Yan Jingjing's Grievance

Old Master Yan had already patrolled the surrounding area once. Just as he was about to approach the rockery, the sounds of battle from Tang Yuan's side reached him.

That disturbance changed Old Master Yan's course, and he hurried toward the main hall.

Lu Feng, who had nearly been discovered, let out a deep breath. Just as he was preparing to find a chance to withdraw, he suddenly heard a pair of servants conversing in the distance, drawing his attention.

"It must be those people from daytime again, disturbing Young Master's peace. How hateful," one servant said.

"I saw Master sneaking around today. It looked like he had switched Young Master's coffin," the other servant said softly, yet Lu Feng heard every word clearly.

"I hope Master catches those people..." The two grinned wickedly and headed toward the main hall. There was excitement to be found there, and by tomorrow, the details of that excitement could fetch a good price in the streets.

A sense of foreboding rose in Lu Feng's heart. His brows furrowed as he cursed his own oversight. He had not expected Old Master Yan to be so cunning, to pull a trick of stealing the dragon and replacing it with a phoenix.

Anxious, he turned his head, and the tip of his nose happened to bump against Yan Jingjing's nose bridge. In an instant, their eyes met, and Lu Feng froze completely.

What kind of eyes were these? How could they be so soul-soothing?

Lu Feng gazed foolishly into Yan Jingjing's bright, beautiful eyes, deeply moved for a moment.

At such close range, she was simply beautiful beyond compare, enough to make all things beneath heaven lose their color.

Unable to move because her acupoints had been sealed, tears welled up in Yan Jingjing's innocent, pitiful eyes. Bean-sized drops slid down her smooth skin.

Her watery eyes seemed able to speak, stirring tenderness in anyone who looked upon them.

Lu Feng suddenly felt as though he had done something terrible.

After all, Yan Jingjing was an innocent caught up in this turmoil. Yet now, not only had he held her hostage here, she was not wearing a single stitch of clothing.

A dignified young miss, a girl raised in the depths of the inner chambers—when had she ever suffered such humiliation?

Helplessly, though Lu Feng could not bear it, he could not let Yan Jingjing go at this moment.

From the servants' conversation, Lu Feng knew Tang Yuan would certainly be unable to steal Yan He's corpse this time. Even escaping safely would likely be dangerous.

There was only one lowest and most despicable strategy left: use Yan Jingjing as a bargaining chip to trade tomorrow.

Lu Feng had always disdained such petty conduct, so he had not intended it from the start. But now, it was a plan born of having no plan at all.

Lu Feng picked Yan Jingjing up once more, carefully avoiding Yan Manor's watchful eyes as he ran toward the main hall.

Yan Jingjing had a well-proportioned figure and was not particularly heavy in his arms. Though she affected Lu Feng's speed somewhat, the impact was not great.

The original plan had been for Jiang Ruoyun to abduct Yan Jingjing, but considering that her speed left something to be desired, she had been assigned the safest task instead.

At the main hall.

After once again knocking Yan Zhengchi back temporarily with a move, Tang Yuan turned and leaped toward the coffin. He raised his hand, ready to open it and seize the corpse, but Yan Zhengchi stopped him yet again.

This time, however, beneath Tang Yuan's anger and unwillingness was an additional trace of doubt.

From their exchange, Tang Yuan had discovered that although Yan Zhengchi had been fighting with all his strength, he seemed more intent on tying Tang Yuan down than driving him away from the coffin.

Tang Yuan was tall and burly, impulsive by nature, and easily gave others the impression that he was honest and simple-minded. Yet in truth, he was exceedingly meticulous and clever, with a mind utterly unlike his appearance.

When Old Master Yan arrived, Tang Yuan's suspicions were confirmed.

"You bold thief, how dare you barge into Yan Manor..." Old Master Yan closed in on Tang Yuan alongside Yan Zhengchi.

It was precisely because Old Master Yan's attention was entirely focused on him after appearing, without even sparing the coffin a glance, that Tang Yuan became even more convinced Yan Manor had hidden Yan He away.

In the flash of lightning and spark of flint, Tang Yuan had already devised a countermeasure. He not only saw through the current situation, but also came up with a response, his reaction extraordinarily sharp.

Tang Yuan flashed aside, positioning Yan Zhengchi and Old Master Yan so that they formed a triangular encirclement. When the two charged forward, Tang Yuan advanced instead of retreating, gritting his teeth as he rammed straight at them.

He risked injury to withstand the force of the two Yans.

