Chapter 131: Miss, Let Us Collaborate

He Feng heard this and looked toward Cheng Tian, offering a benevolent smile. He asked, seemingly offhandedly, "Elder Cheng left in such a rush earlier, and I noticed he seemed to have something on his mind. Is there some issue with your niece?"

It was hardly necessary to be subtle when trying to extract information from Cheng Tian. He had no intention of guarding against Mr. He, who had been such a great help, so he laid out the entire story of Jing Xiaoyun and her father.

As they emerged from the valley together, He Feng advised, "If you ask me, if you truly kill that man surnamed Jing, I fear your niece will not let it rest. After all, he is your brother-in-law, and they just saved your life. To turn against them now would be a loss that outweighs any gain. Besides, the dead cannot be brought back to life; if you do this, you will have no way to undo your regret later. You should really give more thought to the instructions Elder Cheng left before he departed."

Cheng Tian already had a decent relationship with Jing Xiaoyun, and having just been rescued by her group, he found He Feng’s words quite reasonable. Furthermore, his uncle had specifically urged him to listen to He Feng before leaving. Hesitating, he stood still and asked, "Then, in your opinion, what should be done?"

He Feng looked up at the sky and said, "I don't think we need to waste our energy searching. We only need to rendezvous with those Daoist cultivators, and we will naturally be able to wait for them to arrive. We are all family; it is better to value harmony."

Cheng Tian nodded repeatedly. "Then let us go there and wait for them, and decide based on the situation. If that fellow surnamed Jing truly does not know how to value his life, it won't be too late to deal with him then."

On the way, Cheng Tian couldn't help but ask, "Mr. He, the sect is a long distance from here, and the 'Sky Veil' ocean lies in between. How did you manage to come here?"

He Feng seemed lost in thought. "That is a good question. How did that Miss Qi answer it last night?"

Cheng Tian let out an "Ah?" Although he hadn't gone to watch the spectacle himself, busybodies had recounted it to him in vivid detail. Knowing roughly how Hong Jian had fooled them, he scratched his head and said, "That woman claimed she was sent by Dai Mingchi because she had learned the 'Great Disaster Sutra' and was determined to oppose Ji Youyun. She spoke with such logic and conviction that we didn't think anyone else knew about the Sect Master’s soul-severing, so we were deceived."

Upon hearing this, He Feng’s expression turned somewhat peculiar. To Cheng Tian, it seemed as if Mr. He were actually admiring the liar, for he heard him chuckle and say, "Truly clever." If that wasn't praise, what was?

Cheng Tian spent the rest of the journey puzzled by this strange reaction. By the time they saw the forest by the river where the captured Daoist cultivators were sheltering, his attention shifted to the woods, and he completely forgot that He Feng had deflected his question without ever answering it.

Although the Daoist cultivators tried their best to suppress their auras, most of them had not yet reached the Nascent Soul stage, and some were injured. How could they hide from two people specifically looking for them?

The sudden appearance of two Demonic cultivators, who clearly possessed high cultivation levels, immediately made the Daoists nervous.

Bored, Cheng Qingqing suddenly jumped up, pushed away a Daoist cultivator who had been fawning over her, and said joyfully, "Little Uncle, you've come! Grandfather sent me a message before he left."

Her eyes darted behind Cheng Tian, and her expression gradually turned cold. She asked, "Why didn't you go and capture that treacherous little dwarf first?"

Cheng Tian felt embarrassed and scolded her with a dark face, "What kind of talk is that? Have you no manners?"

Cheng Qingqing sneered, "Manners? I only just realized I nearly lost my life out of sheer ignorance; where would I find the mood for manners? Uncle, if you are so biased, don't regret it when I die at the hands of that dwarf."

At this point, Cheng Qingqing seemed to notice He Feng standing behind Cheng Tian. She looked him up and down.

He Feng had an ordinary appearance that made it easy for people to lower their guard. After studying him for a long time without seeing anything notable, Cheng Qingqing softened her tone and said, "So you are the Sect Master's personal disciple. If you had come half a day earlier, that imposter wouldn't have been able to lead us around by the nose."

Remembering how "Qi Xiuning" had forced her to call that coward surnamed Jing "Father," she felt as if her heart were bleeding. Gritting her teeth, she sneered, "They will come back, won't they? Daring to play games with me—I will make her regret ever living in this world."

He Feng remained calm and said, "That will not do. Those people have great use; you cannot touch them."

He cast a warning look at the indignant and humiliated Cheng Qingqing. "Besides, if they hadn't brought you out of the valley early, you would not be sitting here unscathed right now. Your grandfather suffered heavy losses; everyone below the Nascent Soul stage was wiped out. Is returning kindness with vengeance something a disciple of my Heavenly Demon Sect should do?"

"You! You..." Cheng Qingqing’s face turned livid. Not only did this jerk have no personal appeal, but why was his personality so stiff and pedantic?

