Chapter One Hundred Thirteen: The Response

Zhang Ning had no idea what had suddenly come over him. Could it be that his master was carrying some rare treasure from Heaven and Earth, making him so irresistibly drawn to this invincible mode? Nothing like this had happened the first time he “transformed.” What on earth was going on? Surely he could not actually hurt his master?!

Zhang Ning was terrified inside, but his body was being perfectly honest. His breathing gradually grew heavier, and he could no longer tear his gaze away from Chu Hanyu. Most of all, he stared at Chu Hanyu’s neck, almost wanting to bite straight through it.

In truth, Zhang Ning was worrying too much. He posed no threat whatsoever to Chu Hanyu. What level of cultivation did Chu Hanyu possess? The possibility of him suddenly injuring someone was practically nonexistent. Even with the utterly reliable belt Zhang Ning had exchanged from the system wrapped around him, it merely blocked the ability to investigate him; it had not weakened his combat strength in the slightest. If Zhang Ning had actually tried to lay hands on Chu Hanyu, he would unquestionably have been sent flying with a single slap.

Yet Zhang Ning’s desperate effort to grit his teeth and restrain himself from harming his master had instead dealt a critical blow to Chu Hanyu.

Chu Hanyu’s brows furrowed. Almost immediately, he flung away the wrist Zhang Ning had been gripping tightly and retreated several steps in an instant.

Zhang Ning had no idea why, but he reacted at once. In the blink of an eye, he vanished from before Chu Hanyu. To Zhang Ning, it seemed that Chu Hanyu had simply remained standing there in silence, allowing him to leave without making the slightest attempt to pursue him.

After Zhang Ning deactivated invincible mode and returned to the place where he had been livestreaming, the connection was “finally” restored. He exchanged a few puzzled remarks with his concerned audience about the reason the signal had cut out, then hurried toward the Zizai Qiongzhi Tree. He intended to return as Zhang Ning and take another look at his master, preferably testing how well his master had accepted what had happened.

However, by the time he returned beneath the Zizai Qiongzhi Tree, Chu Hanyu had already left. Only a lush stretch of grass remained.

Fortunately, Zhang Ning had not seen Chu Hanyu’s expression. Otherwise, that ugly look would certainly have frightened him into believing the matter utterly impossible. In reality, however, Zhang Ning’s actions were still far from success. Chu Hanyu had nearly decided to pretend that nothing had happened that day.

After all, Chu Hanyu had been raised as a decorative figurehead. An experience like that could practically be considered a blemish on a man’s life. That was precisely why, after Chu Hanyu achieved his astonishing reversal of fate, everyone had found the contrast so unbelievable that they had treated it as a legend, and eventually, no one mentioned it anymore.

But that experience had clearly left Chu Hanyu with lingering effects. He was exceptionally sensitive to certain attitudes from other people.

The mysterious powerhouse’s heavy breathing and heated gaze had been far too obvious to Chu Hanyu. They were like a torch blazing in the darkness—the greedy, lustful look in those eyes…

Chu Hanyu did not need to entertain any second possibility. Considering the context, when he had asked, “What is it that you want, exactly?” the mysterious powerhouse’s behavior could be regarded as his answer. And that was truly…

Chu Hanyu had therefore released Zhang Ning’s hand in disgust. The resistance in his heart refused to fade, and as a result, he no longer wanted to believe the things Zhang Ning had said while hiding behind that false identity.

Yet the matter was simply too important. No matter how astonishingly talented the several Venerables were—each one a peerless prodigy, a dragon among men—in all these years, they had communicated only with one another. In the end, they had merely been building their own theories in isolation.

One of the major problems currently facing the Azure Realm was the calamity of Heaven and Earth. They had already found a way to deal with it: a method that allowed them to enter the Netherworld Space outside the moments immediately preceding and following the calamity of Heaven and Earth—in other words, that arena-like space accessible only while resisting the calamity.

As for the other problems, they had many ways to suppress them, but not the slightest clue how to eradicate them completely. With source power crystals, however, none of that would remain a problem.

