188: Entering the Drum Tower

As the dust completely settled, the octagonal wooden tower was fully revealed. It had ten stories in total, tightly wrapped in red-lacquered wood, making it impossible to see anything from the outside.

Everyone gathered below, looking at the wide-open door and exchanging glances. Finally, someone gritted their teeth fiercely and said, "Damn it, the timid starve while the bold get fat. I'm going in first to check it out!"

As someone took the lead and entered, the rest, unwilling to fall behind, quickly followed suit.

Xiang Tan leaped down from the pavilion and approached the Drum Tower. Gazing at the pitch-black entrance, she hesitated for a moment but still didn't dare to enter.

"Senior Sister Xiang Tan?"

A voice came from behind. Xiang Tan turned her head to look and saw it was Lin Fan and an unfamiliar woman.

"Junior Brother Lin, has Senior Brother arrived?"

Lin Fan shook his head. "Haven't seen him."

Xiang Tan felt slightly disappointed in her heart. Lin Fan's cultivation was inferior to hers, so what use was his arrival?

Zuoqiu Yi licked her red lips, her face excited as she looked at the massive Drum Tower before her. "Little Brother Lin, you wait here for your Saint. This girl is going in to take a look!"

Lin Fan reached out and grabbed her. "Sister, hold on a moment. My Saint will be here soon. It's not too late to enter together once he arrives."

In Lin Fan's view, Zuoqiu Yi was only at the Foundation Establishment Completion stage. Although she was stronger than him, the difference was limited. In a real fight, the outcome was still uncertain.

The situation inside the Drum Tower was unclear. Rushing in was too dangerous. It was safer to enter together with the Saint.

Zuoqiu Yi shook her head in refusal. "That's your Saint, and he has nothing to do with me. Let me go in and investigate."

With that, her impatient nature took over. She shook off Lin Fan's grasp and ducked into the Drum Tower.

"Hey..." Lin Fan reached out to grab her but caught only air.

Xiang Tan, watching from the side, found it amusing and laughed. "Junior Brother Lin, have you taken a fancy to her? Why not beg the Saint to arrange a match for you?"

"No... not at all..."

Lin Fan denied it unconvincingly, then gritted his teeth and stomped his foot. "Senior Sister, please wait here for the Saint. I'll go ahead."

Saying so, he followed closely behind Zuoqiu Yi and stepped into the Drum Tower. He simply couldn't rest easy about the safety of the one he held dear.

Seeing this, Xiang Tan didn't stop him. What did Lin Fan's life or death have to do with her?

In her heart, she only cared about herself and Xu Sanyan. Everyone else was of no concern.

After a short while, more people arrived one after another, including two Red Dragon Mountain Cultivators who waited outside with Xiang Tan.

Half a quarter-hour later, Xiang Tan's gaze swept around until she finally spotted a familiar figure. Overjoyed, she said, "Senior Brother, you've finally come."

In the distance, a figure in light cyan robes drifted over—it was Xu Sanyan. He had hurried as fast as he could but still ended up a step late.

"What's the situation?" Xu Sanyan smiled and gently touched Xiang Tan's cheek.

"Many people have already gone in, and Junior Brother Lin has entered too." Xiang Tan covered Xu Sanyan's hand with her own, her heart relaxing. Staying by the Saint's side made her feel much more at ease.

Xu Sanyan nodded. "Let's go. We should go in and take a look too."

"Mm."

From the outside, the Drum Tower appeared pitch black, like a giant beast with its maw wide open, waiting for them to walk into its trap.

Just as Xu Sanyan was about to step inside, he heard footsteps behind him. Turning his head, he saw it was Fang Qingge and two women.

Each of the two women held one of Fang Qingge's arms, resting their heads on his shoulders, seemingly vying for his attention.

In contrast, Fang Qingge wore a helpless expression, unsure whether to withdraw his arms or not.

"Brother Fang?" Xu Sanyan greeted with a smile.

"Huh? So it's you!"

