Gentlemen, it's time to enter the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Chapter 151: We are both fallen people at the end of the world

Feng Huaiyu had also wondered if Chen Ye was the one controlling the Crimson Serpent.

But when he saw it with his own eyes, he was still somewhat shocked.

Feng Huaiyu did not lower his sword, but instead asked warily, "Fellow Daoist Chen, so you really can control the Crimson Serpent. Are you truly a demon from the Crimson Serpent Demon Sect?!"

Chen Ye was taken aback by the question. Was he considered a demon of the Crimson Serpent Demon Sect?
Master Mo Ci is a direct descendant of the Crimson Serpent Demon Sect. He has received many benefits from the current Crimson Serpent Demon Lord and has also learned a lot of demonic techniques from him. He can be considered half a teacher to him... But Chen Ye shook his head and said firmly, "I am the sect leader of the Yellow Springs Sect, and I am by no means a demon."

Seeing Chen Ye's serious expression, Feng Huaiyu breathed a slight sigh of relief.

He still trusted the Qinghe Sword Sect's judgment. Since Chen Ye could gain the Qinghe Sword Sect's favor, he couldn't be a truly wicked person.

Feng Huaiyu sheathed his sword, walked into the dilapidated house, and said to Chen Ye, "Fellow Daoist Chen, Pang Wen and the others are spreading rumors and slander, and I'm afraid they will soon be targeting you."

Chen Ye nodded and replied, "I understand, and I must thank Fellow Daoist Feng for speaking up for me."

Chen Ye had just arrived in the Holy City and naturally wouldn't let his guard down. His Fire Serpent, with its perfect size and ability to penetrate anywhere, was ideal for gathering intelligence. He had initially considered checking out the golden tents of the other barbarian leaders, but immediately remembered that he didn't understand the Northern Frontier language, so eavesdropping would be pointless. Chen Ye then changed course, routinely probing Pang Wen's side to assess their situation.

To be honest, Chen Ye had a very bad first impression of this man named Pang Wen.

The smile was too fake, and the words were full of traps. Someone like Chen Ye, who had seen too much hypocrisy, immediately became alert.

Chen Ye then sent the fire snake to the treasure ship to inquire about the news.

Although this treasure ship could be large or small and could hold so many people, it was unclear whether Pang Wen hadn't opened the seal or whether the magic weapon simply didn't have this effect; the fire serpent easily climbed aboard.

From the moment Pang Wen started stirring things up, Chen Ye had seen everything and became even more certain that Pang Wen was not a good person.

He just didn't know this person's real goal.

As for Feng Huaiyu, he was somewhat unexpected to Chen Ye.

When they met before, Chen Ye only thought Feng Huaiyu was someone who was trying to ride on the fame of the Qinghe Sword Sect, and felt that this person was somewhat shameless. But today it seems that he is just not talented enough to join the Qinghe Sword Sect, and his character is not bad.

Chen Ye wanted to befriend this kind of person, so he helped him out of a tense situation by using a fire snake to bring him to his side.

“Fellow Daoist Chen, although I believe in your character and the judgment of the Qinghe Sword Sect, since they have used the Red Serpent as an excuse, they will definitely hold onto this point in the future. They are not reasonable people, and no matter how you explain, I'm afraid you won't be able to shut them up.”

Feng Huaiyu was still shaken by the argument. The other party was completely unreasonable, determined to spread rumors even at the cost of their lives, refusing to provide any evidence or reason. As a result, there was no chance for him to defend himself.

Even if Chen Ye said that the red snake was a gift from Zhang Qi, Pang Wen and the others probably wouldn't care and would only spread rumors even more vehemently.

Chen Ye laughed and said, "Fellow Daoist Feng, please calm down. If rumors could harm people, the Qinghe Sword Sect's gates would have been torn down long ago. When it comes to spreading rumors and causing trouble, how can we compare to those demons?"

Feng Huaiyu said, "But as the saying goes, 'three men can make a tiger, and many mouths can melt metal.' If they keep spreading rumors, they will probably cause trouble for you soon."

Seeing Feng Huaiyu's anxious look, Chen Ye understood his true thoughts.

This explanation wasn't just for Pang Wen and the others, but also for Feng Huaiyu, who wanted to hear it as well.

