The Heavenly Will Palace

The peacock strutted around, acting with the utmost arrogance as if showing disdain to him as if the garden was its personal kingdom.

Liang Yifei watched it with mild amusement for a while before his face grew stern as he glared at the peacock. "Such arrogance! You truly believe yourself to be the garden king or something," he sneered.

As if understanding what he just said, the peacock continued to puff up its chest, its feathers shimmering with pride.

Without warning, Liang Yifei kicked the bird aside. The peacock squawked in surprise and stumbled to the ground, momentarily stunned.

Liang Yifei walked towards the peacock, his sword still in hand. As he approached, the bird struggled to get back on its feet, its eyes full of fear and pain.

Looking down at the bird, Liang Yifei's expression became strange.

With a chuckle, Liang Yifei crouched down next to the peacock. "You should learn some humility," he said, mockingly.

The peacock glared at him with hate-filled eyes, but it remained silent, looking up at Liang Yifei indignantly. It tried to stand.

Liang Yifei tapped the peacock's head with his sheathed sword, causing the bird to jump in fright. "I suggest you stay in your place and mind your manners. Or else, you'll face the consequences."

With a huff, the peacock settled down and glared at Liang Yifei, but it didn't dare to act out of line again.

Outside the Heavenly Mist Palace,

Mi Ling materialized in the air above the palace region, scanning her surroundings for any unusual signs. When nothing seemed amiss, she furrowed her brow in confusion. However, realization soon dawned on her, causing her to vanish into thin air. Within moments, Mi Ling appeared within the restricted zone.

As she surveyed the area, she found that everything seemed to be in order, with no sign of intrusion or disturbance. However, her attention was drawn to the destroyed door, and her expression turned icy.

Without any hesitation, she made her way into the mansion, and her eyes fell upon the entrance to the secret Realm. The sight of the ruined stone gate sent chills down her spine, and a flicker of fear briefly crossed her face.

However, she quickly regained her composure. With measured steps, she stepped forward and entered the secret Realm.

As she materialized inside the garden, she surveyed the surroundings with her keen divine senses. Her eyes narrowed as she detected two distinct auras, both familiar to her.

Approaching the towering tree in the centre of the garden, she breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the peacock safe and sound.

However, upon directing her gaze towards the figure standing beside the bird, she couldn't help but feel surprised. Though she recognized the aura of the man before her, she wasn't entirely confident in her identification.

Mi Ling hesitated as she prepared to step forward, but she was quickly deterred by the man's warning. His voice was laced with a threatening tone that made her rethink her actions.

"I advise you to stay where you are," he warned, "Or else I may have a grilled peacock for dinner tonight."

Bitterness filled Mi Ling's smile as she stopped in her tracks.

Liang Yifei turned his head to glance at Mi Ling, who was standing about three meters behind him. His sword was pressed against the peacock's neck, eliciting fear in the bird's pitiful eyes.

The sight of the terrified peacock caused Liang Yifei's mouth to twitch, shaking his head. He looked back at Mi Ling calmly.

"Ah, Mi Ling. What a pleasant surprise. I didn't think I'd see you so soon," Liang Yifei said with a smirk.

As Mi Ling laid her eyes on the man standing before her, she felt a flicker of recognition. She knew exactly why he was here, and the grudge he held against her. But what she couldn't wrap her head around was how he managed to infiltrate the secret realm undetected or what had happened to the two guarding elders. The thought alone made her blood run cold.

"What are you doing here, Liang Yifei? This is the restricted zone of my palace," Mi Ling said, her eyes narrowing.

"Ah, Mi Ling. You always did play the innocent well," Liang Yifei said, his smirk growing wider. "You don't know? I do believe you owe me something, and I come to collect it,"

He sneered. "This peacock seems quite valuable. Perhaps I should take it as payment for what you owe me."

Mi Ling's expression darkened as she spoke coldly. "The peacock has nothing to do with it. You touch it, and you will regret it."

But Liang Yifei's smirk only grew wider as he responded mockingly. "Is that a threat? Don't forget, Mi Ling, you know me well enough to know that I wouldn't have come unprepared."

Mi Ling let out a resigned sigh, knowing that threats wouldn't work on someone as conniving as him. Nevertheless, she couldn't let him harm or take the peacock.

"Fine. What do you want from me?" Mi Ling asked, her voice cold.

Liang Yifei lowered his sword from the peacock's neck, but he didn't sheathe it. "I want what you owe me, Mi Ling. And I want it now."

Mi Ling squinted her eyes and stated, "Regarding the Drunken Sword's soul and the contents of his space ring, I assure you that we don't have any of them."

Liang Yifei chuckled, questioning, "Do you take me as a fool?"

Mi Ling's eyes narrowed even further at Liang Yifei's accusation. "You know very well that we didn't take anything. A giant serpent appeared out of nowhere and devoured him and everything that was on him."

Liang Yifei shook his head "I suggest you refrain from lying to me. I witnessed you severing the Drunken Sword Hand, and I distinctly recall a storage bracelet on it."

As she heard that, surprise flickered in her eyes. She was certain that nobody was present except her and Bai Shun.

Mi Ling assessed her options carefully, considering the best course of action. She knew it would be futile to try and reason with Liang Yifei, and fighting him would endanger the peacock. After careful deliberation, she chose to be honest with him.

"We did find a storage bracelet, but it contained only one item - and that item was something that I required. I recall that we had agreed that I would have the first pick, remember?" Mi Ling explained calmly.

Liang Yifei's laughed. "How convenient for you to find exactly what you needed.

Raising an eyebrow, he inquired, "You Wouldn't mind telling me what is the item, right?"

Without waiting for a response, he produced a small black mirror from his space ring and smiled. "You are well aware of the unique abilities of this mirror, so I suggest you be truthful with me," he said.

Mi Ling's expression turned serious as she gazed at the small black mirror. "It was a storage case " she admitted, her voice low and measured.

Liang Yifei's smirk grew wider. "And what was in the storage case?"

Mi Ling hesitated for a moment before replying, "It was a key."

"A key? To what?" Liang Yifei pressed further.

Mi Ling bit her lip "It's a key to a treasure trove, but I don't know where it is."

Liang Yifei scoffed. "You expect me to believe that? "

Mi Ling sighed. "Fine. The key is to a place in the Devil Realm."

Liang Yifei's eyes widened in surprise at the revelation. "The Devil Realm? Are you serious?"

Mi Ling nodded. "Yes, I am ."

Liang Yifei considered her words before speaking. " I want the key."

"That's out of the question, forget about it," Mi Ling said while shaking her head.

Liang Yifei's expression hardened. "Then I guess we have a problem. Because I want that key, and I'm not leaving without it."

Mi Ling chuckled, "Looks like we'll have to fight."

In response, Liang Yifei maintained a peaceful demeanour and proposed, "How about we both compromise and step back? You tell me about the place and we'll be even."

With a grin, she studied him momentarily before speaking. "The place is called The Heaven Will Palace," she said, "And that's all you're getting out of me."