She withdrew the smile from her face and looked at Chen Fan, saying, "It seems you are the friend Xiao Wang mentioned?"
Jun Ruowang glanced at Chen Fan, not blaming him for speaking out of turn, but nodded and said, "Yes, Aunt Qing, he is my friend."
"Have you already obtained five Dragon Pattern Compasses?" Aunt Qing asked again.
Chen Fan nodded and said, "Yes."
Upon hearing this, Aunt Qing let out a cold laugh and said, "Truly remarkable. Five Dragon Pattern Compasses, plus this one of mine makes six. How many are there in total to complete the set?"
Chen Fan noticed that Aunt Qing's expression seemed a bit off and he didn't know what he had said wrong, but he still replied, "There are nine in total."
"Indeed, very remarkable," Aunt Qing said plainly. "But I'm very sorry, I'm not interested in the others. This one I possess is enough for me. It is something very important to me, the others are not so crucial."
Chen Fan was stunned.
Then, he realized he might have made a mistake.
When he first saw Aunt Qing, he could feel a faint, familiar aura coming from a Dragon Pattern Compass.
It was the same feeling he had when he saw the one produced by the Master of the Fish Dragon Society.
The difference was that this Aunt Qing did not carry the Dragon Pattern Compass on her person.
Instead, like him, she had absorbed and extracted the mysterious power from that Dragon Pattern Compass through some means.
In other words, this Aunt Qing was, in essence, the same as him.
Therefore, he had directly offered the other five Dragon Pattern Compasses as bait, hoping to exchange them for the one in Aunt Qing's possession.
However, he hadn't expected his plan to backfire, instead provoking Aunt Qing's displeasure.
His mistake lay in misjudging Aunt Qing's intentions; she truly had no desire for the other Dragon Pattern Compasses.
"Aunt Qing, why is this so?" Jun Ruowang, who knew Aunt Qing far better than Chen Fan, saw the situation turning sour and quickly pleaded, "You holding a single Dragon Pattern Compass has limited use. Why not fulfill the Heavenly Pride's wish?"
"Don't you like orchids? I've already arranged for ten pots to be sent over, including your favorites 'Azure Sparrow' and 'Phoenix'," he continued. "If you're still not satisfied, I'll have them search for more."
"Alright, Xiao Wang, you can leave now!" Aunt Qing's expression changed, and she issued a dismissal. "I am happy to see you, Xiao Wang, but if you have other intentions, do not disturb me."
Jun Ruowang's expression turned bitter.
He said helplessly, "Aunt Qing, if it weren't of great importance, why would I covet your belongings? I truly have no other choice."
"Enough, Xiao Wang. If you persist, I will get angry," Aunt Qing huffed. Her voice still sounded gentle, but her resolve was unmistakable.
She gave Chen Fan a meaningful look, signaling to proceed cautiously. Jun Ruowang took Chen Fan's sleeve and began to lead him away.
Chen Fan was at a loss, but said, "Aunt Qing, I apologize for my impudence. You can name any condition, but I must have that Dragon Pattern Compass. If you do not agree, I will disturb you every day and will likely refuse to leave!"
"As you wish," Aunt Qing replied, then turned and entered her home, closing the door.
Jun Ruowang's expression changed slightly. He looked at Chen Fan reproachfully and said, "Heavenly Pride, have you forgotten what I told you?"
"My memory isn't that bad, but there's no other way."
Chen Fan suddenly raised his voice and said, "If I don't get this Dragon Pattern Compass, being targeted by the Martial Dao Sect is one thing, but the foundation of our nation will be shaken, and the nation's fate jeopardized. That would be a grave sin!"
Jun Ruowang's expression shifted again. "Let's go, we'll leave here first!"
Just then, the closed door suddenly opened again.
Aunt Qing stepped out and looked at Chen Fan with clear displeasure. "Xiao Wang, take him to the backyard!"
Jun Ruowang was taken aback. "Aunt Qing, what do you mean?"
