Qingniao bowed to the elder as soon as she saw him.
"Lin Feng, this is the head of the Seventh Division, True Person Ziyu. Hurry up and pay your respects."
Seeing Lin Feng remain indifferent, Qingniao reminded him impatiently.
"Pay respects? He's your boss, not mine. Why should I bow to him?"
Lin Feng sized up True Person Ziyu, sensing that the old man was no ordinary being.
At the very least, he couldn't discern the old man's strength.
"Young man, you don't need to bow to me. I know why you're here. Come with me."
True Person Ziyu wore a gentle smile.
"Boss, this kid is trouble. He has the Youming Demon Jar and is looking for the Fengmo Lid!" Li Xiang quickly warned.
"I know. You don't need to interfere with this matter. I will handle it myself."
"You all go back to your work and stop watching the fun."
As True Person Ziyu spoke, he gestured for Lin Feng and Qingniao to follow him.
Lin Feng, sensing no ill will from True Person Ziyu, followed him without hesitation.
They arrived at True Person Ziyu's office.
The office had a peculiar decoration, resembling a Taoist temple.
Inside, the Three Pure Ones were enshrined, and the walls were covered with densely written scriptures.
An incense meant to calm the mind burned in the room, its rich fragrance bringing a sense of peace upon entry.
"Young man, have a seat."
"Qingniao, go pour him some tea."
True Person Ziyu sat down on a meditation cushion, gesturing for Lin Feng to sit opposite him.
Qingniao dared not delay, obediently going to pour Lin Feng some tea.
"Old man, since you know my intentions, let's get straight to the point."
Lin Feng was eager to find the lid and had no desire to waste words with the old man.
"Young man, since you are here, make yourself comfortable. You want the Fengmo Lid, and I can give it to you."
"However, before I give it to you, listen to a story I have to tell."
True Person Ziyu smiled, exuding an air of humility.
"Alright, you can tell it."
Lin Feng was curious about the old man's intentions.
"This story begins ten thousand years ago. Ten thousand years ago, demons ran rampant. A great Roc fell into demonic ways, sacrificing itself to become emperor, known as the Demon Emperor."
"The Demon Emperor was at his peak from the moment he appeared, terrifying the three realms with his immense cultivation and unifying the demon race."
"Subsequently, the Demon Emperor led his troops to attack the immortal realm. The war lasted for a hundred years, causing heavy casualties in both realms. The Immortal Emperor dispatched Qingniao to negotiate peace."
"The Demon Emperor and Qingniao fell in love at first sight and quickly became smitten."
"At Qingniao's persuasion, the Demon Emperor agreed to cease his attacks on the immortal realm, and they would each mind their own business."
"However, the Immortal Emperor always felt that as long as the Demon Emperor was not eradicated, the immortal realm would never know peace."
"Thus, the Immortal Emperor used a secret technique to control Qingniao. On the day the Demon Emperor was breaking through his cultivation, he was ambushed by Qingniao and his soul was scattered."
"The Demon Emperor never expected his beloved to betray him. As his soul dispersed, a wisp of his remnant soul fled into the void."
"Several thousand more years passed, and the Demon Emperor was reborn, completely corrupted. He sought to find his beloved who had betrayed him. But Qingniao knew that she was the one who had harmed the Demon Emperor. After his death, she sacrificed herself and entered reincarnation."
"To find Qingniao's reincarnation, the Demon Emperor spared no one, slaughtering mortals indiscriminately. Eventually, he was suppressed by the Immortal Emperor in the Fengmo Tower, sealed for thousands of years."
"Due to the immense passage of time and the Demon Emperor's heavy resentment, the Fengmo Tower's power gradually weakened."
"To prevent the Demon Emperor from escaping the Fengmo Tower, our sect's patriarch, along with the top experts of our sect, forged the Youming Demon Jar to reinforce the Fengmo Tower."
"Later, the Youming Demon Jar was lost, and the Fengmo Tower was on the verge of collapse. Our Seventh Division, to prevent the Demon Emperor from harming the human world again, has been searching for the jar's whereabouts for a century."
"We couldn't find the jar, but we found its lid, the Fengmo Lid," True Person Ziyu spoke fluently.
Lin Feng roughly understood the meaning of the story.
"Old man, are you telling this story just to tell me that the Fengmo Lid is now being used to reinforce the Fengmo Tower and seal the Demon Emperor?"
