Chapter 58: The Hidden Deal

Upon seeing those four fellows, Yang Zhan also furrowed his brow. "It's about time to let them out to stand on their own two feet. We can't have them with nothing better to do than frequenting the Yuhong Brothel!"

With that, Yang Zhan stepped into the prison.

Currently, the three female prisoners were each kept in a separate cell.

Yang Zhan walked straight into Chen Liner's VIP cell.

Chen Liner, sitting cross-legged, opened her eyes, looking completely calm. "Are you going to let us go now?"

"Do you want me to let you go, or not?"

Chen Liner was silent for a moment. "If possible, I hope General Yang will send me back to the Fenglin Kingdom."

Yang Zhan raised an eyebrow. "That request of yours is quite excessive. If I go to the Fenglin Kingdom, those defeated generals would tear me apart limb from limb—how could I possibly return alive?"

Suddenly, a golden sheen appeared in Chen Liner's eyes.

She asked, "General, there is light in my eyes."

"Yes, looking at me, your light is very bright."

Chen Liner couldn't help feeling somewhat deflated. "Does the General truly not understand the meaning of my eyes?"

Yang Zhan laughed. "Holy Maiden, I've wronged you!"

Chen Liner breathed a sigh of relief. "So the General was merely teasing me."

Yang Zhan simply sat down in front of Chen Liner. "Does that mean you don't wish to travel with your Fenglin Kingdom's diplomatic delegation?"

"I cannot travel with them."

"Why are they trying to deal with you?"

Chen Liner remained silent, seemingly unwilling to say.

"If you won't speak, then so be it. Barring any accidents, there will be news within a day, and by then you will be free. However, our Great Xia can dispatch people to escort you to the border; as for the road beyond that, it will depend on your Divine Feng Sect."

Chen Liner frowned slightly. "If I produce a supreme divine manual, would the General be willing to accompany me for a leg of the journey?"

Yang Zhan furrowed his brow. "Why must you choose me?"

"Because none other than the General will do."

"How so?"

Chen Liner suddenly drew the pattern of a flame on the ground.

Yang Zhan frowned slightly, remaining silent as he stared at Chen Liner.

Chen Liner was completely unafraid; even while sensing a murderous intent, she remained peaceful and at ease.

She calmly said, "I possess golden pupils, capable of observing Qi."

"Qi?"

"Yes, the General carries the Qi of the Sacred Fire Hall upon his person."

How could Yang Zhan possibly believe this? Could this creature actually discern that the Qi on him was related to the Sacred Fire Hall?

Chen Liner then continued, "Although the General is a martial artist who cultivates martial vital energy—and the world believes that the techniques of all martial artists in the world are much the same—the technique the General cultivates is no ordinary martial arts manual!"

"Oh? Let's hear your thoughts!"

"The technique the General cultivates should be the Heavenly Manual of the Sacred Fire Hall!"

Yang Zhan stared at Chen Liner, and Chen Liner stared back at Yang Zhan.

Their gazes locked, as if nothing else existed in each other's eyes except the other person.

It made Yang Zhan suddenly feel a trace of nostalgia for romantic love.

Yang Zhan asked, "In this world, how many people possess a pair of eyes like yours?"

"Naturally born, likely only myself."

Having said that, Chen Liner suddenly spoke again, "However, if the General wishes to silence me, there is no need. I have kept silent for so long, and now I merely hope the General will lend me a helping hand!"

Yang Zhan frowned. "Why are you so certain? Also, how do you know about the Sacred Fire Hall? The Sacred Fire Hall has always been extremely secretive!"

Chen Liner spoke once more, "Does the General not know that the Sacred Fire Hall and the Divine Feng Sect originally shared the same origin? Furthermore, the Heavenly Manual you cultivate is merely the first half; the second half rests with the Divine Feng Sect. If the General helps me return to the Divine Feng Sect, the second half of the Heavenly Manual can be gifted to you."

Indeed, Yang Zhan had never anticipated that this young woman, without making a sound, had seen right through him.

Damn it!

He had let his guard down!

However, this woman's pair of golden pupils was truly indefensible!

"Why does the Fenglin Kingdom want to harm you?"

