Chapter 382

"Saint Ancestor..."

"Oh, you mean the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor? If he knew about your thoughts on your innate spiritual treasure, do you really think he would protect you?"

"…"

Loyalty is never absolute; it is, in fact, a form of absolute disloyalty...

The Blood River Ancestor fell silent.

It was clear he lacked confidence.

"What do you intend to do? If you want me to bow down and submit..." The Blood River Ancestor let out a cold laugh, "You can forget it."

Zheng Fa smiled and suddenly pulled out a stack of papers from behind him.

"…A Cooperation Agreement?"

After reading through it, the Blood River Ancestor understood Zheng Fa's intentions.

The agreement was, of course, unfair—

It stipulated that the Blood River Ancestor must obey Zheng Fa's commands, could not enter or leave the Nine Mountains Realm without permission, could not harm anyone from the Nine Mountains Realm, and could not disclose various secrets, among other things...

On the other hand, it guaranteed that Zheng Fa would not deliberately harm the Blood River Ancestor, would not assign him tasks without considering the risks, and was even willing to modify the agreement in the future to grant him more freedom...

As he read, the Blood River Ancestor found himself thinking... perhaps being under Zheng Fa was better than being in the Great Freedom Demon Sect.

At least he wouldn't truly die...

After a long silence, the Blood River Ancestor suddenly spoke, "I... won't sign this."

"Excuse me?"

Zheng Fa frowned, his gaze turning cold.

He didn't want to let the Blood River Ancestor go, fearing that the latter would pose a threat to the Nine Mountains Sect or strengthen the Great Freedom Demon Sect.

Moreover, after hearing that the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor was interested in him, he was even more inclined to keep the Blood River Ancestor around to see if he could gather any useful information.

But if this guy was being difficult...

"The Saint Ancestor is about to descend."

The Blood River Ancestor said.

"!"

Everyone was inexplicably horrified.

Zheng Fa's mind raced, and he asked, "Chen Jun?"

(End of this chapter)

---

Chapter 328: Bottom Line Thinking, Where Do I Belong?

When the Blood River Ancestor heard Zheng Fa utter the name "Chen Jun," a look of confusion crossed his face. He stared at Zheng Fa, puzzled:

Wait, how does this guy know everything?

Seeing his expression, Zheng Fa and the others didn't even need to wait for his response.

Zheng Fa guessed "Chen Jun" was just a hunch stemming from a lingering question in his mind:

No matter how powerful the Great Freedom Demon Sect is or how long they have bided their time, a Huashen (Transcendence) is always valuable.

Didn’t the Taishang Dao go through all that trouble just to send a Jiang Chengkong?

Previously, when Jiang Chengkong sent word that several Huashen had gathered in Chen Jun, Zheng Fa couldn't figure out what was so special about that place to warrant such a congregation.

"So, the Huashen from the Great Freedom Demon Sect are in Chen Jun to welcome the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor?"

Uncle Pang's voice came through, low and heavy, quite unlike his usual tone.

Zheng Fa turned to look at him and noticed that his slightly round face had turned pale, his eyes fixed on the Blood River Ancestor, as if seeking confirmation.

"Heh." Perhaps seeing the genuine fear on his face, the Blood River Ancestor chuckled, not denying it, and pointed at the Cooperation Agreement Zheng Fa had produced. "The Saint Ancestor's descent... these things of yours are meaningless."

Zheng Fa understood the man's thoughts:

Is Zheng Fa's threat effective?

Yes, it is.

The Demon Sect is indeed not a good place, and the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor is not known for his good temper.

But what good is the Nine Mountains Sect if it ceases to exist?

It seemed the Blood River Ancestor noticed Zheng Fa understood his meaning, and he said softly, "Do you think the Saint Ancestor cares about our loyalty? He doesn't. He only needs us to fear him."

"…"

"Over the years, the Saint Ancestor has been in a deep slumber, so we naturally have fewer constraints..."

Zheng Fa suddenly thought of Lin Bufan.

The reason Lin Bufan survived that day was undoubtedly due to the Burning Blood Pill his uncle gave him.

But on the other hand, the curse of the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor had also weakened somewhat.

Now, listening to the Blood River Ancestor's words, it seemed related to the state of the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor.

He looked at the Blood River Ancestor, who wore an almost shamelessly candid expression. "You say I’ve thought about leaving the Saint Sect; I have indeed thought about it..."

"Everyone has thought about it."

"But who dares to act on it?"

Uncle Pang pressed on, "Why not dare?"

"As practitioners of the Demon Sect, our power comes from the Saint Ancestor and ultimately returns to him. The Saint Ancestor has the power of life and death over us."

