Chapter 159: Take It
Yao Yan looked at Han Feng's current expression and couldn't help but feel a strange sense of familiarity. Back when he faced Hun Xu Zi, hadn't he been the same way? In front of someone far stronger, knowing when to lower your head wasn't shameful—it actually made Yao Yan view Han Feng in a slightly better light.
The only thing Yao Yan truly despised about Han Feng was his utter lack of principle. He had even dared to harm Yao Lao, the man who had treated him like a son.
That alone meant Han Feng could no longer be called human—beast was a more fitting word.
One could be selfish, one could endure humiliation, even abandon pride—but there were some lines that should never be crossed.
Yao Yan narrowed his eyes, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth. His tone was flat as he said, "Very well. I'll wait for your good news. But don't keep me waiting too long. I'm not young anymore, and my patience is wearing thin. If you make me wait too long, don't blame me for not giving you another chance."
"I won't disappoint you, senior. Within one month, I will give you a clear answer," Han Feng replied respectfully. What he truly thought—only he knew.
"Good. Then I'll give you one month. If you do well, I might even give you a little something… You've been stuck at tier-six for a while, haven't you? I happen to have a Spirit Crystal. It might help you break into tier-seven~"
Yao Yan's expression didn't shift in the slightest as he lied without hesitation, completely toying with Han Feng.
"Spirit Crystal?!"
Han Feng's pupils shrank. He looked at Yao Yan in barely contained excitement. "Senior, rest assured. I'll handle this flawlessly!"
"Mn~"
Yao Yan nodded and slowly stood up, as if preparing to leave.
Seeing this, Han Feng quickly tried to keep him. "Senior, do you have a place to stay? If not, why not remain here in Maple City for the time being? It'll be easier for me to report back on Canaan Academy."
"Well, since you insist, I suppose I'll reluctantly accept~"
Yao Yan's foot stopped mid-step and returned to its original place. Sitting down again with a flourish, he made himself completely at home—clearly assuming the role of Han Feng's ancestor. And Han Feng, unable to protest, could only endure with a bitter smile.
Head bowed, Han Feng masked the flicker of malice in his eyes. "Does senior have any preferences for living arrangements?"
"Just somewhere quiet. Oh, and while you're at it, show me your personal collection. After all these years of calling yourself the Alchemy Emperor in the Black-Corner Region, you must have gathered quite a few precious herbs. I'm interested in seeing them."
Yao Yan finally revealed his fox tail—blatantly beginning to loot Han Feng like a bandit.
Shameless?
Not at all—he called it accepting filial offerings.
"…Of course, no problem."
Han Feng's clenched fists trembled slightly within his sleeves from the sheer emotional strain, but he held back. When facing someone vastly stronger, even the most unreasonable demands had to be accepted. Herbs? Whatever. If Yao Yan asked for his wife, he'd probably have to offer her up and guard the door.
But what really made Han Feng's face twitch… was when Yao Yan laid eyes on his cauldron—the Myriad Beast Cauldron, an artifact he had worked tirelessly to obtain. He instantly regretted not putting it away.
He had underestimated Yao Yan. He never expected the man to be this terrifying. A mysterious old monster—very likely a tier-eight alchemist—who'd come all the way to the Black-Corner Region just to mess with him because of a grudge with Yao Lao.
What rotten luck.
"You actually managed to get the Myriad Beast Cauldron… and with the Sea Heart Flame in your body, your luck is impressive!" Yao Yan examined the cauldron and couldn't help but marvel.
Truly a walking treasure chest, he thought. Han Feng's loot was even better than Xie Bi Yan's. Both the cauldron and the flame were highly coveted by alchemists—even in Central Plains, even among the Yao Clan, these would tempt a tier-eight alchemist.
"Just lucky, senior. If you like it, why not let me gift it to you? I'm not able to fully utilize it anyway." Han Feng forced a generous smile, hiding his bitterness.
"Then I won't be polite." Yao Yan snatched it with his storage ring, showing no intention of asking twice.
Shameless bastard.
Han Feng felt his breath catch. His teeth nearly cracked from clenching. But all he could do was keep smiling. "Only in your hands can the Myriad Beast Cauldron truly shine. In mine, it would only go to waste."
"Smart kid. I like you." Yao Yan laughed and returned the favor by handing over the old cauldron he had used back in the Jia Ma Empire.
Han Feng had a glimmer of hope—until he saw the cauldron.
He instantly realized he'd been played.
This old monster clearly didn't mean him well. The so-called Spirit Crystal was probably a lie too. But Han Feng couldn't lash out. All he could do was continue playing along while secretly plotting. He swore he would find a way to bury this man in the Black-Corner Region.
The Soul Hall loved powerful soul cultivators, especially alchemists with Spirit Realm soul force—like this one. They were prime prey.
He was sure those two Soul Envoys would be very interested.
Like the man said—an alchemist always has people to call.
He would give Yao Yan the surprise of his life.
But for now, he could only endure and obediently host this "enemy guest," watching helplessly as Yao Yan ransacked the treasured items he'd spent years collecting. Every second felt like his heart was being sliced open.
