I thought I could return triumphantly like a victorious general, striding into Qi Yun Valley with my head held high. But in the end, I realized I'd been played by a group of old foxes. One can only imagine the mood of Young Master Nan as he entered the valley, under the watchful eyes of several Artifact Refiners.

He knew well that he had now become the laughingstock of this crowd of Artifact Refiners.

Of course, he didn't care about what these people thought. To him, Li Huo Sect was irrelevant—no matter how unlucky he might be, he wouldn't put them in his eyes.

Right now, what he desired most was to find Shi Chun and get a clearer understanding of the situation from all sides. Based on the information held by Fengluo Sect, their knowledge seemed to be quite lacking. He assumed that Shi Chun, having wrestled with those major sects for so long, should have a deeper understanding of their Divine Fire acquisitions.

His goal was simple: as long as Refining Heaven Sect didn't emerge as the ultimate winner, the situation wouldn't spiral out of control.

Among the distinguished guests aboard the palatial ship's upper deck, not only did Qian She leave, but most of the others followed suit.

Gong Shaoci stayed. He couldn't leave—after all, Lan Qiaoyan and her daughter were still here.

Having just delivered good news moments ago, he couldn't help but feel awkward when he now informed the mother and daughter duo of the unexpected turn of events, rubbing his nose in embarrassment.

It wasn't exactly some major disaster.

The mother and daughter instead let out a sigh of relief. In their eyes, winning the championship was always a fanciful hope for Shi Chun anyway. Being able to emerge alive was already the best outcome.

But after a brief moment of contemplation, Lan Qiaoyan grew concerned. "The issue now is that possessing a treasure makes one a target. What are those Artifact Refining sects doing by blocking him at the exit? It's clear they want to seize his Secret Technique for locating Divine Fire. Now, having offended Qian She and his people, Young Master Nan stands alone. Without that group's backing, even if he manages to escape, he won't be able to elude the grasp of those major Artifact Refining sects. They certainly won't let him off easily."

Gong Shaoci smiled faintly and said, "Then he should simply hand over the technique. Surrendering the Secret Technique should resolve everything."

Lan Qiaoyan fixed her gaze on him with profound meaning. "I'm afraid it's not that simple. Without a powerful faction supporting him, do you think those major Artifact Refining sects would allow someone who possesses a significant secret to roam freely? It's just like business—monopoly happens to be a very profitable approach. Some people don't want to see the circle of knowledge expand."

Miao Yilan was startled upon hearing this. Anyone with sense would understand the implications, and she naturally grasped them as well. Anxiously, she asked, "Mother, then what should we do?"

Gong Shaoci pondered for a moment and said, "I'll see if I can find someone to put in a good word for him."

Lan Qiaoyan shook her head slightly. "Those Artifact Refining factions dared to challenge the Qian family itself. Do you really think they'd listen to you?"

Outwardly, Gong Shaoci forced a bitter smile, while inwardly he was smiling wryly. You all understand the situation, so how could I not? I'm just trying to show some effort for appearances' sake.

"Ah, he may indeed have ambitions, and striving for a better future is admirable, but he shouldn't have harbored such unrealistic hopes. This is not something he should have reached for. Now, it seems no one can help him anymore—at least, we clearly lack the capability to intervene." Lan Qiaoyan sighed deeply with some regret.

That's not entirely accurate. There are situations where it depends on the person. If Shi Chun were her son, Miao Dingyi's son, or even their son-in-law, those major Artifact Refining sects would have to think carefully before laying a hand on Shi Chun. After all, Miao Dingyi has the means to retaliate against people of their level.

But ties between their family and Shi Chun hadn't reached that point. The Miao family couldn't possibly be willing to go all out to help him.

It was an unspoken rule, reciprocally understood.

The Artifact Refining World might give some face to the Miao family, but they couldn't expand that courtesy infinitely. To offer protection for anyone—what kind of logic would that be? If they really acted that way, it would mean the Miao family didn't know their place. What about the interests of others? Could their interests simply be sacrificed at will?

This wasn't some trivial matter that could be resolved with a favor or face value. Here, the stakes involved massive interests, and it was incredibly difficult to make concessions when money was on the line.

For now, there was no other option. The mother and daughter could only wait anxiously and see how this assembly would play out.

Seeing that his future mother-in-law at least understood the situation, Gong Shaoci quietly let out a sigh of relief. He had truly feared being pressured to exhaust all means to find a solution...

For some, certain matters can be completely irrelevant, yet for others, those same matters can spell disaster.

Standing amid the crowd and gazing at Divine Fire Spirit Gate floating above the heavens, Duan Xiangmei occasionally turned her head toward the eaves of a nearby inn, where a Green-clothed Man stood with hands clasped behind him.

Because she was familiar with Xiang Laner and Feng Chi, and often spent time with them, she naturally kept impressions of their surroundings in her mind. Therefore, even she noticed that this Green-clothed Man seemed to frequently appear near them.

By chance, Xiang Laner caught sight of Duan Xiangmei's gaze, and upon following it, she also spotted the Green-clothed Man. Somewhat surprised, she nudged Feng Chi with her elbow to signal him.

Feng Chi followed her line of sight and was equally startled.

Both of them became aware that something was amiss. That particular person wasn't one to openly show himself without cause. Each public appearance meant there was something important requiring their attention. Concern began to brew in their minds—was there yet another unexpected twist?

As it turned out, their unwitting attention revealed to them that the Green-clothed Man occasionally glanced toward them as well, and their gazes collided.

To be honest, the Green-clothed Man was only intending to observe them from a distance. After all, things had indeed taken yet another turn for the worse. The constant changes were leaving even him uncertain. Let alone the fact that not everything needed to be reported.

However, having caught on to his gaze, Xiang Laner had already signaled toward him with her eyes.

Not long after, Duan Xiangmei noticed Xiang Laner and Feng Chi leave the area, and the Green-clothed Man disappeared soon after as well. She knit her brows, a trace of doubt creeping into her mind. Could it really be a coincidence?

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