"Only a few individuals within it do."

"Then I will send you to the border and help you contact people from the Divine Feng Sect to receive you. The authority of the Divine Feng Sect surpasses the imperial power; as long as the people from the Divine Feng Sect meet you, you should be safe. Of course, the second half of the Heavenly Manual is mine as well!"

"Those people are precisely from the Divine Feng Sect!"

"..." Yang Zhan was somewhat speechless. "Then if you go back, you're dead for sure. You might as well just settle down here in Great Xia."

Chen Liner frowned and said, "I must go back."

Yang Zhan was silent for a moment, then asked, "What if I refuse?"

Chen Liner suddenly revealed a somewhat desolate smile. "Then that is simply my fate."

"You're not planning to threaten me?"

Chen Liner shook her head. "No. Threatening you is useless anyway. Even if your identity as a member of the Sacred Fire Hall were exposed, it would merely attract the prying eyes of some pugilistic sects and secluded aristocratic families, which holds no meaning for me."

"You really do know a great deal about my Sacred Fire Hall."

"A supreme marvelous technique of the Sacred Fire Hall, the Sacred Fire Art, is a divine manual that Qi cultivators flock to like ducks. Yet they only know you possess the first half, unaware that my Divine Feng Sect holds the second half!"

Hearing this, Yang Zhan felt thoroughly bewildered.

That unreliable master of his had never mentioned any connection between the Sacred Fire Hall and the Divine Feng Sect to him.

Consequently, upon hearing so much information now, Yang Zhan felt somewhat at a loss.

How is it that this Divine Feng Sect is always manipulating the future of the Sacred Fire Hall?

At the drop of a hat, the second half of their manual gets mastered by others.

The Heavenly Manual and the Sacred Fire Art were the two most powerful techniques of the Sacred Fire Hall. Even half a manual surpassed most cultivation techniques, whether in the martial path or Qi cultivation.

He was aware that the Heavenly Manual he cultivated was only half a manual, but this half of the Heavenly Manual was sufficient for him to display the strength of a Sacred Martial realm martial artist even at the First Rank.

The only drawback was that he could not break through because he lacked the second half.

Thus, Yang Zhan had been seeking other methods, namely the vital energy circulation diagram that Bilian had carved onto the wall.

That had indeed allowed him to find some opportunities to break through the shackles, and at times even made him feel that he could vaguely deduce the circulation route of the second half of the Heavenly Manual.

Of course, it was merely a feeling; whether it would actually work was still far off.

If he could obtain the second half, it would save him a great deal of detours.

However, heading to the Fenglin Kingdom carried truly considerable risks.

Moreover, this woman's words could not be easily trusted.

While he was deep in thought, Chen Liner also sat quietly to one side, watching Yang Zhan.

At that moment, Chen Liner suddenly asked, "What is your rank within the Sacred Fire Hall?"

"A minor character."

"Impossible. How could a minor character possibly be qualified to cultivate the Heavenly Manual?"

"A flawed, half-version—what is there to be rare about?"

"Whether it is formidable or not, only you yourself know."

Yang Zhan said no more and walked out of Chen Liner's cell.

He vaguely felt that things behind the scenes were not simple.

Someone within the Divine Feng Sect wanted to harm the Holy Maiden, yet engineered matters so that Great Xia captured her instead.

The intention was likely to ensure the Holy Maiden could never return to the Divine Feng Sect.

The crucial point was that this knife used against her turned out to be the old Emperor, which made the situation worth pondering.

Could it be that this old Emperor and those individuals from the Divine Feng Sect had some kind of transaction?

Yet, what could the Divine Feng Sect possibly have that the old Emperor valued?

If a transaction had been reached, the old Emperor's butcher knife should have descended long ago to directly execute this Holy Maiden.

In other words, the transaction was likely not yet completed.

Therefore, the Emperor was still waiting!

What was he waiting for?

The members of the Fenglin Kingdom's diplomatic delegation?

Suddenly, Yang Zhan walked out and commanded, "Old Six, take your squad and guard the celestial prison well. If anything happens to these three lasses, I'll hold you responsible!"

"Yes, Second Brother!"