“I don’t remember teaching you to be so glib.” Esteemed Lan Yue finally took a look at Wan Yitong.

　　Wan Yitong blinked and sat in front of Esteemed Lan Yue, “Speaking of being glib, I’m born with it and don’t need to be taught. However, when it comes to Master, it’s effective.”

　　Esteemed Lan Yue couldn’t help but laugh. He raised a hand and pinched Wan Yitong on the nose, “If you have the time to eavesdrop here, you might as well practice your sword. How long have you not gone into closed-door cultivation?”

　　Wan Yitong smiled, “Master, it’s too stuffy to shut myself in. No one can talk to me and I can’t taste any delicious food. It’s too difficult, so I plan to wait for some time and travel around to gain experience.”

　　“That’s fine.” Esteemed Lan Yue offered some advice, “However, it’s too dangerous to go to places that are remote. You might as well take Xuanzhi with you.”

　　Wan Yitong raised his eyebrows and smiled, “Actually, Master. I was already going to take my younger martial brother with me.”

　　There was no denying that Lin Xuanzhi’s sword cultivation was better than his. Moreover, Lin Xuanzhi’s moves could kill with just one strike, making Wan Yitong feel particularly eager to take him out and see it happen with his own eyes. After all, only in real combat could one reveal his own killing ability without scruple.

　　Esteemed Lan Yue showed a faint smile, “Go back first. I have some things to do here.”

　　Wan Yitong nodded, poured a glass of water for Esteemed Lan Yue and placed it on the low table in front of him. Only then did he salute, “Your disciple will leave first.”

　　With that, Wan Yitong left with a bounce.

　　After hearing such a big gossip today, Wan Yitong couldn’t wait to share it with his senior martial brothers and younger martial brother.

　　Those two boys were really interesting.

　　Once at the top of the mountain, Wan Yitong looked in the mirror, “Where’s younger martial brother?”

　　Zhan Fengting sighed, “I don’t know where he went, but I guess he went to find Master.”

　　Wan Yitong asked, “Is there something wrong with younger martial brother?”

　　Hai Kuanglang touched his chin, “He looked calm, but you know, that boy won’t show anything on the surface even if he were given money ten times over.”

　　“Master actually gave the two boys to Xuanzhi.” Zhan Fengting said, a bit hesitant, “Say, did Master find out that you were hiding inside?”

　　Wan Yitong shrugged his shoulders, “I was caught by Master.”

　　Zhan Fengting, “….”

　　Master was really so sly that even Lin Xuanzhi was deliberately allowed to hear the news.

　　Cleansing Inkstone Pavilion

　　Lin Xuanzhi stood in front of Esteemed Lan Yue who was meditating with his eyes closed.

　　“If you have any questions, you may as well ask them directly.”

　　Lin Xuanzhi’s voice was like broken jade, clear and pleasant to the ears, “Which clan in the Upper Realm was in charge of the Jian and Liu families respectively?”

　　Esteemed Lan Yue opened his eyes, “It’s not easy to talk about the Jian family.”

　　Lin Xuanzhi asked, “Why?”

　　“The so-called reclusive families are like shadow guards and daggers. Half of them walk in the open, while the rest walk in the dark. No one could easily reveal the families they belong to. As far as I know, the Jian family are in the dark. In the Ming Dynasty, the Jian family belonged to both the Eastern and Southern Sovereigns, and even the West had something to do with them.  However, at least two of these three parties are just guises. The Eastern Sovereign, the Southern Sovereign, and the West Phoenix Monarch.”

　　Lin Xuanzhi mentally noted this.

　　“What about the Liu family?” Lin Xuanzhi asked.

　　“The Liu family belonged to the other half. They have been subordinates of the Yan family since ancient times, and it still is. But the Liu family has already been divided into different branches and masters, supporting various Yan family members with different ranks. In my time, it should be Yan Zhonghua, the first heir, who supported them.”

　　Lin Xuanzhi was shocked. Unexpectedly, it was Yan Zhonghua?

　　Yan Tianhen’s biological father in theory?

