Daoist Competition
Chapter 98 - 13 Fueling the Flames, Using Another’s Knife to Kill_2

Chapter 98: Chapter 13 Fueling the Flames, Using Another’s Knife to Kill_2

No matter what, he is the winner of this matter.

Zhang Yan smiled and was just about to give the order to imprison all the people underground when someone suddenly rushed into the main hall, shouting in a panicked and angry voice: "Who tied them up? Who tied them up? Release them immediately!"

Zhang Yan glanced at the man and instantly recognized his background—it was Dou Ming, second only to Zhou Chongju in the Elixir Cauldron Institute. He spoke calmly: "Deputy Director Dou, there’s no need to raise your voice. I am the one who ordered them to be tied up."

"You... Zhang, Junior Brother Zhang?"

Dou Ming frowned, barely suppressing his anger as he pointed below and said, "Junior Brother Zhang, do you know the background of these people?"

Zhang Yan replied nonchalantly, "Of course I know—they are simply the relatives of True Disciples from Six Rivers and Four Islands."

Dou Ming shouted angrily, "If you know their background, then why haven’t you released them yet? Are you trying to bring calamity upon yourself?"

Zhang Yan sneered coldly, "Calamity upon myself? They dared to launch an attack on me just moments ago, so releasing them would be the real mistake, wouldn’t it?"

Hearing about such a reason, Dou Ming was momentarily stunned. He coughed lightly and softened his tone, saying, "Junior Brother Zhang, it’s just a small misunderstanding. Why take it to heart? They are, after all, relatives of True Disciples and would never truly harm a fellow sect member. You’ve already taught them a lesson, so I suggest letting them go."

Zhang Yan raised an eyebrow and said, "That’s peculiar. Deputy Director Dou fears the True Disciples of Six Rivers and Four Islands but doesn’t fear me, a True Disciple myself?"

Deputy Director Dou was taken aback, momentarily speechless. In his eyes, Zhang Yan was nothing compared to these people—what prospects did someone relegated to the Elixir Cauldron Institute have?

However, Zhang Yan was someone Dou Ming could not afford to offend. He knew well that Detan Pavilion was directly under Zhang Yan’s authority, and Zhang Yan could cause trouble for him in the future. After calculating his options, he stepped closer and whispered softly, "Junior Brother Zhang, do you know the spirit beast’s origin? It belongs to Su YiAng! He is a disciple from Qinyang Su Family, one of the Five Great Families."

Zhang Yan responded casually, "Even in the Mortal World, there is a saying: ’A prince breaking the law should be punished equally as a commoner.’ Does his identity as a Su Family disciple exempt him from following sect rules? Can he casually attack a True Disciple just because of his status?"

Seeing that Zhang Yan was unshaken by the Su Family name, Dou Ming anxiously said, "It’s not about Su YiAng alone; he is the younger brother of Su Yihong. Junior Brother Zhang, you must have heard of him—Su Yihong is famous for his protective nature. If you offend his brother, he might come for you one day. You’d better not hide when that happens."

"Su Yihong?"

Zhang Yan pondered for a moment—this Su Yihong was indeed well-known. Back in the Lower Court, even Ai Zhongwen had repeatedly mentioned him.

It was said that he had been nurtured with Spiritual Liquid in the womb, steamed with Jade Medicine, and nurtured day and night with his mother’s Essence Blood for sixteen years before being born. At birth, he already had Spirit Light Gathering at his meridian points. His meridian type was the Upper Shaoyang Meridian—the highest grade. After thirty-eight years of cultivation, he had become a Hua Dan master and achieved feats like slaying Hua Dan Cultivators in the Xuan Guang Realm. He was indeed no ordinary person.

But regardless of his strength, what difference does it make?

Zhang Yan sneered coldly. Could one person stand up to the forces of an entire sect or lineage? Each of the individuals he reprimanded today had powerful backing.

He dared to act precisely because he had the confidence to do so!

A True Disciple attacked repeatedly by juniors—what does this say about the law? About sect rules? About hierarchy and respect?

