Doubts Surrounding the Jia Lie Family

Ever since her encounter with Xiao Yan on the Back Mountain, Xun'er had felt a faint unease in her heart. She had therefore sent Ling Ying to gather information about him and investigate his background.

Yet the results left her deeply perplexed.

Forget about uncovering her identity or background—even with Ling Ying's strength at peak Dou Huang, after spending so much time and effort lying in wait, he had not even managed to discover what that mysterious woman looked like.

Under such circumstances, continuing to entangle themselves with her would clearly have been unwise.

Thus, Xun'er chose to lie low for the time being, finally waiting until the mysterious woman took the initiative to reveal herself.

Upon hearing his Miss's inquiry, Ling Ying lowered his head and said gravely, "Jia Lie Ao's sudden death did indeed have another cause. A Soul Skill capable of killing without leaving a trace undoubtedly belonged to an Alchemist with formidable Soul Force, the mysterious Qin Master of Sound Valley, or..."

As he spoke, his gaze shifted, the implication clear without words.

"The Soul Clan?" Xun'er frowned, her delicate little face full of disgust.

"Those filthy things actually dared to reach toward Brother Xiao Yan. Could this be related to the Ancient Jade?"

"Miss, the possibility of the other party belonging to the Soul Clan should be the lowest. More likely, she is merely some high-tier Alchemist."

Ling Ying shook his head. His Miss's temperament was ordinarily impeccable, but whenever Xiao Yan was involved, she seemed to lose her usual calmness.

Still, he did not dare make such a definite assertion. After all, he had not witnessed it personally and could not speak too conclusively.

Then, as if recalling something, Ling Ying reminded her, "If you are worried, why not use the power of the Heavenly Flames to probe her Bloodline Power?"

The Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame, ranked fourth on the Heavenly Flame Ranking, was a terrifying flame whose power could even burn Dou Qi to ashes. Thus, while possessing overwhelming destructive force, it also had the special ability to see through falsehoods.

If she truly was a member of the Soul Clan, then judging from the terrifying Soul Force she had displayed, her Dou Di bloodline must be extremely pure. She would naturally reveal her true form before the Golden Emperor Burning Heaven Flame.

Xun'er knitted her brows and said, "I have considered that as well. It is simply that her whereabouts are too mysterious. Almost no one in the entire Xiao Family has ever seen her... Forget it. I will find a way to deal with this myself. If she truly is from the Soul Clan, there will be no need to show her any mercy."

"Yes."

"Also, has there been any movement from the Jia Lie Family?"

"Miss, the Jia Lie Family has been somewhat restless lately. They seem to be plotting something against the Xiao Family."

Hearing this, Xun'er pondered for a moment before letting out a soft sigh. "Father once said that we should not interfere too deeply in the Xiao Family's affairs. If it has nothing to do with Brother Xiao Yan, let us leave it alone for now."

She turned and walked toward the curtains, gently drawing them aside as she looked out at the distant scenery once more.

As sunlight streamed through the window lattice, the shadows that had been lurking behind the girl instantly dispersed.

Wutan City, Jia Lie Family

Dressed in a black gown, Hun Ruoruo moved through the many residences of the Jia Lie Family. Her pace was neither hurried nor slow, her figure swaying lightly, yet she drew not the slightest notice from anyone.

When she reached one of the Jia Lie Family's resource storehouses, she casually placed a bag of Gold Coins beside the warehouse where sales were recorded. Then, in full view of everyone, she picked up a small bottle filled with pale green medicinal liquid.

The girl examined it for a moment, then withdrew her gaze with some boredom. She casually placed it into her Storage Ring and turned to continue forward.

"Hmm?"

After only a few breaths, Gale Ku, who was in charge of sales and accounting, looked at the bag of money beside him. He rubbed his eyes with his short, thick fingers, then immediately cursed in annoyance, "Damn it, this blasted weather has fried my brain. I was just about to finish calculating the accounts, yet I somehow failed to notice there was another bag of money here. Someone!"

Seeing this, a tall, skinny man with shifty eyes hurried forward and said obsequiously, "Sir, I am here."

"There is probably something wrong with the earlier list. Add this bag of money and recalculate it. Remember, there absolutely cannot be any mistakes!"

"Yes!" The tall, skinny man accepted the order, grabbed the money bag, and hurried to the warehouse entrance, calling over several people to alter the previous list.

Watching everyone bustle about, Gale Ku's tiny eyes narrowed into slits. He said smugly under his breath, "The Clan Leader has suffered the pain of losing his son and paid an enormous price to invite an Alchemist here. Heh heh, it is time for the skies over Wutan City to change."

At the thought of an Alchemist's formidable methods, the smile on Gale Ku's face grew even brighter, as though Jia Lie Ao's death were some tremendous piece of good news.

On the Rooftop

Hun Ruoruo quietly watched Gale Ku's ugly display. She took out the Little Green Bottle she had exchanged for earlier from her Storage Ring and examined it once again.

"So this Little Green Bottle really is the so-called Rejuvenation Powder. It seems my earlier actions truly pushed things ahead quite a bit. With Xiao Yan's current cultivation, he is still far from becoming an Alchemist."

At that thought, the girl's eyes narrowed, and a rare shadow crossed her face, as though she were calculating something.

After a long while, she sighed softly. "Forget it. At worst, I will kill them all together, then open a new instance for the protagonist as a replacement."

She strolled across the rooftops toward the Jia Lie Family residence, stopping now and then to admire the sights around her.

She appeared leisurely and carefree, but her actions contained many meanings unknown to others.

As she passed Jia Lie Ao's residence, Hun Ruoruo glanced sideways at the imposing structure below with an indifferent expression. She opened the Little Green Bottle and poured its liquid into the courtyard, which had remained unopened for a long time and held not the slightest trace of human presence.

The liquid spilled across the grass. In only moments, it seeped into the cracks of the somewhat dry soil, giving a bit more vitality to the lawn that had grown slightly withered after long exposure to the blazing sun.

"A gift for you. No need to thank me."

A cold curve rose at the girl's lips. She placed the empty bottle back into her Storage Ring, leaving behind no trace.

After the time it took to drink half a cup of tea, Hun Ruoruo arrived at the Jia Lie Family residence. She leaned against the roof eaves, found a comfortable spot, and lay down.

The next moment, Soul Force surged out, presenting every movement within the entire hall before the girl in perfect detail—

Though the hall was brightly lit, the atmosphere within was somewhat strange.

Many people were seated in the hall. Judging from the luxury of their clothing, it was not difficult to tell that they were all high-ranking members of the Jia Lie Family.

Everyone seemed to be suppressing a certain excitement, yet none dared release it, as though they feared something. The scene was exceedingly strange.

Only a young man in white seated toward the left side of the hall lounged lazily against his chair, wearing a proud expression as though none of this concerned him.

Jia Lie Bu, seated in the Patriarch's position, took in everyone's emotions at a glance. Gloom and ruthlessness mingled in his eyes before he finally sighed slowly and broke the silence.

"I understand how you all feel, so there is no need to suppress yourselves any longer. This time, our Jia Lie Family will tear a huge piece of flesh from the Xiao Family!"