Chapter 206 - 161: Hitting It Off Immediately

But now that Teng Jun mentioned it, he realized a Fourth Grade was also acceptable.

It made sense, though. The previous Cave Master had died suddenly, and the True Disciples hadn’t had time to catch up.

Besides, even if there were other High Grade Martial Artists in the other halls or the Main Palace of the Biyou Palace, they couldn’t take the position of Cave Master of the Silk Cave.

The Silk Cave’s lineage specialized in Spider Poison as its Primary Cultivation Skill. You couldn’t just appoint someone who majored in a Snake Poison Skill to be the Cave Master of the Silk Cave.

"Teng Zhenchuan, I have one last question..."

"Please, ask." To this point, Teng Jun hadn’t shown a hint of impatience, maintaining a perfectly respectful and courteous demeanor.

Zou Feng said, "Teng Zhenchuan, you’re vying for the position of Cave Master. How many competitors are left?"

"Just one. Wang Wenjing! She already reached the Fourth Grade before I did..." Teng Jun said through gritted teeth.

’Huh. So Teng Jun was already in the finals.’

Zou Feng didn’t even have to ask to guess that before the last Cave Master’s sudden death, all these True Disciples had probably been holding back at the Fifth Grade Realm.

’As for why none of them broke through to the Fourth Grade sooner, it was most likely due to the fear of being used as a disposable resource by the Cave Master.’

But with the previous Cave Master’s sudden death, that fear was instantly shattered.

Now, not only did the True Disciples have to fight amongst themselves, but they also had to scramble to raise their Realms as quickly as possible.

In their haste, breakthroughs were prone to mishaps, and the hidden dangers of practicing an Evil Skill would be magnified immensely.

’Some of the True Disciples probably didn’t even die at the hands of their peers. They likely died from rushing their Cultivation and killing themselves in the process.’

’For Teng Jun to have survived into the final round, she must have had some tricks up her sleeve, but luck certainly played a huge part.’

’As for me... I can do this!’

The reason was simple: with his current strength, Zou Feng wasn’t afraid of a Fifth Grade Martial Artist.

Once he reaped the rewards from this venture and his strength soared, he was confident he could escape unscathed even if a Fourth Grade Martial Artist attacked him. He might not win, but he could get away.

After all, for a Fourth Grade Martial Artist to catch him, it would no longer be a simple matter of comparing Qinggong speed or endurance.

It would be a question of whether that Fourth Grade Martial Artist, once on his list, could withstand the transferred side effects while chasing him...

So, if Teng Jun had said she was aiming for the Third Grade, or that her rival Wang Wenjing was already a Third Grade, Zou Feng would have feigned agreement without a second thought, then found the first opportunity to grab Tian Yun and run for the hills.

Teng Jun keenly sensed Zou Feng’s interest and immediately added, "After this is done, in addition to the manual for the Bone-Softening Palm, I will also gift you a vial of White Jade Spider Poison."

"Furthermore, you may make one request of me. So long as it is within my power, I will grant it!"

At this, Teng Jun’s eyes grew sultry again. The look she gave Zou Feng was no longer a hint, but a blatant invitation.

As she worked her charms, she subconsciously moved to show off her long legs with a seductive pose.

But she had barely moved when she remembered Zou Feng’s predilection for hands and, on the fly, changed the motion to picking up her teacup with an elegant, orchid-like finger posture.

Zou Feng ignored her, affecting a thoughtful frown.

’Agreeing too quickly would obviously make her suspicious.’

After pretending to ponder for a good while, Zou Feng finally spoke with a look of feigned resignation. "My master sent me down from the mountain to gain experience this time, and he specifically told me to witness all kinds of advanced Poison Skills..."

"Since I now have the chance to witness the Biyou Palace’s ultimate technique, the Bone-Softening Palm, I don’t want to miss it, even if there are some risks."

"Teng Zhenchuan, I will do my best!"

By suddenly inventing a master, he created the illusion of having a significant background. Teng Jun wouldn’t be so easily fooled, but as long as it planted a seed of doubt and made her hesitate, that was enough.

Especially since, upon closer reflection, Zou Feng’s lie didn’t seem entirely baseless.

After all, for someone so young, Zou Feng possessed incredible abilities. His audacious behavior since arriving in Qingchuan City—one could say he had the heart of a bear and the guts of a leopard—made it unlikely he was just some rogue cultivator.

