Zhang Zhiwei showed no embarrassment at all. Instead, his face lit up with delight.
"Haha! You said it yourself," he laughed. "Someone as powerful as you shouldn't be going back on their word, right?"
He then recalled with a nostalgic tone, "When I was younger, I once tried to ask the Inner Realm why the world suddenly changed so drastically."
"But the moment I opened my mouth and spoke the first word, I was struck with a heavy backlash and forced to exit the Inner Realm."
"Looking back now, I was lucky to escape alive. If I'd spoken a little faster… grass might already be growing over my grave."
He rattled off his story quickly, almost as if afraid Hikaru might change his mind.
When he finished, he locked eyes with Hikaru, his expression firm.
"Well? Does my answer satisfy you, young friend?"
It might've sounded like nothing, but Hikaru still caught the key point.
Even the Old Celestial Master, the inheritor of the Tian Shi Du, didn't know the truth behind the world's transformation.
Which likely meant… no one in this world knew.
If the change didn't come from inside the world, it must have come from outside.
That only made Hikaru more certain: complete the mission—then leave.
He raised a brow and nodded. "Fine. Ask your question. But only one—one for one."
Zhang Zhiwei stroked his chin, thought for a moment, then asked plainly:
"How much do you know about Tian Shi Du?"
Hikaru replied immediately. "Absolutely nothing."
The speed and clarity of the answer froze Zhang Zhiwei mid-motion, hand still on his chin.
But he quickly recovered, and after a long look at Hikaru, nodded.
"I believe you."
Though a little disappointed, he saw no deceit in Hikaru's gaze.
Without another word, Zhang Zhiwei turned and walked away, leaving behind only one sentence in the air:
"Nature calls. This old man's off!"
Zhang Chulan raised a hand as if to speak, but ended up taking a deep breath and grinning like usual.
Meanwhile, Wang Ye stood stunned. He'd come here with a purpose—to consult the Old Celestial Master—but didn't expect Zhang Zhiwei to just… walk off like that.
He scratched his head, looking lost.
Just then, Hikaru stepped up beside him.
"You're Wang Ye, right?"
Wang Ye blinked and nodded instinctively, then regained his composure.
"What business does the young master have with a humble Taoist like me?"
Hikaru smiled. "Nothing major. Just wanted to borrow something."
Wang Ye raised an eyebrow, then sighed as if he'd figured it out. "Ah, money. I don't have any!"
Seeing that "are you here to borrow money" look on his face, Hikaru's brow twitched.
Given that Wang Ye was technically wealthy, it made sense that people had probably tried to borrow from him before.
So Hikaru let it slide and clarified:
"I'm not after money. I want your Wind Hou Secret Art."
At first, Wang Ye was relieved—thank goodness it wasn't about money.
After all, ever since he took the cultivation path, his father had cut off his financial support. Meanwhile, freeloaders kept appearing one after another.
But then came the actual request.
His face turned wary in an instant.
"You're mistaken," he replied calmly. "I'm a Wudang disciple. I only practice a bit of Tai Chi. I have no idea what you're talking about."
His tone was even. His eyes clear. He lied with a perfectly straight face.
Hikaru wasn't surprised.
Once the existence of any of the Eight Forbidden Techniques became known, the user was bound to become a target.
He fully understood Wang Ye's wariness.
But he wasn't here to play guessing games.
With a flick of his fingers, Hikaru cast a Genjutsu, pulling Wang Ye into an illusory space.
It looked just like the outside world, almost indistinguishable from reality.
Wang Ye blinked, his senses sharp—he quickly realized something was off.
"I'll make this simple," Hikaru said. "Name your price for the Wind Hou Secret Art."
He paused, then added, "This is a Genjutsu space. No one can hear what's said here. Speak freely."
Wang Ye closed his eyes, likely checking through the Inner Realm for confirmation.
But when he opened them again, his brows were furrowed.
He'd tried to ask about Hikaru—but got nothing. No answer. No backlash. No reaction at all.
That silence… was more terrifying than a warning.
His mind buzzed with confusion.
And then—things got weirder.
The illusion suddenly changed. Before him appeared Ultraman battling giant monsters.
It took everything in Wang Ye not to blurt out a sarcastic comment.
But it confirmed Hikaru was telling the truth—this was a Genjutsu.
Wang Ye exhaled, steadying his thoughts.
"You were able to pull me into an illusion without me noticing… that speaks volumes about your strength. But in that case—why do you want the Wind Hou Secret Art?"
He hesitated. "It's dangerous. Very dangerous. If you don't meet the right conditions, it could drive you mad. Why risk it?"
He understood now—Hikaru had already confirmed that he possessed the art. That's why he asked so directly.
But Wang Ye didn't want to hand it over lightly.
He didn't view Wind Hou Secret Art as something he owned—it was more like a dangerous inheritance.
In his eyes, it bordered on the forbidden. To wield it, one had to be completely detached from desire.
If not, the risk of madness was real.
He wasn't afraid to share what he knew—but he refused to doom someone for it.
Hikaru saw the hesitation in his eyes and made an offer:
"Give me the Wind Hou Secret Art, and I'll stop Zhuge Qing for you."
Wang Ye's mental defenses instantly crumbled.
He hadn't expected Hikaru to see through his goal so easily.
Maybe this guy was also a jutsu master? That would explain his obsession with the technique.
But strangely… Wang Ye wasn't against it.
If Hikaru really could help him complete his goal, then he wouldn't have to expose his possession of the art.
That alone would save him from countless troubles.
As for whether Hikaru would go mad from learning it…
Well, that would be his fate to deal with.