Daoist Competition-Chapter 155 - 46: Qin Nan Delivers a Map, Fang Zhen’s Secret Plan

"Then I must thank you, Junior Sister." Zhang Yan took the map, glanced briefly at it, then folded it and stored it carefully in his sleeve.

With this map, he wouldn’t be blindly led by Zhao Zhen, but that was all it could offer. The places True Master Peng could access might not be places Zhang Yan could reach. Thus, the map’s greatest value was as a reference, preventing him from losing his way.

Qin Nan blushed and said, "Senior Brother is too kind. Last time, you helped me, and I haven’t properly thanked you yet..." At this point, she cried out in alarm, "Ah, that flying boat is still with me; I need to return it to Senior Brother." She reached toward her satchel to retrieve the flying boat.

Zhang Yan raised his hand to stop her and smiled, "Let that flying boat remain with you, Junior Sister. I don’t need it now. This way, when you visit me at Spiritual Paper Island in the future, it will be much more convenient."

Qin Nan thought for a moment, then nodded firmly.

The two talked for a while, and seeing it was nearing the hour of Xu (7–9 PM), with the sky growing darker, Qin Nan personally led the way and brought Zhang Yan to the eastern side hall.

The layout of Shouming Palace was simple. The main hall complex was arranged along a north-south axis, while side halls were positioned on either side. The terrain sloped downward to the south and upward to the north. The tallest building in the entire palace was Feihe Tower, which housed the core of all prohibitions on the island.

The Sea Eye Land lay beneath Feihe Tower. It was only with the tower suppressing the Demon Cave that the devils within were prevented from spilling out and wreaking havoc on the outside world.

Qin Nan escorted Zhang Yan to the side hall entrance before departing. She didn’t need to explicitly remind anyone; the stewards within the hall, being Daoist Nuns, wouldn’t dare offend a guest favored by their Ancestor Master. They quickly emerged to greet him.

Just as Zhang Yan was about to step into the hall, his gaze fell upon someone hurrying past. He stopped in his tracks and called out, "Senior Brother Feng, how have you been?" freewebnøvel_com

The person was Feng Ming. Ever since his sword duel defeat on Yingluo Island that day, followed by Elder Xun’s admonishments, he had been avoiding Zhang Yan. Even in their last encounter at Little Lang Mountain, he had done his best to evade him. Yet now, their paths had crossed again. After a moment of surprise, he awkwardly cupped his hands in salute and said, "So it’s Senior Brother Zhang."

Zhang Yan’s seniority in the sect was one generation above Feng Ming, but by the year of initiation, Zhang Yan had joined after him. Therefore, addressing each other as brothers while outside the sect was appropriate.

Glancing around, Zhang Yan noticed Feng Ming’s hurried steps leading toward the western hall chambers. From his stride, it was clear he was either going to meet Fang Zhen or attending to urgent matters. Zhang Yan’s eyes narrowed, calculating internally. Moving forward, he said, "The Demon Cave is exceedingly perilous, Senior Brother Feng. You are one of the sect’s elites; do take extra care."

Feng Ming dismissed the statement, "Yes, yes. With Senior Brother Fang around, there’s nothing to worry about."

Zhang Yan deliberately engaged Feng Ming in idle chatter about various topics. Each time Feng Ming tried to excuse himself, Zhang Yan would intercept him with another line of conversation. Though Feng Ming wanted to leave, Zhang Yan’s affable demeanor made it hard to act abruptly.

Just then, Zhang Yan’s peripheral vision caught sight of a figure. Without breaking his act, his voice rose slightly, "It’s been a pleasure speaking with Senior Brother Feng today. We must continue our chat another night by candlelight."

Feng Ming found the sentiment baffling, thinking, "Since when have we been this close?" He could only respond politely, "Certainly, certainly."

Zhang Yan smiled faintly, cupped his hands in farewell, and left.

Feng Ming shook his head and turned to leave, but he’d barely taken a few steps when a cold voice sounded behind him, "Junior Brother Feng, you seem rather close with Senior Brother Zhang."

Feng Ming froze, spinning around to see Fang Zhen standing there. Shocked, he quickly explained, "I simply ran into him on the road, Senior Brother. Please don’t misunderstand."

