It didn't take Zhang Yiyi long to get a clear sense of the layout of the secret realm and to gather basic information about the fifty Foundation Establishment disciples from the Tang family who had entered this time. Surprisingly, none of the Tang disciples who participated in the mid-sized family competition over six months ago were present in this expedition. Based on conversations overheard among the Tang family disciples, Zhang Yiyi deduced that the Tang family's true strength was far from the outwardly modest appearance they projected. Their restraint and concealment only made her more certain that the Tang family had significant ambitions.

Observing the Tang disciples moving in groups of three to five, Zhang Yiyi quickly devised a plan. Since she had stumbled upon this rare opportunity, she had no intention of letting the Tang family walk away with all the benefits. Just as she prepared to find an isolated disciple and stealthily obtain their family-issued map of the secret realm to facilitate her own treasure hunt, she stumbled upon a scene of murderous infighting.

"Tang Zirong, how dare you! You actually plotted to harm me in this secret realm!"

The young man in green, having fled a great distance, now found himself cornered. With enemies ahead and pursuers behind, he hadn't expected Tang Zirong to unite with other Tang disciples to ambush him just one day into their expedition.

The youth in green was a direct descendant of the main branch of the Tang family, while Tang Zirong couldn't even be considered a side branch—his family were merely servants of the Tang household. Though the youth had often insulted Tang Zirong verbally and occasionally inflicted superficial injuries, he had never imagined that Tang Zirong would harbor such deep resentment and now seek his life.

Tang Zirong sneered coldly, his eyes filled with malice. "Fifth Young Master, you jest. How could I, Tang Zirong, dare to harm you? Rest assured, if you die today, it will be at the claws of a beast in this secret realm, and it will have nothing to do with me."

"Nonsense! Do you think you can blame the beasts for your treachery?" The youth's face twisted with rage and desperation. He turned to the two disciples who had aided Tang Zirong. "You two dare assist this servant in betraying me? Aren't you afraid my father will tear you limb from limb and punish your families as well?"

The two disciples hastily clarified their positions. "Fifth Young Master, please don't be angry. We had no choice—Tang Zirong forced us. Rest assured, we won't lay a hand on you."

Though they spoke humbly, their willingness to act as accomplices reflected years of pent-up resentment. Tang Zirong held leverage over them, leaving them little choice but to cooperate. Besides, the Fifth Young Master had always treated them worse than animals, so his death in the secret realm would hardly be a loss in their eyes.

Tang Zirong had also assured them they wouldn't have to personally harm the Fifth Young Master. That way, even if questioned later, they could deny involvement and only face accusations of negligence at worst. Given the inherent risks of the secret realm and the overarching mission to gather spiritual herbs and medicines, their actions were unlikely to draw severe scrutiny.

"Fools! If I die, do you really think you'll escape unscathed?" The youth's face turned blue with fury. "Before we entered, my father specifically instructed you to ensure my safety. If something happens to me, you'll be the first to pay!"

Tang Zirong's laughter turned cruel. "Fifth Young Master, didn't the family head declare that our primary mission in the secret realm is to complete the tasks assigned? Unless there's conclusive evidence, no one will be held accountable for anyone's safety."

His voice dropped, cold and venomous. "You've always claimed to be superior, haven't you? Always looking down on me, treating me like a servant or a dog. Weren't you always so confident in your strength? Well, let's see you prove it now!"

"Stay back! Don't come any closer!" The youth trembled as Tang Zirong approached step by step. Overwhelmed with fear, he finally begged for mercy. "Tang Zirong, I'm sorry! I was wrong—I was wrong! I'll never bully you again. Please... spare me!"

"Too late. What's the point of apologizing now?" Tang Zirong's voice was laced with fury. "Did you ever think about this day when you drove my sister to her death ten years ago?"

Tang Zirong's strikes landed mercilessly on the young man, fueled not by his own mistreatment but by the rage and grief over his sister, who had died a decade ago.

"You're nothing but a beast! My sister was so young—how could you do that to her?"

Tang Zirong's blows intensified, his fury escalating with each strike. His hatred burned as brightly as the day he lost his only family, and nothing would quench it.

As the fight escalated, Tang Zirong abandoned his spiritual attacks and began using his fists, raining blows upon the young man in green. His punches landed with such force that blood spattered with every strike, and it was clear he intended to beat his opponent to death slowly and painfully.

It was only at this moment, in his fading consciousness, that the young man realized whom Tang Zirong's sister had been. Over the years, he had caused the deaths of many girls, and Tang Zirong's sister had been one of those sent to him by their own parents.

"No... stop... your sister... she wasn't killed by me... she took her own life..."

