"Su Yurong greets the Forge Lord. May ten thousand blessings be upon you." She stepped forward and bowed, her right hand gently resting over her left at her waist. Her demeanor was gentle and respectful, and she did not raise her eyes.

Jian Heng nodded. He glanced at the Forge Lord in front of him. Shock and disbelief were written all over his face.

Seeing that expression, Jian Heng could not help but want to laugh. He clearly knew what this man wanted. This man was a manipulator who intended to take advantage of his plight.

And in all honesty, if he had still been unable to find a way to release Su Yurong from the Eternal Ice, he might have been desperate enough to accept a deal with the devil.

It was a good thing that his good brother Wei Chen had already helped him solve the Eternal Ice problem without any hidden agenda. It had only been a simple favor of helping Wei Chen deal with that bastard, Gu Tianhe, which he had happily accepted.

Come to think of it, his deal with Wei Chen had been very pleasant. Everything was straightforward, with no hidden motives, no traps, and no betrayal.

Jian Heng looked at the shocked Forge Lord once again. Compared to someone like this... it was like comparing heaven to a filthy abyss.

"Rong’er," Jian Heng called to his wife, "brew a pot of Snow Orchid Tea for me."

Hearing her husband’s request, Su Yurong was briefly confused, but then she calmed down as if she understood his intention.

Snow Orchid Tea was a complex tea made from leaves picked from snowy peaks in the north, a specialty of the Ethereal Frost Palace. It had a mellow and sweet taste, with a fragrance that was difficult to resist. Once consumed, it would calm the mind.

The tea was famous for suppressing qi deviation and strengthening the dao heart. It also enhanced cultivators who practiced water and ice techniques. It was a rare treasure.

However, brewing this tea required a great deal of time and careful preparation. It was not suitable for serving guests, as even the fastest method would take several hours.

So Jian Heng’s hidden intention was clear. He wanted her to leave the garden, because what they were about to discuss was confidential.

"Mm... I understand, husband. I will prepare the tea for our guest." Su Yurong nodded with a smile, then walked out of the garden.

Jian Heng watched his wife’s retreating figure until she disappeared into the building. Then he turned back to the Forge Lord.

"You seem disappointed," Jian Heng said with a smile.

But from Lian Cheng’s perspective, that polite smile was grating. He hated it when someone saw through him, and he hated it even more when someone made him look like an insignificant ant.

He felt that the reason Jian Heng had invited him here was to humiliate him. Why else would he invite someone who offered something he already has, if not to mock him?

Anger rose in Lian Cheng’s eyes, but he quickly calmed himself. He was not foolish enough to lose his mind here, in the heart of the strongest sect in Azure River Province. If he acted recklessly, he would not leave alive.

"Vice Sect Leader Jian, I have an urgent matter to attend to. I will take my leave first," Lian Cheng said politely, though his eyes were cold and filled with resentment.

"Please wait, Forge Lord." Jian Heng raised his hand, gesturing for Lian Cheng to stop.

"Do you not wish to know why I invited you here?" Jian Heng asked with a mysterious smile.

Lian Cheng paused and looked into Jian Heng’s eyes. There was a clear trace of mocking amusement there, and that was enough for him.

"I do not need to know your intentions, Vice Sect Leader Jian. I only need to know that you have never taken me seriously. That alone tells me everything." He cupped his fists.

"Goodbye, Vice Sect Leader."

Lian Cheng turned to leave, but before he could step away, a group of black-armored swordsmen entered the garden and surrounded him, another group came in and obstructed all the exits.

"Man, that’s rich coming from you." An anger-inducing voice drawled from the distance. A man in blue and green robes with a scarf walked into the garden. The clothes he wore looked simple, but in the eyes of the former Heaven Forging Lord, Lian Cheng, they were anything but ordinary.

At a single glance, he knew those clothes were made for defense and had great durability. From his experience, this kind of fabric would be impossible to create or even find in the lower realm.

The man was none other than Wei Chen.

