Chapter 521: Chapter 521

"I still want to go back and discuss this matter with my father properly. You’re making this really hard for me."

"Aren’t you just forcing a good person to become a rogue?"

Looking at the current situation, though, running probably isn’t an option.

"Daoist friend, we need to deliberate carefully on this matter. We need a foolproof plan." Mie Sheng hoped to use logic to persuade the others, allowing him to leave first and think things through properly. Once he had everything planned, he promised he’d act decisively without hesitation.

Lin Fan smiled and said, "Is Daoist Mie Sheng doubting us? With our strength, who else could possibly be our match? The sooner we resolve this, the sooner it ends—avoiding troubles that might arise from delay."

Mie Sheng was a man known for his ruthlessness and decisive actions.

But in the end, he was still human.

And as long as someone is human, they will have self-awareness.

If there were an ordinary person standing beside him now, he’d cut them down without hesitation and say, "Know your place before you speak with me."

Unfortunately, Lin Fan’s presence left him helpless. Too strong—couldn’t fight him. And if they couldn’t communicate properly, with Lin Fan’s personality and capabilities, he’d undoubtedly kill him right here.

With such a promising future ahead... Why seek death here?

It simply wasn’t worth it.

"And my subordinates..."

Mie Sheng’s meaning was clear: his people were all here, and if he left now, it wouldn’t sit well. Although he understood their motivations and was willing to help, these matters required time to unfold.

"No worries. Later, tell them to leave; let them head back first. If you want them to stay, that’s fine too. But frankly, their skills are a bit lacking—they might not be of much help and could even become a burden," Lin Fan said, fully understanding Mie Sheng’s concerns.

What he feared most was letting Mie Sheng leave and essentially releasing a tiger back to the mountain, which would spawn endless troubles. If Mie Sheng went back on his word, the consequences could be quite interesting.

The problem had to be solved in a way that prevented Mie Sheng from leaving, even if he tried.

Once that was achieved, everything else would be easier.

When the four assassins saw the Young Master walking and laughing with the targets, they nearly rubbed their eyes, thinking they’d misunderstood the scene.

These are assassination targets.

Not people you’re supposed to befriend. How are we supposed to complete this mission?

They were just subordinates. Whatever the Young Master decided wasn’t theirs to question—obedience was the only proper course here.

Mie Sheng, feeling resigned, directly commanded the four assassins to leave. There was no need for them to meddle any further in these matters here.

The four killers dared not speak or ask questions.

They quietly departed.

Under Lin Fan’s questioning, Mie Sheng revealed the name of the person who had ordered the mission.

Upon hearing the name, Xiang Fei’s expression changed dramatically—his face turned sour, furious, incredulous, and despondent, carrying layers of conflicting emotions.

"Don’t lose hope," Lin Fan said, patting Xiang Fei’s shoulder to comfort him.

He didn’t know what else to say.

At moments , a little comfort was enough. Saying too much might cause unimaginable harm to Xiang Fei.

Even Qin Yang, not knowing the name revealed, observed Xiang Fei’s expression and mimicked Lin Fan, gently patting his shoulder, urging him not to overthink.

There are no obstacles in life that cannot be overcome.

They had arrived at the place where Xiang Fei once lived. It wasn’t desolate but felt unique, with an abundance of yellow sand. Before one could blink, the endless sandstorms loomed in the distance, swallowing up a nearby verdant plain.

In an instant, a desert formed.

The technique was astonishing.

The strange phenomena between heaven and earth were downright terrifying.

Qin Yang, holding back his curiosity for days, desperately wanted to know the connection between the person Mie Sheng mentioned and Xiang Fei.

Curiosity could drive someone mad.

And Qin Yang was perilously close to being consumed by it.

There was only one way—if direct questioning felt too abrupt, a subtler approach might yield better results.

"Brother Xiang," Qin Yang said, patting Xiang Fei’s shoulder seriously, "Let bygones be bygones. I’ve heard that sharing the stories within your heart can help ease the burden. Why not tell us? We’re your brothers—there’s nothing you can’t share."

Approaching the subject as a brotherly concern was undoubtedly appropriate.

Lin Fan perked up his ears, equally curious.

Even Mie Sheng showed interest; there were always tangled stories between those ordering assassinations and their targets.

Xiang Fei had been quiet, sinking into melancholy ever since he learned who had targeted him. His expression had shifted drastically—though he had once speculated who might want him dead, that guess had been calm and ordinary, without emotional turmoil.

Why was he so affected now?

The only explanation was that his earlier guess didn’t match the truth.

"She was my childhood sweetheart." Xiang Fei felt immense heartache as he reluctantly spoke.

Lin Fan and the others were astonished.

