Chapter 764: Lou Yujing, Guest of Yongding

In his study in the Sieve of Heaven, Yu Fuli glanced at Xiao Nanfeng, who sat before him. "The Venerable Buddha spoke highly of you, but I was skeptical. To think you managed to catch a saint so easily..."

Xiao Nanfeng smiled wryly. "Unfortunately, he got away in the end."

"I know that he escaped to Lou Yujing via Tu Feng's heart. By now, he's probably been reduced to a slave."

"You're aware, Your Majesty?" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed.

"What do you think?" Yu Fuli smiled.

"In that case, Your Majesty, why not press the attack?"

"It doesn't matter anymore. My purpose was only to shock the other saints."

"Oh?" Xiao Nanfeng replied curiously.

Yu Fuli grew serious. "I've reached a level of strength that even the heavens fear. Before long, they'll start to attack me directly. In the meantime, I want to try to advance as much as I can—but it'll be troublesome if the other saints show themselves now. It suffices to kill Chi Hai and have them all cower."

"In that case, has Saint Chi Hai really died, then?"

"Lou Yujing has already seized his charm of heavenly law. Of course he's dead. As for Lou Yujing, though he might have obtained the charm, he hasn't been recognized by the heavens. He wouldn't dare do anything extreme at the moment," Yu Fuli said confidently.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"But I'm in danger now, Your Majesty! The saint might be done for, but I'll have to worry about Lou Yujing now. Please assist me," Xiao Nanfeng pleaded.

"You should be rewarded for capturing the saint. What sort of assistance would you like?" Yu Fuli asked, smiling.

"I have two requests, Your Majesty. First, would you grant me that convict, Tu Feng?"

"Oh?"

"I know that Tu Feng has committed great evil and must be formally executed for his crimes, but he may be of great use to me. Would you consider having another convict slated for death die in his place and covertly hand Tu Feng over to me instead? If he proves to be useless, I'll kill him. Otherwise, I'll make sure he hides his name and identity."

Yu Fuli considered Xiao Nanfeng's offer for a moment before nodding. "Very well. Tu Feng was exposed thanks to your efforts, anyway."

"Secondly, Your Majesty, would you help me suppress the Loss Diagram?"

"Oh? You don't want any more heart swords?" Yu Fuli smiled.

"I know that you handed me the two heart swords solely for use against the saint, Your Majesty. Now that he's been killed, I would be overreaching to ask for more. After all, every attack from a heart sword conveys a figment of your will. If I use them too often, the other saints may start to act out of fear, and the heavens may even attack you in advance. That would hurt your plans."

"Well said. You do have a good eye," Yu Fuli praised.

"Thank you for your praise, Your Majesty. I'm sure everyone will think that I have more heart swords kept hidden in case of a threat, regardless." Xiao Nanfeng smiled.

Yu Fuli blinked, then laughed himself.

Xiao Nanfeng dipped his head and took out the red Yin-Yang Cauldron.

Yu Fuli glanced at it. "I should warn you that, even if I suppress the Loss Diagram, you may not be able to do much with it."

"Lou Yujing has acquired a charm of heavenly law and possesses two ancestral zombie avatars. If I want to take him on, this Loss Diagram is all I can count on. Please grant my wish, Your Majesty."

”You do deserve a reward, but be careful. The Loss Diagram ultimately belongs to the Taiqing Grandmaster. When you stole it, I helped you cover it up for the time being, but he'll learn of it eventually. I can suppress the Loss Diagram on your behalf and allow you to use it once, but the Taiqing Grandmaster will learn of it and chase you down thereafter," Yu Fuli warned.

"That's sufficient, Your Majesty. I'll be careful."

"Very well."

Yu Fuli infused a burst of purple light into the Yin-Yang Cauldron, suffusing it as he attuned to the Loss Diagram.

In Dazheng's imperial study at Yongding, a group of officials were glaring at a Hongyue envoy.

"I greet Emperor Xiao. I have come on the Immortal Emperor of Hongyue's behest regarding a personal matter. Please forgive the lack of ceremony as a result," the envoy began politely.

"Why has Lou Yujing sent you?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"Three days later, the Immortal Emperor intends to visit Yongding for an informal chat," the envoy replied.

"Oh?"

Ye Sanshui and the others frowned. Was Lou Yujing intending to attack Yongding again?

"His Majesty would like to settle old grudges and disputes with you in person, Emperor Xiao. He shall arrive in a Golden Immortal avatar to demonstrate his sincerity."

