Pan Yuming felt somewhat overwhelmed and hurriedly took the flask, but his surprised and doubtful expression revealed that this scene was entirely unexpected to him.
He looked at Zhou Yan and, seeing that the other party didn’t seem to be faking, he became somewhat skeptical yet willing to believe.
Holding the pitch-black flask, he dared not drink, yet didn’t dare to actually drink, his hands trembling.
Zhou Yan smiled and said, "The alcohol I, Zhou Yan, offer is not something ordinary people get to taste. If I invite you to drink, just drink with peace of mind."
With an embarrassed smile, Pan Yuming picked up the flask, trembling as he took a big gulp, but because of the shaking of his hands, he only managed to drink a little over half of it.
The rest spilled over him, and in that instant, the air was filled with the strong scent of alcohol.
The aroma was even strong enough to be pungent at times.
"What a pity, your cultivation of Sword Intent is still not well-developed. If you were like me, and condensed the ancient Essence Blood into ancient Sword Intent, then your hands wouldn’t shake when drinking in the future.
That’s one reason I am powerful, Essence Blood condensing into ancient Intents, the sun and moon nurturing the Sword Soul."
Zhou Yan seemed to be talking to himself, yet also seemed to be imparting experience to Pan Yuming.
Pan Yuming listened with a chill running through his body, still unclear about Zhou Yan’s intentions. He held the flask, striving to maintain his composure, and continued to finish the remaining liquor.
This time, he drank more steadily than before, as he didn’t spill a single drop.
Zhou Yan just smiled casually, murmuring, "Promises given to others must be fulfilled; when you have the chance to drink good alcohol, you should also cherish it. These are my two pieces of advice, and they are also standards for myself. Now that I’ve shared them with you, tell me, how should you thank me?"
Pan Yuming’s heart skipped a beat, feeling a deep chill, he murmured, "I, I..."
"You don’t have to do anything, you must have already recorded the previous scene with the Sword Illusion Realm, bring it out and let me see it. If you cooperate on this, I’ll be very satisfied."
Pan Yuming’s hand holding the flask suddenly trembled, but luckily, there was no more liquor in the flask.
He calmed his emotions with great effort, took a deep breath, and said, "What Sword Illusion Realm... Previously, it was impossible to use any energy here, it was only after the nine lights flickered that, that, that we could use our own energy..."
"Then, do you know who I am?"
Zhou Yan’s gaze narrowed slightly, he asked with a cold voice.
"I... I truly do not know."
Zhou Yan sneered, "You don’t know?"
With some effort, Pan Yuming’s somewhat pale handsome face squeezed out a few hints of a helpless smile, "I, I really don’t know."
Zhou Yan shook his head with a sigh, "I originally thought, someone who Feng Lingzhu saw fit to work with would have some capabilities, at the very least, be more straightforward and bold, but... you truly disappoint me."
"Master Zhou, you... you’ve really misunderstood, I truly, truly don’t understand any of this... Everything was just so confusing; I was restricted before I knew it."
Pan Yuming laughed along, his expression somewhat stiff.
"It seems you no longer care about Feng Lingzhu’s life and death, you appear to have quite a fine relationship with Mister Ji Taichong."
Zhou Yan sighed, his words now brimming with a chilling murderous intent.
Upon hearing this, Pan Yuming was startled, his gaze became tentative, and eventually, he stopped forcing a smile, instead heaving a long sigh without bothering to explain further.
Zhou Yan’s sword, suddenly drawn, flashed like a startled swan, abruptly appearing at Pan Yuming’s forehead.
But in that instant, the sword could not penetrate, and was instead blocked by the mysterious luster on his forehead, emitting a ’clang’ of a muffled sound.
Zhou Yan’s gaze flickered, his sword already retracted. The turn of events didn’t seem to surprise him at all, as if he had already seen through everything.
"Indeed, you’ve reaped some benefits... You’ve been with Feng Ling Bamboo for ten years now, right?"
Zhou Yan didn’t continue the fight; instead, he suddenly asked.
Pan Yuming hadn’t expected that after Zhou Yan’s failed attempt to strike, without showing any abnormality, he would ask such a question.
"Yes, for ten years, I’ve been assisting her in her affairs for a decade."
Pan Yuming’s killing intent receded, and without hiding anything, he revealed the situation.
"Then you should also know the specifics of Yunjin, and understand that Ji Taichong is actually filled with ambition."
Zhou Yan spoke, pausing for a moment, while Pan Yuming didn’t respond.
"You and Feng Ling Bamboo planned together, schemed against Ji Taichong, but you betrayed Feng Ling Bamboo, telling Ji Taichong your plans, making her the true victim caught in a trap.
But you forgot one thing—that is, after all, you are an outsider. With Ji Taichong’s capabilities, even his genius brother Ji Tai Xu was not spared from his schemes, let alone an outsider like you.
And Feng Ling Bamboo, that proud woman, until the moment of despair, still harbored the hope that you would appear, to save her, to carry out the plan.
Now, do you still intend to hand over all the records you left here, including the changes in the statue and other important things, to Ji Taichong?"
Zhou Yan said calmly.
He spoke each word deliberately, staring into Pan Yuming’s eyes with each one, as if reaching into his heart.
Pan Yuming’s face had turned from pale to flush with red; ultimately, he was someone whose rationality was weaker than his sentimentality, and who understood the bond of ten years. Regardless of how he treated Feng Ling Bamboo, her trust in him, akin to that of an older brother, he had betrayed, and this betrayal certainly brought guilt.
This feeling, though inexpressible, was undoubtedly profound.
At that moment, Zhou Yan’s words stirred Pan Yuming’s feelings of regret and guilt, and they overwhelmed him uncontrollably.
"Yes, all of this was intentional, but what of it? Now Feng Ling Bamboo is dead, her essence refined by Ji Taichong into a Sword Spirit... I... have no way out," Pan Yuming suddenly said loudly.
"That’s just what you think! Do you believe Ji Taichong will succeed? You’re not without options! You have a way out because the person who imprisoned you here has already given you one.
And if it weren’t for her giving you this escape route, do you think I would talk so much to you?
Without any surprise, that would be a woman as cold as ice, right? That woman, she is the Snow Domain Saintess Jiang Yuning, whom Ji Taichong has been plotting against!"
Zhou Yan’s words were light, but each one landed like a heavy hammer, fiercely striking Pan Yuming’s heart and soul.
"How, how could you possibly know all of this?!"
Pan Yuming reacted as if hit where it hurt the most, almost jumping up, nearly driven by instinct to flee.
It seemed that the Snow Domain Saintess Jiang Yuning was an existence he feared most deeply.
But as he made a move, Zhou Yan blocked him like a ghost.
It was then that Pan Yuming realized that Zhou Yan, seemingly frail, now appeared as insurmountable as a mountain, unfathomable.
He stood there, and Pan Yuming found himself devoid of any confidence to escape.
He gritted his teeth, energized his Sword Intent, and unleashed his Sword Soul Illusion, attempting to create distance from this unfathomable man and make his escape, for this man was much more terrifying than he had imagined.
And that Sword Illusion Realm must not be lost!
"Now, are you still refusing to see sense?"
Zhou Yan looked at Pan Yuming’s actions, his eyes filled with a touch of sympathy.