Wayfarer

Chapter 295: Xiao Nanfeng, Real and Fake

A group of figures stood atop a mountain beyond the peach orchard.

In the lead was Nalan Yunhai, with a woman in purple beside him. The woman was svelte and stunningly beautiful.

"What do you think of my plan to take advantage of the Xiang clan, Qiangwei?" Nalan Yunhai smiled proudly at the woman.

The woman's eyes glimmered with disdain, but she hid it well. She praised him effusively. "Your Highness, you've clearly considered things through. Xiao Nanfeng isn't a simple foe. Why not take advantage of others to get rid of him? We have men among Xiang Tanlang's forces, after all. This would be the perfect time to take advantage of them."

"You really do know me well. Don't be Mother's servant any longer. I'll petition her to claim you as a concubine." Nalan Yunhai smiled at the woman as one of his hands reached out for her slender waist.

The woman pressed his hand against her body and infused a measure of charm into her voice. "Your Highness, if you grant me the position of concubine, I will be yours to command—but not just yet."

Nalan Yunhai's heart thumped. He found the woman more and more pleasing to him. He caressed her hand and replied confidently, "You won't have to wait for long. I'll make sure to claim you from Mother."

"I'll wait for you, then!" The woman smiled gently.

She was teasing Nalan Yunhai to make him more and more besotted with her; he clearly couldn't sense the faint disdain in her eyes.

"Father and the others should have allowed me to the hidden realm earlier. Look at how behind I am! I even need you to protect me this time around. It's truly..." Nalan Yunhai shook his head in displeasure.

"Don't worry about it, Your Highness. Otherwise, how could I have been able to reunite with you?" the woman asked gently.

"That's true. I wouldn't have discovered how beautiful you've grown. Qiangwei, how did you become an Immortal?" Nalan Yunhai asked curiously.

"Her Majesty awarded me with a peach, which allowed me to advance into an Immortal. Because of my familiarity with the peach orchard, Her Majesty assigned me to help you find one more," Qiangwei replied.

"A peach? Eating a peach can make you an Immortal? How can we acquire one?" Nalan Yunhai asked curiously.

"You'll find out soon enough, Your Highness," Qiangwei replied, without divulging the secret.

"Oh?" Nalan Yunhai was slightly perplexed.

Just then, shouts rang out from the fog. Someone seemed to have discovered Xiao Nanfeng and was summoning Xiang Tanlang.

"Mr. Hua, has it begun?" Nalan Yunhai looked toward his retinue.

A man stepped forward, bearing an uncanny resemblance to Mr. Hua.

"Your Highness, Xiao Nanfeng has been surrounded by Xiang Tanlang's men, but he has also slain my avatar," Mr. Hua reported.

"Once Xiao Nanfeng's dead, I'll reward you lavishly to compensate you for your losses," Nalan Yunhai replied, unconcerned.

"Thank you, Your Highness!" Mr. Hua bowed.

Qiangwei narrowed her eyes thoughtfully.

Within the fog, Xiao Nanfeng slew Mr. Hua's avatar and rushed off into the fog. However, he was too late to avoid the pursuit of several Wingform-realm cultivators.

"You won't get away, Xiao Nanfeng!" A Wingform-realm cultivator charged forward and slashed at him with his sword.

Xiao Nanfeng met the attack with his bone blade, causing a wave of energy to spread out around them. The Wingform-realm cultivator was sent flying, his sword-hand numb from the impact.

"What incredible strength!" the cultivator exclaimed.

Xiao Nanfeng frowned in annoyance. His bone blade wasn't of high quality, and he didn't dare use all his strength. Otherwise, that cultivator would already have been cut in half.

Another cultivator slashed at Xiao Nanfeng, who counterattacked with his bone blade. The cultivators were sent flying as he took the opportunity to flee.

He didn't dare remain. He fled into the fog, knowing that an Immortal was chasing after him. It wouldn't be worth it to continue wasting time fighting with these cultivators.

"Stop right there!" a group of Wingform-realm cultivators howled, charging forward.

However, Xiao Nanfeng only ran off even more quickly. He could sense a frightening aura approaching from the distance, and he knew that it had to be an Immortal.

Before the Immortal could arrive, he finally made it deep into the fog and vanished from sight.

The Spirit Emperor's hidden realm was filled with patrolling divine slaves, and he didn't dare rush about recklessly. If he were to end up fighting the divine slaves while the Immortal was chasing after him, he wouldn't be able to flee. He found the ruins of a secluded hall and hid deep within, reining in his aura.

"What a close call! That Immortal almost caught up to me," Xiao Nanfeng murmured.

Suddenly, a group of cultivators closed in on the ruins where he was hiding. Xiao Nanfeng blanched, as if he had been caught, and was just about to continue running away when the cultivators' conversation stopped him in his tracks. He glanced at them through a slit in the rubble.

"King Tanlang, we've caught Xiao Nanfeng. How should we deal with him?"

Xiao Nanfeng gaped. He was right there. How could they have caught him?

