Lu Fan's answer made Lu Changkong speechless.

How could someone think the Immortal encounter wasn't worth the bother?

Wouldn't it be good to have it?!

Lu Changkong frowned. "Will sending Nie Changqing and Ning Zhao be enough?" he asked for confirmation.

"It'll be enough," Lu Fan said with a smile.

Lu Changkong fell silent. He didn't like to be pushy. Besides, he was well aware that Lu Fan probably had a lot of secrets.

Lu Fan had the strength to withstand someone at the Philosopher level, so maybe it made sense that Lu Fan looked down upon the Immortal encounter. He could afford to.

Actually, according to the scouts, none of the philosophers from Hundred Schools of Philosophy were among the heroes and pract.i.tioners who went to Hidden Dragon Ridge this time.

"Okay, as long as you know what you want to do. But this rush for the Immortal encounter happened within the realm of our Beiluo City, after all. I still need to do my best to guard Beiluo in case something happens and the city gets involved," Lu Changkong said.

He was serious.

Lu Fan nodded his agreement.

"Father, if you have the time, you can take a walk on Beiluo Lake Island more often. That place is as good as the Immortal encounter Secret Realm," Lu Fan said.

He tried to remind Lu Changkong of what happened.

On Beiluo Lake Island, Lu Changkong had entered the Second Stage Qi Core Realm. His cultivation talent was much higher than Lu Fan had expected. In Lu Fan's eyes, it would do Lu Changkong some good to spend more time on cultivation.

"Okay. I got it. After this dragon ridge business is all taken care of, I'll move to Beiluo Lake Island. Those chrysanthemums... I found them quite lovely."

The thoughtful look on Lu Fan's face gave way to a smile.

As a descendant of Agriculturist, Lu Changkong had always had a certain affection toward strange or rare plants.

Lu Changkong left, wearing his armor and gear, his knife at his waist. He left the little yard and headed to the city wall.

Hidden Dragon Ridge was roughly 30 miles from Beiluo City. Once all the forces that had come to the ridge started fighting against each other, Beiluo City might get drawn into the mix. It was also possible that some of the Mayors would attack Beiluo City under the excuse of looking for the Immortal encounter.

Lu Changkong had to be there on the city wall to deter them.

...

In the dungeon of Lu Manor...

The floor was wet and dirty, and the air was filled with the stench of blood.

It was the second time Lu Fan had come to the jail.

The first time he was here, his words had decided the fate of dozens of Confucianists. The blood that had splattered on the walls had taken a whole day and night to clean up.

This was the second time, yet this time, Lu Fan didn't feel much like killing.

Mo Liuqi woke up.

He was very tightly tied up on a cross.

"I'm... not dead?"

Mo Liuqi opened his eyes. He felt a p.r.i.c.kling pain throughout his body. This was part of the aftereffects from the horrendous Spirit Pressure he had suffered, which had almost crushed his bones.

The door to the dungeon opened.

The sound of wooden wheels rolling over the wet floor filled the jail.

The blinding suns.h.i.+ne from outside the door made Mo Liuqi tear up.

He closed his eyes, waiting for the light to dim before he opened his eyes again. Then, he saw his visitor's face.

In front of him was a young man in a white gown, with rosy lips and pearly white teeth. He was wearing a white gown and had skin as fair as a white jade, and long hair that fell straight down his back. He had a gentle, unrestrained manner.

Next to him stood a maid with an attractive face and figure. There was also a little girl carrying a chessboard on her back, and she was angrily staring at Mo Liuqi.

There were several armored soldiers standing around, and they made the atmosphere tense.

Lu Manor dungeon... Mo Liuqi recognized it.

He was no stranger to the smell of dungeons.

"Mohist sent you for the a.s.sa.s.sination?" the young man asked.

The wheelchair stopped three steps away from Mo Liuqi and faced him. The young man with rosy lips and white teeth was playing with his long, thin fingers. His voice was flat.

