He himself was also in the Gang Qi Realm, so even without his guards, he wasn’t afraid of any tricks Zou Feng could pull alone.
However, the fact that he drew close to express his approval showed that Yuwen Shuo already had some trust in Zou Feng.
Zou Feng seized the opportunity. "Actually, I have long wanted to serve the Court, but I lacked the connections. It is truly a blessing to now have Young Master Yuwen to guide the way!"
Yuwen Shuo sized Zou Feng up again and chuckled. "I thought all you gang members were a bit dim-witted. I didn’t expect to find one who knows what’s good for him."
"Just focus on working for me. Once you’re in the Cheetah Camp, you’ll immediately be made a Captain."
"Achieve something, and I will personally reward you with a proper High Grade Skill!"
"It’s countless times better than those crappy Evil Skills you practice!"
This so-called proper High Grade Skill was likely the kind of Cultivation Skill that only high-ranking Court officials like the Governor of Jiangnan could access.
In fact, there were some Cultivation Skills that not just anyone could practice, even if the manual was right in front of them.
For example, some Cultivation Skills were restricted to the Royal Family. The requirement was absolute—only those of royal blood could practice them.
If someone without the proper bloodline tried, it would either have no effect or they would kill themselves in the process.
In short, many such requirements existed. What Yuwen Shuo promised was likely a Skill of this nature.
Upon hearing this, Zou Feng appeared "overjoyed." He immediately bowed again and said, "Thank you, Young Master Yuwen! I will follow your every command and lay down my life in your service!"
Yuwen Shuo was now increasingly satisfied with Zou Feng. He waved his hand magnanimously. "Someone, bring wine!"
A moment later, a sword-bearing guard emerged from the room.
The guard was quite old, with a remarkably unremarkable face—the kind you would instantly lose in a crowd.
There were no fluctuations of Inner Qi around him. At first glance, he seemed like an ordinary Martial Artist who hadn’t even reached Entering Grade.
But with just a couple of glances, Zou Feng confirmed it: this was the Gang Qi Realm expert who was always by Yuwen Shuo’s side.
’So, the question is, what kind of wine is Yuwen Shuo giving me that requires a Gang Qi Realm master to serve it personally?’
"This is Cloud Peak Immortal Brew. It fortifies the spirit, replenishes qi, and nourishes the meridians. For those like you who have practiced Evil Skills and accumulated hidden injuries, the benefits are immense!"
Despite his words, Zou Feng cursed inwardly as he looked at the cup.
’It’d be a miracle if he didn’t spike this with something.’
’That dumbass Yuwen Shuo... trying to buy loyalty, yet he still resorts to such low-handed tactics...’
"Go on, drink. You’ll know the specific benefits once it’s down," Yuwen Shuo urged.
"Thank you, Young Master Yuwen!"
Without much hesitation, Zou Feng raised the cup and downed it in one gulp.
’I don’t really care what he put in it. I’m not afraid.’
’If it’s poison, it’ll just be nourishment for me.’
’And if it’s something else I can’t handle, I’ll just have my top patron take the hit for me.’
After he drank it, he did indeed feel a quick rush of clarity, and a pleasant warmth spread through his body.
For the moment, he couldn’t feel any poison.
Seeing Zou Feng drink the wine, Yuwen Shuo’s smile grew wider.
"Good. Arrange tomorrow’s hunt as soon as you can!"
"Stick with me, and you’ll be well-rewarded. But remember this: if you dare to be disloyal, I guarantee I will make you wish you were dead..." By the end of his sentence, Yuwen Shuo’s smile had twisted into a sinister grin.
"Yes!"
Zou Feng bowed again, then retreated with a display of ’fear and trepidation.’
’Whether I’ll be wishing I was dead is hard to say. But you, Yuwen Shuo... you only have a few days left to live.’
Leaving the Government Office, Zou Feng started back, silently sensing the changes within his body.
But he found nothing. It was as if the wine had only brought benefits.
But remembering Yuwen Shuo’s expression, Zou Feng refused to believe the wine hadn’t been tampered with.
’So, is it because of my poison constitution? Do some poisons get absorbed the moment they enter my stomach, no different from a tonic?’
’Or is this poison just too advanced for even me to detect?’
The Martial Dao of this world became quite profound once cultivated to a certain level.
Take the Blood Hand Seal he could now create with his Great Universal Hand, for instance. As long as he didn’t activate it, it was just a crimson handprint on his target’s body that caused no immediate, substantial harm.
But once activated, it could make his target wish for death.
