Chapter 195
Zheng Fa and the others nodded lightly at the words, remaining silent.
Clearly, there was nothing more to say.
---
"Yan Wushuang is here for a visit?"
Zheng Fa was engrossed in studying the "Shenxiao Yulei Zhenfa" when he suddenly heard a disciple announce the visitor. He paused for a moment, then hurried out of his room and into the main hall.
As soon as he entered the hall, Zheng Fa saw that both Senior Sister Zhang and Uncle Pang were already there, their expressions serious as they gazed at an old man across from them.
The old man was short and scruffy-looking, yet his demeanor was calm and composed.
Zheng Fa recognized him at once—wasn't this the legendary Sunsetting Sword Immortal who had slain a Nascent Soul with a single stroke?
No wonder Senior Sister Zhang and Uncle Pang were treating him with such gravity. There was even a hint of respect and gratitude in their expressions.
In terms of cultivation, given that the Sunsetting Sword Immortal rarely left his mountain, he was undoubtedly among the top tier in the Xuanwei Realm.
As for their relationship, regardless of the reasons, this man had saved Uncle Pang's life and had indirectly aided Senior Sister Zhang in her path to enlightenment.
Zheng Fa understood their expressions completely.
As he stepped through the door, he caught the old man's sharp gaze fixed on him.
That look was oddly familiar...
How to describe it?
Han Qi, it felt like I was seeing one of your family elders.
No, it felt more like I was facing your rival.
(End of this chapter)
---
**Chapter 190: The Younger Generation**
Zheng Fa was not mistaken.
The Sunsetting Sword Immortal's attitude towards him was quite peculiar.
"What is this...?" Zheng Fa glanced at the several jade boxes in front of him and turned to the two.
Yan Wushuang looked helpless and pointed at the old man beside him.
The old man, with a smile, said, "It's my first visit, so I can't be rude. These are just some humble gifts."
Uncle Pang scratched his head, looking confused and troubled.
He couldn't shake the feeling that this amiable old man was not the same one who had been too lazy to draw a second sword when he saved him...
With that thought, he felt a bit wary: could these two be disguising themselves as something they were not?
"This is... Master Han..." Zheng Fa was also a bit perplexed. "You have done great favors for our Jiu Shan Sect; it should be us visiting you. We were just afraid of disturbing your quiet cultivation."
"Great favors?" Master Han paused, as if realizing something. He glanced at Uncle Pang and said, "Saved him? No big deal; his life isn't worth much. I just used a casual sword stroke."
Uncle Pang's wariness slowly faded, replaced by a sense of relief—now that sounded more like the old man he remembered!
"Take a look..." Master Han gestured toward the jade boxes.
Zheng Fa couldn't refuse and opened a few of them to take a look.
His expression grew even more peculiar.
"Master Han... this gift is too generous."
There were only three jade boxes.
Two contained elixirs, and one held spiritual materials.
Zheng Fa couldn't identify them all, but the few he recognized were certainly valuable.
"Generous? Nonsense," Master Han waved his hand dismissively. "I heard you practice thunder techniques and wanted to buy some thunder-related materials, but..."
He tilted his head toward Uncle Pang, as if recalling something, then abruptly turned back to continue, "I don't know who bought up all the thunder materials on the market..."
"Master Han, I can't accept this," Zheng Fa said after a moment of silence, still refusing. "You coming to our Jiu Shan Sect is already an honor. Besides, we owe you a debt of gratitude; how could we take your things?"
To be honest, the Sunsetting Sword Immortal left him utterly baffled.
Moreover, gifts often come with strings attached.
A Nascent Soul-level cultivator so eager to forge a connection—Zheng Fa felt a twinge of unease.
Master Han's expression turned a bit dejected at his firm refusal, but he obediently put the jade boxes away, frowning in thought, his small stature somehow appearing a bit pitiful.
Meanwhile, Yan Wushuang and Zheng Fa began discussing.
"Talismans?" Zheng Fa perked up at the mention of talismans, momentarily setting aside his thoughts about the peculiar Sunsetting Sword Immortal. He nodded lightly and said, "Brother Yan, how do you propose we collaborate?"
He had promised Yan Wushuang before, and he certainly had no intention of going back on his word.
"I've thought it over. As I said, I can provide talisman paper and spiritual ink, even demonic blood, and help with sales. You just need to handle the production..." Yan Wushuang spoke confidently. "We'll split the profits fifty-fifty!"
Zheng Fa nodded lightly.
This arrangement seemed fair; Yan Wushuang likely wasn't trying to take advantage of him.