Unless the Mingcang Sect was to disband today, it must visibly stand behind him and uphold its rules and traditions. If this precedent were set, where anyone could casually assault a True Disciple, how long could the sect endure?

Today, he held the moral high ground and leveraged the momentum of events. The tides surged unstoppably, favoring those who followed and crushing those who resisted. No matter how formidable Su Yihong might be, could he stand against the overwhelming forces backing Zhang Yan?

If Su Yihong possessed some sense, fine. If not, should he charge forward recklessly, he’d either shatter completely or leave maimed and broken.

Thus, no matter what Dou Ming said next, Zhang Yan remained indifferent.

Seeing that he couldn’t convince Zhang Yan, Dou Ming finally abandoned his attempts. He mocked coldly, "Since Junior Brother Zhang refuses to heed advice, I cannot stop you. I hope you’ll maintain this stiff backbone in the days to come. I’m leaving—out of sight, out of mind! Farewell!"

Zhang Yan cupped his hands and said, "Safe travels, Brother Dou. I won’t see you out."

As Dou Ming left, Zhang Yan slammed his palm on the table and commanded, "Guards, lock up everyone here using the Cloud Golden Lock, imprison them in the cellar, and ensure not a single one escapes!"

With a sweep of his robes, Zhang Yan strode out of the Detan Pavilion, boarded his Flying Boat, and headed to Zhou Chongju’s residence.

Within an hour, he arrived at the fishing boat. Upon meeting Zhou Chongju, he recounted the entire story.

After listening, Zhou Chongju understood Zhang Yan’s intentions and laughed heartily, saying, "Junior Brother, your actions were not only a strike against Madam Feng but were necessary to drag the noble families of Six Rivers and Four Islands into the fray. Otherwise, the scope is too narrow, and the lineage division alone wouldn’t reap enough benefits. Tell me, how confident are you in this matter?"

Zhang Yan thought for a moment and replied, "Sixty percent."

"Sixty percent, hmm, a decent chance. But the momentum is still lacking. Success depends on unified efforts from top to bottom. I’ll lend you a hand." Stroking his beard, Zhou Chongju added, "The Sect Leader has been needing my assistance recently. I’ll approach him to demand justice for you. He’ll certainly go along with it and grant me some face, bringing the success rate closer to eighty percent."

Zhang Yan’s expression shifted, and he cupped his hands respectfully, saying, "In that case, I’ll rely on you, Senior Brother."

With a warm demeanor, Zhou Chongju replied, "No need for courtesy, Junior Brother. By the way, are you returning to your Cave Mansion today?"

Zhang Yan nodded, saying, "I only put on a pretense of staying here, but now that relations with Madam Feng have openly soured, there’s no reason to linger. They’ll be too busy dealing with their own affairs to bother me."

Zhou Chongju agreed, "You’re right. Sect disciples are forbidden from private conflicts. With this incident, none would dare trouble you for now. Even if some juniors lack discretion, the seasoned ones won’t be blind to the situation. Returning now is the perfect opportunity. You should focus on improving your cultivation—it’s the foundation of everything."

"You’re right, Senior Brother," Zhang Yan said after a brief pause, then added, "I recently studied your writings and found your alchemy skills to be divine. My deep research into your work has greatly benefited me."

Zhou Chongju noticed the underlying interest in Zhang Yan’s words and revealed a pleased expression, saying, "It’s good that you’re interested—I feared you might dismiss my modest craft. Wait a moment." He stepped out briefly and returned with a bottle of elixir pills, handing them to Zhang Yan. "These are elixir pills I crafted to complement the practice of alchemy. Take them all."

Accepting the elixir pills with gratitude, Zhang Yan expressed his thanks and soon bid farewell to Zhou Chongju.

After stepping off the fishing boat, he gazed into the sky and thought with a faint smile, "Feng Shang, I’ve made my move—how will you respond?" He formed a hand seal, and his Flying Boat soared into the sky, heading back to Spiritual Paper Island.