Wei Zifu cupped his hands in thanks.

Zhou Jing waved his hand and asked, "I see that the female Daoist is covered in evil and turbid air, so I know that Priest Wei is not lying. Since you agreed to help, you naturally won't go back on your word. However, can you win against that person?"

Wei Zifu stroked his beard and smiled,

"I can't say that I'm 100% sure, but I still have an 80% chance of winning. This Daoist's spells are all orthodox, so I'm not afraid of revealing them in public. However, Mei Zhanqing's evil techniques are not presentable, so she has many scruples. Under this situation, it's very difficult for her to defeat me. The public duel set by the Perfected One is really a blatant scheme."

Zhou Jing did not comment. He paused for a moment before saying, "That Mei Zhanqing will not wait for death. She will definitely make some preparations in the next three days. Daoist Wei, it's better to be careful."

Wei Zifu nodded, then asked in confusion, "In that case, why did you let her leave just now?"

"I have my own plans. Although you and I know her background, in the eyes of others, it's just our side of the story. If we forcefully detain her, it will cause criticism. Only by revealing her sorcery in public can we confirm this matter."

Zhou Jing smiled and explained casually.

This was only one of the reasons, but it was not convenient to tell him the real meaning. If Mei Zhanqing was unwilling to sit back and wait for death and caused trouble, it would be walking straight into his scheme.

He had already taken a stand this time, choosing to stand on Wei Zifu's side.

Not only was it to have the reputation of eliminating demons and protecting the righteous, but it was also because Wei Zifu was a righteous cultivator and could walk in the martial world openly. He had connections in the world of spell techniques. If he helped this person, this person would become famous as well, becoming a credible source to confirm his "Natural Dao" realm.

However, it would not be good for him if he helped Mei Zhanqing. This person was a street rat who could not hide her tail properly and could not even take care of herself. How could she help him become famous? Moreover, she had a lot of dark history and would even cause him backlash for no reason.

After all, Mei Zhanqing's evil technique qi energies was too obvious in the eyes of those who knew how to observe Qi. They could tell from afar that she was not a good person.

Although he did not know what whimsical scheme Mei Zhanqing had come to look for him, to him, the best choice was to use her as a stepping stone and use her evil name to establish his "righteous" image.

"What a pity. I really want to see her 'plucking flower art'..."

(TL Note: "Plucking flower" is a term used more for men who steal the flowers or virginity of women, but in this case I used it to make it easier to understand. Not that you dirty-minded people needed assistance, amirite... :> )

Zhou Jing smacked his lips as his thoughts ran wild.

...

On the other side, Zhang Wentao and the others returned to the residence.

"Scholar Iron Heart, don't worry. My Zhang family has our own plans for the battle in three days."

Zhang Wentao cupped his hands.

"Then I'll have to trouble you." Mei Zhanqing's expression was dark as she forced himself to return the greeting.

This time, she had witnessed Perfected Master Windwalker methods in person. This Wind Summoning Technique that he had was really sharp, and could actually cause such a huge commotion. It was really a rare offensive technique.

After experiencing it personally, Mei Zhanqing was certain that she was definitely not a match for him.

To have a duel set in three days by an outsider naturally made Mei Zhanqing angry and flustered. She really did not have the confidence to fight this battle and was worried.

After leaving the Ye family, Mei Zhanqing had been considering if she should abandon the Zhang family and run away.

Only a fool would really wait for three days!

However, on the way back, Zhang Wentao deliberately instructed the guards to protect her. Although it was called protection, it actually turned into an encirclement, causing Mei Zhanqing's plan to fail.

How could she not know that the Zhang family was already suspicious and had been threatened by Perfected Master Windwalker's methods? That was why they changed their attitude and watched over her instead. She could only helplessly follow them back to the Zhang family before scheming once again.

As for the idea of cooperating with Zhou Jing, it was no longer feasible.

When Mei Zhanqing saw Zhou Jing's attitude, she knew that this person really planned to use her as an example. Moreover, the other party's cultivation was so profound, it was unlikely that he would agree to join forces with her... After all, she still had too few chips.

"In the next three days, I'll find an opportunity to escape from the Zhang family and leave Ning Tian... I'll also make a backup plan. If I don't escape, I have to be prepared on the day of the battle. Even if I lose, I can still escape..."

Mei Zhanqing secretly calculated as she returned to the bamboo hut under the watch of the Zhang family.

On the other side, Zhang Wentao went straight to the head of the Zhang family and reported in detail.

When the head of the Zhang family heard this, he frowned and said in a suspicious tone, "Scholar Iron Heart indeed has an extraordinary cultivation. She also claims to be good at feng shui and geomancy, which is quite magical. However, Perfected Master Windwalker is so against her. Could it be that she's really a demon who changed her name?"

"I don't know either, but there must be a reason for everything. Perhaps they're all talking nonsense." As Zhang Wentao spoke, he hesitated for a moment before adding, "It's just that Perfected Master Windwalker is now slandering us. He says that our Zhang family colluded with a demonic cultivator to use a spell to harm the Old Master of the Ye family. These words are a huge blow to our Zhang family's reputation. How will those nobles think of us? How will our Zhang family stand in Ning Tian Prefecture in the future?"

"What you said makes sense as well." The head of the Zhang family pondered for a moment. "What are your plans?"

Zhang Wentao rolled his eyes for a bit before he suggested,

"In my opinion, no matter if Scholar Iron Heart is real or fake, don't let her take the risk to go on stage to fight. Because if she's really a demonic cultivator, if she's revealed on the stage, our Zhang family will really be in trouble... We might as well put on a show and let her escape before the battle."

The head of the Zhang family frowned and shook his head, "But Perfected Master Windwalker said that if this person can't go on stage to fight in three days, he will blame our Zhang family..."

Zhang Wentao's eyes flashed with anger as he spoke in a deep voice,

"Patriarch, choose the lesser of two evils. Don't tell me our Zhang family doesn't even dare to disobey the words of one Ling Fengzi? At the end of the day, he's just a Daoist with no power or influence. Although he has some magical methods, it's just that everyone buys his words. He can talk big now and say that he'll hold our Zhang family responsible, but actually, what can he do? He's just saying some ruthless words.

Our Zhang family has been based in Ning Tian Prefecture for many years. Our business route is prosperous, and our connections are intertwined. Our power is deep, and we are also a top figure in the area. Could it be that those business partners and influential families will cut off all contact with our Zhang family just because of a word from Ling Fengzi? Impossible. At most, they will coax Ling Fengzi on the surface and interact with us in private.

"In my opinion, those nobles have been flattering Ling Fengzi too much these past few days. He doesn't know his place anymore. He thinks too highly of himself and is arrogant!"

Patriarch Zhang's expression was uncertain. He was a little tempted, but also a little hesitant.

"I'm afraid this will make our Zhang family look guilty as well..."