Above the Galaxy

So, Tang Fei carried them and the rabbit back home, where, at the edge of Henshan, they encountered Bian Zhenxin and others from the Flame Shrine. Seeing Phoenix, Bian Zhenxin felt his heart stir with pleasure and ordered his men to knock both him and Little Fatty to the ground and forcibly snatch Phoenix...

After hearing this, the old man's gaze darkened as he swept it towards Phoenix.

Phoenix's nerves tensed in an instant, as if she had been targeted by a dangerous predator.

It was strange to Phoenix; she was a Cultivator and a master of Qi control. How could such an ordinary, skinny, and sleazy-faced old man with wrinkles bring her such oppressive force?

Was this what the ancient texts in the Royal Library described as "bending the head under someone else's roof is a necessity"? Because she was on someone else's turf, did she have to bow to reality and her environment, even though she was stronger than everyone?

Yes, it must be!

When Tang Fei saw the look in the old man's eyes, he understood that he harbored intentions of killing to silence them.

Killing a member of Black Robe would have dire and terrifying consequences. So, he wanted to keep the situation within his control.

He and Little Fatty were controllable, the only unpredictable factor was Phoenix.

If they killed her, nobody would know since it would be as if gods and ghosts remained unaware.

"I killed the person," Tang Fei declared.

As soon as Tang Fei spoke, it broke the deathly silence.

Phoenix also felt a relief wash over her, and the energy that had locked her disappeared into nothingness. She gently exhaled a breath of foul air and returned the Phoenix Whip to its original place.

The old man knew that Tang Fei was trying to take on all the responsibility himself. He glared harshly at Tang Fei and shouted, "The old saying is right, 'beauty is a disaster, beauty is a disaster'... What now? They're already dead, and you don't want to eliminate the unstable factor..."

Phoenix understood that the old man still felt uneasy about her and immediately spoke up to reassure him, "Sir, it wasn't just Tang Fei who killed him; I was involved too... Tang Fei said on the road that we are truly our own people now. If they come for us, none of us will survive..."

"So, if there's anything I can do, I will certainly cooperate. Plus, I promise you that no matter the time or situation, I will never betray you..."

The old man scoffed disdainfully, "At your age, what do you know about betrayal? Are you playing house like children?"

Seeing Phoenix about to argue, the old man waved his hand and said, "Forget it, what's done is done; I have nothing more to say... Just be prepared."

The old man sighed deeply and said, "Prepare for the worst outcome."

"Understood," Tang Fei and Little Fatty nodded; they had grown up in such a harsh survival environment.

Never entrust your life to fate at any time.

Never underestimate someone else's intelligence, nor overestimate human nature.

The old man glanced again at Phoenix, his expression one of bared teeth, and said, "Disaster brought by beauty... change your clothes and make yourself look uglier... you're too conspicuous."

"Okay," Phoenix quickly agreed.

She knew the old man's suggestion was reasonable. In such a harsh survival environment, beauty too was a valuable resource and a target for plunder.

Besides, even if it weren't reasonable, she'd have to accept it.

What bargaining power did she have?

The old man looked at Tang Fei, then at Phoenix, and pointed at Little Fatty, saying, "Come with me to break rocks, there's work to be done."

"..." Little Fatty.

Tang Fei turned to Phoenix and said, "Come, I'll take you to change your clothes."

"Oh," Phoenix nodded, and curiously asked, "Do you even have women's clothes?"

"..."

------

Henshan. Eagle Beak Cliff.

A large number of Grey Robes gathered around the dense forest, enclosing the Flame Army in uniform embedded with a flame emblem in the center. The Flame Army, the regular army of the Flame Shrine, was responsible for maintaining the authority of the Flame God and the Shrine, ensuring the peace within their governed area, and providing security for VIPs during their travels.

In the midst of the crowd stood an old man clad in a White Robe. The old man was short and stocky, with white hair and a look of kindness and benevolence.

