Daoist Competition

Shen Cong had always admired his senior brother. At this moment, he said loudly, "Brother, don't worry. You can return to the Mountain Gate. Leave this matter to me to handle."

Shen Minggu looked at him and said gravely, "Remember, speak less, show more humility, and under no circumstances stir up trouble at this moment."

Shen Cong nodded solemnly, then cupped his hands and said, "Senior Brother, I will go make the arrangements now."

Shen Minggu waved his hand and said, "Go."

Shen Cong left the grand hall, returned to make some preparations, and brought out Shen Yan, sealing him in a human bag. He then gathered three thousand drops of Ren Kui Water. After pondering for a moment, he decided to take an additional thousand drops.

Then, he rode his tunneling light away from Hong'an Island, unhurriedly heading toward Bull Horn Island. The two islands were only a thousand li apart, and in less than an hour, he saw a massive sea boat, over four hundred zhang in length, spanning the sea surface, with a thin layer of luminescent flames covering its hull.

He was astonished in his heart, as it was his first time seeing such a massive sea boat. No wonder Zhang Yan waited here so confidently — if surrounded by enemies, the ship's Prohibition would likely not be breached even by a Nascent Soul True Master in a short time.

Upon reaching the ship, he remembered Shen Minggu's instructions and did not dare act presumptuously. He shouted loudly, "I am Shen Cong, a disciple of Chongyue True Temple. Following my Senior Brother Shen Minggu's orders, I have come to pay respects to Daoist Zhang."

A clear and bright voice came from the sea boat, "So it's Daoist Shen. Please come to the Treasure Pavilion for a meeting."

As the voice fell, the light flames on the sea boat dissipated, and the Prohibition was withdrawn.

Shen Cong steadied his nerves, then flew toward the source of the voice. Inside the Treasure Pavilion, a rough-faced man approached with a disagreeable tone and said, "Honored guest, please follow me this way."

Shen Cong furrowed his brows slightly, thinking to himself, "This Zhang Yan's sea boat is indeed lavish — tens of thousands of Ten Thousand Spirit Shells would be a modest estimate. It seems this Daoist Zhang is exceptionally wealthy, perhaps even a noble family disciple of the Mingcang Sect. But why are his servants so uncouth?"

He followed Zhang Pan through the inner courtyard, winding around several corridors before arriving at a side hall. Ahead, a bamboo curtain hung down, blocking the view. Zhang Pan stopped, bent slightly, and announced loudly, "Master, the honored guest has arrived."

He then lifted the bamboo curtain and said, "Honored guest, you may enter on your own."

Shen Cong stepped inside, finding the inner chamber empty and devoid of furnishings, except for a jade platform directly opposite him. Sitting cross-legged on it was a young Daoist with a handsome appearance. Shen Cong first internally praised, "Such remarkable looks!" He then stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and said, "I am Shen Cong; greetings, Daoist."

Zhang Yan's sharp gaze swept over him once before he smiled faintly and said, "Why has Daoist Shen Minggu not come personally?"

Shen Cong offered a polite smile and said, "My Senior Brother has matters to attend to and could not spare the time. Daoist, please do not take offense. However, as mentioned in your letter, regarding the items for Senior Brother Xu's ransom, I have brought them all."

He reached into his sleeve and retrieved three palm-sized water pouches, presenting them forward.

Zhang Yan raised a hand and summoned the three water pouches to fall onto the table in front of him. He picked up one, removed its stopper, and inspected briefly, confirming it to be Ren Kui Water Essence. He was inwardly surprised.

He hadn't expected to obtain this water so easily and had been prepared for a conflict with Shen Minggu. The other party's actions now left him somewhat perplexed.

Still, his expression remained unreadable. He replaced the stopper and set the pouch down slowly before smiling faintly and saying, "Daoist Shen has delivered this item so quickly— it seems you must have a deep connection with Daoist Xu within your sect?"

Shen Cong's spirit lifted; he raised his head slightly and looked at Zhang Yan, saying, "Though the surnames Xu and Shen are related by blood, my Senior Brother and Daoist Xu have little interaction."

Zhang Yan's gaze flickered briefly. Those words essentially made it clear that Xu Cuo and Shen Minggu shared little affinity and might even have a poor relationship.

Shen Cong coughed lightly, then brought out a human bag from his sleeve. He opened it, revealing an unconscious young man. Bowing slightly, he said, "Due to a previous misunderstanding, my Senior Brother captured a Daoist under True Master Tao's tutelage. Hearing that Daoist Zhang has good relations with True Master Tao's disciples, my Senior Brother specifically instructed me to deliver this individual as well. The only request is that Daoist Zhang carefully look after my Senior Brother Xu, ensuring he suffers no harm."

Hmm?

Zhang Yan's expression grew subtly complex. What sort of person was he? How could he not detect the hidden meaning in Shen Cong's words?

If the other party truly wished to ransom Xu Cuo, why bother saying things like "carefully look after" and similar remarks? This clearly implied they did not want Xu Cuo returned to the Mountain Gate for now.

Though Zhang Yan didn't know the deeper reasons, he could deduce it was likely related to Shen Minggu's inability to come. Perhaps something significant had occurred within their sect, and they didn't want Xu Cuo returning at this time.

He chuckled inwardly; this development suited him fine. Xu Cuo had killed Dai Huan, and Zhang Yan had no intention of releasing him. He had even considered clashing with Shen Minggu. Now that he had acquired the requested items, the matter was no longer his concern. He would hand Xu Cuo and Shen Yan over to Guo Lie, repaying them with this favor.

Still, since the other party did not want Xu Cuo to return, he couldn't let them off so easily.

Feigning ignorance, Zhang Yan appeared genuinely moved and sighed, "Senior Brother Shen truly values trustworthiness. In that case, Daoist Shen, please wait here for a moment while I send someone to retrieve Daoist Xu for you to bring back."

"This…"

Shen Cong's expression shifted slightly — could it be that Zhang Yan hadn't understood his implied meaning?

Feeling a sudden sense of urgency, he raised his head, meeting Zhang Yan's gaze, which carried an inexplicable depth. Shen Cong was momentarily stunned before realization dawned, and he inwardly cursed. He stepped forward, pulled out a Jade Bottle from his sleeve, set it down on the table, and retreated two steps, remaining silent about its contents and standing there without speaking.

Zhang Yan's eyes narrowed slightly. After a moment's silence, he smiled faintly and said, "Daoist Shen, I suddenly recalled that Daoist Xu seemed to have killed a disciple of True Master Tao's. His fellow disciples are deeply aggrieved. If I were to release Daoist Xu, they would surely obstruct me, making it impossible for him to return with you. However, I am not one to go back on my word. I will keep these items for now, and whenever Daoist Shen Minggu finds time, he may come to retrieve them from me."

Shen Cong couldn't resist muttering another curse inwardly but felt a sense of relief in his heart. Outwardly, he adopted a look of regret and sighed, "Truly, this is fate's design. No one could have foreseen this outcome, and it seems I must report back to my Senior Brother for further deliberation."

...

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