Chapter 21: Hidden Agendas

"You have the key to the Taiyuan Immortal Palace?" Lin Jiufeng asked, surprised, eyeing the Little Shura King suspiciously.

The Little Shura King was quite pleased with Lin Jiufeng's reaction. He smirked and said in a low voice, "The Taiyuan Immortal Palace throws out a batch of keys every five thousand years, and only those who possess the key can enter. This time, the five thousand years have passed, and the palace has thrown out a new batch of keys. Your Yasha Clan obtained one, which you cherish as a great treasure. It was originally meant for the new Yasha King, but it was stolen by the human Sword God. If you manage to get it back, it will be for the new Yasha King, not for someone like you, the Yasha Little King."

He was clearly trying to provoke the Yasha Little King.

The Yasha Little King, full of pride and arrogance, had always resented being overshadowed by the Yasha King. For years, he had been constantly held under the Yasha King's shadow, a bitter reminder of his own failure. His title, "Yasha Little King," was a painful reminder of his inferiority, especially when compared to the grandeur of the Yasha King. This was a topic Lin Jiufeng knew would strike a nerve.

Lin Jiufeng's expression shifted, his eyes turned sharp and angry as he growled, "Don't ever mention that person in front of me again!"

The Little Shura King, sensing an opportunity, pushed further, "That person and you—same background, same resources, same everything. Just because he got lucky and obtained an ancient inheritance, he's been stepping on you all this time. How can you bear that? Now, there's a chance right in front of you. If we can find that Sword God, kill him, and take the key to the Taiyuan Immortal Palace, I'll leave it for you. We can enter together, gain the inheritance of the immortals, and then you can finally become the Yasha King instead of being stuck as the Little King."

Lin Jiufeng knew exactly how the Yasha Little King would react, so he pretended to be tempted. He looked at the Little Shura King and asked, "You've gone to all this trouble, convincing me and offering me the key to the Taiyuan Immortal Palace. What's your real goal?"

The Little Shura King grinned, "Well, it's because we're brothers, right?"

Lin Jiufeng gave him a cold smile, not saying a word. Neither of them was fooled.

The Little Shura King continued without hesitation, "To open the Taiyuan Immortal Palace, at least two keys are needed to locate it. I have one, and if you get the other, we can activate the keys and find out where the palace is."

"Ah, I see!" Lin Jiufeng feigned understanding and nodded as though he believed the story.

In truth, he didn't trust the Little Shura King's words or motives, but he knew the Yasha Little King would be more than willing to buy into this. Raised with a sense of superiority and pride, he believed the Little Shura King couldn't fool him, and even if he did, he could handle it.

The Yasha Little King had always looked down on the Little Shura King, considering him a failure for never rising above his status. But that very arrogance had led him to see himself as the ultimate rival to the Yasha King. The Little Shura King, on the other hand, was far too eager to serve and submit to the Shura King, a humiliation that the Yasha Little King despised.

The Little Shura King, sensing that Lin Jiufeng was buying into the lie, couldn't help but laugh inwardly. "Foolish, gullible idiot. With just a few words, I've got him wrapped around my finger. No wonder he's always lost. He's been squashed under the Yasha King's heel his entire life, and yet still believes he's a threat."

The Little Shura King's plans were set. Once they found the Sword God, he would push the Yasha Little King into the fray, pretending to be an ally, while he sat back and watched the two destroy each other. Afterward, he would have both keys to the Taiyuan Immortal Palace, unlocking the path to immortal inheritance and power. He would then be ready to challenge the Shura King, a prize he had long coveted.

Both of them were playing dangerous games, hiding their true intentions behind friendly smiles.

"So, I'll join forces with you, but how do you plan to find the human Sword God?" Lin Jiufeng asked, feigning curiosity.

The Little Shura King proudly replied, "No matter how well that Sword God hides, he doesn't know that the keys to the Taiyuan Immortal Palace are linked, and they will give off a response."

Lin Jiufeng was taken aback. "You mean, the keys have some sort of reaction?"

The Little Shura King nodded, "If I hadn't sealed the key, everyone would know. But after I got it, I immediately sealed it. I haven't used it since, so no one can sense it."

Lin Jiufeng was secretly impressed. Compared to the Yasha Little King, the Little Shura King was clearly smarter.

"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's find the human Sword God. He's wounded, and now is the perfect opportunity," Lin Jiufeng said, imitating the Yasha Little King's eager personality.

The Little Shura King nodded, then took out a key from his storage space. It was about the size of an arm, pure white jade, etched with intricate cloud patterns. It looked stunning.

The key had been heavily sealed, and it was clear that the Little Shura King had gone to great lengths to prevent others from knowing he possessed it.

As the seals were lifted, the key emitted a faint glow, sending ripples through the surroundings. Suddenly, one particular direction seemed to react.

Without a word, both the Little Shura King and Lin Jiufeng set off toward the source of the disturbance.

They ventured deeper into the Yunmeng Marsh, crossing mountains and marshes, carefully avoiding dangerous beasts and other travelers. Eventually, they reached a small island.

In comparison to the towering mountains in Yunmeng Marsh, this island was tiny. From above, it was just a speck, easy to miss.

"Who would have thought it was hidden here?" The Little Shura King gazed at the key, which trembled and pointed downward, grinning in satisfaction.

"We should land," Lin Jiufeng said, mimicking the Yasha Little King's impatience.

Meanwhile, he sent a message to the Sacred Beast Qilin: "Get ready. Once we land, I'll give the signal—act immediately."

The Sacred Beast Qilin responded eagerly, "I've been ready for a long time!"

The stage was set for the drama to unfold.