Yue Long smiled. “I’m not late, am I?”

He Baiyan immediately stood up. “Brother Yue, you’re just on time. Please, have a seat.”

Yue Long smoothly took the main seat, his gaze sweeping over Li Daoye before finally resting on Fang Chen. With a light smile, he said, “Young Friend Fang, thanks to you, Master Feng managed to survive.”

At that moment, He Baiyan suddenly stood up. With a smile, he said, “Gentlemen, please stay seated; I’ll be back shortly.”

With that, He Baiyan left.

“Is Daoist He going to relieve himself? Does a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator need to do that?” Li Daoye asked in surprise.

“Daoist He likely has some personal matters to attend to,” Yue Long replied casually. “What follows has nothing to do with him; what use would he have staying here?”

“But that’s not right, is it? Wasn’t Daoist He hosting this banquet to apologize to Fang Chen? If he doesn’t stay…who’s going to pay for this meal?” Li Daoye said with a puzzled expression.

“Meal? What meal? The two of you aren’t here to dine. I ask for your understanding and request that you accompany me,” Yue Long said calmly. “Qin Nie, the young lord, wants to see you both.”

As soon as Li Daoye heard the name Qin Nie, he panicked.

So this was all just a setup! Could it be that Lord Fang’s identity has been compromised?

Or is it that Qin Nie harbors resentment? Does he feel that Lord Fang is the one who saved Qin Feng from death?

Whatever the reason, Li Daoye knew that if the other party wanted to meet them, it certainly wouldn’t be anything simple.

"Young Friend Fang, I know you have some tricks up your sleeve, but in the presence of a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, it would be wise to keep them to yourself. I don’t wish to see blood spilled here,” Yue Long said, his tone calm as he looked at Fang Chen.

A powerful aura emanated from him, enveloping Fang Chen and Li Daoye.

Li Daoye’s chest turned stifled, and he instinctively looked at Fang Chen.

"Daoist Yue, could it be that Young Lord Qin Nie bears a grudge against me and plans to act against me? But if Lady Chu Lan finds out, I fear even Young Lord Qin Nie would have trouble explaining himself," Fang Chen replied calmly.

Yue Long chuckled lightly. “Lady Chu Lan? She can barely protect herself now; how could she possibly shield you two... ants. You can only blame yourselves for stepping into this mess.”

With that, Yue Long stood up and gestured for them to follow. “Please, gentlemen.”

Fifteen minutes later.

Yue Long led them to a secluded courtyard where Qin Nie was already waiting, standing quietly beneath a tree. Apart from him, there were over a dozen other figures hidden nearby, their auras varying in strength. ɽ

Qin Nie smiled and approached the two. "Daoist Fang, we meet again.”

“You forget that Daoist Fang is blind; he can’t see you.” Li Daoye frowned. “Go ahead, tell us what you want. If this is about Qin Feng, you should find him. We have nothing to do with it.”

Glancing at Li Daoyie, Qin Nie's smile widened. “Yue Long, cut out his tongue.”

Li Daoye felt a chill run down his spine and quickly looked at Fang Chen. "Lord Fang, if you have any tricks up your sleeve, now's the time to use them."

"Tricks? Haha..." Qin Nie chuckled softly, mockery in his eyes. "What tricks could he possibly have?"

"Young Master Qin, is He Baiyan one of your people?" Fang Chen suddenly asked.

"He Baiyan... to say he's one of my people... he doesn't quite qualify. But since he feels there's no future in staying by Lady Chu Lan's side, nor does he receive her trust or favor, he thought to curry favor with me and pledge his loyalty," Qin Nie said with a hint of resignation. "A Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, willing to work for me... How could I refuse? Even if he's of little use, having a dog isn't bad."

A cold glint flashed in Yue Long's eyes. Comparing a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator to a dog…. Was this some kind of hint?

"Don't misunderstand, I'm talking about He Baiyan, not you," Qin Nie said, looking at Yue Long.

He then turned to Fang Chen. "Daoist Fang, do you know why I invited you here today?"

"I don't imagine it's for anything good.”

Qin Nie nodded slightly. "Indeed, it's not a pleasant matter. I have something I want to ask you… how did you know the Three Solar Fruit was in my possession?"

Fang Chen feigned confusion. "What are you talking about, Young Master Qin?"

"No need to pretend. Back at Immortal Origin District, you deliberately knocked us out to steal my storage ring," Qin Nie said calmly. "That incident earned me a few days of being laughed at behind my back."

A cold gleam appeared in Qin Nie's eyes. "Tell me, how did you know the Three Solar Fruit was in my possession? Did Lady Chu Lan tell you, or did you hear it from someone else?"

Fang Chen glanced around the area, ignoring Qin Nie's question. "Young Master Qin, are all your trusted subordinates here?"

"I’m the one asking the questions." Qin Nie's eyes flickered as he gave Yue Long a look. "Yue Long, let him have a taste of suffering first. Perhaps then he’ll know how to answer me properly."

Yue Long smiled slightly and reached out toward Fang Chen. However, as he reached out his arm, a black sleeve came into view. A pale hand grasped his arm, causing him to turn incredibly rigid as if a chilling force had invaded, rendering him immobile!

What is this...?

A flicker of surprise flashed in the eyes of everyone present as they witnessed a black paper figure materialize beside Yue Long. The hand that had grabbed his arm belonged to this black paper figure.

Qin Nie's expression darkened. "Daoist techniques from the Profound Ghost Dao Sect!?"

Just as he was about to say something, he noticed his subordinates around him suddenly lose their heads and collapse lifelessly to the ground.

Immediately afterward, a white paper figure approached Fang Chen and softly reported, "Lord, no one within a ten-mile radius has been left alive."

Li Daoye's face was filled with horror.

What kind of trick is this? Talking paper figures? This is way too eerie…!

Fang Chen smiled as he looked at Yue Long. "Yue Long, will you take out the Three Solar Fruit yourself, or should I assist you?"

"How did you know the Three Solar Fruit was with him...?" Qin Nie exclaimed, instinctively taking a few steps back.

The situation in front of him was extremely eerie!

The other party had remained calm from the beginning, which he had found strange. But when the two paper figures appeared, he t truly sensed something afoot.

The peak Nascent Soul Realm Yue Long had been rendered completely immobile by the black paper figure!

“Why do you keep asking these kinds of questions? I know who has the Three Solar Fruit, but what does that have to do with you?”

A hint of fear slowly crept into Yue Long’s eyes as he rasped, “Who exactly are you? Do you know our true identities? This is just a misunderstanding, so why don’t we…”

“Your true identities? Aren’t you just Spirit Blood Sect cultivators? Or are you claiming to be a Profound Immortal and him an Immortal King?” Fang Chen looked at Yue Long and then at Qin Nie, speaking calmly.

Yue Long and Qin Nie were shocked, a chill racing down their spines.

He knows everything!