At this point, he chuckled softly and said, "But that Old Demon likely wouldn’t expect that this treasure contains a trace of True Power imprint within it, which isn’t so easily removed. As long as I wish, I can reclaim this Dharma Treasure at any time and reassert control. Fellow Daoist, imagine this scenario: if you’re locked in combat with the Old Demon and I suddenly turn against him at a critical moment, he’d be caught completely off guard!"
Zhang Yan glanced at Hou Sanlang’s smug expression, inwardly noting that this man indeed had a certain degree of cunning, and then said, "I can’t imagine Fellow Daoist would offer assistance to me out of sheer goodwill."
Hou Sanlang laughed heartily and replied, "Naturally so. To be frank with you, Fellow Daoist, the Old Demon had once planted a strand of abnormal Qi within my body. This Qi consumes flesh and Essence, and every three to five days, I need the Old Demon to dissolve it for me, forcing me to act under his command. If Fellow Daoist is willing to help me rid myself of this Qi, I promise to lend you my strength during tomorrow’s battle."
Zhang Yan’s gaze sharpened as he asked, "Fellow Daoist, what makes you think I am capable of removing this abnormal Qi?"
Hou Sanlang stared unblinkingly at Zhang Yan and said in a heavy tone, "Fellow Daoist has battled the Old Demon several times and yet remains unfazed by his techniques—I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Thus, I suspect Fellow Daoist possesses a Secret Technique of some sort, and I decided to come here to humbly seek your help. Hou Mao offers his sincere gratitude in advance."
With that, he rose and saluted Zhang Yan.
Hou Sanlang was also a cautious person. If that green-clothed youth’s abnormal Qi could truly threaten Zhang Yan, there would be no need to confront him. He could simply wait for Zhang Yan to succumb to the Qi’s corrosion.
Zhang Yan responded with an amused tone, "But why does it seem to me that there’s no need for such trouble? Fellow Daoist could simply tell me the spell directly, wouldn’t that resolve everything more effectively?" Newest update provided by nοvelfire.net
Hou Sanlang furrowed his brows, sensing something was amiss. However, he had prepared for this beforehand. Knowing that Zhang Yan was a Power Dao Practitioner with slow tunneling speed, even if a confrontation erupted, he could escape in time without fear of Zhang Yan turning hostile. He sneered and said, "Fellow Daoist, are you perhaps confused? This spell is my lifeline; why would I disclose it freely to you?"
Zhang Yan smirked mockingly and said, "When I meet that green-clothed fellow tomorrow, I just need to mention this situation. What do you think he would do to you?"
Hou Sanlang was startled, pointing at Zhang Yan and stammering, "You—how dare you!"
Zhang Yan smiled and said, "Why wouldn’t I?"
Cold sweat poured down Hou Sanlang’s forehead. He hadn’t anticipated Zhang Yan turning the tables to threaten him, making it seem like he’d handed over leverage to Zhang Yan of his own will. He instantly regretted his decision.
One couldn’t blame him, though. Desperate to escape the clutches of the green-clothed youth, he clung to anything resembling a lifeline, with no other alternatives. Now that he saw Zhang Yan had the ability to resist the Old Demon, he had no choice but to seek his aid.
Moreover, he had assumed earlier that Zhang Yan, having seized the Ganoderma Ancestor’s corpse, was already in an undying feud with the Old Demon. Hou Sanlang believed that if Zhang Yan had any means to defeat the Old Demon, he would seize it without hesitation and collaborate with him. Thus, he had come with confidence.
Yet he never could have predicted that Zhang Yan would use this leverage against him, clutching his lifeline firmly.
Hou Sanlang sat in a frustrated rage for a long time before suddenly recalling something, calming his Heart and Spirit. He gradually seated himself again and said in a deep voice, "Fellow Daoist, if you act this way, you will regret it."
Zhang Yan was in no rush to press him, and instead watched him with great interest, asking, "Why?"
Hou Sanlang retorted coldly, "Fellow Daoist, have you ever heard of the great Xiao Family?"
Zhang Yan’s brow twitched. The East Splendor Continent was rife with numerous Xuanmen Families, including many Xiao clans. Yet, among them, only one could truly be considered a great family. He said, "By any chance, do you mean the Mingcang Sect..."
Hou Sanlang sat upright and exclaimed, "Indeed, that same family!"
He pointed to himself and said, "To be candid, Fellow Daoist, my Hou Family shares matrimonial ties with the Xiao Clan. This spirit shuttle is originally a Xiao Clan Mystical Artifact, entrusted to our family to apprehend someone. If you harm me, not only will you fail to obtain this treasure, but the Xiao Clan will surely hunt you down!"
For now, all Hou Sanlang could do was raise the Xiao Clan’s flag in an attempt to intimidate Zhang Yan.
Zhang Yan heard this and immediately discerned there was more to the story. Intending to probe deeper, he scoffed and said deliberately, "Ridiculous. Leaving aside whether your Hou Family actually has ties with the Xiao Clan, if the Xiao Clan wanted to capture someone, why wouldn’t they act themselves? How could they entrust you, a mere Xuan Guang Practitioner, with a Mystical Artifact? I find this unbelievable. Don’t try to scare me with such nonsense!"
Hou Sanlang, pressured by Zhang Yan’s words, couldn’t help but change his expression. After hesitating for a moment, he grimaced and said reluctantly, "Listen, since the individual in question holds a unique status, the Xiao Clan cannot act openly, which is why they entrusted this matter to our Hou Family. This is the absolute truth. My life may be insignificant, but if you jeopardize their affairs, ha—do you think they’ll let you off easily?"
His speech grew increasingly reluctant, and he silently resolved that if he managed to leave Qingcun Mountain alive, he would convince his uncle to eliminate Zhang Yan to keep the details of this incident from leaking.
When Zhang Yan heard this, his heart skipped slightly, but his composure remained intact, and he kept his features neutral. He said calmly, "So, your purpose in coming here was to seek that person?"
"Indeed," Hou Sanlang replied with vexation. "I initially thought the green-clothed man was that person, but it turns out I was mistaken."
Zhang Yan’s gaze flickered. He casually asked, "Is that person perhaps named Zhang Yan?"
Hou Sanlang blurted instinctively, "Yes—" He froze abruptly, realizing something was amiss. Whipping his head up, he was greeted by a pair of icy eyes that froze him to his core. His heart lurched, and realizing the danger, he shouted before transforming into light and attempting to flee.
Zhang Yan sneered coldly, remaining stationary as his spell activated. Above him, a Xuanhuang Great Hand materialized and stretched forward to seize him.
In the narrow confines of the Cave Mansion, Hou Sanlang had almost no room to maneuver. In the blink of an eye, the massive hand caught up and captured him. Horrified, he tried unleashing his Xuan Guang to defend himself, but the enormous hand suddenly flipped downward and, with a mosquito-swatting motion, slammed him to the ground with a resounding "bang." Hou Sanlang died instantly without uttering a sound.
...(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes or monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)