Sun Family.
Ever since Ye Xiaofan had burst onto the scene.
Sun Wude had rarely enjoyed such leisure, sipping wine as he watched a group of lightly clad dancing girls sway with enchanting grace.
Today, the Venerable One had personally met Ye Xiaofan and had been extremely satisfied, granting him many rewards.
With these rewards, his elder brother's breakthrough into the Qi Condensation stage was as good as certain, and he himself had hope of breaking through to the Ninth Level Body Refinement.
"Choosing to pledge allegiance to the Venerable One was indeed the right choice. All I need to do is find geniuses for the Venerable One and capture some lowly commoners, and I can receive supreme rewards."
Back then, Ye Tianhe had accidentally discovered that the Sun Family was secretly capturing commoners and had been gathering evidence.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Qiaofeng suddenly assigned Ye Tianhe a mission to leave Qingyang County and wipe out demons.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, he had used the demons' hands to eliminate him. Then, to cut the grass and pull out the roots, he had poisoned Ye Xiaofan with the deadly Three-day return poison, a strange toxin that only blood-changing experts at the Ninth Level Body Refinement could detect.
If Xiao Qiaofeng had known that the matter he had painstakingly planned for so long—getting Ye Tianhe out of Qingyang County—had been sabotaged by Sun Wude, he would definitely have drawn his blade and hacked Sun Wude into eight pieces.
"Luckily, the Three-day return poison didn't kill Ye Xiaofan. Hehe, geniuses are good. Hehe, my Sun Family is destined to become a cultivation clan."
"What a pity the Black Tiger Gang is gone. I'll have to spend resources to cultivate another gang to secretly capture commoners."
Sun Wude drank the wine the maid held to his lips, his mood exceedingly pleasant. Without thinking, he stretched out a lecherous hand, making the maid blush and squeal repeatedly.
"Lord Baihu Xiao, must Xiaofan really take this risk? He is already at the Body Refinement Fourth Layer. If we give him some more time to raise his cultivation, the chances of success will be greater."
In a somewhat dim secret chamber, a person identical to Ye Xiaofan stared at Xiao Qiaofeng as he spoke.
"Sigh, there's no time. You saw it yesterday too. Evil thinks highly of Ye Xiaofan and could move against him at any moment, so it makes no difference to him."
Xiao Qiaofeng paused.
"Besides, Ye Xiaofan has already broken through to the Body Refinement Sixth Layer, and his Wind God Steps have reached perfection. Among those arranged for this mission, he has the best chance of escaping."
"What? Body Refinement Sixth Layer?"
The fake Ye Xiaofan sprang to his feet, his face full of disbelief.
"That's right. If he escapes Qingyang County this time, he is destined to become a prodigy who joins an Immortal Sect. If he stays in Qingyang County, he is destined for certain death. I am doing this for his own good."
The fake Ye Xiaofan sat back down and fell silent.
"Enough. This is his tribulation. We are powerless to help him; he can only rely on himself. As for you, it is not too late to regret this."
Xiao Qiaofeng watched the fake Ye Xiaofan for a moment, a trace of reluctance flashing through his eyes.
"Brother Ye saved my life. I cannot stand by and watch his only descendant die. My family has already been arranged for."
The fake Ye Xiaofan clenched his fists. After a brief silence, he shook his head, scenes of following Ye Tianhe through life-and-death battles, slaying demons and exterminating monsters, constantly flashing through his mind.
His gaze toward Xiao Qiaofeng was filled with resolve.
He knew that disguising himself as Ye Xiaofan meant certain death, but he did not regret it.
Ye Tianhe had saved his life from the siege of dozens of demons and monsters. Ye Tianhe was already dead, so he would repay that debt through his son.
Besides, if no one delivered Qingyang County's intelligence, he and his family would die sooner or later as well.
"Wait here. Ye Xiaofan should be arriving soon."
Xiao Qiaofeng stopped trying to persuade him. His gaze returned to calmness as he clasped his hands behind his back and walked out of the secret chamber.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
The moment Xiao Qiaofeng stepped into the courtyard, he heard knocking at the courtyard gate.
"Come in!"
"Uncle Xiao!"
"Come with me."
Following behind Xiao Qiaofeng, Ye Xiaofan grew increasingly curious.
Xiao Qiaofeng led him around the small garden in several leisurely circles, as though they were simply taking a stroll.
"Come, Xiaofan. I'll show you the fine wine your Uncle Xiao has treasured for many years."
