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To be precise, the deceased Wu An and Tang Sheng were Brother Disciples, which meant that Ling Yin Qin was in the same generation as Tang Sheng. So, she was senior to Lan He.
When Ling Yin Qin arrived at Heavenly Wolf Valley, she was only in the Third-Order Dao Source Realm. Fortunately, she had been given enough resources, and paired with her own aptitude, she was able to reach the Emperor Realm in just a few years, after which she was promoted to be an Elder by Tang Sheng.
Lan He said, âWhen I was in Shattered Star Sea, I came across a person who told me about Elder Ling. After I left that place, I told some people to find out Elder Lingâs whereabouts and fortunately, we soon got some good news and brought her back to the valley.â
Tang Sheng nodded, âYes, I remember. Why? Did you want some kind of reward?â
It was beneficial to the Sect to have even one more Emperor Realm Master, so Yang Sheng thought that Lan He was trying to get some benefits from him.
Lan He stuck out her tongue and replied, âNo. Iâm just saying that the person who told me about Elder Ling is called Yang Kai.â
Tang Sheng nodded and said, âI remember that he saved you by helping you escape from the Void Crack. Youâve told me about it before.â After he finished speaking, he thought of something and turned to look at her, âYou said you met a life-saving straw while outside. Could it beâŠâ
Lan He flashed a faint smile at him, âMaster, youâre indeed intelligent. I indeed bumped into Brother Yang this time.â
âHeâs in the Eastern Territory? Didnât you say that heâs from the Southern Territory?â
âYes, heâs from the Southern Territory, but he is here for some purpose.â
âHave you brought him back, then? Heâs your saviour, after all. Since youâve met him, you should properly thank him.â
Lan He replied, âOf course Iâve brought him back. Heâs in the side hall now.â
Hearing that, Tang Sheng rose from the chair and shot her a glare, âLittle girl, since youâve brought him back, why did you beat around the bush just now? Heâs your lifeâs saviour, so as your Master I must meet him and express my gratitude as well.â
Lan He said with a smile, âIâve already thanked him.â
A solemn Tang Sheng rebuked, âHe saved your life, so we can never thank him enough.â
Seizing the chance, Lan He said, âActually, heâs here to ask for your help. I was worried that you wouldnât agree to it, but it seems that I can be at ease now.â
Tang Sheng stopped in his tracks as he had a premonition all of a sudden. Turning around, he stared at her and said, âIt seems that youâre up to something. Hmm, you even prepared tea and helped massage me. You must be up to no good!â
âThatâs not true. Is your precious Disciple that kind of person in your eyes?â Lan He pouted with an aggrieved expression.
Tang Sheng snorted, âI know you well enough.â
He paused for a bit, âIt seems that it isnât a small favour. What does he want?â
He shot a glance at Lan He's head, which caused her to immediately cover it.
After giving it a thought, she decided to be straightforward with him, âHeâs come to the Eastern Territory because he wants to visit Spirit Beast Island, but he doesnât know how to get there.â
âSpirit Beast IslandâŠâ Tang Shengâs expression changed as he realised something. Then, he nodded gently, âGood.â
Spirit Beast Island was elusive, so it was practically impossible for anyone to get there without any clues. Even the people in the Eastern Territory didnât know where the island was located, much less an outsider like Yang Kai. However, Tang Sheng was aware of the way to get there, because a Beast Seeker from the island had left behind a Faith Token for them. By just bringing the token to the East Sea, they would be able to find the island.
With a smile, Tang Sheng replied, âItâs just a small favour. Since he saved your life before, Iâll personally lead the way for him to make sure that he reaches Spirit Beast Island.â The Faith Token was indeed their biggest safety charm, but if they were just making use of it to get to Spirit Beast Island without actually seeking assistance, it wouldnât incur any losses for their Sect. If their Sect fell into danger in the future, they would still be able to use the token. It would also be good to take this chance to repay Yang Kaiâs favour.
By doing so, they could also make friends with him. Tang Sheng had heard from Lan He that Yang Kai was a powerful young man with outstanding talent and aptitude. Furthermore, he was proficient in the Dao of Space, so his future was basically limitless.
Li Wu Yi was touted to be second only to the Great Emperors precisely because he was proficient in the Dao of Space. In the future, Yang Kai might just be as powerful as him; therefore, becoming friends with Yang Kai now would be beneficial for their Sect.
As these ideas flashed across Tang Shengâs mind, he made a decision. It wasnât that he was a scheming man, as anyone else would have had the same thoughts as he had. Moreover, as the Valley Master of Heavenly Wolf Valley, he had to consider what was best for the Sect above all else.
Upon hearing that, Lan He didnât become elated. Instead, she looked cautiously at him and said hesitantly, âIt would be good if the matter was so simple. However, Brother Yang is in a dangerous situation right now.â
âHmm?â Tang Sheng looked doubtfully at her, âWhat do you mean?â
Lan He explained, âHonoured Master, donât you remember what I told you? Brother Yang killed many people in the Shattered Star Sea, including the two Holy Sons from Brahma Holy Land, Zhang Hao and Zhang Xian.â
Tang Shengâs expression changed slightly, âYou mean, the people from Brahma Holy Land are coming for him?â
âNetherworld Sect is as wellâŠâ She spoke in an even lower voice.
