“Any unfamiliar Spirit Masters have entered the city?”
“None.”
Seeing the emaciated old man opposite him shake his head, Tie Feng’s brow also furrowed deeply.
This Heart’s Intent City derived its name from the Heart’s Intent Sect, and the entire metropolis was filled with the eyes and ears of that sect. If any unfamiliar face appeared, he would know immediately. Calculating by the travel time, if that person intended to cause trouble at the Heart’s Intent Sect, they should have arrived long ago, yet there was still no movement.
Could it be that he had changed his mind?
“Elder Hu, are the people from the other five sects all ambushed and ready?” Tie Feng asked again.
“Sect Master, please rest assured. Everything is in place. Once that person enters Heart’s Intent City, I guarantee he won't escape even with wings.” The thin old man said with complete confidence.
“That’s good. Continue to monitor closely.”
“Yes.”
Tie Feng never left the estate, staying from morning till noon, yet receiving no useful intelligence.
It wasn't until the sun began to slant westward that Elder Hu led in a burly man with an honest face, hurrying in to report an important development.
“What?”
A minute or two later, Tie Feng crushed the “Divine Origin Manifestation Token” in his hand into dust, erupting in a rage that turned the burly man’s face ashen.
“Did that person really fly in from the heavens?”
Forcing down the anger boiling in his chest, Tie Feng’s face showed suspicion. As early as before nightfall yesterday, he had positioned several Ninth Tier experts around the city walls. Even if someone flew in, there should have been some kind of detection. Could that person’s strength truly be so terrifyingly potent?
“That person originally intended to cause trouble at our Heart’s Intent Sect, but after hearing news of the Pill Immortal Sect, he suddenly left. Perhaps he truly changed his mind and set his sights on the Pill Immortal Sect.” After a pause, Tie Feng said in a deep voice, “Elder Hu, immediately notify our counterparts in the five sects and tell them to return.”
“Understood.”
Elder Hu nodded, taking the burly man out with him.
Tie Feng pondered for a moment, a cold sneer creeping onto his rugged face as he muttered to himself, “Daring to cause a scene in Ascension Dragon City—truly ignorant of life and death. The Pill Immortal Sect is about to host the ‘Pill Palace Immortal Assembly.’ Our sect was already intending to go observe the spectacle. Perhaps we can even send you off properly.”
...
After half a day of swift travel by the Phantom Eagle King, Nie Kong was only about ten li away from Ascension Dragon City.
Nie Kong was now certain that the group of mysterious experts he had heard about this morning in Heart’s Intent City were Kou Xilai and his company.
Because while speaking with that burly man, Nie Kong’s soul power had silently entered the man's Sea of Consciousness, probing out some key information. Within that man’s memory lingered a distinct figure; upon brief identification, Nie Kong recognized him as Ye Haoran, an Eighth Grade Medicine King from the Spirit God Palace.
Since Ye Haoran was here, it stood to reason that Kou Xilai, the Spirit God Palace Master, must also be present, and the other Eighth Grade Medicine King from the Spirit God Palace, Zhan Tianfeng, would surely be with them too.
That Zhan Tianfeng was the direct culprit behind Hua Mei’s amnesia. His escape had always been a source of deep regret for Nie Kong.
Now that he had concrete news of them, Nie Kong let out a breath of relief.
Regarding the morning’s encounter, Nie Kong felt a strange mix of amusement and exasperation. He had worked diligently for several days, eliminating sects like the Soaring Heavens Sword Pavilion one by one, until only the Heart’s Intent Sect and the Nine Zen Gate remained. Yet, he got the final answer from a mere breakfast stall vendor—it was truly laughable.
But no matter what, this incident had saved Nie Kong a day or two of effort.
Of course, if Nie Kong knew that a few words from that vendor had steered him away from a meticulously planned ambush, he might have been even happier.
With the target now set, the only question was how to find Kou Xilai and the others within the Pill Immortal Sect.
