Chuan Ying froze, then hurriedly bowed in terrified salute. "Greetings, Elder!"
Black Stone raised a hand slightly, and the shopkeeper immediately cupped his hands and withdrew.
Only the two of them remained in the room.
Having not been excused from the formalities, Chuan Ying maintained his bowed posture with cupped hands.
Black Stone paced slowly, circling him once before stopping in front of him. He raised a hand and patted Chuan Ying on the shoulder, making Chuan Ying's body tremble.
Seeing that nothing happened, Chuan Ying had just breathed a sigh of relief when Black Stone suddenly struck, tapping several points on his body in quick succession and placing a restriction on him.
His cultivation was restrained. Chuan Ying was startled and looked up. "Elder..."
"Ah, don't overthink it." Black Stone waved a hand, then clasped his hands behind his back and asked with a smile, "How have your little days with Xue Luo'er been?"
Chuan Ying hurriedly replied, "This subordinate knows his duty. I have been trembling with fear, treading on thin ice, terrified of being exposed."
Black stone nodded. "Good! It is good that you still remember your duty. I thought you had drowned in the land of tenderness and forgotten who you were."
Chuan Ying said, "I would not dare forget!"
Black Stone tipped up his chin in indication. "Take off the false face."
"Elder..."
"Hm?"
The words on Chuan Ying's lips were swallowed back down. He slowly raised both hands and slowly peeled off the false face on his own, revealing his true appearance.
Yet even Black Stone could not help raising his brows at that true face. Compared to the formerly radiant Chuan Ying, he looked like an entirely different person.
The skin on his face sagged. Without the support of cultivation, his flesh had