Fang Qingge's expression turned serious, his smile fading as he silently extracted his arms from the two women's embrace and assumed a guarded stance.

The day before yesterday, Fang Qingge had sent people to investigate and had learned about Xu Sanyan's identity: the Saint of the Chixin Lineage within the Tongxin Demon Sect, possessing considerable strength, which demanded his caution.

Wei Xunzhi narrowed her eyes, noticing Fang Qingge's wariness towards this person. Curiosity stirred within her, and she scrutinized Xu Sanyan up and down, asking softly, "Senior Brother, who is he?"

Fang Qingge replied in a low voice, "The Demon Sect Saint, Xu Sanyan. His strength is considerable, likely not inferior to mine."

Wei Xunzhi was inwardly startled. She knew Fang Qingge's strength well; it was even above her own.

In her view, he could be considered the leader of the younger generation. She hadn't expected there to be someone else who could command his respect?

Truly, only after stepping into the world does one realize its vastness. Heroes under heaven are as numerous as carp crossing a river, far beyond that small corner called Sanshan City.

Wei Xunzhi silently committed Xu Sanyan's appearance to memory, determined to investigate his background once they got out.

Xu Sanyan smiled. "Brother Fang, are you planning to enter and explore? How about we go together?"

Fang Qingge twitched the corner of his mouth, glancing subtly at the two women beside him. "No, Brother Xu, you go ahead. I still need to wait for someone here."

Xu Sanyan didn't stand on ceremony either. He cupped his hands in a slight bow, turned, and stepped into the Drum Tower, with Xiang Tan and the other two following closely.

Junior Sister Yu watched the four disappear and asked, "Senior Brother, who are you waiting for?"

Fang Qingge sighed inwardly. Waiting for who?

He wasn't waiting for anyone!

If he were alone, he wouldn't fear accompanying Xu Sanyan even if they traveled together. But having Junior Sister Yu by his side was different.

Junior Sister Yu's cultivation was too low. Even if he divided his attention to protect her, it would be hard to ensure her complete safety. What if something happened? Wouldn't his conscience be troubled?

Although Fang Qingge was fickle in love, as he himself had said, each piece of his sincere heart was given to a different woman.

What he gave was 'sincerity'.

Fang Qingge patted Junior Sister Yu on the shoulder. "Junior Sister, you shouldn't go in. Wait for me outside in a safe place."

He was worried that these Demonic Path practitioners might employ some trick. It was safer to have his Junior Sister wait outside.

"No, I want to go in!"

Junior Sister Yu tightly hugged his arm, shaking it coquettishly, her eyes glaring at Wei Xunzhi with hostility.

"Junior Sister, be good." Fang Qingge unusually Emphasis added.

"You're Be mean to me...?" Junior Sister Yu's eyes welled up with tears, mist swirling in her sockets. Recalling the sweet nothings from before, she felt even more wronged.

Fang Qingge let out a long sigh. Damn it, why couldn't he control that little thing between his legs?

...

As soon as Xu Sanyan and his three companions stepped into the Drum Tower, they instantly felt as if they had entered another world. Before them was an empty room with walls of monotonous dark brown, resembling a giant iron box.

"This is..." Xiang Tan looked puzzled. "How do we get out?"

"Boom!"

As soon as the words left her mouth, one of the walls collapsed with a roar, revealing a small group of corpse demons behind it, about a dozen or so.

"It seems we have to kill them all." Xu Sanyan narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing within.

"The Saint can rest. These mere corpse demons can be left to us."

The two behind him spoke up timely. Both were Elders at the Mystic Path Realm. Although the corpse demons looked terrifying, their strength wasn't high, equivalent to early Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

Xu Sanyan nodded. "Mm, I'll trouble the two Elders then."

"Awoo~~"

The corpse demons pounced. The two Elders flew forward to meet them and slaughtered the entire group in mere moments.

Immediately after, a stone table materialized, upon which rested a porcelain bottle.

Xu Sanyan exclaimed in surprise, "A reward?"