Gu Zicheng looked like he was about to break into a sweat. He instinctively took a few steps back.
“I really don’t know, Junior Sister Zhu. Is there something wrong with the collar?”
“You really don’t know?” Zhu Mingyan stared directly at his face, watching every expression carefully. “You don’t know what’s wrong with this collar?”
“Junior Sister Zhu, I truly don’t know. When I took these collars out, the Sect Master looked at them himself. He confirmed they were fine before telling me to give them to you. After that, I placed them in the artifact box at the front counter. You came to collect them less than fifteen minutes later!” Gu Zicheng explained quickly.
“You know how many disciples come and go every day to collect artifacts. If someone handled them and tampered with them, I wouldn’t know!”
It seemed Gu Zicheng really had nothing to do with this matter.
With a dark expression, Zhu Mingyan asked,
“If it was Master’s request, why didn’t you store them separately? Why put them in that box?”
“Well… about that…” Gu Zicheng stammered. “Junior Sister Zhu, I can explain. I really can explain.”
“But could you let me go first?”
Only then did Zhu Mingyan realize she had already cornered him against the wall.
The room suddenly became quiet.
Outside the door, the voices of disciples trying to whisper could be heard clearly.
“I saw Senior Brother Gu being pinned against the wall!”
“Oh my heavens, I want to see too!”
Zhu Mingyan immediately let go and stepped back.
“Please explain, Senior Brother.”
While carefully watching her expression, Gu Zicheng hesitantly began speaking.
“Junior Sister Zhu, the Sect Master specifically told me to hand these things to you personally, so I prepared a separate box for them.”
“But not long after the Sect Master left, Junior Brother Guan from the Vice Sect Master’s faction came.”
“Junior Brother Guan? Guan Congnan?” Zhu Mingyan frowned. Why did everything seem connected to the Vice Sect Master?
“You know how it is. The Sect Master has been away from the sect often these past two years, so many matters are handled by the Vice Sect Master.”
Seeing that she did not interrupt, Gu Zicheng finally continued.
“We ordinary workers can’t afford to offend anyone. We really don’t want to get involved in the conflict between the Sect Master and the Vice Sect Master.”
“Junior Brother Guan asked whether the Sect Master had left anything for you. I honestly said, ‘Yes.'”
“Then he told me to take those items out and place them in the artifact box outside, saying it was the Vice Sect Master’s order.”
“I couldn’t afford to offend either side. And what he asked me to do didn’t violate any sect rules, so I followed his instructions.”
“Junior Sister Zhu, that’s the whole story!”
As she considered his words, Zhu Mingyan nodded.
“I understand. Thank you for telling me.”
Gu Zicheng carefully studied her expression and secretly sighed in relief. He was about to find an excuse to leave when Zhu Mingyan grabbed his sleeve again.
Outside the door, the two spying disciples had not left.
“Oh heavens, what’s Senior Sister Zhu doing now?!”
Gu Zicheng was equally alarmed.
“Junior Sister?”
“The Sect Master said you were supposed to hand these to me personally. Since there’s something wrong with these collars…” Zhu Mingyan shook the three collars in her hand and dropped them into his arms.
“Since you seem free today, please help me modify them.”
Then she leaned closer and lowered her voice.
“There’s something hidden on the inside of each collar. Please remove that as well.”
“Huh? What thing?”
“You’ll know when you look.”
“I’ll come back in three days to collect them. Please take care of it.”
She blinked and smiled.
Then she opened the door and started to leave. After a few steps, she turned back and added quietly,
“And don’t let a third person know.”
Gu Zicheng stood there in confusion, watching her leave.
Looking down at the collars in his hands, he felt like his whole world was collapsing.
After standing there for a long time, he finally accepted his fate and walked into the workshop.
…
After taking care of that important matter, Zhu Mingyan let out a sigh of relief and hurried back to Mingxi Forest to see Fuchuan.
Only four days remained before the secret realm opened.
She needed to train Fuchuan to the point where he could leave Mingxi Forest. After Gu Zicheng repaired the collars, she would also need to test them.
There was simply too much to do.
Three busy days passed.
Finally, it was time to collect the collars.
Zhu Mingyan got up early and rushed to Chengying Peak.
There were many disciples coming and going today. When she arrived at the Artifact Hall, she saw Gu Zicheng directing several younger disciples as they sorted artifacts. He was extremely busy.
She walked straight over and patted him on the shoulder.
“Senior Brother Gu, I’m here to collect my things.”
Gu Zicheng was so busy he did not even have time to look up.
He quickly told a nearby disciple,
“Take Junior Sister Zhu to the west room, number thirty-two.”
The disciple nodded and led Zhu Mingyan through several winding corridors.
After searching through shelves for a while, he finally handed her a sandalwood box.
“Senior Sister Zhu, please inspect the item.”
“Do I really have to open it here?” she asked.
The disciple nodded.
“Yes. If there’s any problem after you leave, it will be difficult to determine responsibility.”
Left with no choice, Zhu Mingyan opened the box and looked inside.
…
A short while later, she arrived at Mingxi Forest.
As expected, Fuchuan was already waiting for her.
She quietly put the collars away and, as usual, bent down to rub his head.
The barrier around Mingxi Forest was a secret technique unique to her master’s lineage. Ordinary people could not break it. That was why it could contain a powerful spirit beast like Fuchuan.
Following the method her master had taught her, Zhu Mingyan released several streams of spiritual power toward specific points.
The red wall of light immediately disappeared.
After being trapped behind the barrier for several days, Fuchuan seemed dazed by his sudden freedom. He looked around uncertainly.
Smiling, Zhu Mingyan reminded him,
“Fuchuan, the barrier is gone. You can try running around.”
Fuchuan was overjoyed.
He immediately sprinted away, racing through the forest three or four times before returning.
Then he sat neatly in front of Zhu Mingyan, looking obedient and eager to please.
To be fair, Fuchuan had been very well-behaved these past few days.
He had not attacked her again.
The only exception was when Ning Qiubai visited. He had growled fiercely a few times, but Zhu Mingyan had easily suppressed him.
She thought to herself that the secret realm would open tomorrow.
The collar was ready.
It was finally time to test it.
Zhu Mingyan took several deep breaths.
As if making a difficult decision, she awakened the dormant spirit fire inside her body.
The burning sensation spread through her entire body almost instantly.
The pain was unbearable.
She raised her right hand and released a stream of spirit fire into the open sky.
A fire dragon over three meters wide roared upward.
Above the dense forest canopy, it suddenly exploded with tremendous force.
The deafening blast echoed through the air, and even the ground of Huai’an Peak trembled slightly.
Countless sparks rained down onto the earth and leaves below.
Wherever they landed, waist-high flames erupted immediately.
Zhu Mingyan herself was not in good condition either.
She repeatedly chanted the Heart-Cleansing Mantra, forcibly suppressing the growing irritation and violence within her heart.