How can 'Zhu Yang', or Fei Yin, not take notice that hateful gaze? Although it wasn't noticed by the demonic cultivators who only knows killing intents and perverse methods, this made Fei Yin surprised. What he is surprised with is that this person can hide his killing intent, and such a weak person at that!

Is there a need to guess who is this person? Even if he doesn't have Jing Xian, he knows this is the person they are looking for, the missing son of the late Nanli Sect master, Nan Pinghe – Nan Pingan! He finally came out after hearing the news about 'Zhu Yang' capturing a child from the oasis city.

It was indeed what prompted Nan Pingan to come out of his hiding. He knows everyone, most especially his father, risked their life just to have him escape so that he would bid his time and restore their sect after the demonic cultivators were all defeated and peace returned after the demonic cultivators who were a threat to their safety wee eliminated.

However, how can Nan Pingan just continue to hide when a person from his home was captured? He remembered that when he escaped before, one of the people who went with him to protect him apologized to him that he was used by them as a diversion to draw away the demonic cultivators' attention from their son whom they hid somewhere in the oasis city.

Nan Pingan's head ached. It must be Nan Lang! Everyone in their city have all died. He is alone now, so, he comes out once in a while to eat using the money left to him by his father. However, after the people in the oasis city were all massacred, everything of them were plundered. Foods, wealth, and even the women.

There was no food left for Nan Lang to eat, so, how can a child as small as him bear hunger? Even an adult like him, and a cultivator, who knows how to control his hunger still can't help but to eat, what about a small child, then?

"Zhu-xiong, will you really refine that child?" he heard someone asked 'Zhu Yang'.

"Yeah." 'Zhu Yang' grinned as he leaned his back on the table and crossed his arms and legs, looking pompous.

"How?" someone curiously asked.

Although Zhu Yang's cultivation isn't high, but his strength lies in his limbs and muscles, as well as his own followers. He had quite made his own name, and so everyone knows that his own people are like him: barbaric. Thus, how can Zhu Yang refine the child he caught? The friend of the man speaking earlier, his doubt is not unfounded.

'Zhu Yang' rudely laughed, making the people think he is belittling their IQ, especially the people that kept asking 'Zhu Yang'. Their face became red in shame. It looks like 'Zhu Yang' already knew his own incapability, but they kept rubbing it on 'Zhu Yang's face, which made them look more deliberate and mocking him. So, 'Zhu Yang's laughter is out of anger, too.

"Zhu-xiong, we really didn't mean to offend…" they said.

"Yes, ah… we are just purely curious…" someone added.

"May Zhu-xiong enlighten us?" someone said.

'Zhu Yang' grinned and looked at them one by one before he spoke. "Everyone already knows that I have caught a child lately." He said. "However, I think my luck is becoming great since I also caught a mage that's well-versed in alchemy. He knows how to refine treasures." He explained before he paused when he thought of something. This time, his grin became wider and he looked at a certain direction.

Nan Pingan's eyes widened in shock when his gaze met 'Zhu Yang's gaze. His heart skipped a beat when he saw ridicule in the other's gaze. He immediately rose from his seat.

"And so, I told the mage that refining treasures is the same as refining humans." He heard 'Zhu Yang' continued. "I told him, 'wasn't it just throwing things onto the furnace and burning them?' That mage said, 'it definitely isn't the same!'" he said, his voice sound animated. "And so, I told him, 'then, you look for a way to make it the same!'" he said.

Someone can't help but speak. "Zhu-xiong, although this one isn't an alchemist, but I've seen aplenty of this matter." He said. "It is entirely different, indeed, refining a human from refining a treasure. Humans have intelligence than the conscious treasures being refined, thus there will be more resistance the mage will face in refining!" he explained. "If the mage has no experience in refining a human, then that child can only wait for death!" he added.

The fists on the sides of Nan Pingan clenched until his nails dug in his palms. His fear from being caught by 'Zhu Yang' earlier was replaced by his resurfaced loathing towards 'Zhu Yang'. He placed some money on his table before he left, fuming with rage.

