After bidding farewell to Zou Xiazi, Yan Shouyi returned to the West Lake Villa, but he slept poorly that night.
Although Old Jin was taking care of him, Zou Xiazi wouldn't die anytime soon, yet Yan Shouyi felt the pang of separation and impending loss in advance.
What bothered Yan Shouyi even more was that Zou Xiazi had pleaded with him not to tell his father about it, as if Yan Chou was busy with something extremely important.
It was so important that Zou Xiazi was unwilling to disturb Yan Chou even as he was dying.
Yan Shouyi lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. In the end, he broke his promise, quietly got up, and made a call to Yan Chou.
Unfortunately, the call was not connected. The cold voice reminded Yan Shouyi that Yan Chou was temporarily out of service.
With no other choice, Yan Shouyi composed a text message, informing Yan Chou of Zou Xiazi's condition and hoping for a prompt reply.
The next morning, Yan Shouyi, who had barely slept, showed no signs of fatigue. He put on his mask and, along with Lin Zitong and Long Feicheng, went to the hotel to meet Yan Nanfei and the others before going to pick up the two newcomers.
By the time they arrived at the hotel, Yan Nanfei and Chang Shan were already up, but Ling Xiaoxiao was nowhere to be seen.
Lin Zitong called out a few times outside the room, but there was still no response from inside.
"Could something have happened to Junior Sister Ling?" Lin Zitong worried.
Yan Nanfei said helplessly, "Once Junior Sister Ling falls asleep, not even an earthquake can wake her. She's probably still sleeping. How about this, we go pick up the others first, and we'll call her at lunch."
"That works too," Yan Shouyi said without overthinking it. The group left the hotel together and went to the agreed-upon location to pick up the people.
Yesterday, Yan Shouyi had gotten a general idea from Long Feicheng.
Not all members of the "Anti-Yan Chou Alliance" chat group knew each other, and only a few were active.
There were two groups coming to Rongcheng to capture Yan Shouyi: Yan Nanfei, Chang Shan, and Ling Xiaoxiao, and the two people arriving today.
As for the identities of these two people, Yan Nanfei and the others were unaware. Although Long Feicheng had their WeChat contacts, he hadn't managed to extract any useful information.
In short, the two individuals arriving today were very mysterious; no one knew their identities, let alone the extent of their strength.
The two parties agreed to meet in the square in front of the train station.
The square in front of the train station was bustling with people. Yan Shouyi and the others sat by the flowerbed, observing the passersby, curious about what the newcomers looked like.
Suddenly, Long Feicheng's phone rang. His expression changed slightly, and he nonchalantly slipped his hand into his pocket and hung up.
Yan Nanfei asked in surprise, "Brother Long, why didn't you answer?"
"Probably a spam call," Long Feicheng said with a forced laugh. "Also, don't call me Brother Long, it sounds a bit odd. Just call me Little Long."
As they were talking, a man and a woman suddenly appeared behind Long Feicheng.
"Ohayo gozaimasu."
Long Feicheng turned his head and looked at the man doubtfully, then said with a smile, "Yo, didn't expect us to meet a little Ja— a Japanese friend living a good life. Can't you speak Chinese?"
The man looked at Long Feicheng and smiled without answering.
Long Feicheng pointed at the Japanese person and said, "You, Japanese person, working? You, can't speak Chinese, working?"
Yan Shouyi and the others just glanced at them and didn't pay much attention. This was a train station, and foreigners weren't particularly rare.
The man didn't reply, and Long Feicheng was amused. "You little Japs, bullying us Chinese back then, and now you have the nerve to travel here? And you've brought a pretty girl with you. Is she a Japanese flower girl?"
To his surprise, the woman said disdainfully, "I am Chinese."
Long Feicheng was immediately embarrassed. "You... you're Chinese, why aren't you translating for this Jap and making fun of me?"
"Because I can speak Chinese," the man suddenly said.
