From the fake emperor to the concubine

Although the golden-armored strongman spoke in the form of a question, his resolute tone and all-knowing eyes already indicated that he had already reached a conclusion on the matter and was not seeking confirmation at all.

Since the other party has already laid out the truth, continuing to cover it up and deny it outright would only make you look petty.

Zhang Yunfan's hesitation vanished instantly. He took a deep breath, straightened his back, and stood up abruptly, meeting the burly man's sharp eyes, which seemed to pierce through one's soul.

“Fellow Daoist,” he said in a steady voice, with a hint of resolute determination, “Although I don’t know how you learned about this matter, since you are so certain, there is no need for us to make any more pointless arguments.”

"That's right, your younger brother did indeed die at my hands!"

These words struck Wei Siling like a thunderbolt!

Her beautiful pupils suddenly contracted sharply, and a storm raged in her heart. It was clearly her who had done it! She had used swift and decisive methods to kill that iron turtle in one blow.

How could this silly boy Zhang Yunfan so decisively take all the responsibility upon himself?
In the past, given Wei Siling's style and principle of prioritizing interests, she would have gone along with it without hesitation, even exaggerating the situation to pin all the blame on the seemingly simple-minded and easily bullied Zhang Yunfan, making him the scapegoat.

But this time, for some reason, a strong sense of unease and resistance suddenly surged from the depths of her heart! An unprecedented impulse to make Zhang Yunfan bear this blood debt for her overwhelmed her reason!

"I..." Wei Siling parted her lips slightly, almost revealing the whole truth.

However, she had barely begun to speak when Zhang Yunfan abruptly interrupted her with a resolute and unquestionable voice: "A real man should be responsible for his actions!" Zhang Yunfan's voice suddenly rose a few decibels, carrying an undeniable firmness.

"I killed him, there's no reason for me to deny it, and there's no reason for me to shirk responsibility!"

He abruptly changed the subject, his tone becoming stern: "Furthermore, fellow Daoist, you are well aware that this matter arose because your younger brother was greedy and wanted to kill and rob the treasure! His methods were ruthless and completely unreasonable!"

He looked directly into the burly man's eyes, his frankness tinged with a hint of accusation: "We were forced to retaliate and kill him. From both a moral and legal standpoint, it was self-defense; we were just trying to protect ourselves!"

Then, he softened his tone, adopting a resigned composure: "Of course, I'm not saying this to excuse or defend myself. A life for a life, that's only right!"

"If you have come here today to avenge your younger brother..."

"Come at me, Zhang Yunfan! This has nothing to do with anyone else!" He deliberately emphasized "anyone else" in an attempt to completely absolve Wei Siling of any involvement.

Despite Zhang Yunfan's resounding words, the burly man with the thick beard remained expressionless, his face as cold as ice, revealing no emotion whatsoever, his eyes as deep and unfathomable as an ancient well.

He slowly shook his head, his voice low and calm, yet carrying a power that pierced through illusion: "Fellow Daoist's words... are perhaps a bit presumptuous."

His scrutinizing gaze swept over Zhang Yunfan as if it were a physical object: "Although my younger brother is useless and his cultivation has stagnated for many years, but..." He paused slightly, his tone carrying an undeniable judgment: "With your current cultivation level, fellow Daoist, it's probably... not quite enough to kill him head-on. Even if he's injured, it's definitely not something you can easily accomplish."

As he spoke, his sharp, hawk-like gaze slowly shifted, carrying a tremendous sense of pressure, to Wei Siling, who had remained silent beside Zhang Yunfan.

"But this fellow Daoist..." His voice carried a hint of solemnity and inquiry: "His aura is deep and restrained, like a dragon lurking in the abyss. His strength is unfathomable, and it is difficult to see his full extent."

"In my opinion, the one who would truly take my brother's life is more likely this fellow Daoist, isn't he?"

Zhang Yunfan's mind went blank for a moment, as if struck by lightning: "This guy can use some kind of secret method or intuition to determine that his brother died in the presence of both of us, and may even have locked onto our residual aura! But he can't accurately determine who delivered the fatal blow at the last moment, or how."

Having grasped this crucial point, Zhang Yunfan immediately felt more confident, and his feigned composure took on a more genuine calmness.

"Fellow Daoist's insight is indeed keen!" Zhang Yunfan gave a helpless, bitter smile, as if he had been seen through, and continued, "You're right! With my meager cultivation, to think I could kill your brother head-on is nothing short of a pipe dream!"

