Chapter 137: None of My Business

"Does the Sect Master want to hear the truth or a lie?"

Tang Miaoxing's straight-to-the-point question caught Ye Yan off guard for a moment.

However, he quickly adjusted his expression, looked at the old lion, and countered,

"I want to hear both."

Faced with Ye Yan's counter-question, Tang Miaoxing remained as immovable as a mountain.

Multiple-choice questions were for children; as an adult—or rather, an elderly man—he naturally chose to have all of it.

"Very well."

It was an unexpected yet entirely reasonable answer.

Ye Yan smiled. "The lie is that my purpose in coming to the Tang Sect this time is to assist the Sect, to maintain order during this martial arts exchange, and to prevent any accidents."

"And the truth?"

Tang Miaoxing asked with narrowed eyes.

"The truth is—I am here to protect the members of the Fusang delegation and prevent them from meeting an untimely end within the Tang Sect..."

"Protect them?"

Hearing Ye Yan's words, Tang Miaoxing let out a cold laugh. "How do you plan to protect them?"

"I admit that your current strength is formidable, placing you at the very peak of the circle. Even if Ah Wang and I were to join forces, we couldn't match you."

"However, the Fusang devils' delegation consists of so many people. Just how many of them can you possibly protect?"

"When it comes to raw combat power, my Tang Sect might not rank among the highest tiers. But when it comes to assassination, mechanisms, and poisonous miasmas, no one throughout the entire otherworldly circle can compare."

As he spoke, the old master lifted his chin, unable to conceal the pride on his face.

Ye Yan, standing nearby, felt a splitting headache coming on.

In truth, from Ye Yan's perspective, protecting the Fusang delegation was even more difficult than single-handedly turning the Tang Sect upside down.

While the latter was difficult, it wasn't entirely hopeless, and Ye Yan believed he could pull it off.

Yet the Fusang delegation totaled thirty-six people, including several ordinary individuals. Even with his exceptional personal strength, he was only one person and could not be everywhere at once.

After all, he couldn't keep an eye on everyone at the exact same moment. Moreover... with the Tang Sect's unique and peerless assassination techniques, if they truly wanted someone dead, they could do it completely silently.

There was no way Ye Yan could guard against that.

Therefore, if the old master truly harbored murderous intent toward these outlanders, Ye Yan trying to keep all of them safe by himself would be nothing short of wishful thinking.

On this point, there was no room for debate.

"To be frank, Old Master, if you really develop a desire to kill these people, not even the King of Hell himself could keep them alive."

"However... to throw your lot in with the company's blacklist for the sake of people like them—no matter how you look at it, that's a terrible deal, isn't it?"

"They die and go to hell, but the Tang Sect still has to carry on its legacy..."

Since playing hardball wouldn't work, Ye Yan had to change tactics. He beat around the bush, attempting to use words and flattery to sway the old master's mind.

"Are you threatening me, kid?"

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. I'm merely laying out the pros and cons for the Old Master to weigh."

Naturally, Ye Yan couldn't fan the flames; the only way was to go along with Old Master Tang's train of thought. As soon as these words left his mouth, the expression on Old Master Tang's face softened considerably.

"Nonsense."

The old master let out a cold snort. "Though you are entirely right about one thing: if the Tang Sect truly wishes to make a move against them, not even the King of Hell could protect them."

"However, I cannot gamble the Tang Sect's heritage for a fleeting moment of gratification... It's simply not worth it."

As the Sect Master of Tang Sect, he bore the responsibility for the rise and fall of an entire faction. More often than not, Tang Miaoxing could not base his decisions on personal moods or preferences; he had to view things from a holistic perspective.

"The Old Master is truly magnificent."

Ye Yan timely offered a piece of flattery.

Although Old Master Tang's words had not explicitly stated it, they proved there was still room for maneuver.

It was negotiable.

This immediately gave Ye Yan a sense of certainty in his heart.

"The dishes are here!"

While they were talking, the lotus-cloth curtain of the back kitchen was slowly lifted. A master chef wearing an apron and disheveled hair walked out carrying a massive plate of steaming roasted fish.

Flame Mountain Sea Perch.

The signature dish of this humble little restaurant, and also one of the more famous dishes in Jianghu cuisine. It used fresh perch, first pan-fried and then roasted, heavily spiced with oil and chili, releasing an intoxicating aroma that instantly made one's mouth water.

Aside from the Flame Mountain Perch, there was also spiced bean curd, spicy diced chicken, rabbit heads, and sliced beef and ox tongue in chili sauce...

The drifting aromas mingled together, causing even Ye Yan to swallow hard.

Ever since he left Shu, it had been a very long time since he last tasted such authentic Jianghu cuisine.

Beside him, Tang Wenlong waved at the apron-clad boss,

"Old Han, bring me some garlic."