How, then, could they fail to take the mysterious powerhouse’s words with the utmost seriousness? Yet this also made Chu Hanyu’s feelings toward that mysterious powerhouse even more complicated.

Zhang Ning, of course, knew nothing about any of this. After perfunctorily replying to a few more messages from the audience members who had shown concern for him, he ended the livestream.

After all, Zhang Ning was currently inside the Great Freedom Heavenly Demon Sect, where the signal should have been at its strongest. If the sudden disconnection prompted anyone with ulterior motives to investigate or raise doubts, and his master began to imagine a little more than he should, Zhang Ning could only present himself for punishment with thorn branches on his back.

He therefore had no choice but to treat the matter with caution. Whether making up an additional lie after telling the first one was merely gilding the lily, however, was a matter of opinion.

The vague way Zhang Ning had answered his audience earlier made it seem as though he knew something. To outsiders, it might suggest internal affairs within the Great Freedom Heavenly Demon Sect. If his master started thinking too deeply, however, it would still be impossible to determine whether Zhang Ning knew anything about the “mysterious powerhouse,” or whether he had ever been in contact with him.

In the end, the crux of the matter still lay with Zhang Ning’s system. Zhang Ning was not yet certain what sort of persona he should construct for his alter ego: a reclusive powerhouse concerned only with the Azure Realm, or the mastermind operating from behind the scenes?

He intended to observe his master’s and the other Venerables’ reactions before adjusting the character accordingly.

If Zhang Ning had behaved this way today without first spending time wandering around the Great Freedom Heavenly Demon Sect, teasing cats and provoking dogs, it would have been far too strange and conspicuous. So he had come up with a crude and simple plan.

The results might have been… not bad?

As for Zhang Ning’s earlier behavior, in the eyes of Zhuge Yi and Han Zhifei, it was merely uninhibited and endearing—a normal expression of curiosity toward his own sect. To ordinary disciples, it might have seemed that His Highness was still young and mischievous, or simply lively and cheerful.

And since deceiving others began with deceiving oneself, apart from Su Ye, who knew part of the truth, and Yu Zhong, who was shouldering the risks on Zhang Ning’s behalf, some of Zhang Ning’s subordinates had evidently concluded that His Highness now had time to spare. That meant they could “bother” Zhang Ning with a few minor matters.

Two days later.

These past few days had been sheer torment for Zhang Yicheng. After pledging allegiance to the Great Freedom Heavenly Demon Sect, he had finally prepared himself to set aside his moral scruples and do a few less-than-honorable things.

He had made up his mind, but no one from the Great Freedom Heavenly Demon Sect had even bothered to deal with them!

Zhang Yicheng naturally had no channel through which to learn about the major events that had recently occurred within the Great Freedom Heavenly Demon Sect. The assassination attempt against Zhuge Yi certainly would not be disclosed to a Spirit Plant Sect that had only just submitted to them.

Thus, Zhang Yicheng could do nothing but secretly panic over his circumstances.

What made him feel most aggrieved and furious was that the ordinary disciples of the Great Freedom Heavenly Demon Sect treated them as though they were invisible. They did not even come over to tease them, test their abilities, challenge them, or propose a contest.

They ignored them completely.

How were they supposed to rise above their station like this?

If Zhang Yicheng, as the sect master, failed to do something under such circumstances, he would surely be finished.

Therefore, after seeing that no one stopped him, Zhang Yicheng ordered his people to establish another garden not far from the Great Freedom Heavenly Demon Sect’s original medicinal herb plot. He intended to use it to win Zhang Ning’s favor.

Fortunately, the Spirit Plant Sect already possessed seeds and other materials for cultivating gardens. After all, they were the Spirit Plant Sect; naturally, they had an abundance of such things.

Once the work was finished, Zhang Yicheng racked his brains and finally came up with a name:

The Fifth Highness’s Secret Garden!

What a perfect name. It conveyed both intimacy and respect, while making it clear who the garden belonged to.