"Go on," Aunt Qing said with evident dissatisfaction.
Jun Ruowang became somewhat excited. "Follow me this way."
Chen Fan, however, was not surprised at all. Without waiting for Jun Ruowang to lead the way, he walked forward with his hands behind his back, passing through the moon-shaped archway next to the small Western-style building towards the backyard.
The backyard was more spacious than it appeared from the front. Behind it stood a rustic, ancient-looking building resembling an Eight Trigrams tower. It was not tall, only five stories high, exuding an air of antiquity.
The main door on the first floor was wide open. As Chen Fan and Jun Ruowang approached, a figure emerged silently.
Seeing this person, Chen Fan's pupils contracted.
Jun Ruowang took a deep breath, stepped forward, bowed slightly, and respectfully called out, "Grandpa Jing!"
The man merely nodded slightly, his gaze falling upon Chen Fan, scrutinizing him.
Chen Fan dared not be presumptuous and bowed slightly, saying, "Greetings, Martial Sage Jing!"
"Do not address me as such," the man said after examining Chen Fan. "In this current age, how can anyone be called a sage? Furthermore, I am merely a martial man, and my contribution to the country and its people is less than that of you, the undefeated War God of the army!"
These were ordinary words, but spoken with sincerity and without a hint of flattery.
Yet, hearing them, Chen Fan felt his chest surge, as if his life's endeavors had finally found an understanding soul.
The identity of the man before him, and the weight of his words, were immense. The fact that he, of all people, uttered the words "Undefeated War God" made Chen Fan particularly emotional.
"I dare not!" Chen Fan replied. "To receive a word from a Martial Sage is worth ten years of my military service!"
"There's no need for formality." The man gestured towards a seat on the right-side corridor. "Since you are here, sit down and have some tea. By the way, how is your grandfather's health?"
"He is in good health," Chen Fan said with a smile. "Speaking of which, he also gave me a token, saying that if I encountered trouble, I could ask you for help once."
"Your grandfather underestimates your value," Martial Sage Jing said. "Invincible Commander, Soul of the Nation's Defense. If you were to die, it would be an unbearable loss for Great Xia. Even without your grandfather's token, if I knew, I would have intervened."
"However, I no longer involve myself in worldly affairs. If you were in a life-or-death crisis, I might not know in time."
Chen Fan sat down and said, "I dare not trouble a senior Martial Sage. It is not out of boastfulness, but in this world today, there are not many who can take my life."
"That is true. Peak Hua Jin, with divine essence concealed within, an invincible fighting spirit forged in the army; even a Grandmaster of Martial Arts might not be able to suppress you. Indeed, there are few people in the world today who can threaten your life."
Martial Sage Jing continued, "However, you should still not be careless. This world is far larger than we know, containing many hidden existences, and even unimaginable figures lurking. Having grown up in the military, you may not be fully aware of this!"
Chen Fan was taken aback.
If anyone else had said this, he would have assumed they were referring to the martial arts world.
But coming from this Zhen Guo Wu Sheng (Guardian Martial Sage), it seemed to hint at something else?
Before Chen Fan could ask further, Martial Sage Jing said, "I already know your purpose. You have obtained as many as five Dragon Pattern Compasses?"
"Yes," Chen Fan nodded, feeling a bit nervous.
If the person before him refused to give him that Dragon Pattern Compass shard, then he truly had no other recourse.
Identity, power, and martial prowess; this man stood at the pinnacle of all.
Chen Fan, unless he mobilized a large army for a siege, had no other way.
"Do you know of the 'San Ren'?" Martial Sage Jing did not continue on this topic but instead asked another question.
Hearing this name spoken by him, Chen Fan's heart gave a slight tremor.
Martial Sage Jing mentioning San Ren would not be without reason.
"I have heard of them. It is said they are in the overseas lands across the great ocean!" Chen Fan replied.
"Their ambition has not died; the compasses are bait," Martial Sage Jing said slowly.