"Fellow Daoist Yang, do you have a grudge against the White Buddha Temple?"
After a moment of hesitation, Pan Shi asked the question anyway.
Otherwise, how could he explain Yang An deliberately baiting a hook just to lure out a Demon Fiend and kill it in one fell swoop? It was clearly aimed at the White Buddha Temple.
Yang An was taken aback for a moment. He looked at Pan Shi. 'This man might know something.'
But he didn't know anything at all. He couldn't just admit he was doing it all to stay alive, could he? If he did, the cultivator persona he had just put on would be completely exposed.
Still, he managed to glean a bit of information from Pan Shi's words.
As a Cultivator, Pan Shi actually knew of the White Buddha Temple. Judging by his tone, it definitely wasn't an ordinary temple; it was most likely a Cultivation Sect as well.
'So, the reason Demon Fiends are appearing in Jiunan Town is really the White Buddha Temple's doing?'
"Not really. It was merely a coincidence."
With this new information, Yang An's mind raced, and he quickly replied.
'The less I say, the fewer mistakes I'll make. I should avoid revealing too much information. That way, it'll be harder for them to discover that I'm just an ordinary person.'
As for whatever Pan Shi might imagine, that was his own business.
All he could do now was put on an act. He had to make himself seem as mysterious as possible. The more enigmatic he was, the safer he would be.
Otherwise, even if these two weren't Demon Fiends, what if they were connected to the White Buddha Temple? A sudden backstab was more than he could handle.
Hearing Yang An's reply, Pan Shi was stunned for a moment before a wave of solemn respect washed over him.
'He truly is a disciple of a great Righteous Sect! He's always stayed true to the principle that Demon Fiends must be hunted down and killed. He acts when he must, without the slightest hesitation. Truly admirable!'
"My junior sister and I are traveling under our master's orders to attend the Communal Feast. Is Fellow Daoist Yang also heading there for the same reason?"
Pan Shi asked again.
Since Yang An wasn't targeting the White Buddha Temple, he must have left his seclusion for another purpose.
Appearing here at this particular time, the only thing Pan Shi could think of was the upcoming Communal Feast.
He just didn't know if Yang An was also here for the Communal Feast.
If they shared the same destination, they could travel together. With a Primordial Feeding Realm expert from a great Righteous Sect by their side, the journey would undoubtedly be much safer.
This was precisely why Pan Shi wanted to befriend Yang An, a desire that grew even stronger after witnessing Yang An's strength.
But to his surprise, Yang An looked completely puzzled.
"The Communal Feast? What's that?"
He genuinely didn't know anything about this, so there was no way to keep up the act. He might as well just ask directly.
If he forced himself to come up with an answer, it would only be full of holes.
"Fellow Daoist Yang, you don't know about the Communal Feast?"
Pan Shi was taken aback at first, but then he realized the problem was with his own question.
'He's a disciple from a Hidden Righteous Sect. It's perfectly normal for him not to know about the Communal Feast.'
Hidden Sects have long histories; it's not unusual for them to remain in seclusion for hundreds or even thousands of years. The Communal Feast, on the other hand, had only started to gain fame in recent years, drawing in Cultivators from all over.
For a Cultivator from one of these Hidden Sects who has just entered the world, not knowing about the Communal Feast was as normal as could be.
"This Communal Feast... is it very famous?"
Yang An asked, a little nervously. He tried his best to keep his expression from betraying him, posing the question casually as if he normally paid no mind to such matters.
"Please don't take offense, Fellow Daoist. It was presumptuous of me."
Pan Shi first apologized before explaining the Communal Feast to Yang An.
"The so-called Communal Feast was started over a decade ago, initiated by the Sanhe Mother Divination True Master of the Xiyue River. The Mother Divination True Master slew a Flood Dragon Demon in the Xiyue River. As this Flood Dragon held a great enmity with the True Master, she offered up the Flood Dragon Demon's physical body after its death, inviting Cultivators from all corners of the world to gather and feast upon it together!"