There was indeed a story here.

A tale of love turned to enmity?

Soon, they discovered they had guessed correctly.

Xiang Fei continued, "She and I grew up together, our bond strong. She would stand up for me whenever I was bullied. Gradually, I began to develop feelings of admiration toward her."

"You know what that feels like, right?"

Lin Fan nodded. "I get it."

Qin Yang said, "Me too."

Mie Sheng frowned. He didn’t understand—childhood sweetheart?

If that were the case, he’d killed hundreds of such relationships in his time.

Lin Fan and Qin Yang had no intention of interrupting Xiang Fei’s narrative. Though they didn’t yet know the rest, they sensed this was bound to be a heart-wrenchingly tragic and helpless tale.

"Actually, I’ve never told you—I have an older half-brother. He’s my brother by the same father but a different mother," Xiang Fei continued softly.

The story was unfolding.

Family drama, half-siblings, schemes, love and rivalry, power struggles?

Thinking of how Xiang Fei ended up in the Northern Desolation, it became clear—whether exiled or forced by immense pressure, he’d escaped to the Northern Desolation.

"But one day, that childhood sweetheart married my older brother. Do you know how much that affected me?"

"I once made a vow with her, agreeing she would become my wife and I would become a good husband."

"But it was all destroyed."

"Do you know how much pain I felt then?"

Lin Fan and Qin Yang nodded. "We get it. Like being pierced by a knife—then what?"

"And then? That night I made a scene at the wedding, only to be dragged out by my father." Xiang Fei put away his memories, his furious eyes still carrying a thread of tenderness—the mark of a deeply emotional man. Even when gravely hurt, his heart harboring a soft spot remains. If she came apologizing, he’d consider softening.

Lin Fan thought to himself.

Qin Yang, contemplating further, sensed something unusual and interjected, "Wait a second. If she was your childhood sweetheart, why would she hire the Tiangang Organization to kill you? That doesn’t make any sense."

"I..." Xiang Fei lowered his head, struggling to articulate.

Mie Sheng said, "I know why."

Lin Fan, Qin Yang, and Xiang Fei all stared at Mie Sheng in surprise. No one expected him to know such details—impressive.

Even Xiang Fei, still left puzzled, wondered how he could have known.

Mie Sheng explained, "The Tiangang Organization investigates thoroughly for every task—not to gauge the target’s strength, but because everyone has curiosity, wanting more secrets."

"As for your case, I read the file and remembered it clearly."

"Your childhood sweetheart didn’t marry your brother out of coercion. Early on, she treated you well because she saw your potential to become the Xiang Clan Leader. She wanted to be the Clan Leader’s Wife."

"Later, however, when she learned your brother had a higher likelihood of success, she threw herself at him, becoming his woman."

"But your brother was too dim-witted. Many in the clan opposed him and supported you. That’s why she approached the Tiangang Organization, initiating the assassination attempt on you."

"Her goal was to nip the threat in the bud."

"So, your deep affection was but a stepping stone for her to climb higher."

Mie Sheng shared all he knew without batting an eye at Xiang Fei’s pale complexion. To him, any true cultivator could accept harsh truths without showing emotion.

When it came to matters of mere romance, they were simply wastes of time and energy, unworthy pursuits.

"Wow, that’s brutally honest," Qin Yang noted, pointing at Mie Sheng. He hadn’t expected such directness, which must have hurt deeply.

Once so composed, so serious.

Now his face was ghostly pale—terrifyingly so—because of those words.

"That is indeed cruel," Lin Fan agreed wholeheartedly with Qin Yang’s observation.

Still, it couldn’t be helped.

He patted Xiang Fei’s shoulder. "Brother, it’s not your fault; it’s not that you’re unworthy. You simply encountered the wrong person. Rest assured, I’ll avenge you."

"I don’t believe it," Xiang Fei muttered under his breath.

Mie Sheng cast a disdainful glance at Xiang Fei. "Weakling."

Xiang Fei was a weakling. Situations meant little to him—and yet here was a man so shattered by the experience.

With a heart this unstable on the path to immortality, greatness would be tough to achieve.

Lin Fan pondered the situation. It seemed easy to handle now—if the target was just a woman, killing her would be quite simple.

That said. Thɪs chapter is updated by novel·fiɾe·net

He understood Xiang Fei’s pain—while he hadn’t felt it himself, he somehow grasped the extent of the hurt. It would take time to heal.

If Xiang Fei could move past this.

It wouldn’t even be a big deal.

The worry was whether Xiang Fei could let go.

"Let’s go! Let’s head to the Xiang Clan and assess the situation. If possible, I hope Daoist Mie Sheng can lure that woman out for us," Lin Fan concluded.