Ye Xiaofan did not know what Xiao Qiaofeng was planning, but he wore a brilliant smile and cooperatively said, "Haha, then many thanks, Uncle Xiao."
Xiao Qiaofeng smiled and led Ye Xiaofan into a storeroom.
At the center of the storeroom was a movable floorboard. Once it was shifted aside, it revealed a passage leading underground.
Following Xiao Qiaofeng into the cellar, Ye Xiaofan saw it filled with all kinds of dust-covered wine jars. He could faintly smell the intoxicating fragrance of wine.
Without speaking, Xiao Qiaofeng walked to a wine jar in a corner and gently turned it.
Rumble—
One wall of the cellar suddenly rotated, revealing a new passage.
"Go!"
Xiao Qiaofeng spoke softly and slipped into the new passage.
The passage was not long, but it had four or five turns. Before long, they arrived at a stone cavern roughly the same size as the cellar.
When Ye Xiaofan saw the person seated inside, he froze.
It was someone who looked exactly like him.
"Uncle Xiao, this—?"
"Don't ask. In a moment, he will be you. I will disguise you, and then you will leave through another passage. This passage connects to a well in a courtyard south of the city. After you get out, return to the Demon Suppression Division tomorrow."
Xiao Qiaofeng cut off Ye Xiaofan before he could continue.
Half an incense stick later, Ye Xiaofan had become someone he had never seen before.
Looking at his reflection in the bronze mirror, Ye Xiaofan found it hard to believe that Xiao Qiaofeng, with his thick brows, large eyes, broad shoulders, and sturdy waist, possessed such skill in disguise.
"Tomorrow, the Demon Suppression Division will first send four scout teams to investigate the demons' movements. You are now Sun Chenguang, and you will follow a scout captain north to investigate."
"At night, demons will attack your team. Take the chance to flee north."
"As long as you successfully sneak across the Thorn Crocodile Turtle's territory, Thorn Swamp, and reach Qinghe County, you will be safe."
"Then follow a merchant caravan to Jinyang Prefecture City, find the Left Thousand Households Officer, and give him this letter."
"When you reach Jinyang Prefecture, do not go to the Demon Suppression Division to find the Left Thousand Households Officer. Secretly go to the Left Thousand Households Officer's home instead. Remember, do not expose yourself before you meet the Left Thousand Households Officer in Jinyang Prefecture City."
"Do you understand?"
Xiao Qiaofeng interrupted Ye Xiaofan several times when he tried to speak, then explained his entire plan in one breath. His eyes remained calm as he looked at Ye Xiaofan and asked.
"I understand, Uncle Xiao."
Ye Xiaofan accepted the envelope and tucked it into his robes.
"Go. I hope you succeed."
Ye Xiaofan cupped his fists toward Xiao Qiaofeng, then turned and gave the fake Ye Xiaofan a deep bow.
He knew who this person was. A person's face could change, but their eyes could not change in such a short time.
After doing all this, Ye Xiaofan headed toward the other passage.
"Ye Xiaofan."
Ye Xiaofan turned back to look at the fake Ye Xiaofan.
"After you reach Jinyang Prefecture City, don't come back."
Ye Xiaofan suddenly fell silent. He merely gave the fake Ye Xiaofan a deep look before turning away.
Uncle Luo, take care.
Ye Xiaofan silently bade him farewell in his heart.
This parting might very well separate the living from the dead, yet he had no other choice.
In the end, his strength was still insufficient!
He was not someone given to sentimentality. Before Evil, anyone could die, even Xiao Qiaofeng, let alone all of Qingyang County.
On this journey, Ye Xiaofan did not know whether he could successfully escape Qingyang County.
"Let's go."
Xiao Qiaofeng's tone was calm, without the slightest trace of emotion.
A moment later,
the fake Ye Xiaofan staggered out of Xiao Qiaofeng's courtyard, pretending to be drunk.
Along the way, he encountered Demon Suppressing Guards who repeatedly greeted him and stopped to chat.
Afterward, he returned to Ye Xiaofan's courtyard within the Demon Suppression Division and did not come out again.
Elsewhere,
Ye Xiaofan poked his head out of a well. After cautiously observing his surroundings, he finally jumped out.
The courtyard was very quiet. Only one room still had a lamp burning.
A figure holding a book and reading late into the night was reflected against the window.
Ye Xiaofan left without a sound, found an inn, and secretly checked in to await tomorrow's arrival.
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