She had a bellyful of words stuck in her throat, but given the other man’s status and seniority—and unlike that Qi Xiuning from before, her grandfather had explicitly told her to follow Mr. He’s arrangements, and with her uncle watching closely—she dared not act recklessly. She could only suppress her anger, thinking to herself, *Just you wait. There will come a time when you need me.*

He Feng stopped looking at her. He told Cheng Tian to wait aside and walked quickly toward the Daoist cultivators.

"Everyone, rest assured. The pursuers from the Demon-Refining Prison have been repelled. You can safely leave East Qin and start a new life." His opening words caused the terrified Daoists to breathe a small sigh of relief.

One elderly Nascent Soul cultivator looked wary and said, "What exactly are you trying to do? No matter what, I will not stoop to colluding with Demonic cultivators or taking your orders."

With Demonic cultivators appearing one after another, anyone could see that the situation was far from as simple as what that Qi Xiuning had claimed that morning.

"Exactly. The path of the Dao and the path of the Demon are incompatible. It is enough that we aren't fighting to the death with you lot," others chimed in.

He Feng smiled. "I know this. If you all were not steadfast in your Daoist hearts and possessed of an unyielding spirit, you would have surrendered to Ji Youyun back in the Demon-Refining Prison. Rest assured, we have no demands of you. You are all free to come and go as you please."

The old man was half-skeptical and asked, "What about that Miss Qi who saved us?"

He Feng’s expression shifted slightly, his tone light. "She is intercepting the enemy; she will return shortly."

He looked up into the distance and said to the crowd, "That Elder Ji from the Demon-Refining Prison has formidable methods; he will track us down at the slightest trace. The Heavenly Demon Sect suffered heavy losses to drive him back temporarily. Once everyone is gathered, I will consult with her to see how we can safely send you all away so that Ji Youyun can never find you again."

The old man muttered, "A Demonic cultivator like you, being so kind?"

Although he didn't fully trust He Feng or that Qi Xiuning, he was unwilling to leave the group to fend for himself. He exchanged glances with several other Daoists, intending to wait and see how things developed.

The atmosphere was heavy. The joy of the Daoists at seeing the light of day had been shattered by the battle, their future remained uncertain, and the groans of the injured mixed with the presence of the scowling Cheng Qingqing.

Yet, none of this seemed to affect He Feng’s good mood. His plain face appeared radiant, his eyes bright as he gazed toward the battlefield, waiting with a sense of eager anticipation.

After a short while, Cheng Tian said, "They're here."

The battle between the Great Elder Cheng and Ji Youyun in the valley had only been seen in fragments by Hong Jian, Jing Xiaoyun, and the others from a distance. Once Ji Youyun retreated and the Great Elder and his group abandoned the valley, everyone had finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Regardless of what had happened, being able to temporarily drive back Ji Youyun was a good thing.

At Helian Yong's suggestion, the group went back to decapitate Ren Chen so they would have proof to present to the others, then headed to the river to rendezvous with the Daoists. Jing Xiaoyun ran in front, eager to deal with Cheng Qingqing.

Upon arriving, Helian Yong was the first to notice something wrong. He looked at Jing Xiaoyun and asked in confusion, "Hey, why is Little Uncle here?"

Hong Jian and the others had a deep impression of the disheveled man they had rescued only half a day prior. It was strange for him to appear here. Hong Jian then noticed a stranger among the group.

Among their party of five, it seemed more logical for the person running in front, Jing Xiaoyun, or Helian Yong, who was carrying a head, to attract attention. Yet, the stranger’s eyes were locked firmly onto her, unblinking. His gaze was intense, as if conveying a complex mix of emotions.

Hong Jian couldn't help but look at him twice.

She vaguely felt that this man who had suddenly appeared harbored no ill intent toward her.

It was a strange sensation; Hong Jian felt as though she could see both intense surprise and deep sorrow in his eyes.

Since they were meeting for the first time, she couldn't help but be astonished. Even knowing there was no one behind her, she felt an urge to turn around and confirm who exactly the stranger was looking at.

As their eyes met, Hong Jian suddenly felt a suspicious shimmer of moisture in his eyes before he looked away.

Before she could think further, Cheng Qingqing had already approached.

"Oh, look, the imposter is back now that the real one is here! Where did that little dwarf find a helper like you? You’ve got some nerve." Cheng Qingqing sneered at Hong Jian, her lithe body almost pressing against He Feng’s arm.

Hong Jian was startled. Helian Yong and Lu Yan reacted instantly, shielding Hong Jian in the center with murderous intent in their eyes.

Jing Xiaoyun didn't think twice. Ignoring the fact that her uncle was watching, she shouted, "You human-or-ghost monster, how dare you bully my father! I’ll peel your skin off!"

She lunged forward, and Cheng Qingqing screamed, "Little Uncle, help!"

In the midst of the chaos, Hong Jian heard the stranger’s gentle voice: "Miss, I know you all escaped from the Demon-Refining Prison and that it is not easy to oppose Ji Youyun. I have no ill intent. Let us cooperate."