Ji Feiyang and Ye Bufan spent a night at the training grounds of the Tianxing Martial Arts Hall. Ji Feiyang learned a lot about cultivators from Ye Bufan.
After much deliberation, Ye Bufan subtly informed Ji Feiyang about the limitations on Earth. He told Ji Feiyang that Earth was about to usher in a period of change, during which some reclusive sects would reappear, and many things beyond their current imagination would emerge.
Ji Feiyang nodded, a sense of impending crisis dawning upon him.
The next morning, as the quarter-finals of the Martial Arts Tournament were about to begin, Zhu Zizhen, led by Wang Xinyan, rushed to the martial arts hall to find Ye Bufan.
"Master!" Zhu Zizhen approached Ye Bufan. "The Yue family is making moves again. Old Patriarch Yue Zhengyun himself has come to Jinhe."
"Where is he now?" Ye Bufan asked Zhu Zizhen.
"He's staying at the Jin family's hotel," Zhu Zizhen replied.
Upon hearing that the old patriarch of the Yue family, Yue Zhengyun, had also come to Jinhe, Ye Bufan was slightly shocked. It seemed that old man was still unwilling to relinquish his power and wealth, and was not ready to die just yet.
Yue Yangshuo and Yue Zhuoying had been in Jinhe for several days without any progress, which had made Yue Zhengyun very anxious.
Since that day, Yue Zhengyun had inexplicably been poisoned at home. Numerous renowned doctors from various fields had been unable to cure him. Later, Ye Bufan had arranged for Jin Yuchen to subtly convey that only the divine physician Zhu Zizhen could treat the poison.
It turned out that Yue Yangshuo had angered Zhu Zizhen and killed his eldest disciple. Following that, his own son, Yue Zhuoying, had personally gone to mediate, but still couldn't persuade Zhu Zizhen to help him detoxify. Yue Zhengyun had even heard that the negotiation between Yue Zhuoying and Zhu Zizhen had broken down.
Yue Zhengyun figured it was better to come to Jinhe himself to seek a glimmer of hope than to wait anxiously in Huzhou.
Meanwhile, Jin Yuchen had been discreetly observing the movements of Yue Yangshuo and Yue Zhuoying. Yue Yangshuo had been frequenting the gold market in recent days, while Yue Zhuoying was busy with various social engagements at the hotel and handling the Yue family's corporate affairs remotely.
"Master, Yue Zhengyun has sent me an invitation. Should I go or not?" Zhu Zizhen asked.
"Go, why wouldn't you?" Ye Bufan said with a sly smile. "You lost your eldest disciple, and Yue Yangshuo thinks that's the end of it. How can that be?"
Hearing Ye Bufan's words, Zhu Zizhen immediately understood Ye Bufan's intentions.
"When did he invite you?" Ye Bufan asked.
"This afternoon," Zhu Zizhen looked at Ye Bufan, awaiting his instructions.
"Alright, I'll accompany you this afternoon," Ye Bufan said after a moment of thought.
"I didn't expect Yue Zhengyun to lower himself and seek out Divine Physician Zhu," Ji Feiyang, who had been listening to the conversation between Zhu Zizhen and Ye Bufan, guessed the conflict between Zhu Zizhen and the Yue family.
Ji Feiyang invited Ye Bufan and Zhu Zizhen to stay for lunch. Ye Bufan initially intended to refuse, but Ji Feiyang used Zhu Zizhen as an excuse, and Ye Bufan eventually agreed.
The three of them had barely sat down in the dining room when four people in their fifties and sixties rushed in from outside. Among them was Wu Cheng, whose expression was grim as he spoke to the others, but they ignored him.
The four men walked directly up to Ye Bufan. Wu Cheng, with a fawning smile, introduced them to Ye Bufan and Ji Feiyang: "General Ji, Ye Bufan, Divine Physician Zhu, let me introduce these three... they are from our Martial Alliance..."
"No need for introductions. What's there to introduce?" The leader of the group glanced at Wu Cheng and then turned to Ye Bufan.
"You're Ye Bufan?"
Ye Bufan remained silent and nodded. Ji Feiyang was about to stand up but was stopped by Ye Bufan.
"Very good! I heard from Wu Cheng that you crippled Elder Zhang Meng of our Martial Alliance?" the man continued.
Ye Bufan nodded and asked, "You've come all this way in a huff, young man. Is it just to confirm that I crippled Elder Zhang Meng of your Martial Alliance?"
"Of course not," the man squinted and snorted. "You're too arrogant, thinking the Martial Alliance has no one. You attacked an elder of our Martial Alliance during the Martial Arts Tournament. What crime do you deserve?"
"Elder Zhen Deyuan, such a bold statement. Since when does the Martial Alliance have the authority to punish people?" Ji Feiyang sneered from the side. "Are you disregarding the laws of our Great Xia?"
"That's not for us to say," said the man named Zhen Deyuan, looking at Ji Feiyang. "General Ji, since ancient times, grievances have been avenged and grudges have been settled. At this juncture, if the Martial Alliance's face has been slapped, shouldn't I seek to regain it?"
"Old Zhen! Say less!" Wu Cheng quickly interjected from the side.
"Say less about what. Wu Cheng, you are also a member of our Martial Alliance. Our face has been slapped, and you're still speaking for the other side." Zhen Deyuan looked at Wu Cheng. "You're a coward, afraid to speak up for our Martial Alliance."
Wu Cheng glanced at Zhen Deyuan, his expression changing. "Speak up for the Martial Alliance? Zhen Deyuan, haven't I done enough for the Martial Alliance over the years? The Martial Arts Tournament, even when the Martial Alliance was short on funds, wasn't I the one supporting it? Where were you then? Now that Zhang Meng is crippled, you finally realize the Martial Alliance's face has been slapped and you want to protect it? Where were you before?"
Zhen Deyuan listened to Wu Cheng's words, paused for a few seconds, and then waved his hand, saying, "Don't tell me these irrelevant things. Have you seen the Alliance Leader managing the Martial Alliance all these years?"
Wu Cheng sneered. "Don't think I don't know about your dealings with Zhang Meng. His crippling has merely affected your interests. The 'face of the Martial Alliance has been slapped' is just your excuse."
Zhang Meng had intricate connections with the Zhuang family's tea plantation. Through this connection, Zhen Deyuan had reaped considerable benefits from Zhang Meng. With Zhang Meng crippled and Zhuang Sijie dead, and Zhuang Qian having received a warning from Ji Feiyang, it meant their shared benefits were likely over.
"You!" Zhen Deyuan and the two men behind him changed their expressions, suddenly enraged.
"Oh my, I thought it was really about the Martial Alliance's honor. I didn't expect there to be profit involved. The Martial Alliance has truly opened my eyes," Ji Feiyang said with a smile, applauding.
"Ji Feiyang, I advise you not to meddle. Don't think I'll be afraid of you just because you're a general. We're both Martial Venerables; we don't know who is stronger." Zhen Deyuan looked at Ji Feiyang and said, "My Martial Alliance has a long-standing cooperative relationship with your army. You wouldn't want this cooperation to break down because of you, would you?"
Ji Feiyang's face darkened as he looked at Zhen Deyuan. "You are threatening me."
"No, no, no, how dare I threaten you, General Ji," Zhen Deyuan said with a decidedly sycophantic tone.