"Fuliansheng?" Qiusui Fuyan shook her head upon hearing the name. "I've had very little contact with people from the Remnant Night Demon Sect. Besides, after the Remnant Night Demon Sect collapsed, many of the influential figures who once dominated the Eastern Sea vanished without a trace, and the Four Great Protectors have been completely unaccounted for — they practically evaporated off the face of the world."
"However, I have heard someone mention in passing that the successors of the Four Great Protectors have already emerged, and they've arranged to meet two months from now at the Valley of Sin to settle things among themselves."
"The successors of the Four Great Protectors?" Chu Feng was taken aback.
"More precisely, the successors of three of the Four Great Protectors. After all, you — the successor of the foremost among them — clearly have no idea about the other three's arrangement." Qiusui Fuyan smiled. She could tell at a glance that as Qiu Canfeng's only disciple, Chu Feng was completely in the dark about all of this.
"This junior truly had no idea. I was on the Nine Provinces Continent all this time, and after arriving here I came straight to seek out Senior Qiusui. I know very little about the affairs of the Eastern Sea."
"Not just about this particular challenge — I don't even know who the other three protectors' successors are," Chu Feng admitted honestly.
"That's understandable. The Four Great Protectors of the Remnant Night Demon Sect were powerful, but they never got along. Knowing your Master's personality, he likely never told you about the affairs between them, much less about those three disciples."
"However, since you're looking for Fuliansheng, whether this information turns out to be true or not, I think it would be worth your while to head to the Valley of Sin two months from now. After all, Fuliansheng's disciple should know where their Master is," Qiusui Fuyan said.
"Mm, thank you for the guidance, Senior Qiusui. This information is incredibly important to me."
Chu Feng nodded. Fuliansheng was the key to saving his Master, Qiu Canfeng. And Qiu Canfeng possessed all the treasures of the Emperor's Burial — treasures that could enhance his cultivation and save Ziling.
So the most critical task of Chu Feng's journey to the Eastern Sea was finding Fuliansheng. Whether the Valley of Sin challenge was real or not, he had to go.
"Chu Feng, with what you've done at the Ethereal Immortal Peak, you're destined to make a name for yourself across the land. At the very least, your alias Wuqing will soon be known throughout the Eastern Sea."
"But this is a vast world, and all kinds of people inhabit it. Once word gets out that you obtained tremendous benefits from the Ethereal Immortal Peak, there will inevitably be those who harbor ill intentions toward you."
"Of course, you could use that mask of yours to change your appearance and adopt a new name, letting Wuqing simply disappear — a simple and effective way to dodge danger."
"But that isn't the best way to solve the problem. Running from danger is no solution. Only by confronting danger head-on can one truly grow." Qiusui Fuyan smiled.
"Senior Qiusui, it's not that I, Chu Feng, am afraid to show my true face or to face danger. The thing is, I have several very important friends back at the Four Seas Academy."
"I don't want to drag them into trouble because of me — that's why I've been hiding my identity. When the time is right, I will reveal who I am to the world. But that will only be when I can guarantee that no one will be able to harm them."
"As for the dangers lurking out there — they'll come whether I'm ready or not. I know that hiding my identity as well as I can won't make a difference, so after leaving here I'll continue to appear as Wuqing. My cultivation may still be weak, but if they want to come after me, it won't be so easy," Chu Feng replied.
"So that's how it is. Then it seems I misunderstood you. Actually, when I said all this, I wasn't trying to tell you to charge headlong into fights you can't win — that would be suicide and nothing more than a foolish move."
"I only wanted to teach you the importance of facing things head-on. But when you're up against something you truly can't withstand, it's perfectly fine to retreat. A true man should know when to bend and when to stand tall. Though, now that I've heard your reasons, it seems my advice was rather unnecessary after all."
Qiusui Fuyan smiled faintly. She had originally intended to impart some wisdom to Chu Feng, only to discover that he had his own compelling reasons. This left her feeling somewhat embarrassed, and she then did something that caught Chu Feng by surprise.