Before long, Ling Feng and Tuoba Yan returned to the guest house, only to find that the feast had lost its appeal.
Feng Wuji, having been beaten to the point of resembling a pig, naturally had no more interest in charming women.
Xiahou Lie, having received a palm strike from Wei Wuyan, had also retreated to his quarters to heal. With the absence of these key figures, the banquet had become unusually dull.
However, the return of Ling Feng and Tuoba Yan drew quite a bit of attention. What exactly had that mysterious human emperor expert said to Ling Feng after calling him outside?
"Brother Ling, come with me!"
Wen Tingguang intercepted Ling Feng halfway, pulling him into a secluded quiet room behind the main hall. Inside, Yue Tengfeng appeared to have been waiting for some time.
"Young man, who exactly was that human emperor senior? How do you know him?" Wen Tingguang asked eagerly.
"Indeed, Brother Ling, that human emperor expert seemed to be rather respectful toward you," Yue Tengfeng added, his eyes fixed on Ling Feng with curiosity.
"To be honest, I'm not that familiar with them. I've only met them once," Ling Feng touched his nose and replied with a faint smile. "The girl's name is Jiang Biyi. I once saved her, and that's how I came to know Steward Wei."
"Young man, is that steward's name Wei Wuyan?" Wen Tingguang asked gravely.
"Brother Wen, how did you know his name is Wei Wuyan?" Ling Feng's eyebrows raised in surprise as he looked at Wen Tingguang.
"So it really is him!" Wen Tingguang took a deep breath and slowly said, "You are truly fortunate. Do you have any idea who Wei Wuyan is?"
Ling Feng shook his head. "I only know that they seem to be part of The Shadow."
"The Shadow is an organization backed by the sacred land. It’s no wonder they've developed so rapidly in recent years!" Wen Tingguang revealed a look of sudden realization. "Haha, I finally understand now."
"Brother Wen, who exactly is this Wei Wuyan?" Ling Feng asked, still confused, and curious about what Wen Tingguang had mentioned regarding the Sacred Land.
"Decades ago, when Wei Wuyan first appeared in the Tianbai Empire, he was not yet a human emperor expert. His glorious battles could fill entire days and nights. But I will never forget that one event I personally witnessed."
A trace of fear appeared in Wen Tingguang's eyes as he recounted, "I remember when the sect leader, in his youth, was known as the rarest genius the Cangqiong Sect had seen in a hundred years. But he once fought Wei Wuyan."
"And what was the outcome?" Ling Feng and Yue Tengfeng asked in unison.
"Three moves!" Wen Tingguang raised three fingers.
"My father defeated him in three moves?" Yue Tengfeng guessed.
"No, the sect leader was defeated by Wei Wuyan in just three moves!" Wen Tingguang responded gravely. "It was a fight the sect leader has never been willing to talk about. It was also that very fight that pushed him to train relentlessly day and night until he became a human emperor before the age of forty."
"Who could have imagined that Wei Wuyan also ascended to become a human emperor, and judging by his aura, he's in no way weaker than our sect leader."
Wen Tingguang slowly continued, "But I'm not just emphasizing Wei Wuyan's strength. What's truly remarkable is the sacred land backing him. It’s a place full of hidden masters."
"What kind of place is the sacred land?" Ling Feng blinked, a look of longing in his eyes.
"It's a place without weaklings," Wen Tingguang said, patting Ling Feng on the shoulder. "That's why I'm so surprised that you've made connections with people from the sacred land. You might be fated to visit that legendary place. With your talent, if you could train in the sacred land, you might even become a great emperor one day."
Ling Feng squinted as he listened. Wen Tingguang speaks of the sacred land with such reverence, like a mortal speaking of the gods. The sacred land is definitely a place beyond my imagination.
But who is Jiang Biyi? Why did Wei Wuyan act like her servant? And who is this master Wei Wuyan spoke of, and how are they connected to Jiang Biyi?
Ling Feng shook his head, realizing he was still far from understanding such mysteries. For now, he needed to focus on tomorrow's plans.
"Brother Wen, no matter how strong they are, that's still their power," Ling Feng chuckled. "Let's first deal with the matter at hand. Among the Tianyang Empire's delegation, that woman in purple seems quite unusual. Even Wei Wuyan warned me not to provoke her lightly."
Seeing how quickly Ling Feng had regained his composure, Wen Tingguang couldn't help but feel a bit ashamed. Shaking his head, he replied softly, "That woman in purple is indeed mysterious. However, it seems that she is not on the list to meet the emperor tomorrow, and even the Eleventh Prince has excused himself, citing travel fatigue and illness."
"Mhmm, that gives us an opportunity then," Ling Feng nodded. "As long as the woman in purple stays out of it, our plan should go off without a hitch."
"Let's hope that after tomorrow, the people from the Tianyang Empire leave early and don't cause any more trouble," Wen Tingguang sighed lightly.
"I doubt it will be that simple," Yue Tengfeng narrowed his eyes. "If it were, what would be the point of sending the Eleventh Prince in the first place?"
"Mhmm, Second Young Master's concerns are valid. We can only wait and see," Wen Tingguang took a deep breath. The three exchanged glances, each with their own thoughts.
That night, none of them would sleep.
The next day, Xiahou Lie led the Tianyang Empire's envoy delegation into the palace as planned. As envoys from the Tianyang Empire, they were expected to meet the emperor of the Tianbai Empire, as it would be improper to visit the imperial capital without an audience.
Once Xiahou Lie's convoy had departed, Ling Feng and Yue Tengfeng got to work, heading to the Cangqiong Sect to retrieve Nangong Yin. They were preparing to return him to the Tianyang Empire.
Nangong Yin was shoved into a carriage, and though he couldn't speak, he probably realized it was the people from the Tianyang Empire who had come to take him away. Despite being unable to talk, he still flailed around at Ling Feng, making unintelligible noises. Even without words, it was obvious from his smug expression that he was thinking: When I get back, you're going to suffer terribly!
Before long, under the protection of a team of soldiers, Ling Feng and Yue Tengfeng escorted Nangong Yin toward the west gate of the imperial city. According to their agreement with Xiahou Lie, after the audience with the emperor, the Cangqiong Sect would return Nangong Yin at the west gate.
Of course, it was impossible for Nangong Yin to be returned completely intact. He was, after all, now a man without a bird.
And today, he was going to die!