　　Lin Xuanzhi’s heart was filled with great anger but at the same time, he was also very distressed for Yan Tianhen.

　　If Yan Zhonghua really sent someone to kill Yan Tianhen, it was too fucking much.

　　Lin Xuanzhi asked again, “Master, are you from the Nine Lands?”

　　This was something he had always been extremely suspicious of because Esteemed Lan Yue knew almost everything about the Nine Lands. This was not what a person who had never left the Five Continents since he was a child could know.

　　Esteemed Lan Yue looked at him and faintly replied, “I did come from the Nine Lands.”

　　He was right.

　　Lin Xuanzhi composed himself, “What kind of person is Yan Zhonghua in the eyes of Master?”

　　Esteemed Lan Yue did not expect that this was his first question after learning about his origins.

　　After pondering, Esteemed Lan Yue replied, “He’s a gentleman.”

　　Lin Xuanzhi, “….”

　　A gentleman?

　　Was that possible?

　　Could someone like that send assassins to kill Yan Tianhen?

　　Abandon his spouse even before that?

　　Fine, he could understand that they had different pursuits, but understanding it didn’t mean he recognized it.

　　Lin Xuanzhi internally kept spitting out all kinds of complaints.

　　Esteemed Lan Yue looked at Lin Xuanzhi’s expressionless face and knew that the more expressionless he was, the more intense his psychological activities were.

　　He considered it for a moment before saying, “It’s not what you think. Although I haven’t heard how Su Mo told you about Yan Tianhen’s parents, I think what he said is different from the truth itself. Yan Zhonghua isn’t the type to abandon his spouse for the sake of the throne, but he did have his share of the blame that things turned out like that back then. However, most of the blame did not lie on him but on Demon Venerable You Ming— who is Yan Tianhen’s other father.”

　　Lin Xuanzhi frowned slightly, “But master, why did the Liu family want to kill Ah Hen?”

　　“The connection between the Five Continents and the Upper Realm has long been broken. News from the outside cannot enter and news from the inside cannot go out. Why did the two families receive a similar Scarlet Kill Order at the same time? Besides, when Ah Hen was sent to the Five Continents, no other third party knew about it in the Upper Realm except for the West Phoenix Monarch and Demon Venerable You Ming. Ah Hen’s life star has not been detected since the prophet family was hit hard by backlash. Even his current position cannot be determined. How did the Divine Clans in the Upper Realm send out a Scarlet Kill Order to let a reclusive family assassinate Ah Hen?”

　　Lin Xuanzhi felt something flash through his mind.

　　He quickly grabbed onto this idea, his eyes slightly narrowed, “Master, exactly how many people knew where Ah Hen went back then?”

　　“If you don’t count me in, there are four. Su Mo, Lin Zhan, You Ming, and Feng Jingyu. Although you may not have heard of Feng Jingyu, you can be rest assured about him. “

　　“Why?” Lin Xuanzhi asked.

　　“Because he has a very good relationship with Demon Venerable You Ming.”

　　“How good is it? He won’t betray at all?”

　　“Villains conspiring together like birds of a feather, colluding together and setting a bad example for others.” Esteemed Lan Yue calmly explained.

　　Lin Xuanzhi, “…”

　　Okay, he believed it.

　　Esteemed Lan Yue smiled and seemed to be very amused by his own description, “I said that but then again, the West Monarch was distanced from us ever since he was a child. He was extremely narcissistic and conceited. He often played tricks on others when he didn’t agree with them. He also behaved in a unique manner and always carried an unapproachable face. So at the beginning, all the disciples we were cultivating with didn’t like to be around the West Phoenix Monarch. However, You Ming felt that Feng Jingyu and he were a match made in heaven, so he took the initiative to play with him every day.”

　　During that time, it was really a nightmare of a lifetime for the disciples of the same generation in the Divine Clans. At first, there was only one Huai Yu who played tricks on them, but who knew that later there would inexplicably be one more Feng Jingyu.

