Chapter 134: Night Conversations in the Wind

After a period of rest, the group set off once more, with Helian Yong having successfully persuaded everyone to head west toward the Red Gold Volcano.

Following He Feng’s guidance, they avoided forests and skirted around bodies of water, flying smoothly for two days until they drew increasingly close to the Futu Sect. In recent years, because Dai Mingchi had secured his position as the foremost practitioner among the Daoists, the influence of his Futu Sect had grown exponentially. Other sect members operating in the vicinity were extremely cautious, while rogue cultivators preferred to disguise themselves as ordinary folk.

He Feng proposed that they switch to traveling by carriage. Most of the group were mature and steady, and the only person who seemed dissatisfied was Cheng Qingqing, who complained that they were moving too slowly.

Jing Xiaoyun teased her, "If you're in such a hurry, go on your own then," her smile filled with spiteful glee. Cheng Qingqing would have loved to leave, but with Jing Xiaoyun watching her, she dared not stray from her uncle, Cheng Tian, and had to grit her teeth and follow the rest.

They traveled by day and rested at night. Only He Feng had been to the Red Gold Volcano before, and according to his estimate, it would take three more days of travel to reach it. The weather had grown noticeably hotter. By the evening of the third day, the group could see the undulating range of red mountains in the distance.

It was a fresh start. Thinking of how they would soon settle here and eventually become a power in their own right, these cultivators—who had only recently regained their freedom—were stirred with excitement, itching to grow wings and fly into the mountains to explore.

However, Cheng Qingqing sought out Cheng Tian to beg He Feng to stop the caravan and camp for the night. The young mistress claimed she was ill, insisting that she felt dizzy and nauseous whenever she moved. Strangely, Jing Xiaoyun, who was always at odds with Cheng Qingqing, became animated and began to urge He Feng to agree.

The Daoists were somewhat disappointed, but since Cheng Tian and that "vixen" were He Feng’s people—and he intended to take them with him eventually—it was hard for the others to say much. To everyone's surprise, He Feng agreed.

"We will all be going our separate ways in a few days," he said. "This is a good opportunity to chat a while longer, so we don't end up failing to recognize each other should we meet again later."

Hong Jian and a few others, knowing that his name, appearance, and voice had all been meticulously disguised, realized that the next time they met him, he might be an entirely different person. They couldn't help but think to themselves, "Failing to recognize each other? This guy is clearly talking about himself."

On the Daoist side, Helian Yong hadn't originally intended to seize sole power, but the secrets He Feng had revealed and the heavy responsibility he had entrusted to him forced him to eliminate internal threats first. Taking advantage of the nighttime rest, he gathered a few Nascent Soul cultivators to discuss the formation of their new sect.

This left He Feng alone with only Hong Jian and Lu Yanchang.

Lu Yanchang was utterly helpless when it came to Hong Jian, willingly deceiving himself, but when it came to a "stinking man" like He Feng, his instincts sharpened. Although He Feng had only just arrived and they had exchanged nothing more than casual pleasantries, Lu Yanchang sensed that He Feng found him a nuisance and wanted him to leave.

*Dream on!* Lu Yanchang decided to be deliberately cheerful and animated with the two of them.

He Feng glanced at Lu Yanchang with a look that was neither quite a smile nor quite a frown. Lu Yanchang pretended not to notice, thinking, "You want to drive me away? I want to see you get lost even more."

Hong Jian was not in high spirits. Had she not been curious to learn more about He Feng, she would have preferred to spend this time practicing the "Great Calamity Scripture."

"I heard that once you deliver these people, you intend to leave," He Feng said.

Lu Yanchang jumped in, "Aren't you leaving too? We’re all in the same boat."

He Feng paused, then said, "The road ahead is not peaceful. Brother Lu, you are a Golden Core master, so please stay vigilant. Do not let yourself be so preoccupied with jesting and play that you neglect the caution you ought to have."

Lu Yanchang hadn't expected He Feng to target him so directly, and the words were so grating that his face turned dark. He cursed under his breath. He wanted to retort and show this "He" fellow a thing or two, but the advice sounded so well-intentioned that responding with malice would make him look unrefined in front of Miss Fang. He opened his mouth and sullenly muttered, "I will naturally protect... her. There is no need for your concern."

In his irritation, Lu Yanchang had nearly blurted out "Miss Fang," but he managed to stop himself just in time. *Kid,* he thought, *hiding your head and tail, afraid to show your true face—you probably don't even know that 'Qi Xiuning' is a fake name either. Go ahead and butter her up, see where it gets you!* With that thought, he felt a little better, holding his head high and eyeing He Feng sideways like a gamecock.

He Feng smiled, acting as if he hadn't noticed.

Hong Jian truly hadn't paid attention to the undercurrents between the two. "Brother Lu is only making this trip because of me," she said, sounding displeased that He Feng was giving Lu Yanchang such a hard time for no reason. "If there is any risk, it is something I should have faced alone."

Lu Yanchang was overjoyed to have Hong Jian defend him and was about to gloat when Jing Xiaoyun suddenly pushed her way over. She grabbed Lu Yanchang by the sleeve: "Lu Yanchang, come with me quickly! I’m going to show you something fun and interesting."

"No, I'm not going!" Lu Yanchang couldn't be bothered to humor Jing Xiaoyun at a time like this. He pulled back hard, intent on staying to continue irritating He Feng.

Jing Xiaoyun glared at him: "Are you coming or not?" She exerted force, and Lu Yanchang suddenly felt his clothing about to give way. He was startled; if his clothes were shredded by Jing Xiaoyun in front of Miss Fang and this "He" fellow, it would be too humiliating—a stain he could never wash away.

He panicked and cursed, "Whose side are you on, damn it? Don't you know that men and women shouldn't even touch?"

Jing Xiaoyun was already very familiar with Lu Yanchang and took no notice of his words. "What 'side'? You're useless. I'll help you later. Just come with me now; let's grab a few others. If we wait, we'll miss the chance." As she spoke, she dragged Lu Yanchang away by force.

He Feng watched the spectacle, and only when Jing Xiaoyun and Lu Yanchang were far away did he turn his gaze back to Hong Jian, his smile gradually fading.

"Once we part this time, it will likely be a very long time before we can meet again. My warning to Lu Yanchang was no empty talk; the dangers on the road are impossible to guard against. Please, be careful." When he spoke of not meeting for a long time, He Feng’s tone sounded deeply melancholy.

Hong Jian drew back, looking at him with surprise.

He Feng felt her scrutiny, and in the night air, his voice was gentle: "What is it?"

Hong Jian said, "In my experience, when strangers meet, they begin by getting to know each other, and only through long periods of contact do they slowly become familiar and learn to trust. I don't know why, but I feel it isn't like that with you. Even though I know nothing about your situation, it’s as if all those steps were skipped, and there is an immediate sense of familiarity. It’s a strange feeling, and I haven't quite adjusted to it."

He Feng smiled at her words: "I am very happy you said that. Perhaps that is what it means to be like old friends at first sight—some people, despite meeting for the first time, feel as though you have known them forever."

Hong Jian remained expressionless, clearly showing that her statement about "not being able to adjust" was no lie.

He Feng didn't mind. He spoke in a low, resonant voice that naturally lowered one's defenses: "Then, can you tell me—I feel that you are very unhappy, as if there is a thousand-pound weight on your shoulders. You are like a bow drawn to its limit, and that state is very exhausting. What exactly has happened?"

The night blurred He Feng's face. These words of concern gave Hong Jian the illusion that a truly empathetic old friend was by her side. She said softly, "I don't know. Sometimes I want to be happy, but I just can't. I want to kill Ji Youyun, but I don't know if there is still time."

He Feng replied, "You are under too much pressure. Ji Youyun has committed too many evils; eliminating him is the responsibility of all cultivators in the world. You must not carry this burden on your shoulders alone."

"No, I must kill him with my own hands. I promised someone." Hong Jian suddenly felt like crying. She quickly looked up at the grey-white night sky, and the moon split into two in her tear-filled eyes before blurring.

He Feng remained silent for a moment before saying, "Is it the person who was in the Demon-Refining Prison? I persuaded the sect leader of the Heavenly Demon Sect to leave his soul behind before he passed, and told the Cheng clan to attack the prison, hoping to rescue all of you early. But I never saw that person. Is he already..."

"How do you know about that? How do you know him? Have you really been practicing the 'Great Calamity Scripture'?" Having her suspicions suddenly confirmed by his own admission, Hong Jian was greatly startled. She immediately reined in her emotions and looked at He Feng with wariness.

"Yes, and no. You need not ask. I cannot speak to you about this right now," He Feng replied.

Under the moonlight, Hong Jian’s eyes, still glistening with tears, shone with a brilliance that made He Feng’s heart skip a beat. "Don't worry," he said. "This time, you have me. Leave Ji Youyun to me. I will deal with him."

His voice trembled uncontrollably, and he had to pause to compose himself before continuing: "You are still young. A lifetime is so long; you will experience many things and meet many people. There is birth, age, sickness, and death, and accidents that can happen at any moment. Even the moon is missing a piece from time to time." He pointed up at the moon. "You must open your heart and be fearless; only then can you withstand the interference of inner demons and walk the path of cultivation step by solid step."

He Feng’s unsolicited and profound words could not immediately break the shackles in Hong Jian's heart, but they undoubtedly touched her deeply. Since the incident with Ji Youfeng, no one had spoken so heart-to-heart with her or taught her how she ought to proceed.

Because she was unfamiliar with him, Hong Jian could not be sure if this long-lost warmth was just an illusion. She remained silent for a long time, momentarily overlooking the fact that He Feng had said he would deal with Ji Youyun "this time." She didn't overthink where this "this time" came from—could there have been a "that time"?

Just then, the night wind carried the sound of a commotion in the distance.

At first, Hong Jian didn't think much of it, assuming it was the result of Helian Yong’s efforts to establish the sect, but as she listened closer, she heard a chaotic mix of laughter, cursing, and jeering. The commotion grew louder and louder.

Hong Jian and He Feng exchanged a look: "Jing Xiaoyun!"