’Hoodwinking three people at once, especially three with completely different personalities, really wasn’t easy.’
’I’ll have to remember this. In the future, when I have sheep to fleece, I can’t do it this way.’
’But thankfully, despite a few hiccups, all three sheep signed, even though the contract was really just for show.’
’Still, it was a necessary step if I wanted to fleece them openly. Otherwise, it could cause trouble down the line.’
Zhang Deming thought for a moment before exiting the Spirit Nurturing Space.
······
More than half a month passed in a flash.
Ever since Zhang Deming set a trap for the old ghost in the Turtle Water Secret Realm, he had been keeping a close eye on any news from the Sect.
However, the Sect seemed completely calm. It was also possible they had already taken action without his knowledge, as it could involve a Supreme Elder.
That day, Zhang Deming’s Identity Card vibrated. He glanced at it, slightly taken aback.
He left his room and went out to the courtyard, where Li Shifan had already been let in.
Li Shifan looked at Zhang Deming, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Senior Broth—... ah... Greetings, Master Zhang."
Zhang Deming smiled. "Come on, when we’re alone, just call me Senior Brother. It feels strange hearing you call me Master."
Upon hearing this, Li Shifan broke into a rare, heartfelt grin. It had a hint of foolishness to it, almost shattering his usual cold expression.
"When I saw you post those missions searching for advancement materials, Senior Brother, I thought I was just overthinking things.
"But I never thought that in just two short years, you would have already stepped into the Duality realm. It truly makes me envious, Senior Brother," Li Shifan said as Zhang Deming motioned for him to sit, breaking the ice.
Zhang Deming glanced at him. "You say that as if your own cultivation progress has been slow. If I recall, you were only a step behind me back then, weren’t you?
"And now you’ve quietly reached the Tai Chi Three Lives stage, haven’t you?
"Besides, I remember you saying you had a poor Spirit Root and only a minor Sword Body. So how did you manage to raise your cultivation so quickly?"
Li Shifan paused for a moment, then smiled. "Just a fortunate turn of events. I’ve spent the vast majority of the last two years in the back mountains."
Zhang Deming shook his head. "Everyone has their own destiny. So, what brings you here today?"
Hearing this, Li Shifan paused. With a flip of his hand, he produced a specially crafted piece of jade.
Zhang Deming looked at the Memory Jade and asked quizzically, "What’s this?"
Li Shifan replied, "You’ll know once you see it, Senior Brother."
With that, Li Shifan waved his hand and activated the Memory Jade. A three-dimensional, holographic image appeared on the small table between them.
The recording showed a somewhat blurry scene: in a lake deep within the back mountains, several indistinct figures flickered about, accompanied by massive explosions.
The disciple who recorded it was clearly a great distance away, so everything was extremely blurry.
Although the details of the combat were unclear, Zhang Deming had been to Falling Turtle Lake before, so he recognized the location at a single glance.
"This is... Falling Turtle Lake?" Zhang Deming asked, feigning hesitation.
Li Shifan nodded. "A few days ago, I was doing my daily cultivation in the back mountains when I was drawn by a massive fluctuation. I saw this from a great distance.
"It looked like some of the Sect’s Elders were clashing with that old ghost inside, or perhaps they were trying to force their way into the dilapidated Secret Realm."
While they were talking, the recording finished. Zhang Deming asked, "That’s it? Why couldn’t I see the actual combat?"
Li Shifan gave a wry smile. "Senior Brother Zhang, you didn’t see the sheer power on display. My ancestor said it was either a Peak Three Talents Great Cultivator or a Four Symbols Supreme Elder.
"A combat of that level... forget getting involved, if I even got grazed by the fallout, my cultivation wouldn’t have been able to withstand it.
"So I only caught a glimpse before hurrying away. I took my ancestor’s advice and left the back mountains entirely. I don’t plan on going back for the next few days."
Zhang Deming paused after hearing this. "Yes, it’s definitely best to steer clear."
Li Shifan replied, "Just a few days ago, you asked me to keep an eye on this, Senior Brother. And now this happens. Could it be..."
Zhang Deming smiled, making no effort to hide the truth. "That’s right. I was the one who reported it to the Sect. I had a chance to interact with some of the upper echelons for certain reasons, so I took the opportunity to mention it."
Hearing this, Li Shifan said, "It’s a good thing you did. My ancestor said that old ghost was definitely up to no good.
"If I weren’t afraid of getting entangled in the Secret Realm’s affairs, and if my connections weren’t so limited, I would have wanted to try reporting it myself."
Zhang Deming smiled but didn’t linger on the topic. He changed the subject, saying, "You’ve reached the Three Lives Tai Chi stage as well. The advancement materials for the Sword Dao aren’t easy to find, are they?"
Li Shifan’s expression turned into a wry smile. "You can say that again. I’ve been at my wit’s end lately."
At this, Li Shifan paused, looking at Zhang Deming as if he wanted to say something but was holding back.
Zhang Deming was a bit surprised. "It’s rare to see you like this. If you have something on your mind, just say it. We’ve been through a life-and-death situation together, after all."
Li Shifan hesitated for a moment before replying, "Actually, I originally came to ask for a favor, Senior Brother. It was something that would have benefited both of us, but I never expected you to have already reached the Duality realm. Now I’m not sure if I should even bring it up."
This piqued Zhang Deming’s interest. "Oh? Go on."
Li Shifan said, "For the past six months, I’ve been slowly exploring and gathering materials.
"Since I’ve spent most of the last two years in the back mountains, and my luck has been pretty good, my Spirit Stone income has been steady.
"On top of that, since Inner Sect Contribution points can be traded, I’ve managed to stumble my way into collecting more than half of the auxiliary materials.
"The only thing I’ve had no leads on is the main material: Sword Spirit Ore.
"A while ago, I heard about a place that most likely has Sword Spirit Ore. It might even have a main material for the Summoning path, the Dark Energy Spirit Stone.
"I was originally planning to ask you to check it out with me, Senior Brother. But now that you’ve already reached the Duality realm, I don’t know how to bring it up."
Zhang Deming said, "We can still go check it out. I don’t have much going on lately anyway."
Li Shifan paused, looking at Zhang Deming. "But Senior Brother, you’re already in the Duality realm. You don’t need to take such a risk, do you?"
Zhang Deming smiled. "Didn’t you help me out quite a bit with the Heart-Connected Lotus Root when I was breaking through?
"And I later learned from Steward Zhang that not only did you run into danger because of it, but you also didn’t get any reward for your trouble.
"Yet you never said a single word of complaint, did you? You didn’t even come to me to grumble about it."