A low groan escaped Fang Jinyan’s lips as he stirred, blood crusted on the corner of his mouth.
His vision blurred, but the sharp ache that pulsed through every bone in his body told him he was still alive.
(Was it… a dream?)
That thought flickered through his foggy mind.
But then—he turned his head slightly and saw the chaos around him.
Cracks ran across the once-pristine jade tiles of the Cloud Pavilion, broken fragments littering the steps like shattered glass. Dust still floated in the air.
His robes were torn, his Qi in disarray, and pain radiated from his chest with every breath.
(No… not a dream!)
The cold fear of reality began to sink in—and then he saw him.
Bai Zihan!
Descending the pavilion steps like a stroll through a garden, his hands clasped behind his back, his robes fluttering ever so slightly in the breeze.
“Finally woke up!”
Fang Jinyan’s eyes widened in panic.
“No… no, no!”
He gasped, trying to crawl backward.
Every movement sent pain shooting through his limbs, but he didn’t care.
He had to get away.
Bai Zihan’s presence now felt suffocating, like a mountain pressing down on his soul.
“Y-You… stay back!”
Fang Jinyan croaked hoarsely.
Then—he spotted Kong Zhanhong not far off.
A flicker of hope ignited in his heart.
He reached out a trembling hand.
“Zhanhong… Help me! We can take him down together!”
Kong Zhanhong stared at Fang Jinyan as if looking at a clown.
(Idiot! Did he already forget how he got beaten up?)
Fang Jinyan’s voice rose, fueled by desperation.
“He’s just one man! He can’t take both of us! I will even give you 5 Golden Essence Pills.”
Kong Zhanhong shook his head in dismay.
“Ahaha… Head Disciple Fang, I think you might’ve hit your head a bit too hard.”
Fang Jinyan’s pupils contracted.
“W-What?”
Kong Zhanhong took a careful step back, sweat beading on his brow.
“You see,” he said cautiously, “Young Master Bai and I were just discussing that… well, your sword—Whispering Frost, right? That’s from Shen Liang’s collection, isn’t it?”
Fang Jinyan’s heart dropped.
“You…”
“You sold me out?!”
He hissed, disbelief and fury contorting his battered face.
“Tch! Who told you to go against Young Master Bai? You are lucky that the young master decided to show mercy on you.”
Kong Zhanhong said with a grin, quickly backing away to stand behind Bai Zihan.
Fang Jinyan realized with a sinking heart that Kong Zhanhong had already switched sides—and was now shamelessly currying favor with Bai Zihan.
Bai Zihan stopped and turned, finally giving Fang Jinyan his full attention again.
He raised an eyebrow.
“Oh? You want to fight me again?”
Fang Jinyan’s face turned deathly pale.
His lips moved, but no words came out.
He had seen death before—but never had it felt this close.
Bai Zihan walked slowly toward him, each step echoing across the shattered pavilion like a death knell.
Fang Jinyan’s breath quickened.
He needed to find a way out—fast.
But in his current state, escape on foot was impossible.
And with Kong Zhanhong having already betrayed him, he was on his own.
Call for help? The pavilion was already deserted—no one would hear him. And even if someone did… would he still be alive by the time they arrived?
A cruel gleam flickered in Bai Zihan’s eyes as he approached the fallen Fang Jinyan.
He stopped just a few paces away, looking at Fang Jinyan.
Bai Zihan then reached into his sleeve and retrieved a small, jet-black pill.
Its surface shimmered faintly with a pungent gleam, and even from a distance, it exuded a sinister, almost corrosive Qi.
Fang Jinyan’s instincts screamed at him to back away—but before he could move, Bai Zihan stepped forward, knelt slightly, and forced the pill into his mouth with practiced ease.
“Wai—mmph!”
Fang Jinyan gagged, trying to spit it out, but Bai Zihan flicked a finger and sealed his Qi.
The pill melted down his throat in an instant.
Then came the pain.
An earth-shattering, marrow-deep, soul-wrenching pain.
“AAAAHHHH!”
Fang Jinyan screamed.
His body arched off the ground as if struck by lightning. Veins bulged across his skin.
His Qi flared wildly before turning inward, thrashing and convulsing like a beast in a cage.
“AAAAAARGH—!!”
He clawed at his chest, his throat, the ground—anything to anchor himself as he writhed in agony.
Kong Zhanhong flinched and backed even further away.
Even he hadn’t expected this.
It was like watching someone be slowly torn apart from the inside out.
Looking at Bai Zihan, he once again realized just how wise his earlier decision to submit had been.
Otherwise, it might very well be him screaming in agony alongside Fang Jinyan.
Just watching a single pill bring a Golden Core cultivator to his knees in seconds, Kong Zhanhong knew—it had to be at least a Grade-3 poison pill.
Bai Zihan stood there, utterly unfazed by Fang Jinyan’s screams.
There was no need to show mercy to someone who dared to harm him.
“P-Please…”
Fang Jinyan stammered.
“Spare me. Please, I will do everything you say!”
But Bai Zihan wasn’t interested and just kept staring at Fang Jinyan who was pleading for help.
After a few moments, he retrieved a second pill—this one shimmering with a faint golden hue—and tossed it toward Fang Jinyan.
“Swallow it!”
Fang Jinyan obviously hesitated.
After all, the last pill had brought him unimaginable pain.
This one might very well send him straight to the afterlife.
“Unless you don’t want the pain to stop?”
Bai Zihan added.
Fang Jinyan didn’t hesitate any longer.
The agony clawing through his body was too much that a sliver of hope is all he needed to obey.
He shoved the pill into his mouth with trembling hands, coughing and choking, eyes bloodshot and overflowing with tears.
The pain dulled—slowly.
His breathing steadied, but the agony lingered like a burning coal buried in his gut.
“W-What did you do to me?”
He croaked, barely able to speak.
Bai Zihan crouched beside him, voice low and menacing.
“It’s called the Thousand Vein Parasite Pill,” he said softly.
“An exquisite little poison that binds to your meridians, your bones and your muscles.”
Fang Jinyan trembled.
“What I gave you was a remedy which can help suppress the poison for three days after which it will resurface.”
“What?”
Fang Jinyan realized he hadn’t been given the antidote yet—and the pain still lingered, coiled deep within his body like a sleeping beast.
If he were to suffer that agony again, he might very well lose his mind.
“What do you want from me?”
Fang Jinyan asked with fear in his voice.
Bai Zihan stood up, casually brushing dust from his robes.
“I want you to become my eyes and ears,” he said simply.
“A loyal little spy, sitting beside Shen Liang. You’ll smile, flatter, obey—and report everything
back to me. Won’t you?”
Bai Zihan’s gaze was calm, yet cold.
Fang Jinyan hesitated.
After all, going against Shen Liang was no easy task. If he was ever found out, it could mean death.
But then he remembered the pain—mind-shattering, soul-wrenching pain.
Compared to that, betraying Shen Liang didn’t seem nearly as terrifying.
“Yes! I’ll do as you say!”
Fang Jinyan agreed, his voice trembling.
“Oh, and Fang Jinyan…”
Bai Zihan said, turning back with a faint smile.
Fang looked up weakly.
“Why don’t you give me a brief summary of your deal with Shen Liang?”