From the fake emperor to the concubine

No one could tell that her hand, hidden in her sleeve, was silently and ruthlessly carrying out torture.

However, even without Wei Siling's warning, Zhang Yunfan simply couldn't stand the alluring woman's nauseating tone and blatant provocation.

He forced a stiff smile that looked worse than a grimace, then immediately turned his head away, refusing to glance at the alluring woman again.

"Hmph!" Upon seeing this, the alluring woman's charming smile instantly turned cold. She curled her lip and scoffed disdainfully, "So you're just an unromantic blockhead, how boring!"

She immediately lost all interest in Zhang Yunfan, turned her head away, and stopped wasting any more feelings on him.

Finally, when Zhang Yunfan's gaze unconsciously turned to the female cultivator dressed as a village girl, she reacted like a startled rabbit. Just before Zhang Yunfan's eyes met hers, she frantically lowered her head, even turning her entire body slightly to the side. Her dark, rough fingers nervously twisted the hem of her coarse cloth dress, completely daring not to make any contact with Zhang Yunfan's gaze, as if his gaze carried scorching flames.

These four people were completely different, yet all exhibited strange reactions, especially the village girl's avoidance, which made Zhang Yunfan's heart skip a beat. He immediately said to Zheng Yi in his mind, "Senior! You were absolutely right, that woman... there really is something wrong with her!"

Zheng Yi's voice, tinged with amusement and a hint of testing, rang out slowly: "Oh? Tell me, what's the story you've uncovered this time? Why do you think she's acting strangely?"

While enduring the pain in his waist, Zhang Yunfan concentrated and quickly analyzed in his sea of ​​consciousness: "As the saying goes, too much of a good thing is bad! This woman's disguise is indeed perfect. Whether it is her clothing, temperament, or demeanor and movements, she plays the role of an ordinary village girl who has been lucky enough to accidentally step into the world of cultivation. It is almost impossible to find any flaws."

"Hmph!" Zheng Yi scoffed dismissively.

Zhang Yunfan was taken aback by the cold snort and asked in confusion, "Senior? Did I say something wrong?"

Zheng Yi's voice returned to its calm tone: "There's nothing wrong with it. You can continue your analysis."

He naturally wouldn't expose it. What was an impeccable disguise in Zhang Yunfan's eyes was as conspicuous as a firefly in the dark in front of him.

But at this moment, he was more interested in seeing how far Zhang Yunfan could deduce based on his own observations.

Seeing that Zheng Yi had no intention of explaining, Zhang Yunfan suppressed his doubts and continued to analyze attentively: "Although her appearance itself was very good, she overlooked the most crucial issue, which was the occasion!"

"This is a mysterious grotto used by the Zheng family to test their luck and select opportunities! Anyone who can come to the well at this time is definitely not an ordinary person."

Zhang Yunfan's tone grew increasingly certain: "The fact that she arrived at the core area so early in such a dangerous and fiercely competitive place proves that she is no ordinary person! She must be either incredibly strong, have extraordinary luck, or possess exceptional intelligence! No matter what the reason, it is absolutely impossible for such a timid village girl, who would panic at the mere sight of someone else, to behave like this!"

"This deliberate low profile and timidity create a huge contradiction with the achievements she has made."

"This junior thinks that this woman..."

His strength is absolute, very formidable.

Zheng Yi mercilessly punctured Zhang Yunfan's little bit of "analysis": "Nonsense! Do you even need to go through all that trouble analyzing this?"

Zheng Yi's tone was full of helplessness at the inability to teach his son, and even carried a hint of amusement in exasperation: "The fact that they were able to reach this wellhead before you and Wei Siling shows that they are better than you. Isn't that a fact that even a blind person could see? It's simply obvious!"

Zhang Yunfan was taken aback by Zheng Yi's blunt and almost crude conclusion. He then habitually scratched the back of his head, revealing his signature chuckle, which was a bit silly and embarrassed: "Hehe, senior, you're absolutely right! How come I didn't think of that?"

He chuckled to himself as he reflected, "With someone as capable as Wei Siling leading the way, my speed is far faster than other cultivators. Yet, even so, we still arrived later than these people..."

Just then, Zheng Yi suddenly let out a malicious chuckle in Zhang Yunfan's mind: "By the way, kid, let me tell you another interesting little fact for free..."

