Chapter 900: Zhu Yan's Prey

Hearing the Immortal Cultivator beside him ask, Zhu Yan grinned and laughed.

“Good, very good, indeed very good!”

“Hahahaha, naturally. Young Master Li is even more spiritually gifted than I imagined. Though he lacks spiritual energy, clear energy accompanies him. This disciple, I will certainly take!”

Upon hearing the elderly Immortal Cultivator’s words, Li Ping’s face lit up with joy. This immortal's cultivation was so profound that even Grand Preceptor Moyun, who had worked with Mr. Ji to save Madam Li and ensure Li Feng's safe birth, spoke highly of him. This Senior Immortal Tang was also an expert like Mr. Ji, and Li Feng becoming his disciple would greatly benefit both himself and the Li family.

“Senior Immortal, you flatter him, you truly flatter him, hahaha! My son Li Feng displayed extraordinary signs at birth, and even the Grand Preceptor said he was remarkable. For him to become your disciple is a blessing for Feng’er and for my Li family! Feng’er, quickly call him Master!”

Li Ping excitedly exchanged a few polite words, then urged his son to call him Master. However, Li Feng frowned and stood frozen. Despite his father’s command, he utterly refused to speak, instead looking pleadingly at Ji Yuan and Zuo Wuji behind him.

The elderly Immortal Cultivator, however, was amiable. He merely stroked his beard and smiled.

“Lord Li, there’s no need to rush. It’s natural for Li Feng to be a little wary since he hasn’t seen me before. Moreover, upon entering my lineage, proper etiquette and rules are essential. Calling me Master now is indeed a bit too soon…”

As he spoke, the elder approached Li Feng, patted his arm, and said kindly,

“Don’t be afraid, child. If you don’t wish to become my disciple, I will not force you.”

As the elder spoke, he also looked up at Ji Yuan and Zuo Wuji, as Li Feng had seemed to be looking at them earlier. One appeared to be a tutor for the child, and the other likely a family guard.

Li Ping, to the side, winked at Li Feng, but Li Feng deliberately pretended not to notice.

“Alright, alright, you must be tired from traveling all the way from Kuinan. Let’s all go inside the manor. You men, take the carriages to the back. Everyone else, come with me into the manor. Senior Immortals, please come in!”

“Lord Li, please!” “Please!”

Li Ping, with Li Feng, eagerly invited the two Senior Immortals into the manor, paying little heed to Zuo Wuji and the other servants.

Zuo Wuji had seen his share of Immortals by now; the number he encountered during the Battle of the Myriad Demons Banquet in the Black Wilderness surpassed those at any martial arts convention he had attended. As for Immortal cultivation, he believed Mr. Ji was certainly among the top tier. Therefore, he wasn’t particularly impressed by the two individuals before him. However, given their potential connection to Li Feng, and the strong, hidden aggression in one of their gazes, he was observing them carefully.

Ji Yuan also had a peculiar feeling. Looking at these two so-called Immortal Masters, he saw through the elder almost instantly; there was nothing special about him, merely a True Person in the pseudo-Chaoyuan realm at best. Of course, within the imperial capital of the Xia Yong Dynasty, a True Person cultivator held significant weight.

The Immortal Cultivator who caught Ji Yuan's attention was, naturally, the man who resembled a martial artist or a high-ranking warrior. This person had clearly recognized Ji Yuan at first glance. Although he seemed to possess immortal spiritual energy, his vital energy and blood were actually stronger, suggesting he might be a cultivator focused on physical refinement. However, a faint, unusual odor lingered in Ji Yuan’s senses.

While Zhu Yan focused his scrutiny on Ji Yuan, Ji Yuan had already opened his Dharma Eye. The unusual odor seemed to flicker, almost solidifying then disappearing, yet it gave Ji Yuan an extremely ancient feeling.

However, from beginning to end, it wasn't Ji Yuan's or Zuo Wuji's turn to speak. It wasn't until everyone ahead had entered the Li manor that Zuo Wuji leaned closer to Ji Yuan and whispered,

“Mr. Ji, that Senior Immortal with the white hair seems to be a bit problematic.”

Ji Yuan nodded.

“Keep an eye on Li Feng. This person is likely not an Immortal Cultivator.”