"Oh, is that so?" Fang Zhen’s expression carried a knowing smirk. He casually stepped closer and patted Feng Ming on the shoulder, "Junior Brother Feng, you worry too much. Zhang Yan and the others won’t live much longer—what need have we to concern ourselves with a group of doomed souls?"

Feng Ming was taken aback, asking, "Senior Brother, what do you mean by that?"

Fang Zhen laughed coldly, "Do you truly think the Demon Cave is easy to navigate? Xie Zongyuan and his ilk only have fragmented bits of information. In fact, some of that information was deliberately leaked by us."

Feng Ming quickly looked up, his face filled with astonishment as he stared at Fang Zhen.

Fang Zhen chuckled darkly, "The devils within the cave are no trifling matter. Apart from the Yin and Walking Demons, there are numerous True Demons running rampant. Should we encounter them, slaughtering cultivators of the Third Ming Qi Realm like us would be simple. During Senior Brother Zhuang’s cultivation in the Demon Cave years ago, he left behind restrictions at several locations. We can safely cultivate there, but Xie Zongyuan’s group knows nothing of this. Junior Brother Feng, as long as you follow me properly, you’ll surely enter the Xuan Guang Realm smoothly this time. And in the grand battle of Three Pools, you’ll have the opportunity to shine brightly and earn extra merits. When I establish my future sect, there will surely be a place for you."

Feng Ming inhaled sharply, too stunned to protest, and could only reply in agreement repeatedly.

Fang Zhen nodded in satisfaction, then leaned in closer and lowered his voice, "This time, I’ve brought the Five Fire Divine Weapon Circle. Even if Zhang Yan, Xie Zongyuan, and the others are lucky enough to avoid the devils, I will settle some of our grievances with them myself."

Before setting out, True Master Yan had summoned Fang Zhen personally to remind him that, if the opportunity arose, Zhang Yan should be discreetly eliminated. This would prevent him from being pushed by Meng and Sun as a rival in the future. To ensure success, True Master Yan even granted Fang Zhen the Five Fire Divine Weapon Circle that had previously been withdrawn.

Feng Ming froze in shock. Brotherly conflict—how bold! He wanted to dissuade Fang Zhen, but upon meeting Fang Zhen’s fierce gaze filled with hatred, he swallowed his words instead. After hesitating for a moment, he moved his lips and said, "Senior Brother, this might not be appropriate. Among our group is Han Clan disciple Han Ji—this could complicate matters. If word were to leak..."

Fang Zhen waved dismissively, his expression unconcerned, "You needn’t worry about him. Don’t be intimidated by his Han surname. I believe that he has a high chance of perishing here. If he becomes an obstacle, we’ll handle him along the way."

Feng Ming exclaimed in shock, "Senior Brother, but he’s a Han Clan member!"

The disciples of the Five Great Families were not ones to be killed casually. Even with Fang Zhen being True Master Yan’s protege, did he truly not fear retaliation from the Han Clan?

Fang Zhen snorted, his face showing disdain, "Han Ji is nothing more than the son of a concubine. He suffered severe injuries in the womb, and his father originally didn’t want him to be born. Only his mother’s insistence brought him into this world. Since childhood, he’s been neglected among the Han Clan. Cultivating for thirty-eight years, he barely reached Ming Qi Third Realm, relying entirely on a cultivation technique his mother secretly stole for him. Eventually, his mother was beaten to death when the matter was exposed, and out of consideration for Han Ji’s lineage, he was only confined for three years."

Laughing mockingly, Fang Zhen continued, "To the Han Clan, this man is a disgrace. Allowing him to join this expedition might even be their way of wishing him dead."

Feng Ming grew increasingly alarmed, thinking to himself, "How does Senior Brother Fang know all these secrets of the great families?" He felt an impenetrable mystery surrounding Fang Zhen and looked at him with renewed fear.

Noticing Feng Ming’s expression, Fang Zhen knew he had successfully intimidated him. Smugly, he declared, "In my eyes, Zhang Yan and Xie Zongyuan are but walking corpses. In this generation of the Mingcang Sect, it’s only a matter of time before the two of us dominate."

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PS: This is the first post-VIP Chapter. Thank you all for your continued support. Before the VIP transition, I will release two public Chapters. This is one, and the next will be posted tomorrow morning.

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