However, only a few people knew that this man, named Bian Feng, had a terrifying nickname called "Roasted Meat Master."

He enjoyed hanging people high and burning them until the scent of roasting flesh emerged...

And elegantly claimed it was "on behalf of the Flame God to punish you."

It was both childish and cruel.

It was said that because of his excellent performance and outstanding work on eradicating heretics, loudly proclaimed slogans, he deeply gained the trust of some high-ranking officials.

The White Robe was a mid-to-high-level manager of the Flame Shrine, responsible for the comprehensive management of a large district. Above him were only the more prestigious Red Robes and Golden Robes; naturally, the Golden Robe was only worn by the Flame God of each generation.

Beneath the old man was the long-dead corpse of Bian Zhenxin.

Bian Zhenxin was his son, and his only son.

He had placed Bian Zhenxin in the Henshan Gathering Area to refine him, hoping he would take over his position after a few years. He had already communicated with the Elder Council; once the Lingyang District was completely stabilized, he would go to the headquarters and assume the role of a Red Robe.

Yet, his son had died in such a disgraceful way.

His hopes, his future were utterly severed.

"Lord, we have carefully checked; the deceased had no signs of fierce fighting before his death; the fatal injury was a wound on the top of his head..." reported the autopsy officer of the Shrine, speaking softly.

The old man's face darkened, remaining silent.

More soldiers reported that they had checked all the surrounding bodies, not a single one had survived.

"Chen Hu!" Bian Feng called out sharply.

"Lord Divine Envoy." A burly man strode over and bowed deeply to the White Robe old man.

Looking at the burly man, the old man rasped, "I dispatched you here to be the deputy, to properly protect your Divine Envoy... Is this how you protected him?"

Thump!

Chen Hu dropped to his knees, knocking his head on the ground, explaining out loud, "Lord, when the Divine Envoy wanted to go out, I also offered to go with him... but the Divine Envoy didn't allow it, sir; he said there were still many tasks to handle inside the Shrine..."

Bian Feng knew Chen Hu was telling the truth, knowing his son was the type to dislike engaging in trivial chores. He had assigned Chen Hu to be Bian Zhenxin's deputy because he felt he was loyal and reliable, a key loyalist he had promoted himself.

Besides, despite his rough exterior, he was exceptionally meticulous, making him skilled in handling administrative affairs...

This matter truly couldn't be blamed on him.

"Stand up and talk," Bian Feng commanded.

Chen Hu raised his head, looking up at Bian Feng and said, "Lord, it's my fault. Please let me speak while kneeling; it will ease my conscience somewhat."

Whether Chen Hu's conscience was eased or not, Bian Feng's certainly was a bit.

From his commanding position, he looked down at Chen Hu, asking, "You've been in the Henshan Gathering Area for three years, you should have some understanding of the area... Who do you think did it?"

Chen Hu shook his head, replying, "Lord, I really don't know."

"You don't know?" Bian Feng was clearly dissatisfied with this answer.

"Lord, I really can't guess. The ordinary people in the Gathering Area wouldn't dare provoke our Flame Shrine... As for those malicious predators... they shouldn't come forward to provoke us either. Don't they know the consequences of killing a Black Robe? Aren't they afraid of our Shrine's retaliation?"

Bian Feng kicked Chen Hu to the ground, rebuking loudly, "So many of our brothers died in front of you, and you say this couldn't happen, that couldn't happen... Could it be suicide?"

"Lord, that's not what I mean..." Chen Hu got back up from the ground, explaining, "I think there's something suspicious... Logically, they shouldn't dare to provoke us or easily kill our Black Robe Divine Envoy… Who exactly did it? We will investigate thoroughly and provide a satisfactory answer, Lord."

"A satisfactory answer? Would their complete annihilation satisfy me?" Bian Feng said bitterly.

Just then, a Grey Robe who was searching the area suddenly discovered a skull-shaped lighter from within the thick bushes, shouting out, "I found it... I found evidence..."