He paused deliberately, seemingly appreciating Zhang Yunfan's reaction:
"If it weren't for you slowing us down, Wei Siling would likely have arrived here no later than any of these four people, and might even have arrived earlier!"

These words struck Zhang Yunfan like an invisible club, precisely hitting his smugness and smug grin.

The simple, silly smile on Zhang Yunfan's face instantly froze, like a frozen lake, completely solidified on his face.

The corners of her mouth still held an upward curve, but the light in her eyes dimmed, leaving only deep astonishment and a hint of embarrassment.

Although his relationship with Wei Siling wasn't that of traditional teammates fighting side-by-side and sharing life and death, but rather a transaction of interests bound by a contract, Zhang Yunfan, a man with deep-seated male pride, felt as if his heart had been stuffed with a damp wad of cotton when he was suddenly exposed as a burden to a woman, even if that woman was far more capable than him. The feeling was heavy and suffocating, and he instantly became extremely unattractive, an indescribable sense of shame quietly creeping into his heart.

"Master? Master, what's wrong?!" Wei Siling, who had been keeping an eye on Zhang Yunfan, immediately noticed his abnormality.

Seeing Zhang Yunfan's face change so rapidly in just a few breaths, like a spilled palette, first turning red with shame, then turning deathly pale at the thought of dragging others down, and finally turning bluish-black from being choked by Zheng Yi's words, was truly remarkable.

Wei Siling's heart skipped a beat. Her first thought was, "Oh no! Could it be that the seductive woman used some kind of mind-controlling spell while she was speaking? Or was that ugly man's vicious gaze cursed?"

She immediately became anxious, grabbed Zhang Yunfan's arm, and subconsciously used her spiritual power to probe into his body.

This anxiety didn't stem from any deep concern; the main reason was that they were bound by that deadly master-servant contract.

If Zhang Yunfan really falls victim to an ambush here and something happens to him, Wei Siling will also be in big trouble!
Zhang Yunfan was pulled back to reality by Wei Siling's actions and anxious calls. Feeling the force on his arm and seeing Wei Siling's tense expression, he immediately realized that she had misunderstood.

He quickly waved his hand vigorously, forcing a reassuring smile, and hurriedly explained, "Don't be nervous, don't be nervous! I'm fine! Really fine! I wasn't poisoned by anyone's magic."

He took a deep breath, trying to calm the embarrassment on his face: "It's really just... I suddenly remembered some... unpleasant things, and I just got a little distracted."

As he explained, he subconsciously glanced at Wei Siling, his eyes filled with a complex and indescribable sense of guilt. He felt sorry for slowing her down and frustrated by his own powerlessness. However, from Wei Siling's perspective, Zhang Yunfan's gaze at her at that moment revealed a tenderness that sent chills down her spine and was difficult to comprehend.

That look seemed to contain too many emotions she couldn't understand—deep, complex, and even a hint of pity that sent chills down her spine.

The look that appeared on Zhang Yunfan's face was even more terrifying than seeing that ugly man smile at her!
Almost instinctively, like a startled rabbit, Wei Siling took several steps back, instantly widening the distance between herself and Zhang Yunfan.

Her beautiful eyes were filled with vigilance and wariness, her body tensed slightly as she adopted a defensive posture, and her voice carried a hint of barely perceptible tension: "You... what do you want to do?"

She stared intently at Zhang Yunfan, as if he were about to do something incomprehensible.

Zhang Yunfan was completely stunned by Wei Siling's sudden and intense reaction, utterly bewildered: "Huh? Me? What did I do?"

He looked down blankly at his empty hands, completely baffled as to why the woman was reacting so strongly.

Just as the awkward atmosphere between Zhang Yunfan and Wei Siling, which was almost frozen due to the misunderstanding, became increasingly intense, both of them were at a loss.

"Boom...boom...boom..."

A series of heavy, rhythmic, and extremely oppressive footsteps approached from afar, clearly piercing the subtle silence on the platform, coming from the direction they had come from.

Accompanying the footsteps was the crisp, clattering sound of metal armor plates rubbing and colliding against each other, the rhythm perfectly synchronized with the steps, each step sounding exceptionally steady and powerful.

