“Speaking of which, Rongfang has grown a lot bigger this time he went out, it seems his martial arts have greatly improved!” Suda Heqi laughed, recalling the embarrassment of Chen Yuxi before, and his impression of this brother-in-law grew even fonder.

“Brother-in-law, you’re joking. I’m just doing some farm skills now, the rest, in fact, I’ve been cultivating the Cultivation of Literature in the Great Dao Teaching at the Celestial Treasure Palace.” Zhang Rongfang said solemnly. “You know, the Great Dao Teaching at the Celestial Sincerity Palace over there, its main focus has always been on the Cultivation of Literature, not martial arts.”

“Of course, I remember.” Suda Heqi nodded, “But your physique is very deceptive. By the way. You said before you went to enjoy the scenery with friends and left Jin Xiu at home, how come? Could it be…?”

“Brother-in-law misunderstood, I went to do serious matters. Enjoying the scenery was to harmonize my mood…” Zhang Rongfang replied.

Since he returned this morning, he ordered everyone in Songhe Temple to scatter around, searching for any followers related to the Wish Girl.

As for the true appearance of the Wish Girl, in fact, even he hadn’t seen its statue.

Therefore, dealing with those who have seen the divine visage should not include people from Songhe Temple itself.

The crucial difficulty lies in how to find and screen them.

The four sat down immediately, with a maid quickly serving dishes and fine wine.

“By the way, brother-in-law, how is the situation with the rebels nearby? Can you tell me more?” Zhang Rongfang picked up a large pig bone, gnawing on it as he asked.

“Not good, before the rebels were quickly suppressed as soon as they emerged. But this time… they’ve attacked several times and were all repelled. There are experts among them.” Suda Heqi shook his head.

“Although I’m not in charge of these things, just responsible for internal affairs. But… I’ve heard the prefecture lord mention it. He said there’s a Righteous Alliance hosting inside, unlike previous years.”

“Righteous Alliance…” Zhang Rongfang fell silent, recalling Master Zhang Xuan and others who were recuperating at Songhe Temple.

Righteous Alliance, Wish Girl, the real and fake Yue Shi, the troublemaking Shang family, the Zhenyi Sect…

And the Western Sect with whom animosity has reached a deep level.

It seems that he has more and more matters to handle.

“Rongfang, whatever you do, don’t get entangled with the Righteous Alliance rebels. Remember, they are reckless desperados who can’t achieve great things, don’t get dragged into it.” Zhang Rongyu admonished sternly.

“Don’t worry, sister, I know.” Zhang Rongfang replied without changing expression.

“Remember, you are the sole heir of the Zhang family, in the future you will be responsible for continuing the family line. If anything happens to you, I really don’t know how to explain it to our parents underground.” Zhang Rongyu’s eyes reddened slightly, becoming slightly emotional as she spoke.

“I know, I know.” Zhang Rongfang nodded helplessly.

“Remember, don’t be swayed.” Zhang Rongyu was still advising.

But at this moment, Zhang Rongfang’s thoughts had already drifted to Master Zhang Xuan and others.

He suspected there might be something behind the fact that Master and others could arrive here so easily…

*

*

*

Songhe Temple.

Zhang Xuan, looking rosy, got down from the bed and went for a walk by the garden pond in the Taoist temple.

Looking at the colorful flowers in the garden, he couldn’t help but sigh.

Although the poison had been neutralized, in retrospect…

He realized that they had probably become tools used by some people behind the scenes to influence his disciple Zhang Rongfang.

Zhang Rongfang, also known as Zhang Ying, was a secret that more people were gradually coming to know.

Someone was using this matter as leverage.

“Master Zhang Xuan.” Suddenly, Xiao Qingying approached from the other side of the garden, looking uneasy.

“Xiaoying? What’s wrong? From your expression, is there still residual poison?” Zhang Xuan frowned.

“No…” Xiao Qingying shook her head slightly, “I just received a secret message in my room, it’s from the Alliance.”

Zhang Xuan’s expression changed slightly.

“Where’s the Flying Bear King? He’s a high-ranking person, why didn’t they contact him and find you instead?”

“They probably did it for Brother Rongfang.” Xiao Qingying understood and showed a troubled expression.

“What does the letter say?”

“See for yourself.” Xiao Qingying handed over a letter from her sleeve.

Zhang Xuan took it, unfolded it, and glanced at it.

After just a few lines, his expression became grim.

He crushed the letter into a ball, eyes blazing with anger.

The letter was actually instructing him to stay by Zhang Rongfang’s side, secretly gathering information to pass on as intelligence.

“We should leave.” Zhang Xuan calmed down, speaking in a deep voice.

“But where should we go now?” Xiao Qingying asked with a bitter voice.

Her father was dead, Qinghe Palace was burned, and she had long been homeless.

“We can’t drag Rongfang into this!” Zhang Xuan said resolutely, “No matter what, he saved us, we cannot repay kindness with enmity!”

“Father, do you have a plan?” Zhang Xintai stepped out slowly. He obviously had been listening for some time.

“What’s wrong? Any situation?” He smiled, seeing the letter in Zhang Xuan’s hand.

Seeing his father’s grim expression, his heart skipped a beat.

“This matter concerns you, see for yourself.” Zhang Xuan handed the note to his son.

Zhang Xintai quickly took it, scanned it over.

Immediately, his face turned pale, eyes wide open.

The letter… was vaguely threatening to use his wife and child to coerce them into continuing to extract information from Zhang Rongfang!

“Pack your things and get ready to go.” Zhang Xuan sighed.

“…” Zhang Xintai remained silent, just clenched his teeth. Even while being hunted before, he had never shown such an expression.

