It's understandable that Xu Xiao suspected him of having ulterior motives; with Xu Xiao's cunning, many things required careful planning.
"Don't worry, I have no ulterior motives, and I will protect Xu Fengnian. Don't try to guess who sent me either; there's no such thing," Zhou Yan replied.
Xu Xiao knew that if Zhou Yan had intended to kill Xu Fengnian, he would have done so long ago. He wanted to understand Zhou Yan, and from Zhou Yan's tone, he had a general idea.
"Fengnian mentioned you could defeat Old Huang? You beat Old Huang?" Xu Xiao was greatly surprised. He had never imagined Zhou Yan was so powerful.
Nodding, Zhou Yan replied, "Defeating Old Huang wasn't difficult, but it's a pity that Old Huang's trip to the East Sea is a sure death."
Xu Xiao nodded upon hearing this and said, "This is Old Huang's chosen path; no one can stop him."
"But I know no one wants him to die, and neither do I. Therefore, I won't let him die," Zhou Yan said.
"What! You have a way to save Old Huang!" Xu Xiao naturally didn't want Old Huang to die, but he couldn't think of anyone who could save him.
"That's Wang Xianzhi. Do you have a way to rescue Old Huang from his clutches?" Xu Xiao looked at Zhou Yan in shock, finding his words hard to believe.
"If you don't want Old Huang to die, tell me when he's close to Wudi City," Zhou Yan said mysteriously, not elaborating further.
This made Xu Xiao even more curious about Zhou Yan. However, he truly didn't want Old Huang to meet misfortune. He then stood up, cupped his hands towards Zhou Yan, and said, "I'll entrust Old Huang's matter to you."
Zhou Yan nodded in agreement, and Xu Xiao left immediately.
Although Xu Xiao still didn't know Zhou Yan's true identity, he saw that Zhou Yan was beneficial and harmless to Beiliang. Following this, Xu Xiao began to make further arrangements.
Next, Xu Fengnian was to undergo his capping ceremony. Afterward, Xu Xiao informed Xu Fengnian that he had sent Xu Longxiang to Wudang, which naturally caused Xu Fengnian's dissatisfaction.
Then, Xu Fengnian found Zhou Yan and asked him to be his guard on the way to Wudang. However, Nangong Pushi asked, "Your father didn't agree to this, did he?"
"This is my own business; Xu Xiao doesn't need to know. Zhou Yan, you are my brother; you must help me with this," Xu Fengnian looked at Zhou Yan.
"Don't worry, I'm not afraid of offending Xu Xiao. However, Nangong, you shouldn't come. It's not convenient for you to get involved," Zhou Yan said.
Nangong Pushi nodded. She indeed wouldn't help with this matter but didn't obstruct Zhou Yan.
With Zhou Yan, Xu Fengnian naturally wouldn't seek Lao Kui's help. He then took the token, released Ning Emei, and with Jiang Ni's assistance, mounted a horse and rode out of the city.
Everything was proceeding according to Xu Xiao's plan; Zhou Yan was well aware of this and didn't expose it.
After leaving the city, Chen Zhibao also pursued them and conveyed Xu Xiao's message: Xu Fengnian could go to Wudang, but Ning Emei and Chu Lushan had to stay behind. Xu Fengnian had no choice but to agree.
Upon arriving at Wudang, Xu Fengnian's first act was to beat Hong Xixiang. Hong Xixiang lay on the ground, not daring to fight back.
The reason Xu Fengnian beat Hong Xixiang was that Hong Xixiang had abandoned Xu Fengnian's sister years ago, leaving her with regret. Hong Xixiang himself was also helpless, as it was Xu Xiao's decision back then, and he dared not refuse.
Although Xu Fengnian desperately wanted to take his brother away, after Wang Chonglou's guidance, he calmed down and realized the difficulty of the situation.
Xu Fengnian then stayed at Wudang. Later, Jiang Ni also ascended the mountain. Subsequently, Zhao Xituan, the Heavenly Master of Longhu Mountain, also arrived, threatening to take Xu Longxiang away.
Upon hearing that Zhao Xituan wanted his brother, Xu Fengnian's killing intent surged. He quickly asked Zhou Yan, "Can you kill this Zhao Xituan?"
"There's no need. We just need to ask him for his reasons," Zhou Yan said.
Following this, Zhao Xituan explained that Jian Jiuhuang had sent him.
However, Zhou Yan soon saw Lao Kui arriving. Lao Kui brought a message from Xu Xiao to Zhou Yan, saying, "Old Huang is nearing Wudi City."
Although Lao Kui wasn't entirely sure what this message meant to Zhou Yan, Zhou Yan understood it quickly. He then said to Lao Kui, "I'll leave Xu Fengnian's safety to you from now on."
"I promised Jian Jiuhuang to protect Xu Fengnian, and I will keep my word," Lao Kui replied.
Then, to Lao Kui's astonishment, Zhou Yan unfurled his Yin-Yang Wings and soared into the sky, disappearing into the clouds.
"This, this..." Lao Kui's eyes widened as he watched the vanished Zhou Yan. "Who exactly is this guy?"
Zhou Yan's speed was incredibly fast, like lightning. After an hour of flight, he had already reached Wudi City, just in time to witness the scene of swordsmanship soaring above Wudi City, with Jian Jiuhuang and Wang Xianzhi locked in battle.
As the two fought fiercely, no one dared to approach, for fear of being killed by their powerful inner energy.
Old Huang and Wang Xianzhi battled for a long time before Old Huang finally succumbed to exhaustion and sat on the city wall, looking as if his end was near.
Zhou Yan immediately flew to the city wall, surprising Wang Xianzhi. He looked at Zhou Yan, who had grown a pair of wings, with confusion, wondering how this person had grown them.
"Zhou Yan, it's you," Old Huang said, seeing Zhou Yan, and burst into laughter, though his face was pale, his life force rapidly fading.
"Don't worry, with me here, you old fogey won't die even if you want to," Zhou Yan said to Old Huang. If Old Huang died, that would truly be a regret for him.
Zhou Yan took out a pill and fed it to Old Huang. Old Huang was greatly astonished, feeling the injuries within his body stabilize. His failing body regained its vitality.
This greatly shocked Old Huang. He thought he was on the verge of death, but Zhou Yan had pulled him back from the brink.
Wang Xianzhi was also stunned, not expecting such a miraculous medicine to exist in the world. He truly had underestimated the people of the world.
"What kind of immortal elixir is this? It's so powerful. I feel much better," Old Huang said, genuinely shocked.
But Zhou Yan looked at Wang Xianzhi and said, "I would like to ask for a favor from Immortal Master Wang."
"What favor?" Wang Xianzhi, clad in white, appeared like a celestial swordsman descending to the mortal realm.
"Announce to the world that Jian Jiuhuang is dead," Zhou Yan stated his request.
This left Jian Jiuhuang perplexed, as he couldn't quite grasp Zhou Yan's intention.
"Why should I help you?" Wang Xianzhi replied.
"Simply because I can fight you to a draw," Zhou Yan answered.
Wang Xianzhi chuckled and said, "You are young and have boundless potential. If you were to say this in a few more years, I would naturally believe you. But now, you are likely still a bit short."
"How will you know if you don't try!" Zhou Yan was extremely confident, and he possessed the strength to challenge Wang Xianzhi.
Even if he couldn't defeat Wang Xianzhi, he was confident he could maintain an undefeated position.