Zuo Wuji’s eyebrow twitched. He looked towards the manor gate, nodded, and then entered with Ji Yuan.

Meanwhile, Zhu Yan was in a state of extreme excitement.

‘No mistake, no mistake at all. Those eyes, that feeling – it must be Ji Yuan! I can’t believe I've been paying so much attention to him recently, and now I’ve met him in person so quickly! Did he give those Dharma coins to the Earth God? Did he craft them? How high is his cultivation?’

Li Ping had arranged a banquet, but it was still early, not yet time for the feast to begin. The first priority was naturally to arrange accommodation for Li Feng and his accompanying servants.

As Young Master Li, Li Feng naturally stayed in the best quarters. Li Ping’s new concubine escorted him there. Indeed, during his tenure as an official in the capital, Li Ping had not brought his family with him, but he had taken a new concubine here.

When the concubine led Li Feng away, she was very curious about the child and a little reserved. However, Li Feng bore her no ill will and was not reluctant to offer a slight smile. At the very least, this concubine-mother harbored no malice towards him and even tried to please him, presenting him with prepared lotus seed paste cakes and sugar-coated hawthorn berries as soon as they met.

In return, Li Feng’s sincere address of “Stepmother” significantly eased the new concubine's anxious heart.

As for Zuo Wuji and Ji Yuan, a steward of the Li manor led them to their accommodations. Because Li Feng had given specific instructions, the two, who would normally have shared quarters with other servants, now each had a private room.

However, as the steward escorted Ji Yuan and Zuo Wuji, things transpired somewhat unexpectedly for him.

“That courtyard over there is your lodging. This official residence is quite large, so remember the routes clearly, and be aware of which areas you can access and which are off-limits…”

The steward prattled on for a while before finally leaving. As soon as he was gone, Ji Yuan, who had been observing the room's furnishings, suddenly felt something. When he stepped out, the Immortal with short white beard and hair was already standing in the courtyard.

Zhu Yan bowed to Ji Yuan with cupped hands and smiled.

“I have long admired Mr. Ji’s esteemed name. Meeting you today truly proves that seeing is believing. My visit like this, I hope it’s not an intrusion?”

Ji Yuan stepped out of the corridor into the courtyard, took a step closer to Zhu Yan, returned the bow, and asked calmly,

“May I know who you are, and what brings you to me?”

Zuo Wuji also emerged from his room, squinting at the so-called Immortal. Zhu Yan merely smiled, and after a moment, replied,

“My name is Zhu Yan. I simply happened to learn of Mr. Ji’s whereabouts and came to see. Oh, and Mr. Ji, is this something you crafted?”

He is Zhu Yan?

Ji Yuan’s heart trembled. He looked at the Dharma coin in the other man’s hand, pondered for a moment, then nodded and replied,

“Indeed, this item is merely a playful creation of mine, not meant for grand display. I occasionally use it to cover certain expenses. Fellow Daoist Zhu, where did you acquire this Dharma coin?”

“Hahahahaha… Mr. Ji, please don’t be so modest. This ‘playful creation’ is quite extraordinary…”

Zhu Yan did not reveal where he got the Dharma coin, but instead took another step closer to Ji Yuan.

“Mr. Ji, how many of these coins do you have left, and is it convenient to craft more?”

“Crafting such an item is, of course, extremely difficult. I only made a batch back then and haven't created any more since. I now possess no more than twenty-odd pieces.”

“Oh…”

Zhu Yan nodded, putting away the Dharma coin in his hand.

“Then, Mr. Ji, would you be willing to teach me the crafting method for this ‘playful creation’? In exchange, I, Zhu Yan, will tell you a profound secret. How about that?”

Zuo Wuji had also walked into the courtyard by now and stated directly,

“Heh, as an Immortal, you should know that even among fellow Daoists, secret methods are not casually imparted. How can an outsider like you expect Mr. Ji to teach you such an exquisite technique, merely in exchange for a so-called secret? Isn’t that a bit too opportunistic?”

“And who are you?”

Zhu Yan looked at Zuo Wuji. The man indeed had an extraordinary bearing, and many of his garments were made of demon beast leather. Previously, Zhu Yan’s attention had been entirely on Ji Yuan, but this martial artist-like individual was also worth noting.