This continued until sunset, when Yao Yan finally, reluctantly, left the treasury. His eyes then fell on the ring on Han Feng's hand, and he smiled. "Almost forgot. Toss me that storage ring. I want to see if the Medicine Sovereign left you anything good."
Han Feng nearly broke.
He could accept losing the cauldron. He could tolerate losing the herbs. But that ring… it contained many things tied to his very survival. There was no way he could hand it over lightly.
"What, you don't want to?" Yao Yan frowned, his tone turning cold.
As he spoke, the Gold and Silver Elders both turned their eyes on Han Feng. If Yao Yan gave the word, they would crush him in an instant.
"Looks like your teacher never taught you how to handle this kind of situation. The weak don't get to speak. If you won't hand it over, I'll kill you and take it—and the Sea Heart Flame—by force."
Yao Yan's voice was icy, full of dominance.
"…Senior, please don't push too far. The Sea Heart Flame has long since fused with me. If I'm forced, I'll detonate it. You won't get anything."
Han Feng straightened a little, finally pushing back.
"Then try. See if you can ignite it before I tear it from your soul," Yao Yan replied calmly, eyes cold and steady.
He didn't believe Han Feng dared die like that. Self-destruction by heavenly flame meant true annihilation—no reincarnation. Very few had the guts.
"…I wouldn't dare. But there truly isn't anything in the ring left by that old man. If he had, I wouldn't have ended up here." Han Feng eventually softened, not daring to gamble with his life.
"I didn't ask for your sob story. Give it to me or not?" Yao Yan's soul pressure surged again, blanketing Han Feng in suffocating weight.
"…Here!" Han Feng's heart bled as he forced himself to hand over the ring.
Yao Yan caught it with his soul force and immediately wiped the imprint off, making Han Feng go pale. Yao Yan chuckled, "Impressive collection. No wonder they call you the Alchemy Emperor. This ring alone is worth quite a lot."
The ring—an Ocean Abyss Ring—was one of the higher-tier storage rings mentioned in the original. Even Dou Zongs didn't always have one.
Along with the Sea Heart Flame and the Myriad Beast Cauldron, Han Feng was indeed richer than many tier-seven alchemists.
Clearly, the Black-Corner Region was fertile ground for raising fat sheep like him.
Now, everything belonged to Yao Yan. And he didn't feel the least bit guilty—he was robbing a wealthy villain.
"…You flatter me, senior," Han Feng said through clenched teeth.
"Relax, I'm not interested in high-tier rings. I'll return it after I check it out," Yao Yan lied casually, slipping it away without hesitation. He turned and left with the Gold and Silver Elders.
Han Feng followed them to their quarters and settled them in. Afterward, he returned to the main hall, face gloomy.
There, he was met by one of the Dou Huangs from earlier—Kuang Zhan.
As his name implied, Kuang Zhan had a rough, wild look, with a chest full of hair and a bare upper body.
"Is it done?" Han Feng asked coldly, his tone filled with suppressed rage.
Kuang Zhan nodded but frowned. "All witnesses have been dealt with. But what about Wang Jun? Can his arm be reattached?"
"It's just an arm. He'll live." Han Feng growled. He had no time to care about that now. His mood was in shambles. Several times he had wanted to lash out at Yao Yan, but he held back. Now was not the time. He would wait until the Soul Hall arrived.
That thought lifted his mood slightly. He looked at Kuang Zhan. "You're in charge of that old freak for the next few days. If he needs anything, provide it. I'll be gone three to ten days."
"Who is he, anyway?" Kuang Zhan finally asked, curiosity winning out.
"Who?" Han Feng's eyes darkened. He wasn't sure either. When he'd followed that old man, he never remembered his teacher making enemies this terrifying. But one thing was certain: the greater the Medicine Sovereign's fame, the more resentment it drew from other tier-eight alchemists.
Take Mu Gu for example—he was said to be Yao Chen's fellow disciple and had always despised him.
"Not your concern. Just keep him content," Han Feng snapped. Then he turned and left, intending to visit the two Soul Envoys that very night. He had fed them well recently—it was time they did something for him.
He might even pull in some Dou Zong experts. Han Feng was sure: a tier-eight alchemist's collection was enough to tempt any Dou Zong.
…
In the rear courtyard.
Yao Yan looked toward the distant stream of light and smiled faintly. So, he's gone to get help.
That was exactly what Yao Yan wanted—to push Han Feng to the edge. And Han Feng was cooperating beautifully. For him, the Soul Hall was the ideal partner.
Anyone unaware of the situation might fall for Han Feng's tricks. But not Yao Yan.
To him, the Soul Hall was practically home. He even looked forward to them showing up—saved him the trouble of going to them.
"…Almost time. Once this is over, I should pay a visit to the Hun Clan."
He looked up at the clear night sky, sighing as memories of the past few years surfaced.
He knew that once he returned, it might be many years before he'd see this place again.
By then… perhaps everything would have changed.
(END CHAPTER)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Kira1997