He could see a group of cultivators gathering in the distance. Standing at their forefront was a young man draped in rainbow light, killing intent flashing in his eyes. It was clear that he was the Immortal Xiang Tanlang.

"Xiao Nanfeng, you dare enter the Spirit Emperor's hidden realm? For killing my brother, the only punishment is death!" Xiang Tanlang declared. "Hang him!"

"Understood!" the cultivators replied.

A bloodied figure was hung up on a pillar from the ruins. The figure's face was a mess of blood and bruises, and it was clear that the figure was barely still alive.

Xiao Nanfeng's brows furrowed. "Did they really catch a 'Xiao Nanfeng'?"

"King Tanlang, Xiao Nanfeng was exceptionally strong. He even hurt me!"

"He was strong, but fortunately, I was stronger. Even so, he almost got away!"

Xiang Tanlang's subordinates were cursing the 'Xiao Nanfeng' hanging in the air.

Xiao Nanfeng's face spasmed. "Are these cultivators all this shameless? I almost killed that man with a slash of my sword—but he's still bragging about his skills?"

"King Tanlang, how should we deal with Xiao Nanfeng?" one subordinate asked.

"For killing my brother, I won't let him die so easily. He'll suffer every moment before his death!" Xiang Tanlang declared.

"Understood!" everyone replied.

The torture began. Flesh was sliced off chunk by chunk from the false Xiao Nanfeng's body. He cried out in pain.

Someone seemed to have cut off his tongue. He could only howl gutturally, unable to speak. Xiang Tanlang watched on with great satisfaction and interest.

Xiao Nanfeng gave the group of cultivators an odd look. Just who were they torturing? How cruel!

"King Tanlang, Xiao Nanfeng's lost too much blood and flesh. He's about to die!" someone called out.

"Not so quickly. Feed him a limb and qi regeneration pill and have him regrow his flesh and replenish his blood. We'll continue the torture afterwards," Xiang Tanlang said.

"Understood!" everyone chorused.

Very quickly, 'Xiao Nanfeng' began yelling out anew.

Xiang Tanlang continued to force-feed 'Xiao Nanfeng' pills to help him regenerate his lost blood and flesh as the torture continued for a whole day and night.

The real Xiao Nanfeng was now deeply confused. "Just who is this? Surely his tongue must have regrown after consuming the pill? Why isn't he defending himself?"

"Continue! Don't let him die," Xiang Tanlang demanded.

'Xiao Nanfeng' continued to scream.

Just then, one of Xiang Tanlang's subordinates ran over and reported, "King Tanlang, we've just seen Xiao Nanfeng's subordinates and two toad spirits. They've caught some of our cultivators!"

"Oh? Xiao Nanfeng came with quite a few helpers, did he? Well, none of them will be able to get away now. You lot here, continue the torture and defend the perimeter. The rest of you, follow me and catch the accomplices in my brother's murder. We'll torture them all together!" Xiang Tanlang howled.

"Understood!" his subordinates replied.

Several cultivators remained and continued torturing 'Xiao Nanfeng' while Xiang Tanlang and the rest of his retinue departed.

Xiao Nanfeng watched on in speechlessness. He realized what was going on now: Xiang Tanlang and his party really were just acting.

"Xiang Tanlang's no brutish fool. He knows that Nalan Yunhai has spies among his subordinates and is trying to take advantage of him, so he's set up a counter-scheme to lure Nalan Yunhai in!" Xiao Nanfeng guessed.

The sound of combat filtered in from afar as Xiang Tanlang and his group chased after Xiao Nanfeng's 'subordinates.'

Just then, a black-robed figure appeared beside 'Xiao Nanfeng' and slashed at the cultivators administering the torture.

A fight broke out beside 'Xiao Nanfeng'.

Xiao Nanfeng's eyes widened. "Is this black-robed figure supposed to be You Jiu? 'Croak, Warble, and Yu'er' lured Xiang Tanlang away so 'You Jiu' could rescue me? They really are aware of how my subordinates operate, aren't they?"

"King Tanlang, someone's here to save Xiao Nanfeng! Please, come back!" the torturers yelled out.

However, Xiang Tanlang and his subordinates had already rushed off chasing after the 'toad spirits', and weren't aware of the conflict happening around 'Xiao Nanfeng'. Just as 'Xiao Nanfeng' was about to be rescued,

Nalan Yunhai's disdainful voice rang out from afar, "How could you let Xiao Nanfeng escape despite how weak he is now? You really are a group of useless fools!"

Another group of cultivators charged forward to attack 'You Jiu' and 'Xiao Nanfeng'.

Nalan Yunhai and Qiangwei had appeared at the scene not too far away, as though they had been waiting for some time. They wanted to see 'Xiao Nanfeng' die for themselves, but when it looked as though he was about to be rescued, they had no choice but to step in.

Today would be the day that 'Xiao Nanfeng' died.

The real Xiao Nanfeng, watching everything play out from afar, was agape. "Nalan Yunhai really was baited out—has he fallen for Xiang Tanlang's trap, then? How melodramatic!"