"Although a Flood Dragon Demon is a Demon Fiend, parts of its physical body are rare Heaven and Earth Spiritual Objects. Getting a share of it brings significant benefits to one's cultivation. Therefore, as soon as the news spread, Cultivators came from even a thousand miles away to participate."
"Afterward, to thank the Mother Divination True Master, many Cultivators offered up their unused Magical Artifacts and Spiritual Objects for her to choose from. However, the Mother Divination True Master didn't take a single thing. So as not to disappoint the kind intentions of the crowd, she proposed a method of trade, allowing everyone to barter for what they wanted in a fair exchange."
"This practice was preserved and continued under the name of the Communal Feast, held once a year in late spring."
"So, in essence, after more than a decade of evolution, the Communal Feast has become a famous trading fair. Cultivators from all over gather to trade for all sorts of useful items. Elixirs, Magical Artifacts, Cultivation Techniques, and Spiritual Objects are all available."
"However, in recent years, the Communal Feast has become a bit of a mixed bag. Many scoundrels have slipped in, causing a number of fellow daoists to be deceived. The event's reputation has been tarnished and is not what it once was."
"Fortunately, we heard that the Mother Divination True Master has acted again this year and captured another rare Flood Dragon Demon. Because of this, this year's Communal Feast has attracted many fellow daoists. My junior sister and I have come specifically for this, hoping to see if we can find anything good."
Hearing Pan Shi's explanation and seeing that he held no suspicion toward him, Yang An finally nodded in relief.
Pan Shi's words were easy to understand.
'So, to put it simply, isn't the Communal Feast basically an annual shopping festival for Cultivators?'
'Sounds like it.'
At this thought, Yang An's eyes lit up as an idea suddenly flashed through his mind.
Because of the Demon Fiend incident in Jiunan Town, which he could now judge was the White Buddha Temple's doing, staying here would likely attract even greater danger.
Yang An had already decided to leave Jiunan Town as soon as dawn broke.
'Isn't this a perfect coincidence?'
Since Pan Shi and his junior sister were also just passing through Jiunan Town on their way to the Communal Feast, why not take this opportunity to find an excuse to travel with them? He needed to leave Jiunan Town anyway, so it didn't matter where he went.
His identity as a Cultivator was fake, but Pan Shi was the real deal. Traveling with a genuine Cultivator would obviously be much safer. If they ran into danger, he could find a way to use Pan Shi's strength to his advantage—borrowing the tiger's might.
As long as he could get out of Jiunan Town's vicinity and reach a safe enough area, he could just find an excuse to part ways with them. He didn't need to go to any Communal Feast. Once his life was no longer in danger, the world would be his oyster.
'But what reason can I come up with to make these two agree to travel with me?'
Yang An began to rack his brain.
Just then, Pan Shi noticed that Yang An had fallen silent after hearing his explanation and hadn't responded.
Pan Shi grew a little nervous, thinking that Yang An looked down on this so-called Communal Feast.
After all, considering the profound heritage of Hidden Sects that have been in seclusion for thousands or even tens of thousands of years, it was perfectly reasonable for someone like him to look down on the items at the Communal Feast.
He could probably pull out any random item from his Sect and cause a sensation at the feast.
But he had already made a fool of himself in front of his junior sister. If all his efforts to cozy up to Yang An were met with a cold shoulder, and all he got was a brief chat without achieving his goal, he would lose a tremendous amount of face.
'That won't do!'
Seeing no reaction from Yang An, Pan Shi decided to just ask directly:
"Since you're not here for the White Buddha Temple, Fellow Daoist Yang, you must be out to gain some experience in the world. As you said, it's a matter of coincidence. The Communal Feast is just around the corner, so why not travel with us and check it out? You might even get a bowl of Flood Dragon Soup."
Pan Shi thought to himself: 'You might look down on the Magical Artifacts and Spiritual Objects for trade, but you can't possibly look down on the Flood Dragon Demon's physical body, can you?'
For a Primordial Feeding Realm Cultivator, the flesh of a Flood Dragon Demon was an absolutely top-tier treasure.
If Yang An even turned his nose up at that, then Pan Shi would truly be out of options.