Gong Qianyi still didn’t know why Si Ye was so protective of Yu Zhiyi. Seeing the situation, he quickly said, “Let’s head into the Refining Dao Universe first. Everything else is secondary.”
Si Ye stared coldly at the speaking cultivator, his tone tinged with a trace of murderous intent. “Tai Zuofeng, if you insult my friend again, don’t blame me for being rude.”
Yu Zhiyi didn’t want the situation to escalate, so he hurriedly said, “Brother Si, let it go. Let’s go look for Refining Dao Gold first.”
“Ha! Chickening out, are you? Today, I, Tai Zuofeng, am standing right here. If you want to enter the Refining Dao Universe, you’ll have to see if my Yi Alliance agrees.” As soon as Tai Zuofeng finished speaking, he waved his hand and several people stepped forward. These were all members of the Yi Alliance.
Gong Qianyi’s heart sank. He silently cursed Si Ye for meddling. What’s wrong with backing down? He’d been backing down for a million years and still doing just fine.
Si Ye also frowned to himself. This wasn’t right. No matter how forceful Tai Zuofeng was, he wouldn’t dare confront him so brazenly.
Si Ye knew about the Yi Alliance. It was the alliance of the Great Dao Array Gate and Starry Sky City, led by Wen Qianyi. In reality, Wen Qianyi didn’t bother with these matters, letting the Yi Alliance use his name to operate along the Grand Dao Path. Of course, every so often, someone from the Yi Alliance would deliver a share of Refining Dao Gold.
Naturally, Tai Zuofeng wasn’t just meddling for no reason. He’d recently received word that Wen Qianyi, one of the three Holy Masters of the Great Dao Array Gate in Starry Sky City—and the Yi Alliance’s nominal patron—was coming to the Refining Dao Universe, and was already on his way.
Since Wen Qianyi was coming, Tai Zuofeng naturally wanted to put on a show for him. He wanted Wen Qianyi to see that he, Tai Zuofeng, was extremely respectful and devoted to him, and that he always spoke in the name of the Yi Alliance. If Wen Qianyi saw this, it would be a huge gain.
“So what if it’s the Yi Alliance? Bullying my friend is unacceptable. Even if Wen Qianyi comes, I’ll say the same thing.” Si Ye braced himself and stepped forward, declaring loudly.
Here, reputation and fame are extremely important. If he let himself be intimidated by Tai Zuofeng and the Yi Alliance today, Si Ye might as well give up on trying to make it in this region. His own name had been built up, day by day.
“Is that so?” A gentle voice sounded, followed by a fair-faced youth dressed like a scholar walking over. His footsteps were as soft and gentle as his voice.
Seeing who had arrived, Tai Zuofeng was overjoyed. Wen Qianyi really had come, and so precisely! His bold move to block Si Ye had paid off.
Si Ye and Gong Qianyi saw the fair-faced youth approach, and both felt as if cold water had been poured over their hearts. Especially Si Ye—he’d just said that even if Wen Qianyi arrived, he’d stand by his words. He hadn’t expected Wen Qianyi to actually show up, and to hear what he’d said.
“Tai Zuofeng greets Holy Master Wen.” Tai Zuofeng immediately stepped forward and bowed in greeting. His reputation here was due not just to his smooth talking, but above all to Wen Qianyi. As a member of the Yi Alliance, Wen Qianyi was his invisible backer.
Tai Zuofeng stepped forward and bowed, and the several Yi Alliance cultivators with him hurried to do the same, addressing him as Holy Master. Though Wen Qianyi was the nominal leader of the Yi Alliance, he’d never made any promises to the group—in other words, he took the benefits but never stood up for them. In fact, with Wen Qianyi as their backing, the Yi Alliance didn’t need him to intervene.
That’s why all the members of the Yi Alliance called Wen Qianyi ‘Holy Master’ instead of ‘Alliance Leader.’
Wen Qianyi nodded to the few members of the Yi Alliance, then looked at Si Ye. “Your name is Si Ye?”
Si Ye’s scalp tingled, but he forced himself to reply, “Yes, I am Si Ye. Greetings, Holy Master Wen.”
“Not bad, you’re quite healthy.” Wen Qianyi’s tone grew even more gentle and kind.
Si Ye knew he was as good as dead. He let go of everything and said, “Daoist Wen, Yu Zhiyi is a friend of my benefactor, Brother Di Jiu. To me, my benefactor’s friends are my friends. Earlier, Tai Zuofeng insulted Yu Zhiyi. As his friend, I will never let him be humiliated. Daoist Wen, do as you will—kill or torture me, I trust that justice will prevail in the end.”
This time, Si Ye didn’t even call him Holy Master, just ‘Daoist Wen.’ Since he was doomed anyway, why bother trying to please Holy Master Wen?
Si Ye never mentioned that Di Jiu would avenge him, but everyone could hear his meaning: even if he died today, someone would stand up for him in the future.