Long Feicheng's eyes widened, and he became even more annoyed. "If you can speak Chinese, why were you speaking gibberish earlier? Are you two really making fun of me?"
"Because we're here to find you," the woman said with obvious disgust.
"Nani?"
"Who are you from the Ascension Temple?" the woman asked.
Long Feicheng's mouth dropped open in surprise, and the others also shifted their gaze.
Could these two be the people they were supposed to pick up today?
The man shook his phone and said, "My name is Fukada Ichiro. My father is Chinese, and my mother is Japanese. I grew up in Japan and only recently returned to the country. I'm here by my father's command to meet you all."
Long Feicheng blinked, then pulled Yan Shouyi aside.
Yan Shouyi asked doubtfully, "Why is there a Japanese person?"
"I don't know either!" Long Feicheng said speechlessly. "No wonder his grammar was so strange when I was chatting with him, and he always liked to spout a lot of nonsense."
"So, they are indeed the ones we're waiting for?"
"Should be..."
Yan Shouyi rubbed his forehead. "What did my dad do back then to provoke people overseas?"
Long Feicheng smiled and gave him a thumbs up. "I didn't expect our dad to be an anti-Japanese hero."
"Shut up."
Yan Shouyi shoved Long Feicheng, telling him to stop being so flippant.
Long Feicheng turned back with a cheeky grin and asked Fukada Ichiro, "Are you related to Fukada Eimi?"
Fukada Ichiro's expression visibly stiffened, and a hint of displeasure appeared.
Yan Shouyi and Yan Nanfei both rolled their eyes at Long Feicheng, then exchanged knowing smiles upon noticing each other's reactions.
Only Lin Zitong and Chang Shan were unaware of who this Fukada Eimi was.
Fukada Ichiro said with a scowl, "Fukada is my mother's surname. My father's surname is Zhao."
"So your Chinese name is... Zhao Ichiro?"
"Zhao Fukada."
"..."
Yan Nanfei grinned and said, "We all have the same enemy in Yan Chou, so let's not dwell on the details... May I ask the young lady's name?"
"Wu Zhen Sect, I Hehuan," the woman introduced herself briefly, then actually threw a flirtatious glance at Yan Nanfei.
Yan Nanfei's expression changed upon hearing this, and he couldn't help but step back.
"What's wrong with Senior Brother Yan?" Long Feicheng asked, confused.
Yan Nanfei pointed directly at I Hehuan and cursed, "She's a follower of demonic arts! I cannot associate with her!"
Demonic arts?
What demonic arts?
Long Feicheng became slightly agitated. Could this I Hehuan be a fox spirit?
I Hehuan was actually far less attractive than Lin Zitong, and even less so than Ling Xiaoxiao. However, she possessed an inherent allure that could stir men's desires and draw them to her aura.
Although it was cold today, and I Hehuan was dressed warmly, she had deliberately exposed certain areas, such as her thighs at the end of her stockings and the open neckline of her top.
"The Wu Zhen Sect originated in the Sui and Tang dynasties, flourished in the Song and Yuan dynasties. Its founder was True Person Ziyang, Zhang Benduan. Later, it was also associated with Wang Chongyang, the founder of Quanzhen Taoism. They took the book 'Daoism of the Zhouyi' as their foundation and regarded Zhang Benduan's 'Wu Zhen Pian' as a sacred text, advocating 'Yin-Yang Wu Zhen,' which is—dual cultivation."
"Dual cultivation? Is it the kind I'm thinking of?" Long Feicheng swallowed.
"It's the kind you're thinking of," Yan Nanfei confirmed.
For a moment, Lin Zitong also looked at I Hehuan strangely.
Chang Shan, who had been quiet until now, suddenly recited:
"Within the yang, yin essence is not strong; cultivating this alone will lead to a weakened realm. Laboring the body and controlling the breath are all not the Way; absorbing qi and refining mist are all madness. Within the yang, yin essence, is one's true essence. Essence can produce offspring, offspring can produce spirit. It nourishes the body and spirit, nothing is greater than this. When oil is depleted, the lamp extinguishes; when marrow is exhausted, the person dies. This speaks of essence and qi being the foundation of the entire body."
