Tang Yuan snorted: "It was just asking for information, aren't you all anxious too? I was doing you a favor. To speak of me so poorly, be careful I report you to the Third Young Master! You'll regret ever crossing me..."

Another voice chimed in: "Master, this disciple is willing to testify for Chenfeng. This fatty has been wielding authority like a divine decree since we started. He commanded us in everything we did, and we were truly suffering untold hardships. While assisting Master is my duty as a disciple, well... in short, it’s a long and bitter tale..."

The sudden address of "Master" made Young Master Jun pause for a moment, before he suddenly recalled that Hai Chenfeng's old partner, Song Shang, was none other than his own disciple. Though it was merely a master-disciple relationship forged over 'the Way of Wine,' and Young Master Jun himself had seemingly never officially acknowledged it, this old disciple always referred to him as Master whenever he mentioned him, never once deviating.

That single utterance of "Master,"

brought a flood of memories back to Young Master Jun: that rain, that banquet, that wager—everything unfolded before his eyes, an endless warmth washing over him.

That was when he was at his weakest in this entire world...

The group burst into laughter together, walking inward amidst the cheerful noise. Seeing Sun Xiaomei trailing quietly behind, Jun Moxie was struck by a mischievous thought and asked with ill intent: "Wow, Fatty, you've really made something of yourself now... After all this time, your wife hasn't lost another bet?" Tang Yuan’s usually round face instantly contorted into the shape of a bitter gourd, looking ready to weep without tears: "Third Young Master... don't play games like that... Are you trying to kill me? Things just settled down for me not even a few days ago... Hiss... It hurts so much..."

It was Sun Xiaomei who delivered a sharp pinch to his waist, retorting with mock anger: "Fatty, you've got some nerve, just you wait!"

Then she huffed and marched off with her head held high.

Tang Yuan immediately became flustered and helpless, scrambling after her, begging for mercy: "Wife... I really won't, how can I... I, I, I... You have to believe me..."

Watching the fatty bow and scrape, nose running and eyes brimming with tears, following Sun Xiaomei with apologies like a groveling earthworm, everyone else couldn't help but laugh in schadenfreude. Jun Moxie only stayed in Tianxiang City for two days before receiving word from the contingent from the Ethereal Phantom Mansion.

During those two days, Jun Moxie had been so pestered by that fellow Tang Yuan that he nearly called him 'Grandpa,' truly experiencing firsthand the misery of Hai and Song. Who knew where this guy had managed to acquire so many different versions? He spent every day clutching a thick stack of books, forcing them upon Jun Moxie to narrate the saga of the Evil Monarch battling the Three Great Holy Lands...

In just two short days, Tang Yuan had managed to acquire nearly sixty different versions at exorbitant prices, even compiling them into volumes, dragging Jun Moxie along daily to read them. By the end, whenever Jun Moxie saw Tang Yuan approaching excitedly with a book in hand, his own head would start throbbing painfully, short of crying out for rescue...

The moment he received news from Cao Guofeng and the others at the Ethereal Phantom Mansion, Jun Moxie fled Tianxiang City in a manner best described as a panicked rout—one might even say scrambling away in utter disarray...

Reflecting on the current state of affairs, the only person capable of terrifying the Evil Monarch, Young Master Jun Moxie, into such a state was none other than Fatty Tang. This achievement by Young Master Tang Yuan was not only unprecedented but destined to be unparalleled!

However, in those same two days, Jun Moxie had also bestowed a batch of elixirs upon Tang Yuan, Sun Xiaomei, Hai Chenfeng, Song Shang, and the others.

They were intended to boost their strength; Tang Yuan had absolutely no interest in Profound Qi, and his current low cultivation level hadn't even reached the Gold Profound tier. Though he wouldn't need them, Jun Moxie still kept a portion for Sun Xiaomei—should the fatty ever have a whim to cultivate someday, these few pills would serve as his greatest motivation.

Delivering medicine to Fatty and to Song Shang and Hai Chenfeng... that was actually Jun Moxie's primary purpose for coming here!

Furthermore, Jun Moxie had also left the fatty a large quantity of low-grade elixirs, such as Bone-Shattering Pills, to help him earn money... Although he hoped the fellow might actually consume one to consolidate his own power, Jun Moxie could clearly discern from the fatty's avaricious expression: this chap would probably rather trade them all for silver than use any himself...

Jun Moxie planned that if he ever succeeded in refining a Marrow Cleansing Pill without side effects, he would immediately force-feed it to this fatty. Otherwise... in just a few short decades, the fatty would depart this world. How dreadfully dull this world would become without Fatty!

After he left, Tang Yuan issued an order: Acquire every book related to the Evil Monarch at full price. Different versions were acceptable at higher prices; even newly fabricated stories were fine. Then, compile them uniformly and catalog them in the study...

Because the fatty genuinely believed these tales were the funniest jokes he had ever encountered in his life. Every version, no matter which, was delightful and capable of inducing uncontrollable laughter. The only regret was that the protagonist in every story never seemed to resemble his close friend, Young Master Jun Moxie... Was that kid really so flawlessly heroic?