"Ask yourself, buddy. If you knew you were talking to a scammer face to face, would you take them seriously? Not smashing your head in is already polite enough, if you ask me." He spoke with a mocking smile.

"A scammer? You are mistaken. I have the integrity to not resort to such things. Do not dare look down on me," Lian Cheng said angrily.

Wei Chen shook his head, his punchable smirk still plastered on his face.

"Says the guy who does not even dare to use his real face when talking to others. If that is not a scammer, then what is it? A clown?"

"You!" Lian Cheng nearly lost control and wanted to rush forward to punch that smirk off his face. Just looking at him was infuriating.

But the number of black-armored men surrounding him quickly extinguished his anger. His spiritual sense could not detect their cultivation. That meant they were all stronger than him.

And the man in front of him... his battle instincts, honed over more than a millennium, screamed that this man was dangerous. Even if he went all out and used all his artifacts and trump cards, surviving an assault from this man would still be difficult.

Wei Chen walked forward and stopped a few meters in front of Lian Cheng.

"So, are you going to sit down, take off your mask, and talk face to face like a proper, civilized person? Or are you going to continue playing this stupid game?" he asked, looking straight into Lian Cheng’s eyes as if peering into his soul.

Lian Cheng felt extremely uncomfortable under Wei Chen’s gaze. He hated it. It felt as if all his secrets, schemes, and every dark and ugly part of himself were laid bare before this man.

Seeing Wei Chen, he could not help but think of the woman he loved, the regret he wanted to correct in this life... Mo Xingyao.

He did not want to admit defeat to this man, even though accepting the offer and coming clean was the wisest choice.

"I am the Forge Lord, I..." Lian Cheng tried to continue, but Wei Chen cut him off.

"Be warned. If you still want to play this stupid game, you will definitely pay a stupid price. Do not say I did not warn you... Lian Cheng." Wei Chen paused, waiting for his response.

Lian Cheng hesitated for a moment. But seeing the man in front of him, the man who had won the heart of the woman he loved, he refused to lose.

This was one of those moments when his pride...

Got the better of him.

"What are you talking about? I am the Forge Lord, master of Lian Cheng. You must have mistaken me for my disciple. His artifact forging skills are more advanced than many artificers."

Wei Chen let out a sigh. "I see... what a pity." He raised his hand. "Beat him and take off his mask."

With a small flick of his fingers, he signaled the start. All the black-armored men rushed toward Lian Cheng.

Lian Cheng gritted his teeth and immediately activated his artifact. It was an escape talisman he had painstakingly forged himself. As the former Heaven Forging Lord, he was confident that no spatial lock technique or array in the lower realm could hinder him.

"Hmph. I do not have time to play with you clowns. Farewell." Golden light shone from his body.

But suddenly...

"What? No! Aaargh!" Lian Cheng cried out in alarm. His legs vanished.

The escape talisman had only teleported his legs. He could feel it. The spatial lock had been fine-tuned to lock specific coordinates instead of an entire area.

With such precision, escape was impossible, no matter how powerful his talisman was. Moreover, he could sense it. The quality of the spatial lock device was far beyond anything the lower realm could produce.

Lian Cheng’s body fell to the ground, blood spilling from where his legs had been. He glared at Wei Chen with hatred.

"You despicable worm!" Lian Cheng cursed.

Wei Chen walked toward Lian Cheng, who was crawling on the ground. "I warned you, buddy... this is the stupid price you get." 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

He then turned toward the group of men in black armor. "Ok folks, stop his bleeding and take off his mask. C’mon, chop chop, get to work."

Wei Chen clapped, and the group of black-armored men quickly got to work. They poured Coagulating Blood Powder onto the wound, and the blood quickly coagulated and solidified into a dark red gel that covered it.

One of the men in black armor took out a strange orb-like tool and hovered it near Lian Cheng’s face before activating it. A blue light shone and touched his face. In the next moment, Lian Cheng’s face froze as if time had stopped. However, it was clear that what had frozen was the material covering his face, like a second skin.