Su Fan did not stop walking. The hem of his dark robe brushed over the bluestone slabs, yet not even the faintest ripple of wind arose. He continued forward at an unhurried pace, as though strolling through a tranquil courtyard, heading toward the three Integration Stage elders.
That little bluestone street in the market town, polished bright by the passage of time, had now become a drumbeat heralding death.
The soles of his shoes crushed the withered grass between the cracks in the stones, producing a faint creak. Though it was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, it landed in the three elders' ears like a heavy hammer striking their hearts.
With every step he took, the knuckles of the elders' clenched hands grew a little more blue-white inside their sleeves. Cold sweat slid down the patterns of their garments and silently soaked through their underclothes.
Su Fan stopped in the open space before the restaurant. He slightly raised his eyes, and his gaze, like a sharp blade dipped in ice, slowly swept across the three of them.
Those eyes appeared calm on the surface, but the chill hidden deep within seemed capable of piercing flesh.
In the blink of an eye, the three elders felt every hair on their bodies stand on end. It was as though the Foundation Establishment Realm auras they had disguised themselves with had been torn apart, and even the fear buried in the depths of their souls had been seen through by him.
The next moment, Su Fan stepped into the restaurant. The sound of his wooden clogs striking the floor was completely different from outside, carrying an oddly muffled quality.
He went straight to the table of the leading elder and sat down. His fingertip casually tapped against the tabletop, and just as