With the immense backing of the unparalleled 'Man of Wealth' that was Tang Yuan, various strange anecdotes and stories about the Evil Monarch began to spring up like mushrooms after a spring rain across the entire continent, arriving ceaselessly... This acquisition campaign directly resulted in future generations endlessly debating the legendary figure of the Evil Monarch, with everyone arguing their own version of events... This only added several layers of ethereal mystery to the legendary life of the Evil Monarch. Of course, just how much of this was personally experienced by Young Master Jun, the genuine Evil Monarch, remained a subjective matter, provoking endless consideration...

Before them stretched a dense forest. Cao Shenghuang, Cao Guofeng, walked ahead with a stern face. Ever since leaving ** City, he had maintained this grim expression; his mood was evidently heavy. The other six knew well that he was displeased and generally avoided trying to engage him in conversation. The seven of them had been silent for several days.

His purpose for this journey was to find someone.

The group had already searched this mountain thoroughly several times, leaving no blind spots in their search. They had clearly heard that the person they sought lived here, yet the seven of them had combed through the entire mountain range repeatedly, discovering absolutely nothing. This expedition had been fraught with setbacks; both Cao Guofeng and Bai Qifeng, the leaders, were utterly frustrated. The only good news recently had been hearing rumors that the Three Great Holy Lands had suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of a newly emerged 'Evil Monarch,' losing heavily and nearly being wiped out entirely. Only then did they manage a brief moment of satisfaction. They discussed it gleefully for a while before falling back into their somber silence...

Gazing upon the exceptionally quiet forest before them, entirely devoid of any sign of human presence, Cao Guofeng finally decided to give up, having definitively confirmed that the person they sought would absolutely not be here.

The Cao Shenghuang, extremely frustrated, slammed his palm against a large tree beside him, lamenting: "This trip out has been nothing short of utterly disastrous! We couldn't find the person, we fell out with the Holy Lands—those scoundrels! What’s most infuriating is that the perfect candidate with the Clear Spirit Constitution, the suitable successor, simply vanished without a trace..."

Bai Qifeng sighed deeply, concurring with profound sympathy: "A youth possessing the Clear Spirit Constitution... one might need tens of thousands of years to see another like him. To lose him just like that... What a pity! What a terrible waste..."

The others all shook their heads and sighed, an underlying current of genuine hatred for the Three Great Holy Lands surging whenever this matter was brought up! If Zhan Mubai hadn't interfered, how could such a rare talent have disappeared so inexplicably?

But lamenting now was pointless. Even if they wished to settle accounts with Zhan Mubai, they couldn't. Because that Zhan Shenghuang had already met his end under the hand of the Evil Monarch, his soul utterly annihilated, doomed to eternal damnation!

This left Cao Guofeng nowhere to vent his frustration, plunging him into deeper despair!

"It seems the intelligence was flawed; the person we sought simply isn't here."

Cao Guofeng managed a wry smile, his energy depleted: "Not only did we fail to find the person on this journey, but our plan to assist the Three Great Holy Lands against the Nine Nether Fourteenth Young Master also went completely awry. Not a single task assigned by the Palace Master was accomplished... Our seven brothers have truly had the worst luck." Bai Qifeng said calmly: "The journey was fruitless, but was that due to faulty intelligence? How can we be blamed? Furthermore... what are those people from the Three Great Holy Lands really like? How could we possibly cooperate with them? The fact that we didn't crush every single one of them already shows great forbearance on our part. Eldest Brother, you shouldn't dwell on it too much. I believe if any other member of the Phantom Mansion had been leading, they wouldn't have let those people off so easily. The fact that you managed to maintain such control over the situation, allowing for smooth retreat and advance, is already commendable."

"But... regardless of the cause, the result is that nothing we intended to achieve was accomplished."

Cao Guofeng stated gravely: "Failure in any endeavor has reasons behind it, but those reasons are not excuses for failing to complete the task. Responsibility is responsibility! What must be borne must be borne."

"I understand!"

Bai Qifeng looked up at him: "Rest assured, the six of us are willing to bear this responsibility alongside Eldest Brother!"

"That is poorly said. Since I led this expedition, how can I allow you to share my burden of responsibility?"

Cao Guofeng expressed his displeasure. Then he sighed: "Actually, my brow has been furrowed these past few days because I've been contemplating something else entirely."

"What is it?"

"The Evil Monarch is almost certainly that Jun Family Third Young Master, Jun Moxie. I believe none of us doubts that anymore; however, Jun Moxie's sudden, powerful rise, and the formidable forces he commands, have brought me to a realization of a crisis capable of affecting the Phantom Mansion."

Cao Guofeng spoke with weight: "Jun Moxie confronting the Three Great Holy Lands was inevitable; and now, after repeated, massive losses, the strength of the Three Great Holy Lands is significantly diminished. As long as the Heavenly Holy Palace does not intervene, the destruction of the Three Great Holy Lands at Jun Moxie's hands is a certainty. Even if Jun Moxie can delay things by a few more years, even the Heavenly Holy Palace intervening might not be enough to stop him then! Such a person is truly the most terrifying, because he possesses an unparalleled and terrifying speed of advancement! The strength he currently commands is enough to make any contemporary power sit up and take notice!"