The spiritual energy within Zhang Yunfan's body began to circulate quietly, like a taut bowstring. Every pore of his body was on high alert, ready to receive any thunderous attack that the opponent might unleash: "But..." He deliberately lowered his voice.

"If we add some... powerful magical artifacts, the result will be quite different!"

He emphasized the word "magic weapon" slightly, implying that he had relied on external forces to obtain it by chance.

However, the expected rage and attack did not occur.

What awaited Zhang Yunfan and Wei Siling was another series of deep, loud, and even somewhat... unpredictable, hearty laughs from the golden-armored strong man!

"Hahaha! Hahaha!"

The laughter echoed on the platform, making people's eardrums buzz, but it didn't reveal much murderous intent. Instead, it conveyed a strange... sense of relief.
"Well done! Well done!"

The burly man in golden armor suddenly raised his large, fan-like hand and forcefully pounded his chest, which was covered with fish scales, making muffled thuds. His face showed no trace of grief or anger, but rather a sense of relief and joy. He cheered repeatedly, his voice echoing across the platform!

"To be honest, fellow Daoist," the burly man lowered his hand, his hearty smile fading slightly, replaced by a complex mix of helplessness and disgust, "I've actually been dissatisfied with that good-for-nothing for a long time!"

His tone turned cold: "He's bloodthirsty by nature. Relying on his cultivation level, which he painstakingly built up with rare and precious materials, he spends his days doing nothing but cunning and plundering, murder and robbery! He's ruthless and has no bottom line!"

He sighed heavily, a sigh filled with a profound burden:
"It's just a pity... that bastard is, after all, my own brother!"

He looked up at the ethereal light source at the top of the cave, his eyes revealing a trace of reminiscence and pain.

"Before my mother passed away, she repeatedly told me to take good care of my good-for-nothing younger brother... This was her only concern that she couldn't let go of."

The muscles on the bearded man's face twitched slightly, revealing his inner struggle: "So, all these years, no matter how many evil deeds he has committed or how much trouble he has caused, as long as he can return to me alive, I, as his elder brother, have no choice but to grit my teeth and clean up his messes!"

His tone was filled with helplessness: "But this kid, although he's done all sorts of bad things and bullies the weak while fearing the strong, he also knows who he can mess with and who he can't. He's very slippery!"

“Over the years, he’s caused a lot of trouble and made many enemies, but every time he’s managed to escape danger thanks to his luck and cunning, and he always comes back alive!” He spread his hands, full of helplessness: “So, I’ve never been able to do anything about him! I can’t just kill my own brother, can I? How could I face my mother’s dying wish in the afterlife?”

At this point, he looked at Zhang Yunfan and Wei Siling again, the complex gratitude and relief in his eyes becoming incredibly clear: "Now it's all right! This kid finally kicked a hornet's nest, and his evil deeds have been punished; he died at your hands, fellow Daoist!"

He slapped his breastplate again, making a clanging sound.

“Fellow Daoist, you have relieved me of a huge trouble that has been weighing on my heart for many years! I am truly grateful to you.”

As he spoke, the burly man casually waved his large hand!
hum!
A flash of inspiration, and a simple, heavy solid wood square table appeared out of thin air in the open space between the group.

Immediately afterward, he tapped his fingers repeatedly, and with a flash of spiritual light, all sorts of spiritual fruits and delicacies, fragrant cooked meats and jerky, and several jars of aged wine that were already exuding aroma even before being opened, instantly filled the entire table, a dazzling array that made one's mouth water.

The burly man laughed heartily, picked up the largest wine jar on the table, broke the seal, and the rich aroma of wine instantly filled the air.

He grabbed two large bowls and filled them with a gulp, the amber-colored wine swirling in the bowls.

"I feel an instant connection with you, fellow Daoist, and my heart is filled with joy!"

"Today, let's drink until we drop, how about it?!"

To show his sincerity and openness, the burly man tilted his head back and drank a whole bowl of strong liquor in one gulp.

The liquor dripped down his thick beard, and he exhaled a puff of alcohol with a hearty sigh, slamming the empty bowl heavily on the table with a loud "thud."

Zhang Yunfan was impressed by the burly man's forthrightness and candid words, especially his heartfelt words about resolving the trouble, which sounded sincere and earnest.

The tension in his heart eased a little, a smile appeared on his face, and he subconsciously reached out and picked up another bowl of wine that had been poured on the table.

However, just as his lips were about to touch the cold rim of the bowl, the strong aroma of alcohol rushed into his nostrils.

