Chapter 170

Chapter 170: A Problem with a Friend

"I’ve become a celestial lord serving the Heavenly Emperor, so my duties have naturally multiplied. When I contacted the sect master that day, a celestial official summoned me before I could properly explain things to Sect Master You!" Nie Zheng explained, his demeanor so natural it was as if all their previous suspicions had been mere overthinking.

You You sensed something amiss but couldn’t pinpoint it. She glanced at Feng Rong – hadn’t he sensed Nie Zheng in the upper heavenly layers just yesterday? How could he return so quickly?

Feng Rong shook his head slightly. Though perplexed, he’d verified this person’s original spirit – it was undeniably Nie Zheng.

Ning Rui stepped forward abruptly. "Then why haven’t you contacted me all this time?"

Nie Zheng finally turned to him. For a fleeting moment, his smiling face twitched as if something strained beneath the surface, before he smoothly replied, "My duties kept me occupied. Forgive me, brother Ning."

"…Occupied for nine months?" Ning Rui’s eyes darkened.

"You’re truly unharmed?" You You pressed.

"Thanks to your help in the lower realm, I completed my mission swiftly." Nie Zheng’s smile held more formality than their past interactions, creating invisible distance.

"Your safety matters most." You You patted his shoulder. "How have you fared?"

"By the Emperor’s grace after retrieving the divine artifact, I now oversee the Immortal Classics Pavilion." Nie Zheng puffed his chest. "Though considered idle, its cultivation manuals benefit many."

You You’s brow furrowed. Cultivation manuals? Wasn’t this supposed to help research the Feng Clan?

"Speaking of artifacts," Nie Zheng’s tone shifted, "might I ask how to control such weapons? Without proper methods, my mission remains incomplete in the Emperor’s eyes."

Feng Rong’s eyes narrowed. "You came solely for this?"

"Didn’t you gift me the artifact?" Nie Zheng spread his hands. "How can I wield it without guidance?"

"Nie Zheng!" Ning Rui snapped. "You doubt our sect master’s word?"

"I seek only understanding!" Nie Zheng maintained.

You You studied him intently. "Are you certain I never explained artifact control?"

Nie Zheng froze, eyes clouding. After prolonged silence, he muttered, "Immortal power suppression…?" recalling You You’s past advice: Subdue them, and they obey.

"But that requires surpassing the artifact’s power!" he protested.

"Tools serve their masters." You You countered. The Chili Sword had yielded after proper… persuasion.

Nie Zheng’s gaze turned vacant before he abruptly gestured westward. "Let me arrange guides for your tour. I must report south to the Emperor."

As he turned to leave, You You called: "Ning Rui! Where’s that celestial stone for your brother?"

The jade-like stone in Ning Rui’s palm glowed, scanning Nie Zheng’s chest. No corresponding magical tool emerged.

"You’re not Nie Zheng!" Ning Rui shouted.

Feng Rong’s palm struck true. A translucent phantom resembling Nie Zheng emerged, eyes empty as a doll’s. The body collapsed into water.

"A soul fragment!" Feng Rong breathed as the phantom hovered.