A ripple of quiet laughter spread through the crowd; clearly, they thought Si Ye was pitiful. If Wen Qianyi killed him, who would avenge him? Who had the power to do so? Even the other two Holy Masters—Hu Ye Zhi or Yang Si’an—couldn’t stand up to Wen Qianyi on his behalf. Unless the two joined forces, which was even less likely.
Di Jiu? When Wen Qianyi heard that name, the smile on his face froze for a moment.
To be honest, if Si Ye had said this before, Wen Qianyi would have thought it was a joke. He’d planned to plant a few Slaughter Dao Laws in Si Ye, so that when Si Ye entered the Refining Dao Universe, the laws would erupt and destroy him from within.
This was Wen Qianyi’s style—he rarely killed anyone face-to-face. In public, all anyone ever saw was his smile and kindness.
“Let’s see where your justice lies…” Tai Zuofeng had long wanted to make a move. Hearing Si Ye’s words, he didn’t hesitate to unleash his artifact, aiming it at Si Ye.
He knew Wen Qianyi’s temperament well. Wen Qianyi was a schemer, never acting openly. Now that he was making a move, he was certain Wen Qianyi would deal with Si Ye in a hidden way. That way, Tai Zuofeng would not only kill Si Ye head-on, but also win Wen Qianyi’s favor.
After killing Si Ye, Tai Zuofeng’s reputation here would rise another level.
“Hmph!” As Tai Zuofeng unleashed his artifact, Wen Qianyi let out a cold snort, causing Tai Zuofeng’s spirit to tremble and his Dao domain’s aura to waver. Even a fool could see Wen Qianyi was displeased with him.
Tai Zuofeng didn’t dare act on his own anymore. He quickly stopped, bowed again, and said, “Please instruct me, Holy Master.”
This chapter isn’t finished yet~.~ Please click next page to continue reading the exciting story!
He thought his impulsive actions had angered Wen Qianyi, and was now anxious and uneasy.
Wen Qianyi’s expression returned to a smiling, friendly demeanor. He gave Si Ye a thumbs up and said, “Daoist Si, you truly value loyalty and gratitude. That’s exactly the kind of character I admire most. Well done, well done! When I return from the Refining Dao Universe, if you don’t mind, you’re welcome at my abode for a few drinks. I’ll take my leave now—until we meet again.”
With that, Wen Qianyi stepped into the entrance of the Refining Dao Universe and vanished from sight.
Though he’d left, Wen Qianyi was secretly snorting in his heart. That bastard Tai Zuofeng—using his name was one thing, but nearly causing him big trouble was another. As far as Wen Qianyi was concerned, Tai Zuofeng had to be eliminated.
Wen Qianyi considered himself strong, but he didn’t think he was stronger than Hu Ye Zhi. They were about equal—neither could crush the other. But he’d witnessed Di Jiu crushing Hu Ye Zhi firsthand. If it hadn’t been for Hu Ye Zhi’s Thousand Dao Ring, there’d be no trace of him left in the universe. If Di Jiu could crush Hu Ye Zhi, he could certainly crush Wen Qianyi.
So if he offended Di Jiu, there’d be no place for Wen Qianyi in this region ever again. Di Jiu was the kind of powerhouse he’d rather curry favor with than antagonize. That bastard Tai Zuofeng had almost made him an enemy—if Wen Qianyi didn’t kill him, he’d be seen as too easygoing.
Although Wen Qianyi had left, everyone was still watching Si Ye. Given Wen Qianyi’s usual methods, Si Ye’s body should soon collapse, with his soul quietly eliminated.
But after waiting a full incense stick’s time, Si Ye was completely unharmed. Everyone was baffled—Wen Qianyi really hadn’t done anything to Si Ye? What was going on? Considering Wen Qianyi’s attitude afterward, it seemed he genuinely admired Si Ye. This completely overturned everyone’s expectations—had Wen Qianyi changed his nature?
Only Tai Zuofeng understood that Wen Qianyi’s last words to Si Ye were sincere, and that he truly hadn’t intended to harm him. If Wen Qianyi had wanted to, he would have secretly helped when Tai Zuofeng tried to attack Si Ye, rather than stopping him—in fact, ‘secretly helped’ was putting it too strongly; ‘blocked him’ was more accurate.
Just as Tai Zuofeng thought this, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his Purple Palace, and spat out a mouthful of blood. If he didn’t realize Wen Qianyi had just secretly struck him, he’d be a fool. Tai Zuofeng cursed inwardly. He didn’t understand why Wen Qianyi had targeted him instead, but as long as he survived, he’d make sure Wen Qianyi never got another batch of Refining Dao Gold.
At that moment, Tai Zuofeng didn’t dare linger. He grabbed a talisman and fled in an instant, vanishing from sight.
With Tai Zuofeng gone, the remaining spectators were even more confused. Judging from his reaction, it seemed Wen Qianyi hadn’t attacked Si Ye at all, but had instead secretly struck Tai Zuofeng. What was going on here?
(That’s all for today’s update. Good night, friends!)