Meng Gui's expression changed. "The Heilong emperor?" he said.

Fei Yin and Wu Yuan nodded.

Meng Gui's expression became serious. "What are you gonna do after I'll tell you about him?" he asked.

"It depends on what we will hear." Fei Yin expressionlessly answered.

Meng Gui fell silent. "I only appeared in the Heilong Realm ten years ago." He started. "I, along with my friends, were brought by a demonic cultivator here." He said. "We were taken here to be refined." He bitterly smiled.

Fei Yin and Wu Yuan didn't speak and waited for him to continue.

"Since the Heilong Realm is dense with demonic qi and negative qi, which is resentful energy, it is both a convenient and inconvenient place to refine humans." Meng Gui continued. "But, if were fed by some drug, we won't feel resentful, but feel desperation and then give up on our life instead. So, that demonic cultivator drugged us and started to refine us. That was then I met the Heilong emperor." He looked at Fei Yin and Wu Yuan.

"So, you are on his side." Wu Yuan said.

Meng Gui nodded.

"So, you are hesitating to tell us about him." Fei Yin added.

Meng Gui wryly smiled. "I owe him my and my friends' lives." He answered.

Plum Blossom City, Peony Plaza.

The Plum Blossom City is filled with a fragrant smell because of the brothels that outnumbered the city's residences. But, its usual fragrant smell was replaced by the smoke of gunpowder because of the men and women, who are usually entangled day and night and spilling amorous fluids, are now spilling blood as they fought.

Shang He, the one whom Du Xiang was offending always, must have shed off all of his pretenses and finally doesn't care about the fairer sex. His people arrived even before the sun could break through the horizon and started killing everyone that they could see in the Plum Blossom City.

All these are seen by Bai Yun and the Heilong emperor, the orchestrators of this bloody and violent event, as they sat inside a VIP room that has the best view of the plaza, so they could fully spectate on the massacre.

But, Bai Yun just looked at the littered corpses and the blood-soaked ground in disdain. He turned and looked at the Heilong emperor who is wearing his human disguise, dressed in black from head to feet. His hair was tied by a black ribbon. He dressed simply, but his simplicity highlighted his handsome visage.

"Your Majesty, this face of yours…" he said.

"My favorite human disguise." The Heilong emperor answered and grinned.

Bai Yun paused for a second before he remembered the person that he has seen in the Heilong emperor's palace – the Yingyi Palace. That person is sleeping on the bed of the Heilong emperor. He meaningfully smiled.

"Indeed." He nodded in agreement. "This face of yours looks better than your original face." He told him.

None of them speak after that and just continued to watch the killings in the Peony Plaza. The sun has just risen, and the crimson in the sky looked like the blood was spilt on the clouds, too.

Drunken Moon City.

"Leader." Someone called from the outside. "Shang He's people are already starting." He said.

Meng Gui rose from his seat and fixed his sleeves. "Now that you've shown an 'interest' on the Heilong emperor, the more I can't let you leave with me." He said as he looked at them.

Fei Yin's and Wu Yuan's eyes widened. "The Heilong emperor will be there?!" they exclaimed in shock.

"He's the one who planned all of this. How can he not be present?" Meng Gui asked back.

"You also know?!" Fei Yin asked as he looked at Meng Gui in surprise.

"I know. That's why I'll do anything just to keep this life of mine." Meng Gui answered. "This life of mine is his, as well as my friends' lives. We haven't repaid him enough, so we will continue to live." He said before he walked towards the door. "You can't leave." He told them.

"Don't worry. We can't." Fei Yin said as he carefully placed Cheng Sheng on the bed. "My lover is more important than meeting with the Heilong emperor." He said. Wu Yuan nodded behind him. They aren't in a hurry.

In fact, it might be the Heilong emperor who is in a hurry.

Meng Gui paused when he heard what Fei Yin said. "'lover'…" he muttered and lowered his gaze, as if he remembered something.

"Leader?" Meng Gui's subordinates called outside.