Xiao Nanfeng was somewhat perplexed, but he nodded. "I await him in Yongding, then."

"Understood!" The Hongyue envoy bowed and retreated.

Once the envoy had left, Ye Sanshui began anxiously, "Your Majesty, Lou Yujing must be planning some scheme or another. He would never show up with nothing more than a Golden Immortal avatar! We have to make preparations immediately. What's more, who's to say he won't arrive early? He may be trying to mislead us with his three-day claim."

"Ye Sanshui, you can travel fast. Head to the Sieve of Heaven immediately and escort my avatar back," Xiao Nanfeng instructed.

"But what if Lou Yujing attacks in advance?" Ye Sanshui frowned.

"If he were planning to do so, it doesn't make sense for him to send an envoy at all."

"Understood. I'll head to the Sieve of Heaven immediately!"

Three days later, by Yongding's palace, there was a pavilion high up in the mountains.

Xiao Nanfeng sat patiently as he sipped on freshly brewed Immortal tea.

Suddenly, a flash of red light appeared outside the city. A pillar of red light manifested, one that shot into the heavens. Countless cultivators within Yongding cried out in fear.

Many of them recognized the pillar of red light; what had happened in the Sieve of Heaven was now public knowledge, at least among the countless supreme forces of the world. It represented a saint's authority over heavenly law, and was a source of incredible energy. The saint who had appeared had been strong enough to take down all four Cardinal Aspects on his own. Could this pillar of red light mark the appearance of another saint?

The spies instated in Yongding were shocked stiff by what they saw.

"We have to flee, now! This is ridiculous. Is Yongding a magnet for calamity? All those who attack Yongding are insanely strong..."

"Could the saint have returned? Did he not die? Is he trying to seek revenge on Xiao Nanfeng?"

"We're done for. Hurry up and flee!"

The spies rushed out of Yongding as quickly as they could, but the bulk of the Dazheng cultivators were particularly confident in Xiao Nanfeng. Despite the presence of a strong foe who might be a saint, they stayed on guard and didn't flee.

Suddenly, the pillar of red light vanished to reveal a figure in red, whose features were clouded in red fog.

A Dazheng official flew up to the figure and bowed. "I greet the Immortal Emperor of Hongyue. His Majesty awaits you. Please follow me."

"Very well." Lou Yujing nodded.

He followed the official into Yongding. The defensive formation around Yongding was inactive for the time being, allowing the two cultivators to enter readily.

"Oh? Is Xiao Nanfeng intending to meet me within Yongding?" Lou Yujing exclaimed.

He had given Xiao Nanfeng three days' warning to allay his concerns and allow him to prepare a secure location in which to host the meeting. Lou Yujing didn't expect Xiao Nanfeng to meet him within Yongding.

After all, Yongding was the heart of Dazheng. Any other ruler would have done their utmost to prevent enemies from entering. What was Xiao Nanfeng playing at?

"His Majesty said that the best place to have an informal discussion was in Yongding. If you intend to attack, he could trap you there and prevent you from ever fleeing," the Dazheng official replied.

Lou Yujing laughed. "Haha! Very well. Xiao Nanfeng is worth my time, after all."

The two cultivators flew toward the mountain peak by the palace.

The cultivators of Yongding watched on in confusion, and those that had tried to flee were taken aback.

"Despite looking like a saint, he didn't attack the city—and Xiao Nanfeng even dispelled the city's defenses to let him in. How could that be?" they wondered.

No one provided an explanation.

Lou Yujing stepped toward the pavilion in which Xiao Nanfeng was waiting.

There was a layer of fog surrounding the pavilion and obscuring what lay within from sight. Lou Yujing dispelled the red fog around him and revealed himself.

"Xiao Nanfeng, you are bold, aren't you?"

"That honor surely goes to you. Lou Yujing, to think you would dare scheme against a saint!"

Lou Yujing laughed.

He walked right up to Xiao Nanfeng and sat down. A cup of tea was placed before him.

Lou Yujing didn't even bother checking the tea for poison or anything of the sort. He took a sip. "This is good tea."

Xiao Nanfeng's brows couldn't help but furrow slightly. Perplexed as to his intentions, he commanded, "All of you may leave."

"Understood!" Xiao Nanfeng's subordinates chorused, leaving Xiao Nanfeng and Lou Yujing alone in the pavilion.

Neither cultivator spoke; the atmosphere grew tense. Both were eyeing each other carefully, as if attempting to uncover each other's motives and methods.