The two were not close friends after all. It was already quite good that he could say a few good words for Chen Ye. It was impossible for him to completely trust Chen Ye. Feng Huaiyu was also waiting for Chen Ye to give him a suitable explanation.

Chen Ye thought for a moment and said, "Since Fellow Daoist Feng has spoken up for me, I have a responsibility to explain myself. My fire snake does indeed resemble the Crimson Serpent, and the Crimson Serpent is indeed a unique spirit beast of the Crimson Serpent Demon Sect. However, this is not a spell of the Crimson Serpent Demon Sect, but rather a mistake I made while practicing."

Upon hearing this, Feng Huaiyu hurriedly asked, "Something went wrong? Are you really nearing the end of your life?"

Feng Huaiyu overheard Pang Wen talking to Chen Ye earlier. At the time, he thought Chen Ye was joking. How could he be nearing the end of his lifespan? If he were to die so easily, Su Chunyi of the Qinghe Sword Sect would probably have his Dao heart shattered.

Based on what they saw when they first met, even the blind monk Bu Mei could probably tell that their relationship was extraordinary.

"It's true that there was a mistake in the practice, and as for the fact that lifespan is coming to an end... it depends on how you calculate it. For an ant, living for several decades is considered longevity, but for a cultivator, wouldn't a mere few decades be considered the end of lifespan?"

Feng Huaiyu asked doubtfully, "You can't possibly only have a few decades left to live, can you?"

"Ahem, that's not the point. I just don't want you to misunderstand, Fellow Daoist Feng. I did indeed run into trouble while practicing my cultivation, which I think is related to being bitten by a red-banded snake in Hundred Seas Valley. At the time, I was poisoned by the snake venom and the red-banded snake entered my dreams. Although I took the antidote, it didn't seem to have any effect, and the nightmares continued."

“I’ve been preparing to refine my body with Qi and Sha recently, but something seems to have gone wrong in the process. I’ve ended up developing a strange spell, which is what you see here. I can summon a Crimson Serpent wreathed in flames.”

As Chen Ye spoke, he summoned a fire snake in his palm. The fire snake coiled docilely between Chen Ye's fingers, and the flames on its body couldn't even burn the hem of his clothes.

"I see." Feng Huaiyu finally felt relieved. Although this situation sounded a bit bizarre, there are countless magical arts in the world, and many people have extraordinary encounters. Chen Ye could only be said to have turned misfortune into blessing. However, Feng Huaiyu asked again, "If you are still plagued by nightmares, why don't you seek help from the Qinghe Sword Sect? They will definitely lend a hand."

Chen Ye shook his head and said, "The Qinghe Sword Sect already knew about it. I even met the sect leader, Master Zhang. Master Zhang did solve my problem of being possessed by a demon, but he probably couldn't do anything about this magical mutation."

Feng Huaiyu never doubted this explanation.

Although the Qinghe Sword Sect is powerful and Zhang Qi is the best in the world, his swordsmanship is sharp. If we want to solve these difficult problems, the Fenxiang Sect is still the most powerful.

He hadn't expected Chen Ye to have even met the leader of the Qinghe Sword Sect. In comparison, he himself hadn't even been able to enter the sect after all these years. But Chen Ye had met Master Zhang, yet he hadn't become a disciple of the Qinghe Sword Sect?

Feng Huaiyu couldn't help but ask, "Why does Fellow Daoist Chen want to establish a sect here? Wouldn't it be better to just join the Qinghe Sword Sect?"

Chen Ye sighed heavily and explained, "Master Zhang said that I don't have the talent to learn swordsmanship."

Su Chunyi told Chen Ye this later, and Chen Ye felt deeply hurt after hearing Zhang Qi's evaluation.

If the greatest swordsman in the world says he has no talent for learning swordsmanship, then that path is blocked.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing Chen Ye's words, Feng Huaiyu patted him on the shoulder excitedly and said in a bitter tone, "I understand, Brother Chen, I understand your suffering. I also don't have the talent to learn swordsmanship."

Feng Huaiyu initially considered Chen Ye as a casual acquaintance, at most a nodding acquaintance. However, when he heard Chen Ye say that he had no talent for swordsmanship, Feng Huaiyu immediately felt that Chen Ye was his soulmate for life.

