My words have become law; I truly have no desire to display my divine power before others.

Inside the banquet hall, the candlelight remained bright, yet it could not dispel the pervasive stench of blood and acrid burning, nor the bone-chilling cold.

On the table, the armored corpse's hideous head silently recounted the unimaginable battle that had just taken place.

In the courtyard outside the hall, the limp and powerless Yunhe Zhenren Wu He was picked up by the old Daoist Chiyangzi like a chick and thrown into the center of the hall.

His face was ashen, his Taoist robe filthy, his crotch a mess, and his eyes unfocused.

Gone was any trace of his former air of otherworldly wisdom and superiority; only utter fear and despair remained.

Chi Yangzi glanced at him with disgust, then looked at Ye Qingfeng, cupped his hands, and said, "Fellow Daoist Ye, what should we do with this heretical cultivator?"

Ye Qingfeng's gaze fell on Master Yunhe, calm and undisturbed, yet Master Yunhe felt an even greater pressure than Chiyangzi's Five Elements True Fire.

"Where is the 'master' you speak of? Where are the bodies of those who 'died of illness' now?" His questions were direct and concise, without the slightest beating around the bush.

At this moment, Master Yunhe dared not hide anything; his instinct for survival overwhelmed everything.

He confessed in a trembling voice, as if pouring beans from a bamboo tube.

"Master... I don't know the full details of Master's identity, I only know that he is highly skilled and lives deep within the Wild Boar Forest, seemingly plotting something big... I... I'm just here to collect 'resources' on orders..."

"What is provisions?" Chi Yangzi demanded sharply.

"It's...it's a corpse...delivered to the master through special methods..."

Master Yunhe trembled.

"Those who truly died from the corpse poison... their bodies were not cremated; I secretly transported them to a mountain valley outside the town using armored corpses..."

"Take us there," Ye Qingfeng interrupted him, his voice leaving no room for argument.

"Yes...yes! Immortal Master, spare my life! I will lead the way right away!" Master Yunhe kowtowed repeatedly, struggling to get up, but his legs were weak and he could hardly stand.

Chi Yangzi snorted coldly and sent a "Yi Wood Life Force" into his body, temporarily stabilizing his exhausted state, but also secretly placing a restriction to prevent him from playing any more tricks.

"Lead the way! If you dare to lie in the slightest, I'll make sure your soul is shattered!"

"I wouldn't dare! Absolutely not!" Master Yunhe said repeatedly.

Ye Qingfeng stood up and spoke to the Zhou family father and son, who were still in a state of shock and disbelief.

"Master Zhou, Young Master Zhou, we must go and investigate immediately. Please strengthen security in the manor, especially Ningbi Pavilion, which should be temporarily sealed off and no one is allowed to approach."

Zhou Yongfu seemed to wake from a dream, and hurriedly bowed, replying, "Yes, yes, yes! I will follow your orders, Immortal Master! Wenxuan, go and make the arrangements!"

He now regarded Ye Qingfeng's words as divine pronouncements.

Zhou Wenxuan forced himself to remain calm, nodded in acceptance, and looked at Ye Qingfeng and Chi Yangzi with boundless awe and gratitude.

"Let's not delay, let's go." Ye Qingfeng gestured to Chi Yangzi.

Chi Yangzi picked up Yunhe Zhenren as if he were carrying a piece of luggage.

Ye Qingfeng took the lead, his blue robe swaying slightly as he walked out of the hall, his steps still unhurried, as if he were just going on an ordinary night out.

The Zhou father and son hurriedly saw them off at the entrance of the hall, watching the three figures quickly blend into the night in the courtyard and disappear in the direction leading out of the mansion.

Only when he could no longer see anything did Zhou Yongfu seem to have all his strength drained away. He staggered back a few steps, grabbed the door frame, and gasped for breath.

A night breeze blew by, bringing a touch of coolness and slightly clearing his confused and frightened mind.

He looked at the mess in the hall—the shattered jade Guanyin statue, the charred floor, the overturned tables and chairs, and… the terrifying head on the table.

A strong sense of lingering fear, like an icy tide, instantly overwhelmed him.

"A heretical path... It's actually a heretical path... And I actually treated this scourge as an honored guest, worshipping it day and night, and obeying its every word..."

Zhou Yongfu muttered to himself, his voice trembling, his face drained of color, and cold sweat poured down his face.

He recalled Master Yunhe's seemingly profound and unfathomable words, and the enormous sum of money he had unhesitatingly spent on "setting up the formation."

I was reminded of the townspeople's corpses that were "properly disposed of" because of their trust in "real people".

Each and every one of them, when recalled, sent chills down his spine.

If it weren't for Wenxuan's insistence, these two truly divine figures would have been invited...

If it weren't for tonight's banquet, how long would this evil path have remained hidden?

What fate awaits the Zhou family, and indeed the entire Black Mountain Town? He simply couldn't imagine!

"Father……"

Zhou Wenxuan stepped forward to support him, and could feel his father's body trembling violently. He was also filled with lingering fear, but even more so with relief.

"Wenxuan... I... I was so foolish!" Zhou Yongfu grabbed his son's arm, his old eyes blurry, filled with regret and self-blame.

"They almost ruined my whole family and the entire town! That immortal master... and Daoist Chiyangzi, they are truly my Zhou family's saviors, our second parents!"

He suddenly remembered something, pushed his son aside, and bowed deeply again in the direction where Ye Qingfeng and the others had left, muttering to himself.

"Immortal Master, please forgive me... I was blind and neglected the true immortal..."

After bowing, he straightened up, his face still showing signs of shock, but his eyes had become complicated.

There was regret, relief, awe, and also a strong sense of...missed opportunity.

"Wenxuan, do you think... I should have been more sincere and expressed my gratitude more just now?"

Or... ask the immortal if any offerings are needed?

Zhou Yongfu rubbed his hands, looking somewhat anxious and uncertain.

"The immortals departed in haste, clearly to deal with a more pressing source of evil. As their father, I couldn't even offer them an extra cup of wine or express my heartfelt gratitude... Alas!"

The more he thought about it, the more regretful he felt.

That's a true immortal who can fly on a sword and slay demons underground!

A divine encounter that ordinary people might not encounter in several lifetimes!

However, due to his previous doubts and fears, he acted so foolishly and helplessly that he failed to forge a deeper friendship.

What if the immortals finish their business and leave immediately?

Zhou Wenxuan understood his father's feelings and offered words of comfort.

"Father, the immortals are compassionate and take it upon themselves to subdue demons and monsters. They act in accordance with their own rules and do not care about such formalities."

"Our greatest help and gesture will be simply to follow the immortal's instructions and guard the residence well."

"That being said..."

Zhou Yongfu sighed, his gaze unconsciously sweeping over the messy hall.

His gaze swept over the shattered jade Guanyin statue on the ground, and he felt a pang of heartache.

The light swept past the scorch marks and finally landed on the guard who had previously had his sword borrowed by Ye Qingfeng. He stood there like a wooden statue, his hands tightly gripping his sheathed longsword.

The guard's face remained pale, but his hands gripped the sword sheath tightly, as if he were holding some rare treasure.

His eyes were fixed, still reeling from the shock of the sword light flying out and returning on its own, bringing back a terrifying head.

Zhou Yongfu's gaze was fixed intently on the sword.

It was an ordinary standard-issue sword with an ebony scabbard and a brass hilt. Due to years of use, the scabbard was worn and shiny.

But at this moment, in Zhou Yongfu's eyes, the sword radiated a completely different light.

That's it! It's this sword!