The footsteps carried a peculiar rhythm; each heavy thud felt as if it were not stepping on stone slabs, but rather striking the listener's heart directly, causing the heart to involuntarily contract slightly with each thud, bringing a strange sense of suffocation.

Soon, the owner of the footsteps stepped onto the platform beside the well.

The moment Zhang Yunfan and Wei Siling saw the newcomer's face and attire, they tried their best to remain calm on the surface, their breathing rate not changing at all, but their hearts were already in turmoil.

This person!

The unique aura emanating from their martial arts technique was almost identical to that of the iron tortoise they had killed together in that cave!
Of course, this does not refer to appearance.

The person in front of me is completely different from that short, fat, and sleazy iron turtle.

He wore a set of fine, pale gold fish-scale armor, the plates of which were dense and tightly packed, reflecting a cold and dazzling metallic luster.

This man was extremely tall and robust, his entire body covered in a set of imposing light gold armor. Standing there, he resembled a war god who had walked out of an ancient battlefield, exuding an aura of domineering power capable of sweeping away thousands of troops.

The weapon he gripped tightly in his hand was none other than a grotesque halberd! The crescent-shaped blade gleamed with a cold light, its edge so sharp it seemed to cut through the line of sight. Just by being held quietly in his hand, it exuded a chilling and menacing aura that was truly terrifying!
Although one was tall and mighty like a god descending to earth, and the other was short, fat, and sleazy like a groundhog burrowing into a hole, the unique aura emanating from the same cultivation technique on both of them, that heavy, condensed spiritual energy fluctuation with a metallic sharpness, was like a lighthouse in the dark night, clearly proclaiming their connection to Zhang Yunfan and Wei Siling!
As cultivators, they are accustomed to life and death and take a relatively indifferent view of death.

However, they had just joined forces to kill one of them when they ran into the victim's own brother or fellow disciple.

Both of them felt somewhat awkward.

Zhang Yunfan and Wei Siling tried their best to maintain their composure, staring straight ahead or at the ground, for fear that a single glance would reveal the turmoil in their hearts.

On the contrary, the golden-armored strongman stepped onto the platform, and his sharp eyes, like those of a hawk, swept across the entire area precisely. Without the slightest hesitation, he locked onto Zhang Yunfan and Wei Siling.

That gaze was like a tangible probe, carrying a scrutinizing and cold undertone.

After a moment's hesitation, as if confirming something, the burly man quickly stopped hesitating, took heavy steps, dragging his armor plates with a rustling sound, and strode straight toward where Zhang and Wei were standing!

Zhang Yunfan and Wei Siling, who had initially held onto a sliver of hope and were still uneasy, realized that the burly man had come looking for them when they saw him heading straight for them.

Their killing of the Iron Turtle has been exposed!
After all, in the world of cultivators, it may be extremely difficult to monitor a cultivator's specific actions in real time, but it is incredibly easy to find out the life or death of a close relative or fellow disciple through bloodline sensing, the extinguishing of the soul lamp, or the shattering of the life tablet.

When the matter had come knocking on their door, the initial unease caused by their guilty conscience quickly receded like a receding tide, disappearing without a trace.

Instead, there's a resolute calmness born from being cornered. Since there's no escaping it, then face it!
The tall figure, casting a heavy shadow, finally approached, completely blocking the light that was directed at Zhang and Wei, enveloping them in a gloomy atmosphere.

Zhang Yunfan took a deep breath, suppressing the last trace of unease, and suddenly raised his head. His eyes no longer darted away, and he met the burly man's fierce gaze without fear, his voice deliberately remaining steady.

“Fellow Daoist,” Zhang Yunfan cupped his hands in greeting, his tone neither humble nor arrogant, “what brings you two here?”

"Hahaha!" The burly man in golden armor let out a hearty yet oppressive laugh.

He raised his hand and ripped off the grotesque helmet that only revealed his eyes and nose, casually tucking it under his arm to reveal a rugged face weathered by time and covered with a thick beard. His eyes, at that moment, seemed to burn like molten lava, blazing with intense heat.

To Zhang Yunfan's surprise, he didn't see any hatred in the man's eyes.

"Fellow Daoists, why pretend to be ignorant when you know the truth?" His voice, like muffled thunder, echoed across the platform: "Since I've come directly to you two, it's naturally because my good-for-nothing brother should have died at your hands not long ago, right?" (End of Chapter)