100: Borrowing a Knife

The black wolf demon was already in its death throes. Red-Brow, not in a hurry to intensify his assault, was slowly wearing it down. Upon seeing Yi Fan approach, his expression turned as cold as ice. He cradled a wounded little white fox in his arms, and glancing at the scarred, weary ghost behind him, he furrowed his brows: "Young friend, what has happened?"

Yi Fan did not answer. He carefully handed the little white fox to the ghost for safekeeping, then pulled out his talisman bag. With a flick of his fingers, he cast seven or eight "Lesser Evil-Purging Talismans," scattering them across the surrounding rocks and trees. They formed a dense, encircling space, blocking the black wolf's retreat.

He then stepped nimbly, darting past several boulders, and swung his palms repeatedly to unleash seven or eight "Palm Thunders." Suddenly, a clap of thunder erupted in the clear sky, the falling bolts roaring with terrifying momentum.

Amidst the flames, the black wolf dodged left and right, but could not evade the dense rain of thunder. It was struck directly, its flesh and blood shredded instantly. In the blink of an eye, it suffered a fatal wound. Glancing around and seeing the talismans sealing its escape, it became increasingly frantic. Ignoring its injuries, its remaining fur bristled, and with a single leap, it lunged at Yi Fan.

Red-Brow’s face changed. He had intended to exhaust the black wolf to death, but he had not expected Yi Fan to strike so ruthlessly without a word, forcing the old demon to fight for its life.

*So be it,* he thought, *it has been worn down for so long that its strength is nearly spent.*

Just as he was about to act, he saw Yi Fan draw a peach-wood sword from behind his back, affix two talismans to it, and flick his wrist to create a sword flourish. Facing the black wolf's desperate charge, he remained perfectly composed. With a swift movement, he parried, his sword slicing across the beast's body, and before the wolf could react, he thrust his blade straight into its torso with a backhand strike.

The black wolf wailed and staggered a few steps, its front paws clawing at the ground, stirring up sand and gravel. It tried to turn, but saw several more talismans descending.

Demonic energy boiled, and the talismans hissed like cold water dropped into a vat of hot oil. Before long, the black wolf collapsed to the ground, its breath extinguished. Its eyes remained wide open in a fierce glare, filled with sorrow and rage.

Yi Fan exhaled. This black wolf had a century of cultivation and had reached the third tier of the "Spirit-Connection" realm. Had it not been for Red-Brow’s repeated exhaustion of its strength and damage to its soul, it would not have been so easy for him to wound it, let alone kill it.

"Congratulations, young friend, for slaying this old demon."

Red-Brow walked over, his previous displeasure vanished, though his gaze was deep and thoughtful. He looked at the "Lesser Evil-Purging Talismans" scattered around and nodded with a smile: "I had suspected you were a disciple of a major sect, but I did not realize you were from the Shangqing Sect, that great school of talismans."

Yi Fan was slightly stunned: "Red-Brow, you may have misunderstood."

Red-Brow waved his hand, cutting him off: "No need to explain, young friend. I understand. You are concealing your identity; I assume you slipped down the mountain in secret?"

Yi Fan sighed, too lazy to explain. Yan Chixia had previously said he was a remnant of the Shangqing lineage, and now Red-Brow was guessing he was a direct disciple. All of this stemmed from the "Lesser Evil-Purging Talismans."

He wondered what the relationship was between the founder of Yitian Temple and the Shangqing Sect, and why they had hidden such things.

Sure enough, Red-Brow scanned the surrounding talismans again and sighed: "Only you great talisman sects could be so extravagant with such precious 'Lesser Evil-Purging Talismans.' As for us, even though we have our own secret methods, our talismans are scarce; we use them with the utmost caution."

He then asked: "By the way, I see your guardian spirit beast is injured, and this little fox demon is also in critical condition. What exactly happened?"

At the mention of this, Yi Fan’s expression turned cold again: "Just a moment ago, a cultivator took advantage of the moment my soul returned to my body to attempt an assassination. If not for my spirit beast and the little fox risking their lives to protect me, my physical body would likely have been destroyed by now."

Hearing this, Red-Brow’s face changed drastically, and he shouted in anger: "Who would be so bold?"

"Anyone who knew my location must be one of our fellow practitioners who came here. A quick investigation will reveal the truth," Yi Fan replied coldly, turning to look at the surrounding mountains.

Red-Brow frowned, wondering who could hold such deep animosity toward Yi Fan.

...

Late at night, the moon hung high in the sky. The surrounding mountains had been cleared, and the many cultivators gathered together. Most were merely exhausted, their eyes gleaming with excitement, while some were wounded, though nothing life-threatening.

"Uncle-Master, everyone has more or less arrived," Zhou Zijian said as he stepped forward.

Red-Brow frowned: "More or less? Who is missing?"

Zhou Zijian quickly replied: "It is Fang Chen of Mount Gezao. I searched the mountains with several fellow practitioners but found no trace of him. He must have had other urgent matters and departed early."

No one suspected that someone had been killed, as everyone was a disciple of a major sect; who didn't have a few trump cards? Once a life-threatening crisis arose, they naturally had ways to save themselves.

Upon hearing Zhou Zijian’s words, Red-Brow’s expression shifted instantly. *Mount Gezao?* A flicker of sharp light crossed his eyes, and he understood. Mount Gezao, Mount Longhu, and the Shangqing Sect were the three great talisman sects of the world. They had harbored mutual grievances for thousands of years. It made sense for them to target Yi Fan, but why such a cowardly sneak attack? That did not seem like the behavior of a disciple from a prestigious school.

However, he did not intend to intervene. Whether it was the Shangqing Sect or Mount Gezao, both were powerful factions, far more formidable than his own Hundred-Refining Sect. Neither side was someone to be trifled with.

Yi Fan naturally knew that Mount Gezao was a major talisman sect, but since they had attempted to kill him, the debt had to be settled. He stepped forward: "Brother Zhou, do you know where this Fang Chen is now?"

Seeing Yi Fan speaking to him so amiably, Zhou Zijian was overjoyed. He had been worrying about how to mend their relationship, so how could he not speak? Ignoring Red-Brow’s warning glare, he said: "To be honest, I do know. That fellow should be in the nearby Cengfeng County right now."

He wanted to continue, but Red-Brow interrupted: "Nephew Zhou, it is late, and I see you are exhausted. Why don't you go and get some rest?"

Zhou Zijian was stunned. He didn't know why Red-Brow was angry with him, but he dared not disobey. Shrinking his head, he left quickly.

Seeing Zhou Zijian depart, Red-Brow sighed and cupped his hands: "I hope you understand, young friend. The grievances between the Shangqing Sect and Mount Gezao are not something my Hundred-Refining Sect can easily intervene in, lest we invite trouble and be punished by our sect."

He was quite frank, stating his thoughts directly but also shrewdly, clarifying his stance to avoid Yi Fan’s resentment.

Yi Fan nodded: "Red-Brow, you don't need to explain. I understand. You don't need to get involved in this; I will handle it myself."

He then added: "However, I must borrow something from you."

"Oh? What is it? Speak, young friend. While I cannot help much in this matter, a small favor is no problem," Red-Brow smiled.

Yi Fan looked up at the night sky and said faintly: "I have no sharp weapons, only a peach-wood sword, which cannot sever a head. I ask you to lend me a sharp blade."

A sharp blade?

Red-Brow’s smile faded. He stared at Yi Fan for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter: "Since you have such ambition, I cannot be stingy. Wait a moment, I will be right back."