In his mind's eye, Zheng Yi's cold laughter rang out: "Hey kid, you don't actually think this armored brute in front of you is some kind of honest, upright, and forthright man, do you?"

The voice was like ice water poured over your head: "Didn't you ever think that all of this, this so-called gratitude, this heartfelt complaint, this lavish banquet, was just a carefully orchestrated performance?"

Zheng Yi's voice carried a cold, worldly wisdom: "His purpose is to lull you, you fool, into a false sense of security, so that you'll willingly drink this bowl of poison he's carefully prepared, poisoned with who knows what he's laced with!"

Every word was like an icicle, piercing Zhang Yunfan's relaxed defenses!
Zhang Yunfan's hand, holding the wine bowl, froze instantly! The rim of the bowl was only a hair's breadth away from his lips. He was shocked, and instinctively protested in his mind, "Ah?! This...this can't be, right? Senior!"

He tried hard to recall the burly man's expression and words: "Why do I feel that this fellow Daoist is open-minded and sincere, not the kind of treacherous and cunning person?"

Zheng Yi's sneer was even more grating, filled with utter contempt: "Whether he is treacherous or not, let's put that aside for now."

He unleashed a barrage of questions like hammer blows, slamming them down on Zhang Yunfan's pitiful judgment: "Tell me, what's this guy's name? What school of thought does he belong to? Where does he live?"

What is his reputation in the cultivation world? Is he known for his chivalry, or is he infamous for his evil deeds?

"Do you have even the slightest knowledge of his past conduct and character?"

"You dare to believe him based solely on his unverified self-talk and a few bowls of wine of unknown origin?"

This series of questions, which went straight to the heart of the matter, was like a storm that instantly washed away the trust that Zhang Yunfan had just built up!
His hand, holding the wine bowl, froze in mid-air, his expression shifting unpredictably.

Yes, he seems unable to answer any of these questions!
Aside from knowing that the other party was the Iron Turtle's brother, he knew absolutely nothing about the burly man in front of him who was so generous in offering him drinks!
The bowl of fragrant wine, so close yet so inviting, suddenly seemed to him like some kind of viscous, eerie poison, emanating an ominous aura. Cold sweat silently soaked his back.

Zhang Yunfan, holding the fragrant bowl of wine, froze on the spot. His lips were only a thin slit from the rim, yet it felt like an insurmountable chasm separated them. Cold sweat silently trickled down his temples. In his sea of ​​consciousness, with a sliver of hope and struggle, he nervously sought confirmation from Zheng Yi: "Senior..."

His voice trembled as he thought, “Look at this fellow Daoist, his expression is open and honest, his words are sincere, and every move he makes exudes a forthright and magnanimous spirit. He really doesn’t seem like the kind of treacherous villain who likes to play tricks and schemes. Senior, aren’t you being too cautious and overthinking things?”

He tried to find reasons to convince himself and Zheng Yi: "Besides, given the cultivation level he has shown, he is many times stronger than me. If he really wants to avenge his brother, he can just take action directly. I'm afraid I would not be able to withstand his overwhelming power!"

The more Zhang Yunfan thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed, and his tense nerves relaxed slightly: "Why would he go to such great lengths, complaining, hosting a banquet, and even resorting to such a treacherous and cunning method as poisoning? Isn't this unnecessary and just damaging to his reputation as a powerful figure?"

However, deep within his mind, Zheng Yi's reaction sent Zhang Yunfan into a chilling abyss.

This mysterious and unpredictable senior, at this moment, spoke with an air of indifference, even a hint of innocence, his tone light and airy: "This is the first time you've seen this brute, and it's the first time I've seen him either?"

Zheng Yi's voice carried a hint of exaggerated helplessness and teasing: "Kid, you don't actually think I'm one of those fortune tellers who can predict the past and the future with a snap of their fingers, do you? Someone who can tell you everything perfectly clearly?"

He seemed to be shrugging his shoulders and saying, "I don't have the ability to know everything."

Zhang Yunfan was completely stunned!
"But it's senior!"

He was so anxious he was practically jumping up and down in his mind: "You just said with absolute certainty... that this might be poisoned wine, he was just acting to fool me!"

Before he could finish his question, Zheng Yi's slightly mocking and lazy laughter rang out again, like an invisible feather scratching at Zhang Yunfan's tense nerves: "I was just telling you about a 'possible' scenario."

His tone shifted, becoming as cold as an abyss: "The world of cultivators is treacherous and unpredictable, full of deceit and treachery. Aren't there plenty of stories about people's hearts being hidden from view? What makes you so certain that what I just said is not true?" (End of Chapter)