Howeverâ
Things didnât go the way the Fu siblings had imagined.
From the moment the fight started, Ji Zhang had been hiding nearby instead of staying behind in the Xiao Kingdom like they thought.
But as Ji Zhang secretly watched from the shadows, he hadnât expected the Fu siblings to crumble so quickly. In just a few moves, they were easily defeated, and even Fu Linglong ended up as Wei Tuâs prisoner.
âWei Tuâs strength is no joke. Heâs even stronger now than when he defeated Situ Yang on Shengya Mountain more than ten years ago.â
Ji Zhang looked conflicted. Right now, he wasnât sure if he should stick to his original plan of swooping in like a hero to rescue Fu Linglong and win her heart.
After all, the plan had hit a snag.
First, Wei Tuâs power was way beyond what the intel had suggested.
Ji Zhang guessed that without using his trump cards, he could at best fight Wei Tu to a draw, with the odds of victory being fifty-fifty.
Second, instead of seriously injuring Fu Linglong during the fight, Wei Tu had just steamrolled her and captured her alive.
That meant if he tried to rescue her, there was a real risk that Wei Tu might kill her on the spot.
The first issue was annoying but manageable.
But the second one could make all his efforts go down the drain, leaving him with nothing.
âFind a weakness⊠strike laterâŠâ
Even though he felt anxious, Ji Zhang forced himself to calm down. As the leader of the Six Desires Sect, he had solid mental fortitude.
But a moment laterâ
He noticed Fu Linglong in Wei Tuâs arms, her face twisted in pain as she let out faint, shaky breaths⊠and Ji Zhangâs expression started to contort. He was growing restless.
He didnât love Fu Linglong that deeply, but he had always seen her as his own possessionâsomeone no one else was allowed to defile.
Now, with Wei Tu taking full advantage of Fu Linglong, how could he, her so-called âDao companion,â just keep hiding in the dark, saying nothing?
âEven if the plan changed, giving up some benefits now to rescue Linglong⊠the outcome wouldnât be too different.â
Ji Zhangâs mind was spinning fast as he thought it through.
When it came down to it, his true goal for coming to the Chu Kingdom wasnât just to show off in front of Fu Linglong, but to dual cultivate with her so heâd have a better chance of surviving the âSpirit Awakeningâ tribulation of the Nascent Soulâs three thresholds.
Sure, giving up benefits would feel humiliating. But it would also mean heâd saved Fu Linglongâs life.
And besides, Fu Linglong was already smitten with himâŠ
So with both those things combined, she probably wouldnât resist dual cultivation too much.
With that decided, Ji Zhang stopped hesitating. He flicked his sleeve and shot off toward the battlefield.
âWei Tu, donât you dare act so arrogantlyâJi Zhang is here!â
âLet Linglong go, now!â
As he flew, Ji Zhang amplified his voice with his magic power, shouting the words loud and clear.
In the distance, Fu Linglongâs face lit up with surprise as she heard those words.
It felt like a ray of light breaking through the darkness.
She never expected that Ji Zhang, who had seemed to cut ties with her on the surface, had actually never given up on her after she left Tianyi Sect. He had been secretly watching over her all along.
And now, in her most dangerous moment, he had stepped forward!
âBoss is here!â Fu Dalu was thrilled inside too.
With Ji Zhang joining them, the three of them together could definitely turn the situation around.
After all, Ji Zhangâs strength at the peak of the Golden Core stage was in a league of its own, far beyond the average cultivator.
Even someone as powerful as Wang Tianwu could only fight Ji Zhang to a draw.
âSo this is Ji Zhang?â Wei Tuâs expression stayed calm. He glanced at the imposing man flying toward him and let a mocking smile tug at his lips.
Ji Zhangâs appearance fit Wei Tuâs earlier guess about the Fu siblingsâ strength, but where he showed up was completely different from what Wei Tu had expected.
Earlier, the reason Wei Tu changed his battle plan, acting faster than Yu Gongshouâs trio to unleash his power and capture Fu Linglong so quicklyâbesides using some weird soul-type techniquesâwas because he was worried Ji Zhang might be lurking nearby, waiting to launch a surprise attack.
Just the thought of an assassination attempt by a peak Golden Core expert had sent chills down Wei Tuâs spine.
But the reality was unexpected.
Ji Zhang hadnât appeared near the battlefield but instead revealed himself more than 20 li away.
The difference in where he showed up meant something, and with Wei Tuâs wealth of combat experience, he understood immediately.
It meant that from the start, the Fu siblingsâ ambush plan never included Ji Zhangâs strength as part of their strategy.
Was it neglect? Or did they have some other arrangement?
Impossible!
Ji Zhangâs power far surpassed the Fu siblingsâ, and he could completely change the outcome of a fight.
There was no way they would send someone like Ji Zhang far from the battlefield just to cover their rear when they already held the advantage.
Wei Tu guessed that Ji Zhangâs sudden arrival was probably unknown to the Fu siblings.
âThis is the Chu KingdomâJi Zhang couldnât have just happened to pass by. So how did he manage to appear right in time to rescue the Fu siblingsâŠâ
Wei Tu narrowed his eyes, sensing there was a lot more to Ji Zhangâs sudden appearance.
Thinking of this, Wei Tu activated the sub-disk of the âDinggui Compassâ hidden in his sleeve and sent a message to Yu Gongshouâs trio, telling them to slow down and not rush to his location.
After all, both Ji Zhang and the Fu siblings werenât ordinary bandits. They had the support of two major sects behind themâJinglian Convent and Tianyi Sect.
If he exposed the identities of Yu Gongshouâs group too soon, the chances of Guangyuan Yu Clan following through on their promise to help him would drop sharply.
They might protect his safety, but they definitely wouldnât stick around to kill powerful bandits like Ji Zhang and the Fu siblings.
But that outcome was something Wei Tu had already anticipated.
The only reason he spent a fortune to hire Guangyuan Yu Clan as bodyguards was for two purposes.
First, to guard against Ji Zhang.
This man was no weaklingâhis cultivation was a full realm above Wei Tuâs, sitting at the peak of the Golden Core stage.
Second, to protect against things spiraling out of control, like an enemy Nascent Soul ancestor showing upâŠ
But now that he had captured Fu Linglong alive, Ji Zhang and Fu Dalu wouldnât dare attack him recklessly as long as he kept her unharmed.
That meant he was currently safe, and there was no need to drag Guangyuan Yu Clan into this and complicate things further.
As the saying goes, the scariest moment for your enemy isnât when you throw a punch, but when you clench your fist.
For Wei Tu, having Yu Gongshouâs trio stay hidden right now was better than having them show up.
The same logic applied to Ji Zhang.
The version of Ji Zhang Wei Tu feared wasnât the one standing in the open now, but the one lurking in the dark earlier, ready to strike at any moment.
As long as Yu Gongshouâs trio stayed out of sight, Ji Zhang and the Fu siblings wouldnât know where Guangyuan Yu Clan stoodâwere they just pretending to care, ignoring the fight, or truly supporting Wei Tu?
That uncertainty was Wei Tuâs bargaining chip right now.
Whether to advance or retreat, the choice was his!