　　It was still fine if only there was one more Feng Jingyu, but who would have thought that this bastard who was asking for a beating had already become the rightful West Monarch. Even his status was worth more than those little kids who only held the titles of princes or young masters. They dared to be angry but dared not to speak up, all because they couldn’t afford to offend this West Phoenix Monarch!

　　Esteemed Lan Yue couldn’t help thinking, I’m afraid that the overall cultivation levels of the Nine Lands’ descendants in my same generation are far better than the previous generation or the generation before that. They could be regarded as both talented and charming, outstanding geniuses coming forth in large numbers. They were even called the first period of peak Daoism after the end of the Dao era. That result absolutely had an inseparable relationship between You Ming and Feng Jingyu, this exotic combination’s “encouragement” and “degradation of conduct”.

　　Speaking of which, it was really funny.

　　Moreover, the relationship between the West Monarch Feng Jingyu and Demon Venerable You Ming was so good that they practically wore the same pair of trousers, always together. Because of this, they made Yan Zhonghua drink countless barrels of vinegar.

　　When he thought of those bright moments in the past, Esteemed Lan Yue seemed to be separated from the rest of the world and he couldn’t help but want to smile.

　　Esteemed Lan Yue did smile, “Xuanzhi, when a person has been alone for hundreds of years and suddenly had made one friend who treated him sincerely, he would certainly treat him genuinely with all his heart. Although You Ming was terrible in a thousand ways, he treated his friends with an utterly sincere heart. The West Phoenix Monarch, who was neglected from an early age and regarded himself highly because of his natural nobility, was just happy to have a friend because of his natural disposition and simple mind. Therefore, Feng Jingyu is the most unlikely person to betray Yan Tianhen.”

　　Lin Xuanzhi fell into a conundrum.

　　It wasn’t Feng Jingyu, nor his father. If Su Mo wanted to attack Ah Hen, he wouldn’t have waited until this time. As for You Ming, Lin Xuanzhi slowly looked at Esteemed Lan Yue, “Where is Demon Venerable You Ming?”

　　“If he really wanted to kill Ah Hen, it would have been a piece of cake,” he said with profound meaning.

　　Lin Xuanzhi was puzzled, but Esteemed Lan Yue didn’t intend to explain it to him.

　　Lin Xuanzhi pondered for a moment, “If this is the case, the only four people who know where Ah Hen was, don’t have anything against him. How could Ah Hen have been hunted down then?”

　　“In the Five Continents, there must have been a fish that slipped through the net who knew the truth since the beginning. It’s just that the person is in the dark. It’s difficult for us to find out who it is for the time being, but his power is great. The Scarlet Kill Order is a life-threatening card in the hands of the Divine Clans’ leaders, and not just anyone could get it.”

　　Moreover, there were two commands passed down at the same time.

　　The Scarlet Kill Order came not from the Nine Lands but from the Five Continents. This information made Lin Xuanzhi feel extremely anxious.

　　Lin Xuanzhi asked again, “Why didn’t Master just tell Jian Yunxi and Liu Zhaoyue?”

　　Esteemed Lan Yue answered, “They have already realized the problem, which is why they were so slow in attacking Lin Zhan and Yan Tianhen. If it’s explained, I would have to lie to deceive them, and in order to justify the lie, I’d have to tell other lies. I’d rather not do such a laborious thing.”

　　Lin Xuanzhi thought about it. This indeed was the style of Esteemed Lan Yue.

　　Lin Xuanzhi said, “About there being a barrier around the Five Continents…”

　　“Wait until you’ve reached the edge of Profound Realm and then we can talk about it.”  Esteemed Lan Yue sighed slightly, “I once observed that the destiny of the Five Continents has something to do with you, but I can’t see how much of it has to do with you at this time. Just remember that you can’t do anything until you improve your cultivation.”

　　“Your disciple understands.”  Lin Xuanzhi responded.

　　—

　　Sarah: FJY and YM being prankster buds in their youth is so cute ;w;

　　Ea: Adorable.

　　Rose: YZH drank countless barrels of vinegar. lol!