"…"

Zheng Fa couldn't help but think of the two strange symbols in Lin Bufan's blood.

The talismans of the Nine Mountains Sect were still based on the blood of Lin Bufan.

These talismans are so miraculous, not because Lin Bufan is particularly strong—he's just a Qi practitioner.

What’s powerful is the bloodline he inherited from the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor, the strange symbols within that blood.

The Blood River Ancestor's claim that his power comes from the Saint Ancestor certainly has its merit.

"If I agree to your terms, how many more good days can I expect?"

The Blood River Ancestor asked, leaving Zheng Fa and the others at a loss for words.

After all, if the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor truly descends... then for him to join the Nine Mountains Realm would be akin to splitting his mind in two.

Zheng Fa asked a few more questions.

However, the Blood River Ancestor seemed reluctant to cooperate; the previous questions were common knowledge, and answering them wouldn’t yield much.

Zheng Fa stopped trying to persuade the Blood River Ancestor and turned to Sister Zhang.

Sister Zhang understood immediately, raising the Shanhe Seal in her hand. The Shanhe Zhenxing Talisman flew out, landing on the Blood River Ancestor's flying sword, subtly forming a golden net that trapped him, rendering him immobile.

"You!"

"This medicinal garden often has disciples visiting, and I wouldn't want to disturb your quiet cultivation, so I kindly invite you to be my guest," Sister Zhang said with a smile.

She understood Zheng Fa's unspoken thoughts:

Letting the Blood River Ancestor go wouldn't be wise—after all, he was a Huashen. If he returned, he might bolster the Great Freedom Demon Sect's strength.

More importantly, they had no idea if the Blood River Ancestor had gleaned any secrets about the Nine Mountains Realm...

The Great Freedom Demon Ancestor, for some reason, seemed fixated on Zheng Fa.

If the Blood River Ancestor returned and revealed a detail, it could allow the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor to see through the Nine Mountains Realm's strengths and weaknesses, or perhaps even view Zheng Fa as a valuable asset...

That would be a disaster.

But leaving the flying sword here wouldn’t work either—disciples often came to the medicinal garden, like Qian Zhenren, who would bring his students for experiments. If the Blood River Ancestor tried to entice or manipulate the Nine Mountains disciples, it would be a problem.

The best solution was for Zheng Fa and Sister Zhang to suppress him and keep him close, preventing any mischief.

Or rather, it was best for Sister Zhang to take action.

Although the Sun and Moon Bell was stronger in the Nine Mountains Realm, it had more functions—it also needed to be used for transforming heavenly merit, so it couldn't be away from the medicinal garden for long.

Sister Zhang understood these thoughts without Zheng Fa needing to say a word and directly suppressed the Blood River Ancestor.

The group walked back in heavy silence. Along the way, many disciples greeted the Sect Master and the elders respectfully, but at that moment, even Zheng Fa had no mind to acknowledge them.

They arrived at Zheng Fa's courtyard on Wanxian Island in tacit agreement.

The silence in the main hall lasted for a long time.

After a while, Uncle Pang finally turned his gaze to Zheng Fa. "Sect Master, what do you think?"

He rarely referred to Zheng Fa as Sect Master, but at this moment, using that title reflected the weight on his heart, making him uncharacteristically serious.

"First, we need to send word to Chengkong Shangren, informing the Xuanwei Five Sects about the Saint Ancestor's impending descent."

Zheng Fa's words were straightforward.

Uncle Pang nodded. "They’re probably more afraid of the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor's arrival than we are."

"And us?" Sister Zhang chimed in.

Zheng Fa fell silent, turning to look around at his sister, his master, and the two uncles. After a long pause, he finally spoke:

"The Nine Mountains Sect should naturally avoid the situation as much as possible."

"But I cannot."

Elder frowned. "You are the Sect Master of the Nine Mountains Sect; how can you think separately?"

"But the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor likely cares about me. Chengkong Shangren once said that the Nine Mountains Realm cannot stop a true powerhouse."

"The Great Freedom Demon Ancestor is probably one of them."

Zheng Fa shook his head and smiled, appearing surprisingly calm.

To be honest, he had felt a bit heavy earlier, but now he seemed much more carefree, speaking with a brightness that even outshone Uncle Pang and the others.

"…" The elder's expression was ten times darker than his, yet he had to admit that Zheng Fa was right.

What did the Nine Mountains Sect mean to the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor?

If the Nine Mountains Sect were truly coveted by that Demon Ancestor, it would likely be just Zheng Fa himself.

As for others, like himself, they were self-aware:

A figure like the Demon Ancestor would probably find it too much trouble to even glance at him.

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