Therefore, it was highly likely that some extremely advanced poisons did nothing until activated... but once they were...
As the son of the Governor of Jiangnan, it wouldn’t be surprising at all for Yuwen Shuo to possess such a thing.
’But it’s still not a huge problem. If I can’t handle it, I’ll just start cultivating. Even if the sky falls, my top patron is there to hold it up.’
Before returning to the Dragon Gate Boat, Zou Feng used the prearranged method he had with Lu Sen to immediately pass a message to the Ten Directions Sect.
Yuwen Shuo would be accompanying the Rebel Army to Qifeng Mountain to hunt Demon Beasts. This was, by any measure, a perfect opportunity for an assassination.
When the time came, he and the other experts within the Rebel Army would all deliberately hold back during the attempt.
Therefore, the only people the Ten Directions Sect really had to deal with were Yuwen Shuo, his guard, and the experts from the Yuan Guang County Government Office.
He trusted that Fang Jingchuan and Lu Sen would not let this golden opportunity slip by.
Of course, they had to be prepared for the unexpected.
But Zou Feng was confident that, with his current strength, he could handle most unforeseen circumstances.
After sending the message, Zou Feng figured he had to meet with Tian Yun anyway, so instead of returning to the Dragon Gate Boat, he turned and headed for the Heart Meeting Martial Arts Hall.
He couldn’t always have Tian Yun sneaking into his room after dark. It was his turn to pay her a visit.
The Heart Meeting Martial Arts Hall. To the Zou Feng of the past, back when he was still in the Yang Mansion, this place had been completely out of reach.
’But now... he could waltz in as if it were his own backyard.’
Though called a martial arts hall, its grounds were astonishingly vast. The main training field alone could accommodate a thousand people training at once.
The Heart Meeting Martial Arts Hall had strict requirements for accepting official disciples, so it currently had only a little over a hundred of them.
However, it had many more nominal disciples. Plenty of people with no Talent for the Martial Dao, who simply wanted to improve their health, would pay to become nominal disciples of the Heart Meeting Martial Arts Hall.
"General Leader! Why didn’t you give us any notice you were coming?"
Upon learning of Zou Feng’s arrival, Tian Yun had immediately come to the main gate to greet him personally.
"I just saw Young Master Yuwen. Something came up, so I had to come inform Master Tian."
"Please, come in!"
As if to show they weren’t strangers, Tian Yun led Zou Feng directly to her study instead of the formal reception hall.
"You have quite the refined taste, Master Tian."
The study was filled with calligraphy and paintings, all clearly of Tian Yun’s own creation.
Tian Yun had already dismissed the servants. The moment she entered the room, she concentrated, confirming there was no one else around.
But when she saw Zou Feng simply admiring the art after he entered, she grew anxious. "What is it? Just tell me already!"
"Nothing’s wrong. Everything is going smoothly. It’s just that the first assignment for our Rebel Army is to accompany Young Master Yuwen on a hunt in Qifeng Mountain," Zou Feng said slowly, his eyes still fixed on the artwork.
He wasn’t just being idle. As he looked at the art, it was as if he could discern the principles of the Cultivation Skill Tian Yun practiced.
’It looks like she’s practicing calligraphy, but she’s actually practicing her Skill!’
It was as he’d thought before: once a Cultivation Skill reached a certain level, it started to become profound.
"Hunting in Qifeng Mountain!?" Tian Yun exclaimed, pleasantly surprised. "That scoundrel is finally willing to leave his nest?"
Zou Feng nodded. "That’s right. For some reason, Yuwen Shuo is desperate to find a Celestial Eye Cloud Pattern Deer. He heard one once appeared on Qifeng Mountain, and now he’s impatient to go search for it."
"But won’t he be afraid of the Ten Directions Sect trying to assassinate him once he’s in Qifeng Mountain?"
"I think he’s hoping the Ten Directions Sect shows up. After all, wiping out their remnants was one of his original reasons for forming the Rebel Army."
Tian Yun frowned. "So, we can’t completely count on the Ten Directions Sect to get the job done. We’ll probably have to take matters into our own hands..."
"Master Tian, don’t worry. Yuwen Shuo’s time is almost up."
"But you must also be prepared, Master Tian. Even if Yuwen Shuo dies suddenly, our Rebel Army can’t be disbanded right away. The Government Office is still watching, after all."
"To avoid suspicion, we’ll have to keep up appearances and accomplish a few things..."
Hearing this, Tian Yun gave Zou Feng a thoughtful look. After a long moment, she said, "I’ll follow your lead."