"Will do, will do!"

Ye Yan's greedy look of swallowing saliva did not escape everyone's notice. On his right, Uncle Wang—known widely as the devil—unexpectedly smiled with unusual gentleness,

"Alright, you've all been traveling the whole afternoon, and you must be starving. Come, come... stop standing around here, pick up your chopsticks, pick up your chopsticks... No matter how massive the matter is before us, we have to eat first before we chat."

"Understood."

With Zhang Wang's word, the younger generation present didn't hold back. They successively picked up their chopsticks and went straight for the steaming dishes on the table.

Nearby, Tao Tao even beat Tang Wenlong to the punch, transferring a large fish head directly into Ye Yan's bowl, drawing a look of lingering resentment from Tang Wenlong.

In the past, the fish heads had mostly been his, but now one had landed in Ye Yan's bowl.

There was nothing left to say; social status minus one.

"Such a lack of manners."

Looking at the unreserved behavior of the juniors, Tang Miaoxing, who sat at the head of the table sipping tea, looked somewhat displeased. Zhang Wang beside him, however, kept his smile. "Alright, Senior Brother, let's not talk about that while eating. They're still just a bunch of kids, after all."

The group buried their heads in eating.

Twenty minutes later, the table full of dishes had been completely swept clean. Ye Yan let out a satisfying burp, leaned back against the chair, and lit a cigarette, as did Liu Han nearby.

"Are you all full?"

Tang Miaoxing cradled his tea cup, surveyed Ye Yan who was puffing on his smoke, and asked softly.

"Shall we continue our previous topic then?"

Ye Yan tentatively asked.

"Still, Old Master, you already know the purpose of my coming. The sticking point is no longer with me, but rather what your Tang Sect actually intends to do."

Even though they had already talked through a round,

and Ye Yan had a good read on Old Master Tang, until he received a definitive answer, he still felt unsettled and insecure.

"Very well. Seeing as you've been relatively honest, kid, I'll lay my cards on the table for you. Although my Tang Sect made its name through hidden weapons, our conduct has always been upright and open. Grudges are grudges... but my Tang Sect disdains using underhanded tactics."

"Since these Fusang devils wish to resolve our feud through such a method—a martial arts exchange—"

"My Tang Sect will simply accept it."

"However, there is one precondition: you'd better not lean too far to one side, kid... Otherwise, don't blame this old man for not talking about righteousness with you."

Tang Miaoxing tapped his fingers rhythmically against the tabletop with sharp thuds. These words served both as an answer and a warning.

He was telling him not to forget his identity and stance simply for the sake of a mission. After all, in this competition against the Fusang delegation, the role Ye Yan had to play was crucial and also represented the stance of the Company.

Ye Yan pinched out the remaining half of his cigarette, the smile on his face instantly blooming brightly. "Old Master, rest assured. Even if I'm a reckless scoundrel, I haven't forgotten what blood flows through my veins, and I never will."

"To be honest, if the circumstances didn't forbid it, I wouldn't even need you to deliberate; I would have personally taken these Fusang devils to use as sacrificial flags. Coincidentally, my flag array still has quite a few empty slots waiting to be filled."

"That's good."

The old master nodded. "I hope you keep your word..."

......

......

Leaving the humble little restaurant,

the time was approaching eight o'clock.

Tang Miaoxing and the others returned to the Tang Sect in a group, while Ye Yan and Liu Han settled into a nearby hotel that Hao Yi had arranged in advance.

Having taken a shower, wrapped in a bath towel with his upper body bare, Ye Yan lay on the bed browsing his phone.

Beside the bed, the four-handed Mo Li Zha sat on a small stool, holding rubbing alcohol in its left hand and an alcohol swab in its right. Flames flickered on the cotton ball, trailing wisps of black smoke.

However, it looked hesitant. "Big Bro Yan, are we using bamboo cups or glass cups today?"

"Bamboo cups, the suction is stronger."

Ye Yan pillowed his head on his arms, eyes narrowed, answering absentmindedly.

"Got it."

Upon receiving the order, Mo Li Zha used its free hands to pick out two cups made of green bamboo from the wooden box at its feet. It roasted them briefly over the flaming alcohol swab in its hand and skillfully applied them to Ye Yan's back.

*Pop-pop—*

The suction of the bamboo cups pulled tight against his well-defined back muscles, causing him to draw in a sharp breath.

"Big Bro Yan, how's the pressure?"

"It's fine, keep going."

"You got it..."

While getting cupped, Ye Yan scrolled through his phone.

However, the otherworldly circle had been unusually quiet lately, devoid of any juicy gossip worth reading. Just as Ye Yan narrowed his eyes, intending to catch a light nap, the phone in his hand suddenly vibrated, catching his attention.