Under this plan, Jiu Shan Sect would essentially be making a risk-free profit.
A single talisman used to earn about a dozen spiritual stones.
Now, it would be around half that, just a few spiritual stones.
But the key point was—they would be taking on almost no risk.
They wouldn't need to invest any upfront costs.
It was akin to a technical partnership.
Zheng Fa had another consideration—
This collaboration would establish some initial ties between Jiu Shan Sect and Tianhe Sect.
After the recent turmoil, he had little faith in the Hundred Immortals Alliance.
It was better to go solo than rely on them.
Now, forging a connection with Tianhe Sect, regardless of its usefulness, would add a layer of protection—realistically, given the strengths of their two sects, a true partnership should resemble the relationship between Changchun Sect and Jiu Shan Sect.
That couldn't even be called a partnership; it was more like paying protection fees.
With that in mind, this condition became even more appealing.
He exchanged glances with Senior Sister Zhang, who simply said, "It's your decision."
Uncle Pang nodded in agreement.
Hearing this, Zheng Fa felt resolute and nodded at Yan Wushuang. "I accept your terms."
Yan Wushuang smiled and nodded, seemingly not surprised.
Once they reached a preliminary consensus, the rest were just minor details. Zheng Fa had his own people, and Yan Wushuang wasn't alone, so they could let others handle the negotiations.
However, Yan Wushuang raised another question: "Junior Brother Zheng, how many types of talismans do we currently have?"
Now that they were partners, Zheng Fa didn't hide anything. "We can currently produce fourteen stable types of talismans."
"All related to the soul?"
"Yes." Zheng Fa was surprised by how observant he was.
"Brother Zheng, I have an idea... While soul-related talismans are in high demand, we could also develop other types of talismans."
"That... at least the blood of the disciples from the Great Freedom Demonic Sect can't be used."
Zheng Fa felt a bit helpless.
The disciples of the Great Freedom Demonic Sect were truly unreliable!
"What do you mean..." Yan Wushuang suddenly understood, his eyes lighting up. "We could try using blood from other demonic sects?"
Uncle Pang's face turned pale at this.
He stiffly looked around his Five Dragon Heavenly Palace, seemingly assessing how many demonic sects he could withstand.
"Brother Yan!" Zheng Fa hurriedly interjected, "Just dealing with the Great Freedom Demonic Sect is already enough trouble for our Jiu Shan Sect!"
To be honest, if it weren't for the Great Freedom Demonic Sect's presence in Taiyang County, there would be no room for reconciliation with Jiu Shan Sect. Zheng Fa wouldn't dare to be so reckless with talismans.
"What are you afraid of? Those people..."
"Be cautious!" The Sunsetting Sword Immortal, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up. "The demonic sects are not that simple."
His words left everyone in the room momentarily stunned.
Given his status, the credibility of his warning was high.
Master Han frowned and said, "Our ancestor... has indeed slain a few demonic ancestors, but in this calamity, their legacies have resurfaced."
"..." The implications of this were rather terrifying.
"On another note, the secret realms of the demonic sects," Master Han warned, "the rules are not the same as in the Xuanwei Realm. The performance of demonic disciples in the Xuanwei Realm cannot be compared to their behavior in the secret realms."
"Never underestimate the demonic sects."
Zheng Fa couldn't shake the feeling that the old man was cautioning him specifically.
"...Why does this sound so much like the Heavenly Stele?" Yan Wushuang murmured.
"...You're not the only one who thinks so." The Sunsetting Sword Immortal chuckled oddly. "Our ancestor thinks so too."
"Our ancestor once left behind a saying."
"What was it?"
"Among the demonic ancestors, there is at least one who has opened the path—it's just that our ancestor chose not to follow that path."
"..."
Zheng Fa couldn't help but feel a bit of a headache.
Thinking about his own Five Elements Divine Light.
According to that statement, he had suddenly become the third in the Xuanwei hierarchy, or at least a provisional third?
"Remember, do not enter the demonic sect's secret realms lightly unless you are at the Nascent Soul stage! Even if you are at the Nascent Soul stage, it only means you have a chance to survive." The Sunsetting Sword Immortal reiterated, and Zheng Fa felt he wasn't mistaken; the old man was looking directly at him when he said this.
His words cast a heavy pall over Uncle Pang and the others.
They had managed to suppress the Great Freedom Demonic Sect within the secret realm, and with Senior Sister Zhang having advanced to the Nascent Soul stage, they felt a sense of pride.
Table of Contents