Meng Gui closed his eyes before he opened them. His expression and gaze calm like before. "Let's go." He said and slowly walked away without looking back.

"What happened to him?" Wu Yuan asked after Meng Gui left.

Fei Yin shrugged. "Who knows?" he said before he took out a potion from his qiankun bag and poured it inside Cheng Sheng's mouth.

They aren't afraid that Meng Gui was lying and his people will kill them once he left. In fact, it was Meng Gui who wanted to keep them alive, since they lacked people. Meng Gui knows that even a cripple can be used. How much more them – two righteous cultivators and able men?

Actually, Meng Gui can cure Cheng Sheng so that Cheng Sheng could add to their number. But, Meng Gui needed something to hold them, and that is Cheng Sheng – a hostage. And two, if Cheng Sheng could add to the number of Meng Gui's forces, then he could also add to Fei Yin and Wu Yuan and the three of them would fight against them. Furthermore, Cheng Sheng might be the strongest of them three, and would retaliate against Meng Gui.

The worst that could happen is that the three of them might be spies sent by the enemies. So, Meng Gui kept Cheng Sheng asleep and poisoned. Fei Yin and Wu Yuan, no matter how strong they are, but they would definitely not overpower Meng Gui's people. They also have a baggage1 – Cheng Sheng, with them to worry about. They also needed the antidote from Meng Gui to cure Cheng Sheng. So, Fei Yin and Wu Yuan would definitely not betray Meng Gui. Or else, they'll just be throwing Cheng Sheng's life away. They should kiss Cheng Sheng goodbye if they did that.

Both sides need each other, so this could be considered a successful deal.

Huilong Continent, West, Xifeng County.

"PPPT!!!" the Huakai Sect disciples all choked on their food before they all spat out the food on their mouth after they heard what Sun Yi said. That – "WU XI IS A WOMAN?!?!?!" they all exclaimed in shock. They turned and looked at Wu Xi with widened eyes.

Sun Yi smiled but he didn't speak. He turned to Wu Xi who raised her Thought Talisman. "I am. But, I consider myself as a man." She said.

The Huakai Sect disciples. "…" f*ck! They all internally cursed.

Sun Yi saw their faces turned green and the smile on his face disappeared and was replaced by a frown. His brows knitted. "What? Do you have anything against female cultivators?" he sharply asked as he glared at them while he crossed his arms.

"No… it's not that… don't misunderstand us!" Tang Zhe immediately said. "It's just… uh…" he stammered, didn't know where to start.

Guo Cheng cleared his throat. "What da shixiong wanted to say is that, we are ashamed." He said. "We aren't hostile to women. Instead, we actually feel ashamed that we have taken advantage of Wu Xi for so many times." He explained. He glanced at Wu Xi and shyly smiled before he turned to Sun Yi whose expression turned better.

Sun Yi nodded. "Indeed. Wu Xi has helped us a lot." He turned to Wu Xi. "Do you want them to compensate you? Just say it. The Huakai Sect is rich!" he told her.

The Huakai Sect who has lost their sect just recently. "…." Wu Xi is a witness that our sect was destroyed, so how can you say that we are rich?! They thought and looked at Sun Yi.

Sun Yi laughed while Wu Xi raised her Thought Talisman. "No need. I don't need anything, anyway." She answered before she sat on the ground and picked up a bowl reserved for her before she scooped up the soup with the ladle.

The Huakai Sect disciples who saw that Wu Xi's actions are un-ladylike, even coarsier than how they act. "…" she really treats herself as a man.

"Alright, since Wu Xi has said so herself… err, himself." Sun Yi corrected himself. "Let's continue to eat!" he said and picked up his bowl before he refilled it with soup.

The Huakai Sect disciples nodded in agreement. They understood. Since Wu Xi has said so herself that she wanted to be treated like a man, then it would be rude for them to refuse her decision. In fact, nothing will change after this even if they have found out her… ehem, his secret.

something that's obstructing or inhibiting a person