*Tap... Tap... Tap...*

After waiting for some time, Luo Lianjin finally arrived at the Zhi Clan. He didn’t come alone but with Xuan Yun, and they went to meet Zhi Qingshong and Nie Shuyin. "Where is Zhang Fei now?"

"Unfortunately, Zhang Fei isn’t here, Lianjin." Nie Shuyin immediately explained the situation to them.

"Haish!" Luo Lianjin’s reaction confused Zhi Qingshong and Nie Shuyin. "Your guard has made a fatal mistake."

"What do you mean by that?" Zhi Qingshong asked.

Luo Lianjin let out a soft sigh. "You don’t know him, but I know his character well enough. I’ve been to his sect several times and seen him interact with the people there, so I can say that your chances of establishing a relationship with him are zero. He never cares about status, and he considers the people in his sect to be his family. If you insult them, it’s the same as insulting him, and he has no interest in associating with such people."

"Lianjin, you can’t blame us, right?" Luo Lianjin nodded to Nie Shuyin. "Everyone in this domain hates dual cultivators very much, which has been going on since the era of our ancestors. This task has been passed down from generation to generation, and our guards are just carrying out their duties as usual. Moreover, Fei Yinglin and You Shiyan should have already explained to him about the situation in this domain, and if he was smart, he wouldn’t have brought them to our clan because they would get such a welcome."

"Regardless, I can’t help you build a relationship with Zhang Fei. You don’t need to think about asking my master for help either, as he won’t be able to help you after that incident." Both Zhi Qingshong and Nie Shuyin frowned at Luo Lianjin. "Do you think a man who has such a favorable relationship with Empress Huo will care about my master’s status? Not to mention, he is not only a god-rank alchemist, but he is also a god-rank swordmaster and supreme-rank blacksmith."

"What?" Both Zhi Qingshong and Nie Shuyin screamed in shock. "Are you kidding us? How could Zhang Fei achieve all that in just a few decades?"

Luo Lianjin shook his head at them. "I don’t know how Zhang Fei was able to achieve all that, but that’s the truth. Even the sword maniac Jian Kuang and the speed demon Shu Shentian have great respect for him, and they voluntarily stayed in his sect to train his disciples."

Zhi Qingshong and Nie Shuyin stared at Luo Lianjin with wide eyes, as they both knew that Jian Kuang and Shu Shentian were rogue cultivators. They had never been interested in siding with anyone, but they had willingly chosen to help Zhang Fei.

Luo Lianjin spoke to them again. "Like the people in this domain, Liang Huizhong has never liked dual cultivators, and he has always looked down on them and despised them. However, he began to change his mind after he learned of the changes to the Moonlit Passion Temple, and he began to consider collaborating with them because of Zhang Fei’s presence. Not only him, but several other sects and clans who previously disliked dual cultivators have also considered establishing relations with them."

"How did Jian Kuang and Shu Shentian know Zhang Fei? How did Zhang Fei convince them to help him? What exactly happened that made those clans and sects start considering cooperating with the Moonlite Passion Temple?" Nie Shuyin curiously asked.

"Their first meeting was at the auction in the Forbidden Land, and their second meeting was in the Endless Night Dungeon. The two of you didn’t send your representatives at that time, so you don’t know some of the events that happened in both places at that time." Luo Lianjin informed them about the attacks of the demon races and the evil beast races in both places. "I don’t know how Zhang Fei was able to summon and bring Long Wuzhao, Long Xukong, and Tianshi Bailong into the dungeon at that time. If it weren’t for the appearance of the three of them, the number of casualties would definitely be numerous."

"From what I heard, Zhang Fei has a close relationship with the princess of the Celestial Dragon Race, Tianshi Shengjie. He also has a favorable relationship with Tian Yizu’s daughter, Tia Huangjin." Zhi Qingshong and Nie Shuyin looked at Xuan Yun. "I heard about this matter from my clan members who attended the opening ceremony of the new Moonlite Passion Temple, and they saw those two women there with him. In fact, the beast and winged race sent four of their representatives to that sect, and they became their special disciples."

"Did you see them there too, Lianjin?"