"What do I care if the child will live or not?" he heard 'Zhu Yang' spoke. "I only want strength!" he said.

"Zhu-xiong is right. Zhu-xiong is right." The demonic cultivators said and laughed.

"Zhu-xiong, you wiping out all of the Nanli City proves Zhu-xiong's strength. But… hunting down even its survivors… do you have a grudge against them?" someone curiously asked.

Nan Pingan stopped on his feet when he heard the question. Right. Why would Zhu Yang kill all of them? He doesn't remember his father offending someone, nor any of the residents in the oasis city. They all lived a clean and honest life.

"A grudge?" 'Zhu Yang' said. "Why do I need a grudge just to kill someone?" he asked and laughed.

Nan Pingan's face paled and his blood froze when he heard 'Zhu Yang's answer. Right… there's no need for a grudge. You can kill whoever you want to. This is how the demonic cultivators work! Perversely! He gnashed his teeth and stormed out, only to suddenly feel the wind behind him before he felt a pain on his nape. He lost consciousness.

Cheng Sheng was the one who knocked Nan Pingan out while Wu Yuan caught him. "A poor child." Wu Yuan said as he looked at Nan Pingan's wasted appearance after Nan Pingan drunk alcohol.

Cheng Sheng sighed in sympathy. "Let's go back to the inn so he can see Nan Lang. Fei Yin will follow us." He said.

"Yes." Wu Yuan nodded as he put a cloak on Nan Pingan while Cheng Sheng placed a mask on Nan Pingan's face before he pasted a Puppet Talisman on the other's forehead to make Nan Pingan walk on his own, making them not look suspicious.

…

The door opened and Nan Lang who was playing with the Shapeshifting Blanket Cheng Sheng left on him to protect him turned his head to the newcomers. "Mister!" he exclaimed when he saw Cheng Sheng's face under the cloak. "Mister! This cloth is funny!" he said and pointed the Shapeshifting Blanket floating in the air.

Cheng Sheng chuckled and patted his head before he removed the Puppet Talisman on Nan Pingan as well as the mask, revealing Nan Pingan's face. "Look who we found!" he told Nan Lang.

Nan Lang's eyes widened in shock before his eyes brightened. "Young master Nan!" he exclaimed as he held Nan Pingan's hand.

Nan Pingan's eyes slowly regained their clarity and he felt someone tugging his hand. He lowered his head, still disoriented, before he saw Nan Lang. "Nan Lang!" he cried and fell on his knees before he hugged the child tight. "Nan Lang! You are fine!" he said and turned when he noticed Cheng Sheng's and Wu Yuan's presence.

Cheng Sheng and Wu Yuan removed their cloak, revealing their face. "How are you, young master Nan?" Cheng Sheng asked.

"Cheng Sheng!" Nan Pingan exclaimed when he recognized him.

Cheng Sheng smiled and turned to Wu Yuan.

"Sect leader Wu!" Nan Pingan was shocked when he saw Wu Yuan. "How come…" he said before he fell silent when he remembered what happened to the Youxiwang Sect. The Southmost Region has become the den of the demonic cultivators, and while he was hiding, he heard the news of all the other regions from the mouth of the demonic cultivators. "I am sorry to hear about what happened to your sect, as well as your clan." he told Wu Yuan before he turned to Cheng Sheng.

Cheng Sheng stiffened when he remembered that the Chen Clan was also massacred by Ming Ye. "We're just the same." He just said before he sat on the chair and poured himself water.

Hearing his words, Nan Pingan didn't speak again and just turned to talk with the crying Nan Lang. After a while, Fei Yin returned but has already took off Zhu Yang's face. "Everyone's here?" he said when he saw Nan Pingan.

"Yes." Cheng Sheng said as he gave Fei Yin a cup of water before he turned to Nan Pingan. "We wanted to ask if the Chen patriarch and former sect leader Wu have passed by here."