His breath grew weaker, but his desire to survive spurred him to explain: "I... I only took her... your parents willingly... willingly gave her to me... I... I didn't know she'd take her own life... it's not my fault... it's not my fault... spare me... please spare me..."

"Oh, really?" Tang Zirong's voice dripped with venom, his fists hammering relentlessly. "When she begged you to let her go, why didn't you?!" His punches grew even more brutal, cracking bone with every hit. "You deserve to die! And your wretched parents, who sold their own daughter, deserve to rot in hell! They're already there—now it's your turn!"

With a final, devastating blow, the young man's last breath left him. His face was so mutilated that it was no longer recognizable—a grotesque and horrifying sight.

After exacting his revenge, Tang Zirong's expression relaxed. He cast a cleansing spell to rid himself of the blood and grime, his demeanor eerily composed, as if nothing had happened. However, to the two bystanders who had witnessed everything, this calm and clean version of Tang Zirong was far more terrifying than his enraged, twisted visage during the act.

"Zirong... we..." The two glanced at each other, both clearly eager to escape but too scared to move without Tang Zirong's permission. The sight of his ruthlessness erased any lingering disdain or contempt they had for him. Both men also knew they were now implicated in the young man's death, tied to Tang Zirong by guilt and fear.

Tang Zirong's cold, flat voice broke the silence. "Relax. I said I wouldn't trouble you as long as you helped me lure him here. The matter is settled, and I won't cause you any trouble."

His gaze swept over them, and he added, "Take the Fifth Young Master's storage bag as your reward. Let's all pretend none of this happened."

Hearing his words, the two men visibly relaxed. They hadn't even thought of looting the corpse, but now that Tang Zirong offered it as compensation, their fear gave way to greed.

"Thank you, Brother Rong! Don't worry, we'll keep our mouths shut!"

Blinded by their avarice, they immediately set upon the corpse, stripping it of anything valuable. Tang Zirong watched their frantic behavior with a silent, mocking smile, his gaze cold and detached, as if he were looking at two corpses instead of living men.

Moments later, both men let out agonized screams. Their skin began to rot and fall off in chunks, revealing blackened, decayed flesh beneath.

"You... poisoned us..."

Realizing their fate, they tried to rush at Tang Zirong, but it was too late.

With two sickening thuds, they collapsed to the ground, leaving behind nothing but foul-smelling pools of blood and charred skeletons.

Tang Zirong watched it all unfold with a detached expression. From his beast pouch, he released an ugly black dog. The dog sniffed around, quickly gathering the storage bags and valuables from the remains, wagging its tail enthusiastically as it presented them to its master.

"Stupid mutt!" Tang Zirong shoved the dog aside with a look of disdain. Without bothering to check the spoils, he summoned a fire and incinerated the remains, leaving no trace of the grisly scene.

As he turned to leave, a soft voice suddenly spoke from behind him.

"Are you planning to kill more people? Take me with you."

Startled, Tang Zirong spun around to see a young girl standing there. She appeared innocent and adorable, her wide, watery eyes intently studying him.

"Who are you?!" Tang Zirong instinctively backed away, putting as much distance between them as possible. He had been vigilant for any disturbances in his surroundings but hadn't detected her presence at all. This meant she had likely witnessed everything—and worse, her strength was likely far beyond his own, despite her apparent mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation.

The girl smiled. "Who I am doesn't matter. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about what I just saw." Her tone was light and reassuring. "This is your private business, and I have no interest in meddling. But I'm unfamiliar with this secret realm, so you'll need to take me along. When the realm opens and everyone leaves, you'll help me sneak out with your group."

"You're not from the Tang family? How did you get in here?" Tang Zirong quickly picked up on the key point in her words. He didn't trust her, but he also didn't dare offend her.

"Of course not. As for how I got in, I'm not too sure myself. Maybe I took a wrong turn." The girl shrugged with feigned innocence. "But since I'm here, I'm not leaving empty-handed. This is your family's territory, so you must know it well—better than anyone else. You must have a map of this place, right? You know where all the good treasures are hidden, don't you?"

"And why should I help you?" Tang Zirong scowled, realizing she was after the realm's spiritual herbs and treasures.

The girl grinned, raising her fist. "Because you can't beat me."

Before he could respond, she launched a punch at him. The sheer force of it overwhelmed his defenses, crushing his resistance in an instant. Tang Zirong fell to one knee, gasping for breath as the pressure bore down on him like a mountain.

Just as he thought he was about to die, the pressure abruptly disappeared.

"So, what do you say now? Any objections?" The girl smiled sweetly. "Don't worry, I won't meddle in your family's affairs. I'm only interested in the treasures here. We'll work together—gather as much as we can and split the profits when we leave. Of course, the split will be... you one, me nine."

She pointed between the two of them and added cheerfully, "You get one, I get nine."