“My name remains unchanged wherever I go; I am Zuo Wuji.”

The moment Zuo Wuji stated his name, Zhu Yan’s eyes widened, and his lips stretched into an exaggerated, eerie grin, revealing a mouthful of ghastly white teeth.

“Hahahahaha… Zuo Wuji, you are Zuo Wuji. So, you must be the Human Martial Saint. Hahahahaha, I never would have thought, never thought, that I would encounter both Ji Yuan and Zuo Wuji at the same time!”

In an instant, Zhu Yan closed in on Zuo Wuji, extending his hand like a claw and striking directly towards Zuo Wuji's chest, giving no one time to react.

“Let me test the mettle of this Martial Saint of yours.”

At that moment, Zuo Wuji’s pupils contracted. A shadow of death seemed to engulf him instantly, his entire heart pounded, and everything before his eyes appeared to slow down. He saw only Zhu Yan and that claw, which seemed to glow a ghastly red in his vision, as if it had already seized his heart.

In an instant, Zuo Wuji's Martial Fiend Primordial Aura erupted around him. He tilted his body, using one hand to counter the claw and the other clenched into a fist, intercepting Zhu Yan's heart-gouging strike while simultaneously swinging his fist directly at the opponent's face. At the same time, his body bizarrely shifted to cling close to Zhu Yan.

The moment Zhu Yan's right hand was parried and he dodged Zuo Wuji's punch, Zuo Wuji's side shoulder and back were already pressed against Zhu Yan. His right foot hooked around Zhu Yan's left leg, and his entire body, like an arching mountain, slammed into Zhu Yan's side. Simultaneously, his punching right hand transformed into a claw, seizing Zhu Yan's collar.

“Bang… Swish…”

In that instant, Zhu Yan was directly thrown over Zuo Wuji's shoulder, crashing like a cannonball into the corner of the courtyard wall.

“Boom…”

That section of the courtyard wall collapsed instantly, burying Zhu Yan under bricks and dust.

Ji Yuan, on the side, squinted towards the corner of the wall, his hand still forming a sword-finger, as if ready to point a sword at any moment. Zuo Wuji subtly calmed his breathing and looked down at his clothes, which were largely torn open across his chest, revealing his bronzed pectoral and abdominal muscles. Although his skin seemed unbroken, waves of pain radiated through him.

“Hahahahaha… hahahahahahaha… Marvelous, truly marvelous! Worthy of the Human Martial Saint. I thought the rumors were exaggerated, but you've given me such a huge surprise!”

Zhu Yan rose from the rubble in the corner, brushed the dust from his body, and walked step by step towards Zuo Wuji and Ji Yuan.

“What technique is that? Although it’s far from perfect, it has a hint of indomitable Vajra about it. Truly interesting, interesting!”

Zhu Yan’s eyes glowed with an eerie bright yellow, and the skin and hair on his face visibly trembled, making Ji Yuan realize that this man was even more excited than when he first saw him. Was Zhu Yan truly so deranged?

However, Ji Yuan could not fathom Zhu Yan’s current excitement; the latter was so thrilled he almost couldn't help but roar at the sky. This Human Martial Saint was simply too marvelous. His marvel lay in his physique, in the terrifying foundation he had laid through his cultivation, and even more so in the destiny granted by the Martial Star of Tianqu!

‘If it could be further refined, if I could then seize this body, I would certainly recover fifty percent of my true power! No, perhaps even more! And then, with a single call, the human world would rally, and all demons and monstrous heroes would bow down…’

Zhu Yan’s excitement was practically uncontrollable.

“Come, come, quickly tell me what you cultivate!”

Zuo Wuji's face showed anger, and he said coldly,

“This is a secret martial art technique, Martial Fiend Primordial Aura!”

“Hahahahaha, a good name, a very good name! Martial Fiend Primordial Aura, but it’s still incomplete, not enough! Do you want to know how to approach Indomitable Vajra? Do you? I can guide you!”

On Ji Yuan’s side, Xiezhi’s voice had already reached his ears.

“Ji Yuan, this Zhu Yan is a madman. He’s already revealed his killing intent and thinks he has us cornered, acting with utter disregard. We should strike immediately and catch him off guard!”

But Ji Yuan conveyed back,

“Hold on for now!”