347: The God of Transformation is Coming

"Miss Kong, everything has been prepared according to your instructions."

Zhou Yan stood on the high-rise, looking through the glass at the deserted streets below, then turned and nodded to An Xu.

"Very good. Go and inform your teacher in a moment that the plan can proceed as scheduled."

"Yes."

An Xu responded and then left at a jog.

Seeing this, Zhang Wei and the others couldn't help but frown.

This was different from what they had agreed upon before.

In the end, Zhang Fei took a step forward of his own accord.

"Miss Kong, why are you withdrawing everyone?"

Zhou Yan simply shook his head.

"I'm sorry for keeping it from you. My visit to Taiyi City this time wasn't for an inspection, but to deal with a powerful enemy."

"However, this has nothing to do with you. Since you've delivered me to Taiyi City, your commission is over. Please leave as soon as possible, or you might have to go into refuge along with everyone else."

After speaking, Zhou Yan turned back around, but he was actually using his hidden male form to contact Qing Xuan.

"Holy Brother, the plan is going smoothly. Wang Defu's emotions are in place. Following the normal course of events, he will attack in the latter half of the night."

While maintaining communication, Qing Xuan observed Mo Ran, who was casting a spell beside him, confirming her state was stable.

Mo Ran was currently casting a long-term, continuous curse.

It wasn't very powerful, only capable of applying some psychological suggestions to the target.

Logically, with only Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation, Mo Ran should have been completely unable to curse a Nascent Soul Cultivator. But perhaps her divine office or the Power Of Faith had an effect; the curse actually worked on the Soul Transformation Stage, and the equivalent price of the backlash could be offset by the Power Of Faith.

Combined with the assistance of numerous believers to spread the cost of the curse, and the continuous supply of cursing materials from Wilde, Mo Ran had been continuously cursing Wang Defu for this entire year almost without injury.

This also meant that through suggestion, they could roughly control the timing of Wang Defu's move.

In Zhou Yan's words:

"Rather than waiting for an unknown enemy, it's better to create a known one yourself. Since we know through the curse that he will retaliate sooner or later, we might as well continue the curse to escalate the conflict and keep the timing in our own hands."

And now, it was the perfect time.

The Demon Venerable's memories mentioned that time flows differently in the Eastern Extreme Secret Realm compared to the outside world, but the specific ratio had been erased. To avoid finding his home raided as soon as he left the Secret Realm, Zhou Yan had decided to set a trap here to intercept and kill the opponent.

Resolving this in advance was the only way to set out with peace of mind. Whether he killed the opponent himself or killed him after exposing his identity as the Saint, there had to be a resolution.

The worst-case scenario would merely be losing the Opportunity to operate his forces normally in the Eastern Region.

Everything was arranged on Qing Xuan's side, and Zhou Yan was also ready here.

Although Zhou Yan couldn't defeat a Soul Transformation in his normal state, after a year of preparation, Taiyi City was no different from his personal Dao arena. Targeted traps were everywhere, and with the boost from Formations, it was enough to bridge part of the Realm gap.

After all, even Brother Monkey had suffered setbacks when fighting away from home; Zhou Yan didn't believe Wang Defu could be more Heaven-Defying than Brother Monkey.

He just hadn't expected that Zhang Fei would choose to stay.

By now, Zhang Wei and the others had headed to the shelter, leaving only Zhang Fei sitting atop the skyscraper with Zhou Yan, watching the moon rise higher into the sky.

"Are you sure you want to face the enemy with me?"

"You should know that regardless of the outcome, you won't gain any benefit. The upper echelons of Qingxu Grotto-Heaven won't easily intervene in such matters."

Zhang Fei rested with his eyes closed, yet he still answered every question.

"If Miss Kong isn't afraid even as a Nascent Soul, she must have a trump card. What do I have to worry about then?"

"This is how I've always conducted myself throughout my life: I back down when I should, and I gamble when I must."

"I understand that if I help the Taiyi Sect defeat or even kill the enemy, I will certainly offend the local forces of the Eastern Region. The upper levels of Qingxu Grotto-Heaven only care about protecting the Saint; whether the Taiyi Sect and I can survive depends entirely on the Saint's whim."

"If the Saint isn't willing to take risks for us, we will likely still be liquidated."

Zhou Yan was intrigued by his words.