"Precisely. Unfortunately, the Fengmo Lid is also about to fail. The Demon Emperor is about to break free from the tower, and the three realms will face a catastrophe."
True Person Ziyu's expression turned solemn.
"Then what do we do? Do you want to take the jar I have to reinforce the seal?" Lin Feng asked warily.
True Person Ziyu shook his head. "It's useless. The Demon Emperor is using his life's cultivation to break through. Even the Demon Jar cannot suppress him. His escape is inevitable."
"Old man, then what's the point of you telling me all this?" Lin Feng was confused by True Person Ziyu's words.
"Young man, I'm telling you this to inform you that you alone can stop the Demon Emperor from killing innocent people."
"Later, I will have people from the Seventh Division escort you to the Fengmo Tower. You will remove the Fengmo Lid and release the Demon Emperor."
"This way, the Demon Emperor will owe you a favor and regard you as his savior."
"You possess a special ability that allows you to bind lives. I hope you will unleash this skill upon the Demon Emperor. This way, you will both be mutually restrained. If he wreaks havoc upon the human world, you can perish with him."
True Person Ziyu said this very seriously.
Lin Feng was stunned, looking at True Person Ziyu in disbelief. He never imagined the old man would know about his special skill, the Heart-Lock.
Furthermore, he wanted him to use the Heart-Lock on the Demon Emperor.
This old man's schemes ran deep!
"Don't be surprised. I've been paying attention to you for a long time. I'm aware of your every move."
"With the Demon Emperor's emergence, our Seventh Division has been responsible for sealing him for so long. He will definitely target us first."
"I hope that after our Seventh Division is gone, you can restrain him on our behalf. Consider it a trade. Think about it."
True Person Ziyu's words left Lin Feng unsure how to respond.
He could tell that True Person Ziyu was a formidable character, privy to his secrets, which made him seem like a living deity.
"Lin Feng, what are you hesitating for?"
"For world peace, you must agree!" Qingniao, who had been listening, was anxiously urging him on.
"Stop lecturing me. If you hadn't ambushed the Demon Emperor, would he have developed such deep resentment?"
"If you're going to fall in love, do it properly. Betrayal is unacceptable. Who wouldn't hate you?" Lin Feng retorted impatiently.
To be honest, compared to the Demon Emperor's rampages, he found the Demon Emperor somewhat pitiable.
Betrayed by the one he loved, who wouldn't explode?
"Brother, my codename is Qingniao. It doesn't mean I'm actually the Qingniao from the heavens. What does this have to do with me?" Qingniao rolled her eyes. When she first heard True Person Ziyu mention the name Qingniao, she found it somewhat awkward.
But upon closer reflection, it was entirely unrelated.
"What if you are the reincarnation of Qingniao?" Lin Feng retorted.
He wasn't just spouting nonsense. Qingniao was too unusual. Even fortune tellers couldn't decipher her fate, and she was immune to magic.
This might indeed be the reincarnation of Qingniao.
"I am not! Stop talking nonsense." Qingniao was speechless.
"Qingniao is not that Qingniao, young man, you are indeed overthinking things."
"Qingniao is a divine bird, a celestial fairy. Even if she enters reincarnation, she is vastly different from mortals." True Person Ziyu interjected with a smile.
"Old man, then what's the difference between Qingniao's reincarnation and mortals?" Lin Feng asked curiously.
"Divine soul. When Qingniao's reincarnation encounters danger, her divine soul will awaken to protect her master."
"Once the Demon Emperor emerges, he will undoubtedly search for Qingniao's reincarnation. If you can find her first, that would be a good thing."
"Qingniao's betrayal of the Demon Emperor back then was due to the Immortal Emperor's manipulation. In reality, Qingniao is also innocent."
"If you can find Qingniao's reincarnation, and have her clarify the misunderstanding with the Demon Emperor, perhaps it can resolve the resentment in his heart," True Person Ziyu mused.
"I understand. In any case, the Demon Emperor's breakout is inevitable. Then I can only strike this deal with you."
"The Fengmo Lid belongs to me, and I will help you restrain the Demon Emperor. It's a win-win situation."
Lin Feng smiled. After much consideration, he agreed.
With the Demon Emperor being so formidable, if he could form a bond with him, he would have an additional trump card in the future.
This wasn't a bad thing for him.