OBS! 

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The sun s.h.i.+ned brightly and the birds were singing in the trees when Xue Wei and his two friends left the grave. 

"Gou?" Xue Wei looked next to him and saw that his friend was leaning against the mountain wall that they had entered. 

He looked a little bored, but when he heard Xue Wei's voice his eyes brightened, and he turned to look at the people who had finally come out from the grave. 

"Took you long enough!" he exclaimed, but it was impossible for him to hide the smile on his lips and the happiness surging in his eyes from being reunited with his friend. 

"What did you get in there?" He asked curiously. "I was thrown out at the spiritual energy test; my soul is simply was simply not strong enough."

Xue Wei nodded his head. He had already guessed it. "What did you find out about the Primordial Beasts while waiting?" Xue Wei asked curiously, and Hei Gou paused for a moment and frowned.

"It is strange," he started out. "They were gone when I left the grave, but then after a month, another set of beasts arrived. They seemed to be searching for something, but none of them noticed me." 

"It continued like this. A new group arrived every month. The groups of Primordial Beasts stayed for a week or two and then they left." 

"It has already been three and a half months since you entered the grave and they have been working as a clock works."

Xue Wei frowned when he heard this. "What were they searching for?" He asked. He did not know if Hei Gou had any idea of what they were looking for, but it was always well worth trying to figure out what they were after. 

"I don't know," Hei Gou shook his head. "I was alone, so I dared not move too close to any of the groups." 

"That makes sense," Xue Wei approved and went silent. "So it will take another two weeks before they will arrive again?" He asked, and Hei Gou nodded his head. "Approximately, yes." 

"Well, let us leave before then. I had some thoughts about these Primordial Beasts and the Elder Wan they are talking about, but when all comes to it, then I don't really have to get involved with the affairs of the Primordial Beasts."

"But are you not worried?" w.a.n.g Xiaoyun suddenly asked. "If this Elder Wan of the Primordial Beasts happen to be Elder Wan Qiang, is it not very dangerous to return to the Black Iron Fortress?" 

"It should be fine," Xue Wei said after a bit of hesitation. "He has saved my life before, and he has shown me a great favor a few times."

"But if he has something to do with the beasts, don't you think that he is too dangerous? Since we have already wasted this much time, why don't we just ignore going back to the Black Iron Fortress and keep the Seven Star Nightflower for ourselves?" w.a.n.g Xiaoyun was not comfortable. 

"That won't do," Xue Wei sighed. "I don't like the fact that Wan Qiang might have something to do with the Primordial Beasts, but considering how friendly he has been towards me, and the promise I made him, I would rather keep my promise and let the doubt benefit him."

Hei Gou did not care. He was slightly worried, but he had seen how Wan Qiang had saved them before, so he too felt that it would be quite unexpected if the Elder of the Black Iron Fortress wanted to harm them. He had had so many chances. 

w.a.n.g Xiaoyun was quiet. She was not pleased, but she also knew that some things had happened in the Black Iron Fortress when she had not been there.

"I trust your judgment," she sighed after a bit of contemplating. "But be aware that it is dangerous, and don't take any risks!"

"I promise," Xue Wei said, he was moved. He felt happy that w.a.n.g Xiaoyun trusted him that much, so much that she was willing to walk into what could prove to be dangerous, just for him. 

He then reached out and grasped w.a.n.g Xiaoyun's hand, squeezed it gently and held it in his grasp as they walked forward. 

It was a picturesque scene. Xue Wei and w.a.n.g Xiaoyun were walking side by side, hand in hand. A slight blush was on the woman's face, and Xue Wei could not hide a smile on his face as he felt very happy.

A few steps behind them Hei Gou and Bai Tianyi were walking calmly. None of them spoke, but both of them were snickering due to the cute behavior of Xue Wei and w.a.n.g Xiaoyun.

One has to know that those two were both coldblooded murderers but in the aspect of love, they were inexperienced. 

Just a simple gesture as holding hands was enough to make them embarra.s.sed but happy. 

They walked through the forest casually. No Fierce Beasts came to trouble them, there were no Primordial Beasts left behind, and no human had come close to the formation in a long time. 

The formation was no longer active. It had been fueled by the Moon Prince's soul energy, but now all of it had been absorbed by Bai Tianyi, so there was no energy left to fuel the formation, causing it to stop working. 

Together the four friends left the forest without any incidents. w.a.n.g Xiaoyun could not help but feel puzzled by how different her exit from the forest was from her entrance into it. 

When she entered the forest, she had fought every step of the way. Fierce Beasts had arrived time and time again to stop her and block her way, but now that she was leaving, these Fierce Beasts had hidden far away from them. 