"Kill me or torture me however you wish," Mo Liuqi said.

Mo Liuqi looked down, a hint of despair in his eyes.

Ah Zhu, I'm going to die.

Mo Liuqi felt his heart grow heavy. He didn't feel any regret. He simply felt a sense of loss.

He was afraid he would never see Ah Zhu again. She was the one who a.s.signed him the mission.

"You're not cut out to be an a.s.sa.s.sin. An a.s.sa.s.sin shouldn't have such strong feelings," Lu Fan said.

Lu Fan was holding his chin with one hand, while a pearl hairpin had suddenly appeared in his other.

Mo Liuqi immediately looked up and stared at the pearl hairpin in Lu Fan's hand.

"So give up the a.s.sa.s.sin gig. Follow me," Lu Fan said.

Mo Liuqi was surprised. He never expected Lu Fan to recruit him instead of ordering him to be killed.

"Normally, I wouldn't let you live, considering you attempted to a.s.sa.s.sinate someone near my White Jade City."

"But I, Lu Fan, am a very good-tempered person, so I've decided to give you a chance to live and see the person you love again."

Lu Fan raised his hand. The pearl hairpin was now floating in the air.

Controlled by Lu Fan's consciousness, it floated before Mo Liuqi's eyes and came less than a centimeter away from his pupil.

"You can conduct 'scissors consciousness-control,' which means you're very talented. That's why I'm giving you this opportunity.

"One day. If you can enter Third Stage Qi Core Realm within one day, I'll allow you to live. I'll also give you a chance to say goodbye to Ah Zhu," Lu Fan said.

Lu Fan's tone was flat.

"What if I can't?" Sweat was dripping down Mo Liuqi's forehead.

The man in front of him was unbelievably unpredictable.

The terrifying Spirit Pressure he had produced felt like a mountain pressing down on him. It was scarier than the Confucianism Philosopher's Righteousness Qi Pressure.

Now, he could easily control an item without touching it, like it was nothing.

Mo Liuqi could control his scissors with his consciousness, so he was aware of how difficult it was to control things that way.

"If you can't..."

Lu Fan glanced expressionlessly at Mo Liuqi.

"I'll kill you. But don't worry. If that ends up being the case, I'll still let Ah Zhu see you for the last time. The only thing is... it'll be to see your b.l.o.o.d.y head," Lu Fan said.

The corners of his mouth curled upward into a wide smile.

Mo Liuqi instantly felt a chill run down his spine.

To the side, Ni Yu glanced at her scary-looking Young Master, and her lips twitched with displeasure.

The way the Young Master tried to intimidate people was... just garbage.

Mo Liuqi closed his eyes and tried to picture Ah Zhu seeing his head soaked in blood, and then smiled bitterly.

Maybe she wouldn't feel a thing.

But...

"Fine. I'll take it," Mo Liuqi said.

"Good," Lu Fan said with a smile.

The pearl hairpin under Lu Fan's control inserted itself into the bun on Mo Liuqi's head.

The ropes around Mo Liuqi also broke off on their own, and Mo Liuqi fell to the floor.

"Jing Yue, take him to the island," Lu Fan said flatly.

The wheelchair turned around by itself as his words echoed throughout the jail.

Carrying his flowering pear tree sword box, Jing Yue picked up Mo Liuqi with a radiant smile on his face.

...

Beiluo Lake Island.

The boat docked.

Yi Yue pushed the wheelchair off the boat. Ni Yu, having puked her way there, was carrying the chessboard. Her legs were shaking.

Mo Liuqi's head was down as he walked. Jing Yue followed him.

From a distance...

Blasting sounds came.

Nie Changqing and Ning Zhao suddenly showed up.

The two bowed. "Young Master."

Lu Fan waved his hand. "I'm very disappointed in you two. A whole night, and you've only refined one wisp of Spirit Qi?"

Overnight, Nie Changqing had entered the Second Stage Qi Core Realm, and Ning Zhao had entered Third Stage Qi Core Realm.

