Daoist Competition

The person from Zhengqing Institute was just a young Daoist. After waiting in the grand hall for a while, he saw Zhang Yan walking out at a leisurely pace. He quickly stood up, respectfully clasped his hands, and said, "I am Qi Tao, the Steward of Zhengqing Institute. Greetings to Junior Master Zhang. I’ve come here under the orders of Vice Master Pan because..."

Zhang Yan waved his sleeve and smiled, saying, "Deacon Qi, no need to explain further. I already know why you’re here. I’ll go with you right now."

The steward was momentarily stunned, then quickly regained his composure and hastily replied, "Yes, yes, please, Junior Master."

Before coming, Vice Master Pan had specifically instructed him that this visit was to seek Zhang Yan, not to detain or reprimand him, and so he must not show even a hint of disrespect. Yet inviting someone to the Zhengqing Institute was rarely a good omen. He had thought it would be difficult to handle, given that Zhang Yan had achieved first-class Elixir Formation. However, to his surprise, Zhang Yan was so agreeable.

Zhang Yan and the steward emerged from the cave mansion. The two activated their escape skills and headed toward Zhengqing Institute. In no time, they arrived over Heavenly Prison Peak. Floating on the clouds, the steward said, "Junior Master, Vice Master Pan has instructed that this time you’re invited to answer questions and resolve doubts. There is no need to go to the main hall on the main peak; we can go to the Rebirth Spring on the subsidiary peak."

Zhang Yan had no objections. He shifted the cloud smoke and headed toward the subsidiary peak.

Looking down, he saw several blocks of blue stone where a few individuals sat cross-legged. The northern seat was occupied by both Zhuang Bufan and Vice Master Pan. Sitting across from them was, unsurprisingly, the Red-haired Daoist whom he had seen before at the Zhao You Heavenly Pond. Apart from them, no others were present. Zhang Yan descended from the clouds and settled himself steadily on an empty stone, clasping his hands and saying, "Zhang Yan greets the two Vice Masters."

Vice Master Pan rose and returned the courtesy with a smile, but Zhuang Bufan remained seated and sternly said, "Junior Brother Zhang, you’ve been summoned here because Senior Brother Xiao Zhu reported that you had a private duel with their clan disciple Xiao He. What do you have to say?"

Zhang Yan spread his sleeves and sat cross-legged on the stone. He glanced briefly at the Red-haired Daoist and smiled, saying, "Senior Brother Zhuang, this claim from Brother Xiao seems somewhat inaccurate. How could this be considered a private duel? Both Xiao He and I had signed a challenge letter."

Zhuang Bufan asked, "What is Xiao He’s condition now?"

Zhang Yan replied, "He is currently within the forbidden array of my Zhao You Heavenly Pond, entirely unharmed."

Zhuang Bufan followed up, "Where is the challenge letter?"

Zhang Yan reached into his sleeve, retrieved the letter, and handed it over.

Zhuang Bufan accepted it, glanced at it, and suddenly flicked a finger. The challenge letter immediately disintegrated into countless fragments. With an expressionless face, he said, "This challenge letter lacks the Zhengqing Institute’s official seal. It is an unauthorized agreement and thus irrelevant."

Vice Master Pan slightly furrowed his brows, while the Red-haired Daoist’s eyes flashed with joy.

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Zhang Yan merely smiled faintly, seemingly unperturbed.

Zhuang Bufan stood up and said in a deep voice, "Junior Brother Zhang, release Xiao He upon your return, and let this matter end here."

Though he harbored past grievances with Zhang Yan, the four Cave Heaven True Masters of the master-disciple lineage were currently in seclusion, and many of their disciples were also preparing for the grand competition three years later. As one of the Top Ten Disciples himself, Zhuang Bufan needed to focus on securing his rank and had no interest in meddling in such trivialities.

However, Zhuang Bufan was known as rigid and upright, enforcing sect rules without compromise. This time, the Xiao family had used the case of an alleged "private duel" to involve him, compelling him to adjudicate. As Vice Master of Zhengqing Institute, he was obligated to handle the matter, though it left him inwardly displeased.

He also understood that the Sect Leader had made him the Vice Master of Zhengqing Institute not for impartial justice but to leverage the institute as a tool against noble families. There was no justification for allowing the Xiao family to manipulate it for their purposes.

Moreover, with Zhang Yan having achieved first-class Elixir Formation and with the backing of Zhou Chongju, who was on good terms with the Sect Leader, any mishandling of this case could easily alarm several True Masters and spark a series of unforeseen complications. For that reason, Zhuang Bufan preferred to resolve the matter swiftly and simply.

The Red-haired Daoist felt slightly disappointed. He had initially hoped Zhuang Bufan would seize the opportunity to suppress Zhang Yan, but this outcome didn’t come as a complete surprise. As a disciple of the master-disciple lineage, Zhuang Bufan was unlikely to stand up for a noble family disciple over a fellow sect member. Consequently, the Red-haired Daoist was ultimately content with the result.

He thought to himself, "Both sides now take a step back, and we can consider this matter to have never happened. The clan will likely not penalize Xiao He too harshly."

Vice Master Pan glanced around and sighed inwardly. Although he also believed that further escalation would lead to a difficult resolution, he recognized that Zhuang Bufan’s decision was still unfair to Zhang Yan.

Among the many low-level disciples, Zhang Yan had long been admired as someone unafraid to confront Xuanmen noble families head-on. His courage inspired many followers. This time, if Xiao He, who had instigated the conflict by bringing people to Zhang Yan’s door, could walk away unscathed, the news would likely damage Zhang Yan’s hard-earned reputation.