After leaving the forest, the group spent the month it took to return to the Black Iron Fortress on the road. There were no particular issues; only a few bandit groups attacked them.

On the way towards Goat Mountain and the formation, these bandit groups had no chance of causing problems, and back then they had only been two, but now they were four people, and all of which were stronger than before. The bandits stood no chance. 

As they traveled, they finally saw the domineering structure of the Black Iron Fortress in the distance. Xue Wei's body was taut; his mind was in turmoil. 

He wanted to be a man who kept his word. Although he was hated by humans and beasts alike, he had his own code of conduct and he wished to keep his words. 

He was relieved that w.a.n.g Xiaoyun did not go against him. That she respected his decisions and although she did not agree, she did not cause a fuss about it. 

Xue Wei and the others slowed down their speed. They started to walk at a slow pace towards the city, many merchants' caravans and cultivators were heading the same way, and the dust on the road was kicked up by the beasts that dragged the carriages, and from the cultivators that kicked the ground hard to speed forward. 

The four friends did not rush towards the city. They took it slow. Their muscles were taut and their senses heightened as they observed everything around them to ensure that there was no hidden plots or traps to cause trouble for them. 

Fortunately, nothing happened. Everything was as normal as could be, but none of the four slacked on their vigilance. 

"Halt!" A guard called out just as they reached the gates. Long queues were waiting to enter the city, but every person was checked according to a painting in the hands of the guards.

When they saw Xue Wei, a smile finally broke out on one of the stern guards' lips. 

"Elder Wan Qiang has looked for you for a long time," the guard said to Xue Wei as he looked at him. "We have been told to guide you to him as soon as you arrived. He hoped that you would be successful in your quest."

Xue Wei was stunned when he realized that what these guards were searching for was him When he saw that they even stood with drawings of him in their hands as they observed the incoming horde of people, he understood that Wan Qiang had indeed looked forward to his return. 

Xue Wei was not too worried, but he could not help but frown when he heard that Wan Qiang had been searching for them. Perhaps this Seven Star Nightflower was much more critical than he had expected. 

The guard led them towards the main keep of the fortress where they were led into the same room they had been in when they were sent out on their mission to find the Seven Star Nightflower.

"Wait here," the guard ordered before he strode towards a few servants that were cleaning in the corners of the room.

He whispered something to one of them, who frightenedly straightened her back. She glanced at Xue Wei and his friends before rus.h.i.+ng out of the room, most likely to announce the arrival of Xue Wei to Wan Qiang. 

Waiting in the light of the light orbs on the walls, Xue Wei and the others were feeling nervous and worried. Xue Wei was especially concerned. 

He had initially planned on having his friends waiting in town while he himself went to speak with Wan Qiang. But because the guard had noticed him right away, he had not had the time to split up with his friends. 

Xue Wei waited patiently before he heard bustling sounds from outside the room, many pairs of feet came running, soon the entire room was filled with Elders of the Black Iron Fortress. 

Many of these elders were looking shocked at Xue Wei. Some were looking skeptically, yet some had hostile eyes as they looked at the younger man. 

"Young friend!" Wan Qiang's voice sounded through the room as he stepped through the door,  all who had hostile expressions suddenly withdrew their hostility. 

Xue Wei noticed that he once more did not use the alias that he had used during the fight. Instead, he called him 'friend' - the same behavior had been shown before they left as if he was aware that the name he had given was fake. 

Last time Xue Wei did not notice it, but now he was wondering what could be the cause. He was not sure about Wan Qiang's involvement with the Primordial Beasts, but he was getting more and more convinced that they had something to do with one another. 

Although he had said that he would stay out of it, he was still worried because he knew of the hatred between humans and beasts. 

It was likely that he and his friends would be caught in the middle if he proved to be with the beasts and some sort of battle broke out. 

Xue Wei nodded to Wan Qiang, but he said nothing. His body was taut; he was vigilant, and his eyes continued to survey the surroundings and the expressions of the many Elders. 

Xue Wei saw that there was a myriad of expressions in the Elder's faces. Some were filled with trepidation and fear, others looked curiously and as if it had nothing to do with them, and some had great expectations reverence.

"It took you longer than expected to finish the mission you were given," Wan Qiang said with a slight smile on his face. "But maybe you encountered some troubles or perhaps some good fortune!" he continued causing Xue Wei to frown. Why did Wan Qiang sound like he knew what had happened? 

Xue Wei was alert, his friends were uncomfortable, and Wan Qiang started laughing. 

"Well even if it took you a year, we would still have waited for you! Tell me, were you successful?"

At first, Xue Wei had planned to bargain with the flower for their protection, but then he realized that they could kill him at any moment and gain the flower if they wanted and his expression turned grim.