Yet Lu Fan was still unsatisfied.

After all, the current Spirit Qi intensity on Beiluo Lake Island had reached the level of 10,000 wisps.

Together with the gentle, mild Spirit Qi breathed by the adjusting ten Heaven Facing Spiritual Chrysanthemums, the cultivation environment here was arguably the best in Wuhuang Continent.

But even with an environment like that, their cultivation progress was slow.

Ning Zhao bit her lower lip and looked down with shame.

Nie Changqing did the same.

They disappointed Lu Fan.

"The Secret Realm of Hidden Dragon Ridge has already appeared. You have one day left. After that, head to Hidden Dragon Ridge," Lu Fan said, his voice emotionless.

"Yes," Nie Changqing and Ning Zhao quickly responded in unison.

They then left to refine Spirit Qi.

"Jing Yue, keep an eye on him. He can walk around all he wants on the island. If he leaves the island, kill him," Lu Fan said.

Lu Fan's wheelchair was now rolling along by itself.

Jing Yue instantly stood up straight.

"Young Master, I'm on it."

Jing Yue's gaze then traveled to Mo Liuqi.

"Yi Yue," Lu Fan said unexpectedly.

Yi Yue, who was still pus.h.i.+ng the wheelchair, turned to Lu Fan in surprise.

"You once asked me for Immortal encounter, but I didn't give it to you. Now, seeing that your Qi and blood are stirring up... even though you haven't reached the level of First Tier martial arts pract.i.tioner yet, you're pretty close, so I've decided to give you a chance."

He gazed at Yi Yue.

Yi Yue was thrilled, and her attractive face lit up.

She knelt down on the ground, her whole body trembling with excitement.

"I want you to practice cultivation on the island with Mo Liuqi. If you can comprehend the sense of Qi and enter Qi Core Realm, I'll teach you real Immortal method," Lu Fan said.

Yi Yue was more than thrilled. She kowtowed and expressed her grat.i.tude a thousand times over.

Lu Fan gazed at Yi Yue, who was incredibly excited, and didn't say anything.

Yi Yue was different from Ni Yu and Ning Zhao. She carried a grudge and was determined to get revenge.

When Lu Changkong practically saved Ning Zhao, Yi Yue, and Ni Yu from the heap of dead refugees, Yi Yue was the special one out of the lot.

She'd held a blood-stained blade in her hand, her eyes filled with hatred.

Lu Fan had learned about Yi Yue's background. She was from a small, well-known aristocratic family from West County—a family of scholars. But the entire family was slaughtered, just because they were against Mohist for intervening in West County's affairs. Yi Yue was the only one who survived. She escaped to Beiluo City with the refugees, and was eventually saved by Lu Changkong.

"Don't thank me yet. Wait until you've refined the sense of Qi," Lu Fan said.

He was sitting in the wheelchair, his back to Yi Yue.

"Ni Yu, push me upstairs," he said.

"Yes," Ni Yu replied. She pushed the wheelchair upstairs to the patio on the second floor of the building of White Jade City.

Lu Fan took the chessboard from Ni Yu and laid it out in front of him, along with boxes full of black and white chess pieces.

Ni Yu was busy boiling green plum wine.

Boom...

Suddenly, dark clouds moved across the sky, which had been beautiful and sunny a moment before.

The wind started blowing on the lake, and a sense of pressure filled the air.

Lu Fan picked up a chess piece.

Suddenly, the wind and clouds moved dramatically above the building.

Lu Fan's eyes suddenly changed as he gently stroked the Spirit Pressure Chessboard. They became unfathomably profound.

Numerous moving lines formed the terrain of Hidden Dragon Ridge.

All the heroes and their countless armies surrounding Hidden Dragon Ridge...

Were all reflected on the Spirit Pressure Chessboard in the form of red dots.

He was the planner. He was also an outsider.

The plan of recovering Spirit Qi was...

In motion.