"Huh?!"

Ye Yan raised his head slightly.

He saw that someone had sent him a message.

Sender: Ma Xianhong.

Upon seeing this name, Ye Yan, who had been feeling somewhat sleepy, instantly regained his energy and began reading the message Ma Xianhong had sent...

"How have you been lately? It's been a while since I heard from you. The item you wanted has already been crafted. If it's convenient, leave an address."

"It's done? So fast?"

Ye Yan was startled by Ma Xianhong's words.

Originally, he had thought that even if Ma Xianhong truly had the ability to craft such an artifact,

given its intricate and complex nature, it would at least take a year or a half to complete...

He hadn't expected it to be finished so quickly, and judging from the casual tone between the lines, it hadn't taken much effort either.

This man really worked fast.

"It's already done?"

Thinking this, Ye Yan typed back a reply.

"Of course. Just some minor trinkets, didn't take much effort at all. I carved out a bit of time and whipped it up, and the effect turned out quite good."

Ma Xianhong replied instantly. Even across a screen, one could feel his arrogance.

"Alright."

Ye Yan smiled, but his reply wasn't as enthusiastic as before.

At first, trapped in the absolute darkness of the inescapable domain, both Ma Xianhong and Old Celestial Master had been his pillars of hope.

Later, thanks to Wang Ai and Nightmare, Ye Yan had ascended to become a sovereign within the dream realm.

Coupled with a series of subsequent events, Ma Xianhong had essentially slipped his mind.

If it weren't for suddenly seeing this message today, Ye Yan would have almost forgotten about him entirely.

"Send me the address, I'll mail the item to you. You can just receive it on your end."

"Sorry for the trouble... Let me know if you have any requests on your end; consider I owe you a favor."

Although he had already ascended to sovereignty and items generating absolute darkness weren't of much use to him anymore,

since the other party had invested genuine effort into his matter, Ye Yan wasn't the type to burn bridges after crossing them. Naturally, he couldn't just pretend not to see it.

"Forget about the favor. It's just some trivial gadget with no great intrinsic value anyway. Don't take it to heart, just treat it as a gift... After all, you are someone recognized by me, Ma Xianhong."

Ma Xianhong's words remained as aloof as ever.

So aloof that even Ye Yan, who considered himself seasoned in human relations, didn't know how to respond.

"Fine. Regardless, thank you for putting thought into this matter. I'm currently in Shu and still have some things to handle here. Once I'm done, I'll find some time to visit you. If it's convenient, leave your address with me as well..."

Ye Yan edited the location of this hotel and sent it to Ma Xianhong on the other end, conveniently asking for the other party's address as well.

He planned to visit Ma Xianhong once the Tang Sect matters were settled. He was quite curious about this arrogant and somewhat mysterious fellow.

Of course, it was purely out of curiosity.

In response to Ye Yan's inquiry, Ma Xianhong on the other side of the screen remained silent for a long time before finally sending a message,

"As for the address, let's skip it for now. The location for my village hasn't been finalized yet. Once the village is built, I will definitely invite you to visit and be my guest."

"A village..."

Looking at the text on the screen, Ye Yan froze for a moment. If he remembered correctly,

the last time he chatted with Ma Xianhong, the guy had mentioned he was looking for a location for a village. Yet from the end of Dragon Tiger Mountain until now, it had been at least a month or so.

And he was still searching for a location.

At this, Ye Yan's curiosity was completely hooked.

One had to know that even for his Night Department, if they were truly searching for a site and looking seriously, a month would have been enough to yield some clues.

Could establishing a mere small village really be this troublesome?

What kind of village would a successor of the Eight Wonders want to build?

Pondering this, Ye Yan casually asked: "Speaking of which, I still don't know what's going on with you over there. Why are you building a village?"

Mentioning this, Ma Xianhong began to talk about his grand ambition: "Although I can't tell you the specific reasons, I can say that the original intention of building this village is to change the world, and 'Jie' (Interception) is also an existence capable of upending the world."

"Ah, this..."

If these words had come from anyone else's mouth, Ye Yan certainly wouldn't have believed them.

Yet Ma Xianhong's identity was different. He was the successor of the Eight Wonders, the wielder of the Divine Machine Hundred Refinements.

This was quite a special existence even among the Eight Wonders. Under the Hundred Refinements, one person could equal an entire army. If this ability were utilized properly, it might truly possess the power to upend the world—or upend the otherworldly circle.

After hanging up the phone,

Ye Yan's mood felt somewhat heavy.

He felt that Ma Xianhong really might stir up quite a massive wave in the otherworldly realm. That wave might not even be much weaker than the Celestial Master descending the mountain.

Yet, upon second thought,

Ye Yan's mood relaxed once more.

"What the hell has that got to do with me anyway..."