I Hehuan smiled. "I didn't expect the little master to know so much about our Wu Zhen Sect, even knowing the contents of 'Wu Zhen Pian.' Are you perhaps interested in dual cultivation?"
Chang Shan lowered his head honestly. "Amitabha."
"Hmph, so pretentious~" I Hehuan pouted playfully. "You ascetics are the most hypocritical."
Long Feicheng asked, "Is dual cultivation a demonic art?"
"Of course it is!" Yan Nanfei said excitedly. "Dual cultivation, in name, is dual cultivation, but in reality, it is one person cultivating while the other becomes a medicinal cauldron, achieving oneself at the cost of sacrificing others! What 'lonely yin cannot produce, solitary yang cannot achieve' is all nonsense! They even use 'one hundred days of foundation building' as a gimmick to fool ordinary people into cultivating. In reality, it is the core members of the Wu Zhen Sect who benefit, while those ordinary people, who don't know the truth or falsehood, lose decades of their lifespan unknowingly..."
Long Feicheng flinched. "Th-this way, the Wu Zhen Sect is indeed..."
Yan Shouyi agreed with Yan Nanfei's view of the Wu Zhen Sect. Although folk sects also cultivated short-term methods, they bore the heavenly punishment themselves, unlike the Wu Zhen Sect, which sacrificed others to gain power in a short period.
Fukada Ichiro's expression suddenly changed, and he pushed I Hehuan away, roaring, "Did you suck me last night?!"
I Hehuan's movements seemed boneless, but she was not knocked over by Fukada Ichiro's sudden shove.
Leaning against a nearby tree trunk, she said softly, "I made you comfortable too. We each got what we needed, isn't that good?"
Fukada Ichiro was so angry that he cursed "Baka yaro," even flicking his tongue, but I Hehuan didn't understand and seemed indifferent.
Yan Nanfei said coldly,
"Even if we have a common enemy, I will absolutely not travel with a demonic art follower like I Hehuan! Chang Shan, what about you?"
Chang Shan clasped his hands together. "I'll follow Senior Brother Yan."
Yan Shouyi was unsure what to do. If he didn't bring I Hehuan and Fukada Ichiro into the group, there would likely be a lot of trouble later.
But these two parties clearly didn't get along, and I Hehuan didn't seem like a good person at all.
Before Yan Shouyi could speak, I Hehuan smiled and said, "I also disdain to associate with weaklings like you. Killing just one Yan Shouyi, I don't need anyone's help."
"That's perfect!" Yan Nanfei said with a grim expression. "Then let's go our separate ways and see who catches Yan Shouyi first!"
I Hehuan sneered, seemingly not even interested in competing with Yan Nanfei.
"Fellow Daoist Wunian, what is your decision?" Yan Nanfei asked Yan Shouyi.
Yan Shouyi didn't hesitate and chose to stay with Yan Nanfei and the others. After all, Yan Nanfei and the others were from righteous sects, and I Hehuan was too dangerous.
So he cupped his fists at I Hehuan and said, "I'm sorry, but we have different paths and cannot conspire together. Let's part ways here."
"Go ahead," I Hehuan said, completely unconcerned, and lit a cigarette for herself.
"Let's go."
Yan Shouyi led the group away, while I Hehuan watched them go.
After Yan Shouyi and the others had walked dozens of meters, I Hehuan looked at Fukada Ichiro beside her and asked, "And you? Why are you still here?"
Fukada Ichiro said with a cold face, "I can't let you absorb my lifespan for nothing."
"Then shall we continue tonight? I'll be on top."
"Okay."
Fukada Ichiro ultimately chose to stay with I Hehuan.
He looked back at the receding figures of Yan Shouyi and the others, then took out his phone and said to I Hehuan, "I've found Yan Shouyi."
I Hehuan narrowed her eyes. "Me too."