âWhat?â Tang Shengâs expression changed drastically this time.
It would still be manageable if only one of the top Sects was after Yang Kai, but now, two of them were hunting him down at the same time, so there was no way he could survive. Other people would have pushed such a troublemaker away immediately, but Lan He actually brought him back to her Sect instead.
Tang Sheng was so exasperated that he was at a loss for words as he pointed his finger at her.
Lan He said in an aggrieved manner, âMaster, you told me before that we should repay any favour we receive, no matter how small it may be, to say nothing of the fact that Yang Kai had saved my life. If he hadnât sent me out of the Void Crack, I would have died long ago.â
A frustrated Tang Sheng replied, âI did tell you this before, but it also depends on the situation, right? This is⊠Youâre basically inviting trouble to our Sect!â
Lan He pouted, âWe have the Faith Token from Spirit Beast Island donât we? No matter how powerful the two great forces are, they wouldnât dare to make a move on us.â
Tang Sheng was annoyed by the fact that she still didnât understand the crux of the problem, âYes, they wonât dare to attack us openly, but donât forget that we live in the Eastern Territory and we do not just live inside our Sectâs borders! It isnât like we can be presumptuous just because we have that Faith Token. If we offend two of the top Sects, weâll never have peaceful days again. The disciples who have to go out for life experience or business will constantly be in danger. Youâre really trying to drive me mad this time!â
A stunned Lan He asked, âWhat should we do, then?â
Tang Sheng paced back and forth in silence for a bit before a glint of determination flashed across his eyes, âNow, we can only deny that we have the token so that we remain uninvolved in this matter. After that, weâll need to tell him to leave quickly.â
âBut I already made him a promiseâŠâ Lan He gazed at Tang Sheng in disbelief, as she hadnât expected that her Honoured Master would make this kind of decision. At that instant, she felt as if she didnât know this man anymore.
Tang Sheng shook his head, âYour promise doesnât matter. Iâm the one who has the final say here.â
Lan He questioned in shock, âMaster, do you want to make me go back on my word?â
âImpudence!â Tang Sheng turned around and growled at her with a grim expression. Following that though, he took a deep breath and tried to speak in a milder tone, âLittle He, I hope youâll understand your Masterâs worries and think about the future of the thousands of disciples here. If possible, I wouldnât want to do such a thing; however, if we lend our assistance now, we will be making enemies of two of the top Sects in the Eastern Territory, and our safety will no longer be guaranteed anymore. Youâre someone who can see the bigger picture, so Iâm sure you understand.â
Lan He opened her mouth with a bitter expression, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything in the end.
It had come to a point that she didnât know how to face Yang Kai anymore; after all, she had made him a promise, but she now had to go back on her word, so she wasnât sure how he would regard her.
Nevertheless, she knew that since her Master had made a decision, there was no way she could change his mind. After giving it a thought, she suggested, âMaster, can you entrust the Faith Token to me for some time? Iâll leave the valley with him now and help him look for Spirit Beast Island. After finding the island, Iâll come back here.â
Tang Sheng shook his head, âIf the two top Sects were not involved, such a plan would be acceptable; however, since theyâre coming for that young man, you canât. Theyâll never let you off if you do this. What if you fall into fatal danger as a result?â
âButâŠâ
âEnoughâ Tang Sheng raised his hand to cut her off, âFollow me to see him now.â
Left with no choice, Lan He followed him in a dejected manner.
On their way there, Tang Sheng fished out a communication artifact and sent a message to someone. A moment later, a woman in an imperial dress flew over. She was none other than the Vice Valley Master of Heavenly Wolf Valley, Qian Xiu Ying, Tang Shengâs wife.
After casting a glance at Lan He, she said with a smile, âLittle He, whatâs going on? Why do you look so listless? Has your Master lectured you again? Tell me what happened, and Iâll stand up for you.â
However, Lan He just hung her head low without uttering a word.
After a sigh, Tang Sheng briefly told Qing Xiu Ying what happened and the decision he had made.
It was then that Qian Xiu Ying understood the reason behind Lan Heâs sorrow. After giving it a thought, she commented, âThis issue is indeed thorny.â
At the same time, she was displeased at Yang Kai in her heart. [Since he killed two Holy Sons from Brahma Holy Land and a Legacy Disciple from Netherworld Sect, he should just stay in the Southern Territory instead of coming to the Eastern Territory! Since he has come, he should have been more discreet instead of letting those two Sects find out his whereabouts. Moreover, our Sect has also been dragged into this mess. What have we done to deserve this?]
Despite her thoughts, she didnât show any displeasure on her face, instead addressing Lan He softly, âDid he tell you why heâs going to Spirit Beast Island? Does he know anyone there?â
Lan He shook her head, âI have no idea.â
Tang Sheng chimed in, âSince this Yang Kai cultivates the Dao of Space as well, heâs definitely going there to gain some insights from Senior Li Wu Yi.â
Qian Xiu Ying nodded, âYouâre right. It seems that he has nothing to do with Spirit Beast Island itself.â