seen deep within them.

"My thanks," Feng Zhang said, clasping his hands in a salute to Liu Hui.

Feng Liang, standing to the side, looked as if he had just seen a ghost.

’Did I hear that right?’

’Master Feng just said "thanks"!’

’Heavens, the sun must have risen in the west!’

Before Feng Liang could react, Feng Zhang had already followed Liu Hui into Taohua Village.

Feng Liang immediately pushed aside his thoughts and moved to follow, but a look from Liu Hui stopped him in his tracks.

"My Lord only gave permission for Feng Zhang to enter. Not you."

Feng Liang was furious. "Everything here belongs to my Feng Family! You’re just a servant. What right do you have to stop me?"

If it had been Mo Qi himself saying this, Feng Liang could have accepted it.

’But by what right could Liu Hui do so?’

In Feng Liang’s eyes, Liu Hui was nothing more than Mo Qi’s servant.

Liu Hui shot Feng Liang an indifferent glance. "If you’ve got the nerve, then by all means, come in."

With that, he turned and walked back into Taohua Village without a second glance at Feng Liang.

Feng Liang’s expression immediately turned grim.

In truth, he had regretted his words the moment they left his mouth.

He wasn’t a fool. The words had been nothing more than an instinctive, angry outburst.

Recalling Feng Zhang’s behavior and attitude, Feng Liang realized he had probably made a terrible mistake.

Staring at the gates of Taohua Village, Feng Liang was torn.

’What should I do?’

’Go in, or not?’

After a long moment of deliberation, Feng Liang gritted his teeth. ’I’m going in!’

He had a reason he had to go in; he had to see Mo Qi!

’There were some things I need to get answers to!’

With this thought, he braced himself and stepped through the main gates of Taohua Village.

The instant both his feet crossed the threshold, an immense pressure descended from the heavens, slamming Feng Liang face-first into the ground.