Nangong Yu stormed into the depths of the Devil's City, but Feng Moran hesitated, not rushing in. Instead, Murong Shengrui followed without hesitation, his objective clear: to kill Nangong Yu.
Feng Moran turned and looked into the distance. Xiao Man had not yet arrived. To rashly enter the Devil's City before she came would be suicidal. Moreover, he couldn't be certain that the item was on Xiao Man.
"Master, aren't we going in?"
Feng Moran glanced at Zhu Xiu, who was dragging a leg, and said, "Go tend to your wound."
"Yes, Master."
Nangong Yu had already arrived, which meant Xiao Man had safely given birth. She would undoubtedly be on her way, and her speed would not be much slower than Nangong Yu's. Nangong Yu believed his bargaining chip was Chu Qingge and her son, but he didn't know that his chip had never been anyone else.
Feng Moran waited from sunrise to sunset. It wasn't until the eve of the next day that a group appeared in his sight. A smile curved Feng Moran's lips, "They've finally arrived."
The leaders were Zhan Tianque and Mo Mo, who sat atop their horses, their faces full of caution. In the carriage behind them, Yan Yuqing was driving, and next to Yan Yuqing sat a man of similar age, dressed as a commoner.
The carriage stopped at the entrance of the Devil's City. Zhan Tianque's gaze swept over Feng Moran's group. Murong Shengrui's absence was somewhat surprising to him.
The carriage door opened, and Xiao Man emerged, her expression cold, "Master, we meet again."
Feng Moran's gaze fell on Xiao Man's flat abdomen, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes before disappearing. "You've come later than I expected."
"Is Master impatient?" Xiao Man asked slowly. "After so many years, Master has waited. Now, you are impatient?"
"Did you bring what I want?" Feng Moran cut to the chase. He didn't want to reminisce with Xiao Man, as it was useless. To him, the Tongtian Pagoda was far more valuable than Xiao Man.
Xiao Man looked towards the depths of the Devil's City. "Has Master been inside?"
"No," Feng Moran replied calmly. If Xiao Man had been inside, many of the traps would have been altered. Even with the true map in hand, he couldn't guarantee his escape.
"If Master hasn't been inside, how can you be sure what you want isn't there?" Xiao Man asked softly.
Feng Moran didn't answer immediately. From what he knew of Xiao Man, if she knew such a vast treasure was here, she would have found a way to enter and empty it. Her initial placement of the Scarlet Feather Iron Cavalry in the Wu Yue Kingdom was likely for the Qin treasure.
"My patience has always been poor."
"My patience is also poor," Xiao Man replied. "So, Master, have you thought about how to atone?"
"What, you don't want to see Xian'er anymore?" Feng Moran sneered. "You've never seen her since you were born. Now that you have the chance, are you going to give it up?"
"Do you think I will still believe you?" Xiao Man calmly descended from the carriage and walked to the front. "You killed my father, you killed my husband. You bear the responsibility for hundreds of lives from the Dugu family, and countless lives from the Lan family. Even if you are cut into a thousand pieces, it will not quell the hatred in my heart."
"The Dugu family was killed by Murong Shengrui, what does that have to do with me?" Feng Moran frowned. "Even if I killed them, what connection do the Dugu family have with you?"
"Master, I really want to know, do you truly have a heart?" Xiao Man looked at Feng Moran and asked. "Dugu Man was your disciple, yet she died under your scheme. I am also your disciple, but you constantly persecute those around me, even harming my loved ones. Have you ever truly cared about us? Or are Dugu Man and I both just pieces you can use?"
"You and she are different."
"Because I am more useful to you, right?" Xiao Man's smile was faint, as if she already knew the answer. Feng Moran was heartless, a madman who loved and cared for no one but himself.
"I'm not interested in the gold and jewels of the Qin treasury. I only want those three items. Give me those three items, and I'll let you see your mother..."
"Impossible." Xiao Man refused without hesitation. "Master, have you forgotten what your disciple said? Anything you want, I will destroy. Anything you like, I will take. And now, you ask me to give you what you want. Isn't that too ridiculous?"
"The Rebirth Immortal Grass is related to your mother's life. You wouldn't dare destroy it. As for the Tongtian Pagoda, it belongs to the gods. As a mere mortal, you cannot destroy it. As for the Myriad Poison Golden Body, your entire clan possesses the Myriad Poison Golden Body by birth. Now, there is another Myriad Poison Golden Body in this world. You are no longer the only one."
"You want to harm my child, Master. Do you think you will have that chance?" Xiao Man drew her sword and flicked it with her fingers, producing a clear sound. "After your many years of teaching, today, I will return it all to you!"
Xiao Man charged forward with her sword, her expression ice-cold, her moves sharp and direct, striking at vital points without any mercy. She truly treated Feng Moran as an irreconcilable enemy.
Due to poisoning, Nangong Yu's martial arts declined day by day. Coupled with the failure to detoxify, he now relied on unorthodox methods to suppress the poison in his body. He was no match for Xiao Man.
"Do you know Nangong Yu has entered the Devil's City with Chu Qingge and her son? Guess who is chasing after them?" Feng Moran was skilled at manipulating people. If Chu Qingge and her son were not enough, adding Nangong Yu would surely make Xiao Man panic.
As long as Xiao Man panicked, she would reveal a flaw!
"Young Master Feng, the Empress, before her death, asked me to convey a message to Young Master Feng," a voice called out. "The Empress asks if Young Master Feng ever loved her?"
Feng Moran glanced at the speaker, finally recognizing the other person sitting by the carriage as Ye Fei, one of Lan Ruoyu's male consorts. However, this man usually didn't provoke him, and he disdained to pay him any mind.
"Her? Does she even deserve it?"
Ye Fei's expression dimmed upon hearing this. "So, all along, you only used the Empress?"
"It was her honor to be useful. If she had no value, who would bother with her?" Feng Moran sneered. "If she weren't the Empress of Lan Yue, would you, Ye Fei, have known her, have liked her? It's all about utilization, you and I are no different."
Ye Fei fell silent. Was he no different from Feng Moran? No, there was a difference. He was an ordinary person with emotions. The Empress treated him well, and he reciprocated with sincerity. Feng Moran, however, was a heartless, cold-blooded monster!