Jiang Chen?
The name stirred something in the heart of the Zither Demon Sect Master. At his level of cultivation, nothing he heard ever slipped his memory. What's more, the Chiding Emperor had personally spoken this very name.
Yet the Zither Demon Sect Master remembered clearly—this boy was supposed to be at Illusory Wave Mountain. Could the intelligence be wrong?
For a moment, an irrepressible surge of excitement welled up inside him.
"Your name is Wang Han, isn't it? You're certain this Jiang Chen is inside the Myriad Phenomena Extreme Realm?" The Zither Demon Sect Master was advanced in years, yet his heart now churned with agitation.
This Jiang Chen was someone the Chiding Emperor himself had personally ordered captured. To apprehend him, the Emperor had dispatched his most trusted subordinates along with the Zhalong and Liusha Sects—the strongest among the fourth-rank sects—to Illusory Wave Mountain. Simply put, the entire operation had been mounted to capture Jiang Chen.
That showed just how much the Emperor valued this one boy.
If Jiang Chen fell into his hands, what a tremendous merit that would be!
In that instant, the Zither Demon Sect Master no longer cared about the Danshan Palace or any of the other tangled mess. His focus had narrowed to a single target: Jiang Chen.
Wang Han was shrewd at reading people. Seeing the Sect Master's tone grow grave, he hastened to say, "My Lord, this is absolutely true. At first, everyone believed Jiang Chen was still inside Illusory Wave Mountain. Who would have thought this kid would be so peculiar—he found a gap in the mountain's formation and located an exit. This fellow always seems to stumble into absurd luck."
Hearing this, the Zither Demon Sect Master was already seventy or eighty percent convinced.
Good, good, good—this was simply wonderful. Truly a case of searching the whole world in worn-out boots, only to find what you wanted without lifting a finger.
He patted Wang Han on the shoulder. "Your name is Wang Han, correct? You're quite something. He who understands the times is a wise man. I'm inclined to take you as my disciple. You know what you ought to do?"
Wang Han's face lit up with joy. "Disciple Wang Han greets his Master!"
The man was remarkably quick-witted. He dropped to his knees and kowtowed without a moment's hesitation. After completing the formal ceremony, Wang Han thumped his chest. "Master, your disciple is willing to lead the way personally to the Myriad Phenomena Extreme Realm and hunt down Jiang Chen!"
The Zither Demon Sect Master laughed heartily. "Good, good—that's exactly what I wanted to hear."
Under normal circumstances, when the Myriad Phenomena Extreme Realm's seal was shut, the Zither Demon Sect Master might not have been able to break it. Even forcing his way in would have cost him dearly—clearly not worth the price.
But the Myriad Phenomena Extreme Realm opened for nine days every thirty years. These days fell precisely within that window. Entering now would cost absolutely nothing.
"Heh heh—Brother Zither Demon, congratulations."
"Who would have thought Brother Zither Demon would actually develop a taste for taking disciples?"
The black-robed Sect Master Xing of the Qitian Sect and the gold-robed Sect Master Fu of the Golden Talisman Sect both stepped forward to offer their congratulations. Sect Master Leng of the Bamboo Joint Sect, however, sat with a dark expression, saying nothing.
The Zither Demon Sect Master said coolly, "From now on, this Wang Han is my personal disciple. You'll want to stop looking at him through your old eyes."
"Of course. Nephew Wang, congratulations. To have earned Brother Zither Demon's favor—you've truly been fortunate. He who understands the times is a wise man, after all!"
"Nephew Wang, you've just taken on a new master. You'd best do your best to earn merit for him."
Seeing that even these two Imperial Realm powerhouses were addressing him with such courtesy, Wang Han's heart swelled with elation. He felt he had made the most brilliant decision of his life.
This scene left the people from the Myriad Phenomena Region dumbstruck. Those with fiery tempers began hurling insults.
"Betraying your own to join the enemy—have you no shame!"
"Wang Han, you've completely disgraced the Wang family name and thrown away every shred of the Sacred Sword Palace's honor!"
Some even directed their mockery straight at Wang Jianyu. "Wang Jianyu, so this is your fine grandson?"
Wang Jianyu's face was grim. At this point, there was nothing left for him to say.
Wang Han, meanwhile, transmitted a voice message to the Zither Demon Sect Master. "Master, for your disciple to be accepted under your distinguished guidance is the fortune of three lifetimes. There are still some in the Sacred Sword Palace who possess considerable bravery. Your disciple is willing to serve you by recruiting them to join our Baoqin Sect."
Wang Han didn't care much for the others, but Wang Jianyu was his own grandfather. He naturally couldn't simply abandon the man—that would become a stain on him for life.
Leaving one sect to climb to a higher one was common enough in the martial world.
The Zither Demon Sect Master smiled faintly. "You are my disciple, so naturally I'll give you one chance. How many you can persuade depends entirely on your own ability. However, you must remember that this sect demands absolute loyalty. Once someone joins our Baoqin Sect, there can be no scheming or divided loyalties—or else…"
"Rest assured, Master. He who understands the times is a wise man. And if they don't understand the times, then they simply don't know what's good for them!" Wang Han turned to Wang Jianyu. "Sect Master, I have pleaded on everyone's behalf. Those of the Sacred Sword Palace who wish to defect may step over to this side. Remember—to defect means offering complete and unwavering loyalty. Those with divided hearts need not bother. There is only one chance. I will count to ten, and anyone who hasn't come over by then will be considered an enemy of our Baoqin Sect—to be killed without mercy!"
Wang Han kept saying "our Baoqin Sect," and each instance made the people from the Myriad Phenomena Region's scalps tingle with rage as they hurled curse after curse.
Clearly, Wang Han's shameless behavior had thoroughly disgusted everyone.
"Wang Jianyu, go on—go kiss up to your grandson's filthy feet!"
"Disgusting. The Sacred Sword Palace is nothing but a nest of cowards!"