Chapter 392: Veteran Victim

There was an unnamed small mountain peak several li away from Mount Reticence. This was just one of the countless earthen hills in the vast nine provinces, but at this moment, it burst into a dazzling brilliance.

Whoosh—

A pillar of white light shot up several zhang high, revealing a figure clad in blue and white.

The man who emerged was middle-aged, with a slightly rounded figure and an open-front long gown that gave him a leisurely air. Despite being in his thirties or forties, his fair and clean round face made him look younger than his years.

Panic flickered in his eyes. As the white light vanished, he immediately leapt up, intending to fly eastward. But before he could take off, a slender figure bathed in fiery red light blocked his path.

"Little fatty, you run quite fast."

The figure was none other than Di Nufeng, her blazing red robe and flowing black hair accentuating her fierce presence. The flames that clung to her body hadn't yet extinguished, indicating she had just arrived.

"Ah!" The man exclaimed upon seeing Di Nufeng, but his surprise quickly turned into a flattering smile. "Big Sis Feng! It's been so long since I've seen anyone from Mount Shu. I've missed you all so much!"

This man was none other than Zhou Yijian, the current master of the Wind-Catching Hall of the Celestial Pivot Pavilion.

He was famous for knowing all the world's secrets and spreading them across the nine provinces.

In terms of being hated, Di Nufeng had few rivals in the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten, but even she was outdone by Zhou Yijian.

After all, it was his profession. In the realm of immortal cultivators, the line of people wishing for this little fatty's demise could stretch from Mount Shu to the Celestial Pivot Pavilion.

Yet, he thrived.

The more people cursed him, the more he earned.

"Heh, missed me? More like you want me dead," Di Nufeng said coldly. "Ever since you took charge of

The Seven Stars Gazette

, you've smeared me repeatedly. It seems your wings have hardened. I've noted everything you've published about me."

"Rumors, absolute rumors!" Zhou Yijian immediately shouted in grievance. "Big Sis Feng, our bond is stronger than meteoric iron. How could I possibly talk bad about you?"

"If we're so close, why did you run?" Di Nufeng sneered. "If I hadn't asked your esteemed teacher last time, I wouldn't have known you had an enchanted formation hidden here. No wonder I could never catch you when I visited."

Zhou Yijian's chubby face twisted in dismay.

He felt confused as to how Di Nufeng managed to catch him since his escape formation was usually a well-kept secret. He never expected his esteemed teacher to be the one who betrayed him.

But as he thought about it, he realized it wasn't so surprising. His teacher had attended the Mount Shu Summit and had likely suffered at Di Nufeng's hands. It would have been difficult to leave without giving up something.

Why did you have to get involved in that mess?

he thought.

At your age, why go anywhere near Di Nufeng?

Elder Huang had been the one who brought Di Nufeng to Mount Shu, which explained why they had kept in close contact during the early days. Since Zhou Yijian started cultivating, he had seen Di Nufeng many times with his teacher.

Back then, he was a chubby little boy, and Di Nufeng's favorite thing to do was pinch his face like dough and force him to call her Big Sis.

It was exactly like what was happening now.

Di Nufeng still grabbed him by his fair, chubby cheeks, pinching them hard and tugging without regard for his current status as a seventh realm Eminent One, the master of the Wind-Catching Hall, and a high-ranking member of the Celestial Pivot Pavilion.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch..." Zhou Yijian winced and begged for mercy. "I wasn't running. I heard Big Sis Feng was looking for me, so I rushed back from out of town."

Everyone had grown up since then. It was during the Assembly of Immortal Sects sixty years ago that Di Nufeng stirred up a massive commotion in the martial world. He was one of her earliest victims.

Regardless of whether he was in a hidden realm, training, or completing any mission... whenever he encountered Di Nufeng, he inevitably got beaten.

So after he took charge of the Wind-Catching Hall, he intentionally published negative news involving Di Nufeng. But even if the heavens and earth were to bear witness, he would dare to say that he never made up any of those stories.

She claimed he tarnished her reputation, but he only reported what she actually did. How is that tarnishing her reputation?

Of course, he would never dare say this to Di Nufeng.

"Hmph." Di Nufeng rubbed Zhou Yijian's face for a while before pushing him away and saying, "I'm here to settle some scores with you. Over the years, you've constantly attacked me, causing a lot of stress. I've had to drown my sorrows in alcohol..."

"Big Sis Feng, you've always had that drinking habit," Zhou Yijian argued quickly. "The first time we met, you weren't even as tall as a wine gourd and you were already drinking straight from the bottle. That can't be my fault, right?"

"Drinking for fun and drinking to drown sorrows are two different things!" Di Nufeng retorted, waving her hand. "Later on, I didn't even dare to leave my house..."

You don't leave your house because you're lazy and have too many enemies...

Zhou Yijian's face contorted with pain. "Big Sis Feng, please, have mercy. Just tell me what you want."

"Considering the alcohol expenses and comfort fees over the years, asking you for compensation of a hundred thousand or eighty thousand isn't too much, right?" Di Nufeng said as she glanced at him sideways.

Zhou Yijian's face twisted even more.

He could afford the money, but it felt like cutting off half of his flesh. He would rather be killed.

Seeing his expression, Di Nufeng added, "However, I have a little trouble right now. If you're willing to help me with a small favor, considering our past relationship, I won't ask for your compensation."

"Just say it. Whatever it is, I will agree to it. You can just watch me do the work," Zhou Yijian said, immediately standing at attention.

He realized that Di Nufeng had made a fuss because she wanted him to do something but was worried that he might refuse.

"My disciple is missing. Help me find out where he is," Di Nufeng said directly, no longer wasting words.

"

Haaaaaa...

" Zhou Yijian sighed.

"Being a Reticent Heaven Observer" was a principle that all members of the Celestial Pivot Pavilion followed. Although they possess the best divination-reading abilities in the nine provinces, they rarely perform divination-reading for others, fearing they might unknowingly reveal the secrets of heaven and get entangled in karma.

The Great Dao of Karma was always mysterious and profound. One would only know it was karma on the day that disaster struck.

But considering the current situation, he knew that if he didn't help, disaster from Di Nufeng would strike much sooner than any heavenly retribution.

With a sigh, he slumped onto a large stone nearby and said, "Tell me the time and date that he was born, cultivation level, clothing and appearance, accent and physique, and approximate whereabouts."

"Do you need such specific information when you are doing divination-reading?" Di Nufeng asked, feeling puzzled.

She had seen divination readings from the descendants of the Heaven Observer lineage in the Celestial Pivot Pavilion before, and it wasn't this complicated.

"I was thinking..." Zhou Yijian raised his eyes and smiled weakly. "Why don't I publish a missing person notice for you in

The Seven Stars Gazette

? Maybe we'll find him right away, and if not, I'll help youuuuuu... Ahhhhhhhhhh!"

As he spoke, his voice trailed off as he suddenly flew a dozen zhang away.

Di Nufeng had kicked him.