Searching his memory for information related to the Pill Immortal Sect, Nie Kong suddenly felt a stirring in his heart. It had only been a couple of days since Kou Xilai and the others were taken away by that Pill Immortal Sect Elder, when the Pill Immortal Sect suddenly invited Medicine Kings from all regions to announce the ‘Pill Palace Immortal Assembly.’ He wondered if these two events were connected in some way?
While contemplating this, Nie Kong instructed the Phantom Eagle King to land.
Separating its body and soul—storing them respectively in his Pet Backpack and his Cinnabar Field—Nie Kong then reverted his appearance to the stout, burly strongman he had initially presented as, shooting toward Ascension Dragon City like an arrow loosed from a bow.
Four or five days had passed; perhaps that girl Tai Yan had made new progress!
Half an hour later, Nie Kong entered Ascension Dragon City for the second time.
In the span of a few days, the situation within Ascension Dragon City had changed drastically. Powerful Spirit Masters were scattered everywhere on the streets; without even needing to deliberately sense them, he detected the aura of multiple Ninth Tier experts. It was obvious that these changes were all thanks to the “Pill Palace Immortal Assembly.”
What exactly was so attractive about the “Pill Palace Immortal Assembly”?
Nie Kong used his memory to locate his previous inn. Just as he reached the door of the room, Nie Kong heard a burst of silver-bell-like laughter, interspersed with several male voices. Tai Yan’s voice was among them, and judging by the atmosphere, Tai Yan seemed quite familiar with the other men and women in the room.
Had she made friends so quickly in Ascension Dragon City?
With a touch of doubt, Nie Kong pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The sounds instantly ceased, and pairs of eyes swept toward Nie Kong. Besides Tai Yan, there were three men and two women in the room—the men handsome, the women beautiful, all appearing to be in their early twenties. Seeing Nie Kong, the uninvited intruder, they all looked somewhat startled.
“Brother, you’re back.”
Tai Yan’s beautiful eyes lit up, and she drifted over like a crimson cloud, throwing herself into Nie Kong’s embrace.
Hearing this, the expressions of the others immediately returned to normal. A green-skirted woman with a melon-shaped face smiled sweetly, “You must be Tai Yan’s brother, Tai Shuang? We’ve heard her mention you many times these past few days. You truly are just as Tai Yan described—your appearance is very… well, imposing.”
Saying this, the green-skirted woman couldn't help but chuckle.
Tai Yan? Tai Shuang?
Nie Kong looked down at the girl in his arms with surprise, only to see her grinning and winking at him. He instantly understood; these were the fake names she had given them.
Previously, upon detecting others in the room, Nie Kong had worried that Tai Yan might accidentally reveal the names “Nie Kong” and “Tai Yan.” If the Pill Immortal Sect or Kou Xilai were to find out, it could easily ruin things. Now, Nie Kong realized his worry was entirely unnecessary.
“That’s right, I am… Tai Shuang.”
Nie Kong smiled, “And you are?”
Tai Yan beamed, quickly introducing the others to Nie Kong.
The green-skirted woman was named Yu Lianxiu, and the other woman was Hua Feifei. The three young men were named Teng Jiao, Lin Rong, and Xiang Tiange. All five of them were core disciples of the Pill Immortal Sect. Furthermore, the man named Teng Jiao was the grandson of one of the Pill Immortal Sect’s Elders.
As Tai Yan introduced them, Nie Kong noticed that when Teng Jiao, Lin Rong, and Xiang Tiange looked at him, their smiles carried a hint of ingratiation, especially Teng Jiao’s.
A thought flashed through Nie Kong’s mind, and he immediately understood, secretly chuckling to himself. At this moment, Tai Yan hugged Nie Kong’s arm, her delicate face filled with joyous smiles, and she said sweetly, “Oh, I forgot to tell you all, Tai Shuang isn’t just my brother, he’s also my husband!”
...