“I’ve told you before, don’t trust that side too much, the people in the Righteous Alliance are not united, they’re mixed with all sorts of characters.

Once the banner is raised, anyone can join the alliance…” Zhang Xuan sighed.

Zhang Xintai stayed silent, merely crushing the letter into a ball again, his face pale.

“Don’t be afraid, if anything happens to them, I’ll risk my life to make them pay!” Zhang Xuan firmly grasped his son’s hand.

“It’s okay… Dad, I know.” Zhang Xintai lowered his head, his voice somber.

“We’ll pack up and leave soon!” Zhang Xuan said decisively.

“…Okay!” Zhang Xintai nodded vigorously.

At this moment, Zhang Rongfang strode in from outside.

“Master, Senior Brother, it seems your health has recovered well?”

His expression was calm. Because he had been busy with the search for Wish Girl followers without any leads, he was somewhat frustrated.

Zhang Xuan and the others paused, resumed their normal demeanor, and looked at Zhang Rongfang.

“Not bad, thanks to the pharmacist you invited. The medicine really worked wonders!” Zhang Xuan said.

“That’s good. In the future, do you have any plans, Master?” Zhang Rongfang asked seriously. “Why not stay with me? With me around, I can look after you a bit.”

“Our identity doesn’t fit,” Zhang Xuan shook his head. “If the Great Dao Teaching finds out about your relationship with us, it would affect you greatly.”

The Great Dao Teaching is famously loyal to the emperor, one of the staunchest supporters of imperial power and the Spirit Court.

The Jade Void Palace has killed countless people from the Righteous Alliance.

The hatred between the two sides is profound.

“The Great Dao Teaching is acting against the principles, it will have problems sooner or later. Dad, why don’t you let Junior Brother…” Suddenly Zhang Xintai raised his head, unable to hold back from interjecting.

“Shut up!” Zhang Xuan’s expression changed slightly, and he looked at his son.

“…” Zhang Xintai was interrupted, a flash of pain crossed his face, and he lowered his head, saying nothing more.

He didn’t understand. If he disclosed this to Zhang Rongfang, perhaps he could find a way to help.

Depending solely on themselves, what about his wife and children!?

Could he really just watch them die!?

He didn’t understand. Why be so stubborn and refuse to adapt, even at this point?

While Junior Brother’s future is important, shouldn’t his wife and children be saved!?

And in a place like the Great Dao Teaching, where nobles and powerful families gather, even if there is a future, so what? Isn’t he just serving the Spirit Court like a dog?

If Junior Brother could turn over a new leaf sooner…

“Senior Brother… is there something wrong?” Zhang Rongfang noticed a hint of pain on Zhang Xintai’s face, and knew something had happened.

“…No… I misspoke.” Under Zhang Xuan’s gaze, Zhang Xintai had no choice but to lower his voice and say.

A flash of pain crossed Zhang Xuan’s eyes as well.

If not like this, what else could he do?

Rongfang’s sister is already married to a Spirit People noble. He’s heard the news.

If he lets Zhang Rongfang connect with them at this time, both he and his sister will be ruined…

Rongfang already saved them.

Risking being discovered and implicated, he saved them twice.

If he now implicates him and his sister, are they still human!?

“Good that there’s nothing wrong.” Zhang Rongfang nodded. “If there are any difficulties, feel free to mention them. In this small patch of Wushan Prefecture, I still have some face.”

“Okay…” Zhang Xintai took a deep breath and nodded slightly.

After chatting for a while, Zhang Xuan proposed to take their leave.

Zhang Rongfang tried to persuade them to stay.

But Zhang Xuan insisted on leaving.

So he proposed to send escorts to accompany the four of them to their destination—Xinhui City.

And there, it was one of the cities near Wushan Prefecture currently experiencing an uprising.

After chatting with the Master and the others, Zhang Rongfang keenly noticed they were hiding something.

But after several inquiries, he received no answers, so he didn’t press further.

It’s normal for people from the Righteous Alliance to have many secrets.

He knew the Master’s intentions. Even if they faced difficulties, they wouldn’t answer straightforwardly out of concern for implicating him.

So he was helpless too.

After separating from the Master and others, Zhang Rongfang returned to his quiet room once again.

The Wish Bell stood quietly in the corner, its dial seemed to have somewhat recovered.

The Blood God Statue was placed opposite it, facing it, with a sense of restraint.

Zhang Rongfang sat cross-legged on the meditation mat of his daily habits.

If it were before, his plan was to continuously improve cultivation of literature, thereby enhancing his life.

But now… he started to have doubts.

‘There’s no rush, no hurry to breakthrough to Returning to Void… If what that Xue Tong in the canyon said is true, then… the cultivation of literature I’ve practiced may also have problems. Perhaps, I should switch to another cultivation of literature instead.’

Zhang Rongfang recalled his journey in practice.

He always felt that this Supreme Bright Void Skill, at this current level, was growing increasingly unsettling.

The more he practiced, the more easily he seemed to connect with any god.

‘Forget it, for now, let’s just directly increase my life points…’ Zhang Rongfang glanced at the newly generated ten free attributes and decisively added them all to his life points.

Life leaped from 229 to 239.

Countless hot streams converged in the chest and abdomen, then penetrated into the Nascent Soul.

Then the Nascent Soul exhaled clear energy, which flowed into the sphere in the brain.

The sphere pulsated like a heart.

It’s slightly different from the previous enhancement of cultivation of literature.

After directly increasing life points, this sphere suddenly twitched. The color became a bit darker.

Although it was only a bit darker, Zhang Rongfang could discern it.

But just as Zhang Rongfang entered meditation,

on the other side, Zhang Xintai, who was packing things in the room, encountered a new problem.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep