Qi Wangtian had always been wary of Ming Deyi. Even with his son held as leverage by the other party, he dared not venture to the Medical Hall alone.

However, the current situation at the Spirit Pill Sect was not looking good. If those old geezers caught wind of Qi Heng being captured by Ming Deyi, they might stir up trouble under his name. Qi Wangtian’s position within the Spirit Pill Sect was already unstable, and he feared that after this incident, people’s loyalties would lean even more toward those old guys.

After much deliberation, Qi Wangtian decided to bring only two trusted subordinates with him.

At this critical moment, he didn’t want to tear things apart with Ming Deyi. If they could talk things out, perhaps they could sit down and have a calm discussion.

Although the Spirit Pill Sect and the Medical Hall were both located near Jiu Yao County, they were in completely opposite directions. The most efficient route from the Spirit Pill Sect to the Medical Hall would be directly through Jiu Yao County. But to avoid drawing attention, Qi Wangtian had no choice but to take a detour.

He didn’t even dare to use the flying magical artifact from his sect, instead opting to stealthily bring along three tamed spirit beasts for the journey. They sped through the landscape, heading for the Medical Hall at breakneck speed.

By the time they reached the Medical Hall’s location, two days had passed.

It seemed that Ming Deyi had calculated their arrival time precisely, as someone was waiting for them outside.

The person waiting for them appeared young but was frighteningly thin, his face pale as paper, and filled with barely concealed terror.

Before Qi Wangtian could speak, the man stammered as he glanced at them nervously, “Are you… Sect Master Qi of the Spirit Pill Sect?”

Qi Wangtian frowned, “That’s me.”

“I… I was ordered by our Sect Master to wait here for you. Please… please follow me,” the man stammered, waving his hand in the air.

A pitch-black door appeared before Qi Wangtian and his companions.

Qi Wangtian watched as the man opened the door and stepped inside first. After hesitating for a moment, he followed, having no other choice.

His two subordinates quickly followed suit.

Qi Wangtian couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. But since he had never truly dealt with the people from the Medical Hall or stepped foot inside their sect, he couldn’t immediately identify what was bothering him.

As they walked through the dark, narrow corridor, they suddenly emerged into a breathtakingly vibrant sea of flowers.

Though snow was falling heavily outside, the interior of the Medical Hall was protected by an array, preserving a warm and colorful environment as if it were still spring or summer.

The soft, golden sunlight gently kissed his eyelids, casting a warm glow over everything in sight.

Perhaps because he was dressed too warmly, Qi Wangtian felt a bit hot.

Instinctively, he tugged at his collar.

But something still didn’t feel right.

At that moment, the man in front of him spoke again, “Please, follow me.”

“Wait.” Qi Wangtian called out, stopping the man. “What’s your name?”

The man’s footsteps faltered, and his body visibly stiffened.

Qi Wangtian’s suspicions deepened as he coldly stared at the man’s back.

Soon, he noticed the man trembling, as if he had heard something terrifying.

Qi Wangtian’s doubts grew even stronger, and he carefully reviewed his earlier question.

He had only asked for the man’s name.

Was that such a frightening question? Why was the man trembling like this?

Or perhaps the man had a guilty conscience, and his casual question had scared him out of his wits?

As this thought crossed Qi Wangtian’s mind, his expression darkened.

He should have known that Ming Deyi wouldn’t have any good intentions!

Perhaps Ming Deyi had no intention of negotiating at all and had already set a trap, waiting for him to foolishly walk into it.

Qi Wangtian exchanged glances with his two subordinates, their brows furrowed tightly. Just as he was deliberating whether to continue forward, he heard the man respond in a near-whisper.

“Yan Feng,” the man said, his voice barely audible and filled with an indescribable fear. “My name is Yan Feng, Sect Master Qi.”

“Yan Feng?!” Qi Wangtian’s voice shot up in surprise as he instinctively turned to his two subordinates.

They, too, looked shocked.

The reason they remembered the name Yan Feng was because, years ago, when they and the HuLü family were searching for HuLü Yan in Zui City, they had heard that HuLü Yan had been taken away by someone named Yan Feng.

Yan Feng came from a poor family. His father died early, and he was raised by his mother, who was an ordinary peasant woman with no special skills. She made a meager living doing needlework, but over time, she succumbed to illness and died after a few years bedridden.

Yan Feng had known HuLü Yan since childhood, and despite being four or five years older, he was HuLü Yan’s only friend. He and HuLü Yan scraped by on the streets of Zui City, often resorting to petty theft due to a lack of money.

When HuLü Yan was eight years old, his special physique was discovered, and his mother had to send him away under the cover of night.

After that, HuLü Yan wandered the world for four years with no news.

It was during those four years that the HuLü family began their intense search for HuLü Yan.

By the time they finally got word of him, HuLü Yan had grown into a twelve-year-old boy, and his mother, who had become a prostitute, was publicly humiliated and beaten to death, her naked body hung from a building, exposed to the elements.

HuLü Yan stood beneath that building for two days and nights.

Before the HuLü family could take action, HuLü Yan was taken away by a boy named Yan Feng.

Qi Wangtian and the HuLü family rushed to Yan Feng’s home, only to find it abandoned, with all valuable possessions taken.

Yan Feng…

Two years ago, they had scoured the land searching for this person, never expecting to hear his name today at the Medical Hall.

Although they couldn’t be sure if this Yan Feng was the same one, considering the fact that in the past two years the Medical Hall had shut its doors to outsiders and gone to great lengths to conceal the sect’s location with an array, Qi Wangtian knew there was a high probability that his suspicions were correct.

Remembering how two years ago Ming Deyi had pretended to help them search for Yan Feng while hiding him all along, Qi Wangtian’s anger flared, the heat of it rising from his throat to his head, leaving him dizzy and furious.

Ming Deyi!

Not only had he secretly held Yan Feng and HuLü Yan captive, but he had also fooled the remaining three sects, two clans, and the HuLü family into running in circles. And now he had the audacity to use Qi Wangtian’s son to threaten him!

Qi Wangtian’s expression turned cold, and he let out a chilling laugh, “Where is your Sect Master? Take me to him—I have plenty of questions for him.”

They followed Yan Feng through the sea of flowers, winding through several twisting corridors before finally stopping in front of a door.

Once again, Yan Feng’s body trembled uncontrollably, and the terror on his thin, ashen face was almost palpable.

He swallowed hard, stealing a glance at Qi Wangtian’s angry expression, then cautiously knocked on the door.

“Sect Master,” Yan Feng said quietly, “they’ve arrived.”

As soon as his words fell, a clear male voice came from inside: “Let them in.”

Yan Feng obediently pushed the door open and gestured for them to enter. “Please, come in.”

Qi Wangtian snorted coldly and strode inside, with his two subordinates close behind him.

The fact that Qi Wangtian dared come to the Medical Hall at all meant that he wasn’t completely unprepared. Moreover, with the growing sense of wrongness that had been gnawing at him along the way, he silently summoned his life-bound sword as soon as he stepped into the room.

His two subordinates did the same.

The three of them, swords in hand, advanced cautiously.

However, they didn’t see Ming Deyi. Instead, they saw a young man dressed in white, standing behind a large desk, flipping through a book.

Sensing their approach, the young man looked up, his gaze locking onto Qi Wangtian. “You must be Sect Master Qi?”

“That’s me,” Qi Wangtian replied impatiently. Seeing that the young man only had the cultivation level of a novice Foundation Establishment stage, his anger surged.

He flipped his palm, using his spiritual energy to send the book flying off the desk, shouting, “Where is Ming Deyi? Where is my son?”

Mi Lu watched as the book was knocked to the ground but didn’t get angry. He calmly walked forward, picked up the book, and gently dusted off the nonexistent dirt.

Qi Wangtian took a step forward. “Speak!”

Mi Lu looked up at the enraged Qi Wangtian and spoke gently, “Sect Master Qi, why don’t you answer one question for me first, and then I’ll answer your two questions. Does that sound fair?”

Qi Wangtian’s eyes narrowed as he glared at Mi Lu. His life-bound sword seemed to sense his emotions, vibrating in his hand with a low hum, causing his palm to tingle slightly.

If it weren’t for the fact that they were on the Medical Hall’s territory, he would have cut off the young man’s head on the spot.

A mere Foundation Establishment cultivator, not even worth mentioning, and yet he dared to bargain with him!

But given the many oddities they had encountered on their journey and the fact that they had yet to see anyone else in the Medical Hall, plus the way Yan Feng had referred to this young man as the Sect Master, Qi Wangtian was forced to suppress all the anger and frustration building up inside him.

Taking a deep breath, he surveyed the room, which appeared to be a study, before coldly saying, “Ask your question.”

Mi Lu raised the book in his hand, curiosity flickering in his eyes. “Ming Deyi meticulously recorded the process by which your sects divided up HuLü Yan’s organs. However, there’s something that puzzles me.”

The mention of HuLü Yan’s name made Qi Wangtian’s entire body stiffen.

Immediately, a murderous intent surged in his gaze, and his face contorted with rage.

But Mi Lu, seemingly oblivious, continued, “The Spirit Pill Sect and the Medical Hall are positioned between the righteous and demonic realms. Although in recent years, your two sects have slowly gained acceptance in the righteous realm, you still have a long way to go before truly securing your place. So how did you manage to convince the HuLü family to allow you a share of HuLü Yan’s body?”

This was something Mi Lu had long been curious about.

Given the current situation in the righteous realm, there were countless powerful figures in need of HuLü Yan’s organs. Why had the HuLü family specifically given HuLü Yan’s tongue and ears to Ming Deyi and Qi Wangtian?

While Ming Deyi was the Sect Master of the Medical Hall, it was still considered an unrefined sect, not respectable in the eyes of the righteous faction.

And while Qi Wangtian was the Sect Master of the Spirit Pill Sect, his sect, though more accepted in the righteous realm, was divided into numerous factions, with each elder controlling their own power. This left Qi Wangtian as a puppet leader, in name only, without true authority.

So how had these two men managed to edge out others and secure the support of the HuLü family?