Chapter 1421: Ingrate

"Did you successfully kill Fengxi?" Yun Jianyue asked, skeptically. "I heard it was Yi who killed him."

They had personally experienced Fengxi's power; how could an ordinary hunter have defeated him?

The muscular man replied, "Yi is my master."

Everyone was speechless. They were genuinely surprised; this person was actually Yi's apprentice?

"What exactly happened?" Zu An eagerly asked for details.

Seeing that Zu An had no intention of continuing his attack, the muscular man, who introduced himself as Pang Meng, finally explained: "Yi is indeed my master. Years ago, I had long heard of his great reputation and traveled thousands of miles to seek him out as my teacher. My master was eventually moved by my sincerity and agreed to take me as his disciple, teaching me the art of archery. Later, he even took me along to eliminate dangers for the people. I was with him when he dealt with Fengxi back then."

"During the pursuit and killing of Fengxi, I accidentally absorbed some of his demonic energy. Initially, there was nothing unusual, but later I gradually became demonized and eventually transformed into Fengxi's appearance. Ashamed to face my master and worried about harming ordinary people, I fled and hid in the mulberry forest."

Zu An frowned, "Didn't your master try to help you?"

"I was too ashamed to see him, and I deliberately avoided him at first. Later, I heard something happened to him. My consciousness was also gradually taken over by Fengxi's demonic energy, and I fell into a daze. I don't remember anything after that," Pang Meng replied.

The others immediately recalled the black mist that occasionally emanated from Fengxi during their recent fight. Was that the so-called demonic energy?

"Something happened to Yi?" Zu An sharply noted the implication in his words.

"I don't know what happened to my master; I could barely protect myself," Pang Meng said plaintively. "Thankfully, you brave warriors eliminated Fengxi's demonic energy today, which gave me a chance to see the light again. I will repay your immense kindness, even if it takes me a lifetime as an ox or a horse."

Zu An retorted irritably, "I don't plough fields, so why would I need you as an ox or a horse?"

Pang Meng was speechless. He was at a loss for words, wondering why this person wasn't playing by the rules.

"That lustful appearance of the giant wild boar just now, was that still you after all?" Yun Jianyue frowned. For some reason, she instinctively disliked the thought of his earlier form.

Pang Meng quickly protested, "You're mistaken! The demonic energy of Fengxi was in control just now; I didn't know what was happening. If I offended the immortal maiden in any way, I hope she won't take offense."

Yun Jianyue raised an eyebrow, surprised that she would one day be called an 'immortal maiden.' No wonder that 'Ice Stone Woman' was so smug normally; this feeling was quite pleasant. Zu An, meanwhile, asked, "Please tell us about your master. We're very curious. What kind of person is he?"

"My master is a great hero of the human race, exceptionally skilled in archery, and known as the foremost archer in the world. In his early days, he was favored by the Heavenly Emperor, who bestowed upon him the Scarlet Bow and White Arrows, making him invincible. Later, when Emperor Yao ascended the throne, ten suns appeared, and various ferocious beasts ran rampant across the land. Emperor Yao then sought out my master."

"Because the ten suns were the Heavenly Emperor's sons, my master initially refused. The Heavenly Emperor had been gracious to him, recognizing his talent. However, seeing the suffering of the people, he had no choice but to set aside personal gratitude and agree to act, using the Scarlet Bow and White Arrows granted by the Heavenly Emperor to shoot down nine Golden Crows in the sky..."

Zu An frowned slightly, as he had heard most of this before. He took the opportunity to ask, "Who exactly is this Heavenly Emperor you speak of?"

"The Heavenly Emperor is, naturally, the Heavenly Emperor! He is the sovereign of the celestials in heaven, the most noble and powerful being above and below," Pang Meng said, his tone full of envy, as if he yearned for the same prestige. "However, my rank is too low; I have never had the chance to meet the Heavenly Emperor."

