"Zefang, I never expected you to be so amazing!" Xiao Man playfully punched Zefang's chest. "You've suddenly grown taller than me. It feels so strange, like a child I raised who suddenly grew up overnight!"
"I'm not a child you raised!" Zefang's face darkened. When did he become her child? He hadn't forgotten Xiao Man's words about the child she raised killing her parents; he was nothing like that heartless individual.
"Yes, yes, yes, you're definitely not my child." Xiao Man's eyes twinkled. "Given how fast your cultivation has progressed, tell me what you want to eat, and I'll make it for you as a reward."
"I want to eat what you like to eat," Zefang said softly after a moment of silence. "What do you like to eat?"
"I like many things. I'll cook a few specialties for you to try." Xiao Man walked towards the kitchen. She knew Zefang was leaving, though she had anticipated it, she hadn't expected it to be so soon. Fine, she would prepare a lavish farewell feast for him before he departed.
Zefang followed Xiao Man around. While she cooked, he washed the rice; while she chopped vegetables, he washed them. This parting meant an unknown reunion. Though they had known each other for a short time, he felt a sense of reluctance, neglecting his original purpose for coming to Wuji City.
Xiao Man prepared a table full of exquisite dishes. They looked ordinary, yet they were delicacies Zefang had never tasted before. Or rather, he hadn't truly savored a meal in a long time before meeting Xiao Man.
"Xiao Qin, your cooking is truly delicious," Zefang said as he ate.
"Of course, who do you think cooked it?" Xiao Man proudly said, serving Zefang more food. "Perhaps your rapid growth is all thanks to me."
Zefang smiled and replied, "Yes, it's all your credit. You are truly a great contributor."
Xiao Man took out a bottle of wine from her Qiankun bag. "Want to try some?"
"Sure." Zefang accepted the wine poured by Xiao Man and drank it in one gulp. The items in Xiao Man's hands, though seemingly ordinary, were all extraordinary. Even this wine was something he had never tasted before. "Excellent wine. Do you have more? Give me some, so I can drink it when I crave it."
"Sure." Xiao Man unhesitatingly took out all the wine from her storage bag. "I've been too busy lately to brew more, so this is all I have."
Zefang immediately accepted it and then took out an item from his spatial ring, placing it in Xiao Man's hand. "This is the Golden Scale Armor. It can withstand attacks from peak Nascent Soul cultivators. Wear it close to your body and don't take it off."
"This is a treasure that money can't buy!" Xiao Man took it. It looked plain on the surface, but she could feel the immense power within. "This is too precious; I can't accept it..."
"To me, your friendship is more important than this armor." Zefang looked up at Xiao Man. "The Golden Scale Armor would be useless with me. Giving it to you is making the best use of it."
Xiao Man was silent for a moment, then took out a set of her recently prepared medicines and gave them to Zefang. "Take these medicines with you. Keep them in case of unforeseen circumstances."
"Alright." Zefang accepted them without any hesitation, collecting them all.
"Xiao Qin, you entered from the Land of No Return, didn't you?"
"Yes." Xiao Man nodded in agreement. She had indeed come from the Land of No Return; it was a fact.
"Do you know the legends of the Land of No Return?" Zefang asked indirectly. He had to dissuade Xiao Man from tampering with the array in the Land of No Return, as it would surely lead to her death.
Xiao Man's ears perked up at the mention of the Land of No Return legends. Could it be related to what was beneath the array in Yangming Valley? Could it be treasure?
"I don't know."
"Legend has it that the Land of No Return suppresses the last king of the demon race, Yu Ju."
Xiao Man's eyes were full of confusion. The demon race? What was that? Were they equivalent to rebels, defined as traitors in their world, and called demons here?
"Does the Cangxuan Continent have a demon race?"
"It used to. Now, there's probably only the one suppressed in the Land of No Return," Zefang said slowly. "It is said that in the past, four great powerful beings sacrificed themselves, becoming the core of the array to suppress this Demon King. Even with the suppression, the once fertile land became barren. To prevent further damage, the area was sealed with a barrier, and it became a place of exile. Anyone who committed a crime was banished to the Land of No Return."
"You know the characteristics of the Land of No Return, right?"
"No cultivation, and no spiritual energy."
"Yes, in the Land of No Return, there is no spiritual energy, and cultivation is impossible. Even the plants, trees, and even the air are poisonous. Even a cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage would have their strength greatly reduced. The longer one stays, the more harm it causes to the body, and their cultivation will gradually decline until they become an ordinary person."
"Then aren't the guards of the City Lord's Mansion, who protect the Land of No Return, suffering greatly?" Xiao Man asked in surprise.
"The ones who originally guarded Wuji City were not the Yan family, but the Qin family, a once prominent clan, the Qin family." Zefang's voice was very soft, as if it were drifting from afar, making it difficult to hear clearly. However, Xiao Man's heart was pounding. "The Qin family are the only ones unaffected by the toxic miasma of the Land of No Return. On the contrary, the toxic miasma is beneficial for their cultivation."
"Then why did the Yan family take over later?"
"I'm not entirely sure about the specifics. It was likely shortly after the Qin family's elder ancestor, Qin Aotian, ascended, that the Qin family vanished overnight. Everyone said they went into seclusion. I personally believe they were slaughtered."
Xiao Man lowered her gaze, listening quietly as Zefang continued. "The direct descendants of the Qin family possessed a bloodline inheritance, the Myriad Poison Golden Body, making them the nemesis of all poisons. They were immune to toxins, and their cultivation speed was several times that of ordinary people. Their blood was an excellent ingredient for alchemy. The Qin family originally had a cultivator at the Soul Transformation stage guarding them, so those who coveted their bloodline inheritance could only stare. After the Qin family lost its protection, those who coveted their bloodline inheritance swarmed them. It's not impossible that they were completely devoured by others. Of course, it's also possible that the Qin family foresaw the danger and went into hiding as a whole clan."
"Were the Yan family sent by other noble families?"
"No, the Yan family were chosen as gatekeepers by the Four Sects." Zefang looked at Xiao Man. "However, after a thousand years, the Yan family has declined. They need to seek new protection."
Zefang was reminding Xiao Man that the Yan family was usable, while also conveying that while they could be used, they couldn't be fully trusted. After all, the people of the City Lord's Mansion, in a sense, obeyed the orders of the sects. Once the sects issued an order, the Yan family had to comply unconditionally. Therefore, if Xiao Man wanted to use the Yan family, she had to be extremely cautious.
"I understand."