Hearing Zou Feng agree, Teng Jun was overjoyed. "Excellent! With your help, Doctor Zou, how could I possibly fail?"

Overcome with excitement, Teng Jun even reached out and grabbed both of Zou Feng’s hands, clearly intending to give him a ’bonus’.

’But now Zou Feng couldn’t help but wonder, if he had stared at her legs a little longer, would she be offering him her foot to hold as a sign of gratitude?’

After expressing her gratitude, Teng Jun was tactful enough not to press Zou Feng about his origins or his master.

Prying at a time like this would only make it seem like she had ulterior motives.

"Doctor Zou, then it’s settled!"

"Just in case... well, mainly to guard against my dear Senior Sister Wang, it would be best if you didn’t make any house calls for a while, Doctor Zou."

"Once I’ve made my preparations, I will contact you."

With that, Teng Jun waved goodbye to Zou Feng, strolled out of the pavilion, and looked as if she were about to walk away on thin air.

But this left Zou Feng completely baffled.

’That’s it?!’

’Just a verbal agreement? No Heart Demon Poison Oath? No Restrictions placed on me? She didn’t even threaten Tian Yun’s safety to ensure I comply? Nothing at all?’

’Is this Teng Jun really a True Disciple of an Evil Sect?’

"Teng Zhenchuan, you trust me this much?" Something felt off, so Zou Feng couldn’t help but probe.

Hearing this, Teng Jun turned back slowly, fully aware of the intention behind Zou Feng’s question.

"’Trust those you employ, and don’t employ those you distrust.’ My intuition tells me that you’re a trustworthy person, Doctor Zou."

"And I disdain using such underhanded tactics to force people to work for me."

"The Charming Silk at the entrance was merely to prevent you from leaving without a word at first. Even if you had run into it, you would only have been stuck, not harmed."

She spoke beautifully, and her actions had been consistent with her words from the very beginning—she’d even brought a gift for their first meeting. Zou Feng almost believed her.

’Of course, there’s another reason one might disdain using underhanded methods to threaten and control someone.’

’And that is having absolute confidence in one’s own strength and methods.’

’You don’t worry about them feigning compliance because you have everything under control.’

’So, Teng Jun was certain I couldn’t escape. She had likely already used some method to track my location.’

’I should never underestimate these True Disciples from Evil Sects. The Fifth Grade Realm might not sound terrifyingly high, but being chosen as a True Disciple was proof enough that their potential far surpassed that of an ordinary Martial Artist.’

’Especially the True Disciples of Major Sects. They are chosen precisely because they have the definite potential to become High Grade Martial Artists.’

Take the City Lord of Qingchuan City, whom Zou Feng had met before. He was also a Fifth Grade, but Zou Feng was certain that if the City Lord were to face Teng Jun, he would lose without a doubt.

With another wave, Teng Jun departed, seemingly walking on air but likely treading on invisible spider silk.

She didn’t even say how they were supposed to contact each other later.

After Teng Jun left, Zou Feng glanced at his List of Gods. There were no new ’big brother’ or ’big sister’ names on it.

’This meant that, until the job was done, Teng Jun wouldn’t move against me.’

’As for her rival, the other True Disciple, Wang Wenjing, she probably didn’t know about this yet. Otherwise, there was no reason she wouldn’t want to kill me.’

’In fact, Zou Feng was practically hoping Wang Wenjing would end up on his list.’

’Using a Fourth Grade ’big sister’ for my Evil Skill Cultivation... just how much could she endure?’

’And Teng Jun would secretly protect me, so she wouldn’t give Wang Wenjing the chance to assassinate me...’

’But it didn’t matter that she wasn’t on the list yet. It was only a matter of time.’

’Right now, the most important thing was to quickly cultivate another Evil Skill to the Peak Realm. That would be the safest course of action.’

Back at his residence, Zou Feng immediately told Tian Yun what had happened.

Tian Yun was getting cocky these days. Her experiences on Qifeng Mountain had made her a firm believer in the principle of "fortune favors the bold."

So, after hearing his story, Tian Yun showed no concern. Instead, she agreed, "If you’re confident, Zou Lang, then it’s fine... In fact, if we teamed up, taking down Teng Jun ourselves shouldn’t be a problem!"

"Why don’t we just find an opportunity, lure her out, and..."

"It would save us the trouble of waiting around to guard her and expel the poison, which just adds unnecessary risks."

Zou Feng: "..."