His analysis was indeed reasonable. If he asked the Sect for help, they would help him, but if he asked them to save others, they would at most give him some protective Magic Treasures to save them himself while ensuring his own safety.

As for how to actually do it, how many people could be saved, and what price would be paid, that would all depend on his own maneuvering.

The Taiyi Sect was at least one of the foundations of his path, but Zhang Fei... there wasn't much of a connection. And those who could liquidate him might not be stopped even if Zhou Yan held a Divine Artifact.

"Since you know the consequences, why stay?"

"You must realize that while your help will certainly make things easier, it wouldn't be a major issue without you. So this is entirely your own initiative. Do well, and the Saint might not necessarily praise you; mess up, and you might even face his wrath."

Zhang Fei opened his eyes, showing no fear.

"I've struggled through the world for so many years, and I built my Family almost single-handedly."

"I trust the brothers who stand beside me, but I don't trust human nature."

"My Lifespan is limited, and I might not live until my son reaches the Soul Transformation Stage. I also know my own talent is mediocre; I've only gotten this far by enduring hardships, so my son's talent likely won't be much better."

"I'll be satisfied if he reaches the Nascent Soul Stage before I die."

"But after I'm gone, the Family will surely fall apart, and those brothers of mine will definitely take advantage of the chaos."

"I know these 'good sons' all too well; after all, I've been their godfather for so many years."

"In the past, they might have shown some sentimentality, and those with a conscience might even have helped my son, but things are different now."

"I can see the prospects of the Heaven and Earth Society; it will definitely grow larger in the future. Others aren't fools either; they'll surely notice some clues."

"This makes it so that even while I'm alive, I can barely suppress those monsters and demons. Once I'm dead, being refined into a Puppet might be the least of my son's worries."

"Whether through rumors or from those in the know, the Saint is said to be a benevolent man; he shouldn't allow such things to happen, as it would also damage his reputation."

Zhou Yan was about to say something like "Maybe the Saint isn't a good person at all," but he heard Zhang Fei continue.

"But in the end, hearing is hollow while seeing is believing. Relying solely on this bit of connection isn't enough."

"At the end of the day, Zhang Wei is just an errand boy. If there's no reason to look for him, he might never see the Saint again for the rest of his life."

"Right, Miss Kong?"

Looking into Zhang Fei's meaningful eyes, Zhou Yan felt as if he were being seen through. But he couldn't dwell on it now; the more he thought, the easier it would be to slip up.

Sure enough, under the effect of his stable Dao Heart, this probe didn't work. Zhou Yan also realized it was just a test.

However, Zhang Fei hadn't intended to confirm Zhou Yan's true identity. He had already achieved his goal: he had sensed that the Saint indeed had no intention of further utilizing Zhang Wei. Even if Zhang Wei were to be used in the future, his status would ultimately be a tier lower.

"This sudden crisis is an Opportunity for me. Perhaps the Saint only views us as disposable tools, and not even important ones at that."

"But why not use others? Why us? And why did I happen to encounter this? I've always been confident, perhaps even overconfident."

"So I believe that in the dark, things are predestined. That's why I'm gambling."

"I will go all out in the upcoming battle and at least sustain some injuries. Although it's a bit deliberate, I think with the Saint's magnanimity, he should show some consideration. When the time comes, I'll trouble Miss Kong to put in a few good words for me."

After speaking, Zhang Fei closed his eyes again to regulate his breathing.

Zhou Yan took a deep breath, not knowing what to say.

This behavior of his was clearly the style of a treacherous official, with a hint of looking for a payoff.

But by pushing forward his weakness along with his pledge of loyalty, he was indeed persuasive.

A Soul Transformation Stage might not be much to Qingxu Grotto-Heaven, but for the current Zhou Yan, it was a huge help. Not to mention the long term, it could save a lot of time and resources right now.

Besides, this was a Soul Transformation Stage worker; he didn't even have Nascent Soul Stage workers right now. Chen Huai and Qian Santong could only be considered combatants above Core Formation but below Nascent Soul.

After a brief weighing of options, Zhou Yan nodded and said to Zhang Fei.

"I will report your performance this time truthfully to the Saint."

Having received an answer, Zhang Fei was just about to curl his lips into a smile when he suddenly snapped his eyes open. His gaze was as sharp as a blade, and his expression was more serious than ever before, as if he had become a different person, with none of his previous casualness.

His words also caused Zhou Yan's nerves to instantly tighten.

"They're here! But... two of them have come!"