"I once curiously asked my master about the Heavenly Emperor, but he became very angry at the time," Pang Meng sighed. "I suppose he must have been deeply saddened to have personally killed the sons of his benefactor. Since then, everyone around my master knows it's a taboo subject, and no one dares to ask about it anymore."

"Who else was around your master, besides you?" Yan Xuehen asked, noting his choice of words.

Seeing her exquisite beauty, Pang Meng's eyes widened in admiration, but he quickly lowered his gaze and replied, "My master has always been a solitary figure; great heroes are often lonely. Fortunately, his wife was there to accompany him."

"His wife?" The group was taken aback.

"My master's wife is the Saintess of the Chang clan, extremely beautiful... *cough* *cough*. I heard they initially became acquainted through a confrontation, but over time, as they spent more and more time together, feelings gradually developed, and they eventually united, living very much in love."

"But I doubt their relationship was that good," Yun Jianyue snorted. "Chang'e ultimately ate the elixir and ascended to heaven alone, leaving Yi behind, forever separated by the divide between mortals and immortals."

At this, Pang Meng's expression subtly shifted, but he ultimately didn't refute it. "You can't really blame her; few can resist the temptation of becoming an immortal."

Yu Yanluo gazed at Zu An with tender affection, thinking to herself that she would never do such a thing.

Yan Xuehen also instinctively looked towards Zu An. Noticing Yu Yanluo's expression, she recoiled as if shocked, wondering what was wrong with her and why she was having such wild thoughts.

Yun Jianyue also subconsciously felt she couldn't do such a thing, but then she thought, *I don't even have a lover, so why am I bothering with these worries?*

Next, Zu An asked more questions about Yi, but he found that Pang Meng didn't know much beyond matters concerning his master and master's wife.

As if sensing Zu An's dissatisfaction, Pang Meng apologized, "Mainly, I didn't spend much time with my master. He's also a man of few words, constantly traveling and eliminating threats for the people, rarely having any free time. After I was infected by Fengxi's demonic energy, I knew even less."

Seeing that he had said almost everything he could, and considering he had become demonized in the first place while trying to protect the people, there was no need to annihilate him now that he had returned to normal.

So, Zu An and the others released him from the grand formation. Zu An asked, "What are your plans now?"

"I don't know," Pang Meng replied, his voice tinged with sadness. "This world seems different from what I remember, and I don't know how long I can remain in my current state."

Zu An fell silent. After all, Pang Meng was not an immortal and hadn't consumed the elixir of immortality. His survival until now was likely due to Fengxi's demonic energy. Now that the demonic energy had been dispersed, his time was probably short.

"Are you planning to continue forward? Ahead lies Dongting Great Marsh, which is the territory of the Xiu Snake. That creature is incredibly fierce and highly venomous, so please be extremely careful," Pang Meng then roughly described the characteristics of the Xiu Snake.

After thanking him, the group parted ways. Zu An sighed, "This time went fairly smoothly. I hope the Xiu Snake won't be as difficult to deal with."

Yan Xuehen looked at Yu Yanluo: "Since it's a snake clan, Sister Yu should be able to communicate well with it, right?"

Yu Yanluo's face flushed. "I'll do my best to try."

Zu An looked curiously at Yun Jianyue: "What's wrong, Sister Yun? Why have you been so quiet since earlier?"

"I don't like that man from earlier. The way he looked at me wasn't right. I just feel he has ill intentions," Yun Jianyue said.

Yan Xuehen's expression was peculiar: "With you looking like that... like that... whose gaze would be 'right'? Even Zu An..."

Just then, a faint, blurry voice suddenly echoed in their minds: "Be careful!"

A strong sense of alarm rose within the group. They turned back to see Pang Meng with his bow drawn, an arrow aimed directly at them. Realizing he had been spotted, he immediately released the string, and a volley of sharp arrows shot towards them, each one like a meteor, arriving instantly before them.

Feeling the exaggerated speed and terrifying aura of the arrows, the group could roughly understand the despair the Golden Crows must have felt back then.

Pang Meng's archery truly lived up to the authentic teachings of Yi!