"Yes." Luo Lianjin nodded to Zhi Qingshong. "That’s why I couldn’t help you two establish a relationship with Zhang Fei after the previous incident, and you should think twice about becoming his enemy. He’s far more powerful than he intentionally shows to the public, and his connections are too extensive for us to reach, especially Empress Huo. She has already announced that the Moonlite Passion Sect is under her protection, and anyone who attacks them will become her enemy."

Zhi Qingshong and Nie Shuyin took a deep breath after Luo Lianjin mentioned Feng Yao; not even their ancestors dared to fight her, let alone the two of them.

"Zhang Fei just contacted me, and he asked me to meet him at the Qiao Clan. Therefore, I have to take my leave now, and I will go to the clan to meet him." Luo Lianjin immediately led Xuan Yun to leave the room.

Zhi Qingshong and Nie Shuyin could only stare at them leaving in a daze, as they couldn’t understand how Zhang Fei knew about Luo Lianjin and Xuan Yun’s arrival in their clan.

"Can you detect that Zhang Fei is watching us, husband?"

"No." Zhi Qingshong shook his head at his wife. "I don’t know how Zhang Fei was watching us, but I tried to check him with my senses earlier. However, he deflected my senses and tracked me back, but I only detected it for a moment, and it immediately disappeared again."

Nie Shuyin let out a soft sigh. "Even though we have a good relationship with Jin Nanqing, we’ll still be at a disadvantage if we can’t build a relationship with Zhang Fei, especially with the status of the people behind him like Empress Huo and Long Wuzhao."

"The rice has become porridge; there’s no point in regretting it," Zhi Qingshong spoke with a heavy sigh. "Even so, I won’t give up, and I will find another way to build a relationship with Zhang Fei. Additionally, we seem to need to change our perspective on dual cultivators, and we must do something to prevent an incident like this from happening again. However, I can’t decide on my own, and I have to discuss these matters with my parents and grandparents first."

Nie Shuyin agreed with him before getting down from her chair. "Let’s meet them now."

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"They specifically invited you to help them persuade me, right, Old Luo?"

"Haha." Luo Lianjin laughed before nodding to Zhang Fei. "They did ask for my help in establishing a relationship with you, but I already told them I can’t help them."

Zhang Fei smiled faintly in response. "Honestly, I would rather not have any problems with them, but I hate people who look down on others because of their status or decisions the most. It doesn’t matter if they don’t like the dual cultivators, but their actions have gone too far; even their guards dare to act like that."

"The problem is that this situation has been going on for generations, and such attitudes have long been ingrained in the minds of the people of this domain. Otherwise, the You and Fei Clans would not expel Fei Yinglin and You Shiyan from their clans, right?" Zhang Fei did not dismiss Luo Lianjin’s words. "I believe Zhi Qingshong and Nie Shuyin won’t give up so easily, and I think their seniors might come out to meet you, so you have to be prepared to face them."

"I know." Zhang Fei then looked at Fei Yinglin, who signaled to him that it was their turn to enter the Qiao Clan. "Would you two like to join us, Old Luo and Old Xuan?"

Both of them nodded to Zhang Fei. "Let us accompany you to meet Qiao Yisheng."

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When they arrived inside a large room, Zhang Fei and the others saw a man with the appearance of a man in his early forties, none other than Qiao Yisheng, reading some parchments.

"Hmm?" Qiao Yisheng looked up at them directly. "Oh? What are you doing here with them, Old Luo? Why don’t you come in and see me directly? The guards from my clan won’t dare stop you."

"Ha ha." Luo Lianjin patted Zhang Fei’s shoulder. "Actually, I didn’t have any plans to come here at first, but Nie Shuyin contacted me about this young man, so I immediately rushed here."

Qiao Yisheng looked at Zhang Fei directly. "You are not an ordinary young man."

"Yisheng, this kid is a god-rank alchemist like me." Qiao Yisheng abruptly stood up from his seat and stared at Zhang Fei in disbelief. "Show him your badge, kid."

Zhang Fei took out his alchemist badge and showed it to Qiao Yisheng, who right away ran out of the room. "Guards! Tell the others to come back tomorrow! I won’t be accepting any more patients today."

- To Be Continued –