No matter how good your character is, or how much you uphold justice, if you lack the talent for swordsmanship, you can't become a disciple of the Qinghe Sword Sect. Haven't you been rejected all these years despite your hard work?
No wonder Chen Ye chose to start his own sect; he's completely given up on it.

The Qinghe Sword Sect is that strict. Even though Chen Ye and Su Chunyi are so close, they can't accept him if he doesn't have talent.

This pain is something no one else can understand, but Feng Huaiyu does; he feels the same pain acutely.

Seeing Feng Huaiyu's expression, Chen Ye was startled. Why did this guy suddenly get so excited? He didn't seem to be gloating at all.

However, this was just right. Chen Ye pressed his advantage and said, "Fellow Daoist Feng, it is fate that we have met today. Since you have spoken up for me, I would like to ask you to lend me a hand. Is that alright?"

Feng Huaiyu quickly replied, "Brother Chen, please feel free to ask. I will definitely help as long as it is within my power."

Just because neither of them had any talent for swordsmanship, Feng Huaiyu felt that Chen Ye was his half-brother. With such a great connection, how could he not help him?
Chen Ye said, "Then I would like to invite Fellow Daoist Feng to temporarily join my Yellow Springs Sect as a guest elder and fight alongside me in this Deer Hunting Tournament."

“Alright, I’ll fight alongside Brother Chen…” Feng Huaiyu had just agreed when he suddenly asked curiously, “Brother Chen, are you planning to become the king of the Northern Frontier?”

Feng Huaiyu didn't really understand the significance of the Deer Hunting Gathering. He only thought it was a ceremony for the people of the Northern Frontier to compete for the title of king. He also wondered why Chen Ye, a perfectly good cultivator from the Central Plains, would want to rule over a group of barbarians. What was the point of having so many mortals?
Chen Ye could only offer a simple explanation: Fengdu City is currently lacking in everything, and it must rely on this deer hunting festival to survive.

Feng Huaiyu then understood Chen Ye's meaning, but he immediately sensed something was amiss and asked, "Brother Chen, what do you think Pang Wen's purpose is in participating in this deer hunting gathering? He says he's here to exorcise demons, but that's definitely just an excuse. The Burning Lamp Sect didn't establish itself here, nor does it need the approval of the northern barbarians. What do you think he's really after?"

Chen Ye shook his head and said, "I'm not quite sure, but it's definitely not to spread rumors."

If the Burning Lamp Sect was an affiliate of the Incense Burning Sect, then it was probably the Incense Burning Sect that had sent them to retaliate against him; this was the only possibility Chen Ye could think of. But would such a large sect really go to such lengths for someone as insignificant as him?
Even if they wanted to save face, how much face could the Incense Burning Sect regain by killing Chen Ye through such roundabout and secretive means?

Chen Ye felt there was another reason behind this, but he couldn't read minds and therefore couldn't know what Pang Wen's conspiracy was.

However, one should remain steadfast in the face of change. Regardless of Pang Wen's thoughts, Chen Ye should simply focus on doing his own job well.

After the deer hunt, he returned to Fengdu City to cultivate in seclusion. He didn't believe that Pang Wen would dare to rush into the city again.

Perfect timing! Feng Huaiyu can win him over. No matter how bad his swordsmanship is, he's still a cultivator who has refined his body with a fierce aura, possessing a body of copper and iron, making him much stronger than the warriors under his command.

The first duel will only send a maximum of three people: Qiqi Gesang, Feng Huaiyu, and Chen Ye himself, which makes a total of three.

This way, Chen Ye can relax a bit and just keep an eye on Qiqi Gesang; Feng Huaiyu should be able to take care of himself.

With Feng Huaiyu's help, he was able to lend a hand during the third hunt, preventing his men from suffering too many casualties.

After listening carefully to Chen Ye's arrangements, Feng Huaiyu nodded, not taking this small matter to heart.

What gladiatorial combat? It's just dealing with these barbarians. He's seen the barbarians' methods before, and they're not that impressive.

Feng Huaiyu said, "However, we should worry about Pang Wen and the others. If they also participate in this duel, they might try to harm us."

Chen Ye laughed and said, "If that's the case, then it would be even better. If they just make sarcastic remarks, I can't really argue with them. But if they dare to harm me, then I won't hold back. Since I started out, I've killed several demons, but I've never killed such a blind little person."

(End of this chapter)