In a spirit-energy-starved place like Border City, being able to cultivate to the twelfth level of Qi Refining by age twenty-two meant he had decent talent and was a diligent cultivator.
Once he matured, he would become another source of strength for the Ten Directions Sect.
The Nascent Soul Elder could no longer tolerate two such disciples being repeatedly targeted for assassination by someone like the second uncle—a man obsessed with power and devoid of ambition.
Just as the elder was about to order the second uncle's arrest, Zhou Fei presented another stack of evidence.
“Elder, my brother being sent to Border City to atone for his 'crimes' was actually a frame-up. This is the evidence we've gathered over the years. Please review it and clear my brother's name.”
While the two brothers were presenting their case at the Enforcement Hall, the second branch had already emptied the Zhou Manor and fled.
When the second uncle had decided to stake everything on assassinating Zhou Fei, he had already considered the possibility of failure and had his subordinates prepare for it.
As soon as the brothers escaped, the second uncle knew the tide had turned. He immediately messaged his juniors and lackeys to flee.
He himself hurriedly fled the territory of the Ten Directions Sect, disappearing to parts unknown.
Aside from the back mountain—which housed the family's vital resources and the Shocking Thunder Platform and required the family head's seal to open—the Zhou family had been stripped into an empty shell by the second branch.
Before the Main Branch's family head went into seclusion, he had been forced by the second branch's coercion to name them as acting family heads, but he had secretly given the family head's seal to Zhou Fei's brother, Zhou Mao.
Without the seal, the second branch could never be the true masters. No matter how much new blood they brought into the family, they couldn't shake its core.
Protected by the sect's rules, the second branch didn't dare to murder Zhou Fei and his brother openly.
As long as Zhou Mao's cultivation surpassed the second uncle's and he held the seal, he could suppress the second branch and reclaim the family for the Main Branch.
The second uncle had been plotting against the brothers to kill them not just to eliminate the heirs and take over legitimately, but also to obtain that seal.
Unfortunately for the second branch, their schemes were now exposed, and they had become fugitives of the Ten Directions Sect.
Zhou Fei had actually anticipated their flight.
However, since they were few in number, they had to return to the sect first to cement the second branch's crimes so the Enforcement Hall could dispatch people for the arrest.
Sure enough, by the time they arrived at the Zhou Manor in Conghe City with the Enforcement Hall's men, the second branch was gone.
After the Enforcement Hall issued the wanted posters, Zhou Fei produced Wang Che's Bamboo-Lure Insect and handed it to the Nascent Soul Elder leading the pursuit.
“When my brother fought our second uncle earlier, he planted Bamboo-Lure Flower nectar in his hair.
As long as he is within two thousand li, the Bamboo-Lure Insect can sense the nectar. These insects and flowers only appear in the Tianzhu Secret Realm. If the insect reacts, there's an eighty percent chance it's him.”
Taking the insect, the Nascent Soul Elder finally took a proper look at Zhou Fei. “You're quite thorough for a junior.”
“Senior overpraises me,” Zhou Fei replied with a bitter smile. “I've simply been plotted against since I was young. To survive, I've had to consider a bit more.”
“Oh?”
The elder raised an eyebrow, gave Zhou Fei a thoughtful look, and left with a wave of his sleeve.
Ten days later, after Gu Ningyun and her group vacated their rental courtyard and headed toward the Zhou Manor, they heard the news from the wanted posters and the townspeople's gossip. They couldn't help but feel that their previous decision had been the right one.
If they had followed Zhou Fei's plan and acted together, they would have faced a mid-stage Golden Core assassin on the road.
The contract stated that the parties couldn't harm each other, but if someone else attacked them, it wasn't covered.
Had Zhou Fei done this on purpose, or... on purpose?
Had he regretted lending the Shocking Thunder Platform and wanted to turn on them? Or did he want to use the second uncle to test their background and identity?
Or did he still suspect them of stealing the Soul-Nourishing Flower?
Gu Ningyun slowed her pace and sent a divine sense transmission to her companions. “There's no need to cooperate with Zhou Fei after this. Once the Shocking Thunder Platform matter is finished, we leave immediately.”
“That guy really doesn't do things the right way. He even tries to find loopholes to pit his partners against each other.”
A flash of killing intent crossed Mu Chenze's eyes. “When we use the Shocking Thunder Platform, Ningyun and Wen Xuan go first. Jiang Yao, Jun Luo, and I will stand guard. Once you two are finished, we'll swap.”
After a brief thought, the others nodded in agreement.
Safety was more important than efficiency.
Wen Xuan shook her fist. “If they dare to try anything or exploit any loopholes, our sword talismans with a Nascent Soul strike aren't to be trifled with.”
Though they were cautious, they weren't afraid of the Zhou family.
Setting aside the one-incense-stick protection time from their identity jade tokens, even if all five of their sword talismans missed, they still had the Golden Core senior secretly protecting them during their trial.
If they, as Qi Refining disciples, had so many tricks up their sleeves, the Xiaoyao senior's methods would only be more numerous.
Even if the senior couldn't overpower Zhou Mao, taking the five of them and fleeing would be easy.
Once they left the Zhou Manor, if those people still pursued them, they could just reveal their identities as formal disciples of the Xiaoyao Immortal Sect.
Facing a behemoth like the Xiaoyao Immortal Sect—the number one sect in the cultivation world—as long as the Ten Directions Sect still wanted a foothold in the Five Continents, they wouldn't dare lay a finger on them.
Once the seniors who backed them arrived, the Zhou family would have to obediently offer the Shocking Thunder Platform as an apology, and the Ten Directions Sect would have to hand over those who plotted against them to Xiaoyao.
To maintain their friendship with Xiaoyao, the Ten Directions Sect and the Zhou family might even have to offer other compensations.
Thinking of this, Gu Ningyun actually began to look forward to Zhou Fei plotting against them.
Seeing Gu Ningyun's eyes darting around, Wen Xuan poked her cheek. “What are you thinking, Ningyun? Your internal abacus is clicking so loud it's about to hit my face.”
Gu Ningyun giggled and shared her thoughts via divine sense.
Expectation instantly flashed in the eyes of Wen Xuan and the others.
“Contracts are dead, but people are alive. No matter how comprehensive a contract is, there will always be loopholes.”
Mu Chenze smiled. “I originally thought that if they exploited a loophole, we'd just meet them head-on. I didn't expect Ningyun to think so far ahead—even planning for the compensation afterward.”
Gu Ningyun winked. “Simply killing those who harm us isn't enough. We need compensation, of course.”
Business was business. The incident at the mass grave was a struggle for chance.
If Zhou Fei and the others couldn't get the Soul-Nourishing Flower, it was due to their own lack of strength; they couldn't blame others.
The later contract and cooperation were a separate matter entirely.
If a partner was insincere and tried to exploit loopholes to back out, they couldn't be blamed for doing the same.
As for whether the Zhou family could bear the consequences of their counter-loophole measures, that was not for Gu Ningyun and the others to worry about.
Rate on N.U.
