Zhong Peng's mind was in a state of turmoil, as he struggled to recall where he had seen the figure before.
Despite his best efforts, the memory remained elusive, and after a while, Zhong Peng resigned himself to the fact that he would not be able to identify the person.
After his unsuccessful attempt to identify the mysterious figure, Zhong Peng turned his attention back to his drink, deep in thought as he contemplated his next move.
The early arrivals had already settled in with a drink in hand, embroiled in a lively exchange about the upcoming cloud gathering competition.
Zhong Peng couldn't help but cast furtive glances at the familiar figure, still racking his brain to recall where they had crossed paths.
The door of the inn was flung open with even greater force, causing heads to turn in surprise.
Three individuals strode in, the one in the center exuding a palpable air of arrogance. He was a middle true martial cultivator, and he made a beeline for the group that had arrived earlier. "Isn't that Chen Wei of the Cloud Moon Sect?" he sneered, addressing the apparent leader of the group.
"What brings you here in Feng?, how have you fared in the Sun Moon Sect?" Chen Wei inquired nonchalantly, not even bothering to glance in Lin Feng's direction.
Zhong Peng could sense the palpable tension between them, making it clear that their relationship was anything but friendly.
"I heard you recently made another breakthrough in your cultivation," Chen Wei continued, his tone laced with a hint of sarcasm.
"I suppose you'll just have to wait and see at tomorrow's hunting stage," Lin Feng retorted with a taunting tone, his words dripping with smugness.
"Why wait, why don't you select one of your companions to engage in a friendly sparring match with my associate here?" he suggested, gesturing towards the familiar figure from earlier.
Zhong Peng, who was preparing to depart, found himself sitting back down upon hearing the familiar scene unfolding before him.
This was not the first time he had encountered such a situation - the same scenario had played out before him on the third level of the Golden Rose when he first encountered Duan Xue when Zhou Shun plotted against him.
Now, it was happening once again right before his very eyes.
"May I inquire as to his identity?" asked Chen Wei in surprise.
"He is a newly chosen disciple of our sect master. Are you afraid of a mere sparring match?" taunted Lin Feng.
"Why would I be afraid of a sparring match? I am simply not at ease with putting on a free display for these onlookers here, however, if you were to offer something that piques my interest as a wager, it may just change my mind, who knows, I might even see it as a gracious offering from you," replied Chen Wei.
"I've always known you to be all talk, but I don't mind putting something of importance on the line. Just remember, it will be you who ends up offering me a gift if I emerge victorious," retorted Lin Feng with a taunting grin.
"I am not poor, so I do not need a gift from you. Let's make things more interesting," countered Chen Wei.
"What are you proposing we do then," Lin Feng said with a smile.
"Tomorrow, during the hunting competition, the one with the higher score shall be the victor and the loser shall address the other as 'grandpa'," proposed Chen Wei.
"What kind of bet is that?" exclaimed Lin Feng.
"Are you chickening out now? I thought you were braver than this. I never knew you were scared of a mere bet," taunted Chen Wei.
"I am not afraid of any challenge!" retorted Lin Feng angrily as he stood up and slammed his fist onto the table before him, the table was smashed into pieces by the force of his fist.
"No need to get worked up about this, you wouldn't want to embarrass yourself in front of everyone here," taunted Chen Wei.
"Okay, I accept your bet proposal. I just hope you don't back out when you inevitably lose," replied Lin Feng with anger in his voice.
"Don't worry, with everyone here as a witness, I wouldn't dare to keep my word. I shall keep to the end of the bargain," replied Chen Wei calmly and confidently, as if he was already sure of his victory.
"You better do," warned Lin Feng angrily as he turned towards his companions and declared, "Let's go."
As one, they rose from their seats and departed, leaving Zhong Peng to follow suit.
With nothing more to hold his interest, he too decided to leave. Meanwhile, the patrons in the pub continued their drinking and discussions.
The unease that had been troubling him had subsided somewhat, and he made his way back to his inn.
As he walked, his thoughts raced through his mind.
In the wake of his encounter with the man at the ancient battlefield, the old man has grown increasingly silent, much to the concern of Zhong Peng.
The formation of the poison palace where the old man resides now appeared dimmer.
How the formation teleported the message crystal to him left him in a state of disbelief.
Despite numerous attempts to understand the workings of the formation, he remained confounded.
The old man insisted that the formation was far more complex than he could comprehend, and Zhong Peng eventually resigned himself to this fact.
Zhong Peng was so deep in thought that he scarcely realized when he had arrived at the inn.
As he entered his room and prepared to freshen up, Zhong Peng's attention was drawn to an object lying on his bed. Upon closer inspection, he realized that it was a piece of paper, upon which was written a message: "I have departed from the Zheng Great Kingdom. I will meet you in the Windcrest Empire."