Tang Yuan's body was violently sent flying. A flash of delighted triumph passed through Old Master Yan's eyes, only for his expression to shift into regret at realizing he had fallen for the trick.

Though Tang Yuan had been sent flying and suffered considerable injuries, he had also used the force of the blow to leap beyond the bounds of Yan Manor, fleeing into the boundless night.

A clear eagle cry lingered in the air after Tang Yuan's escape. It was the signal he left for Lu Feng, indicating that he had departed.

Hearing the eagle cry fade farther and farther away, Lu Feng immediately stopped without hesitation. While everyone's attention was fixed on the main hall, he carried Yan Jingjing over the rear wall.

According to the plan, regardless of success or failure, the three would ultimately meet at the Abandoned Temple outside the city. Thus, after leaving Yan Manor, Lu Feng headed for their meeting place.

Jiang Ruoyun was the first to arrive at the Abandoned Temple. The dark, dilapidated surroundings made her uncomfortable, so while waiting, she gathered some firewood and brightened the ruined temple a little.

Tang Yuan arrived shortly afterward as well, though he had sustained minor injuries in the fight and looked rather bedraggled.

Seeing Tang Yuan arrive alone, Jiang Ruoyun hurriedly asked, "Why are you alone? Where is Lu Feng?"

After noticing the wounds on Tang Yuan, Jiang Ruoyun's concern deepened.

Tang Yuan applied the medicine Lu Feng had given him, recovering as he explained what had happened in Yan Manor.

When he spoke of suspecting that Old Master Yan had laid a trap and hidden Yan He away, aside from his unwillingness, he also greatly admired the old man's scheming and experience.

"Brother Tang Yuan, don't worry yet. Once Lu Feng returns, we can discuss other methods. There must be—"

Jiang Ruoyun was comforting the somewhat dejected Tang Yuan when, halfway through her words, she suddenly saw Lu Feng hurrying over in a rather disheveled state, carrying a somewhat familiar woman in his arms.

At the sight, Tang Yuan's beastified arm slipped back beneath his black robe.

Though Lu Feng was quite fast, his strength was somewhat lacking, far inferior to that of an ordinary Two Soul Realm cultivator. Carrying Yan Jingjing over such a long distance had left him somewhat exhausted.

Jiang Ruoyun stepped forward and took Yan Jingjing from Lu Feng's arms. Looking at Lu Feng, she asked, "Why did you bring her back? If Old Master Yan finds out, he'll beat us to death."

Yan Jingjing stared wide-eyed at the familiar faces before her, and the sense of danger in her heart immediately lessened considerably.

She had met Jiang Ruoyun and Tang Yuan before. Though they were not close, there had never been much conflict between their households, so she believed they would not harm her.

As for Lu Feng, Yan Jingjing did not know him. But after those embarrassing incidents earlier, she had long since etched him into her heart, hating him to the marrow.

Lu Feng smiled awkwardly and said to Jiang Ruoyun, "Change her into some clothes, so she doesn't catch a chill."

Autumn had passed, but winter had yet to arrive. It was now late autumn, and the weather had grown quite cold, especially in this wilderness where wisps of cold wind seeped in from every direction.

"Clothes?" Jiang Ruoyun was somewhat puzzled. Her gaze shifted to Yan Jingjing, and she discovered that Yan Jingjing was wrapped in a quilt. She immediately assumed Lu Feng had abducted her while she was sleeping.

For Yan Jingjing's reputation, Jiang Ruoyun naturally would not let her change in front of two grown men. Taking Yan Jingjing with her, she walked toward a corner of the Abandoned Temple, while Lu Feng and Tang Yuan tactfully moved some distance away.

"Don't worry. With me here, I won't let him take advantage of you," Jiang Ruoyun comforted Yan Jingjing as she reached out and unwound the sheets wrapped around her layer by layer.

Although Yan Jingjing's acupoints had been sealed, her hearing was unaffected. She heard Jiang Ruoyun's words clearly, and a surge of grievance abruptly rose within her as she cried inwardly, Take advantage of me? He's already seen all of me. What advantage is left for him to take?

When the final layer of the sheet was unwound, Jiang Ruoyun froze in shock. Her face instantly flushed with embarrassment and indignation. Lu Feng had actually stripped Yan Jingjing naked before bringing her back?

She quickly released Yan Jingjing's acupoints, took out several garments, and helped her change. Their figures were not too different, so Jiang Ruoyun's clothes fit Yan Jingjing reasonably well.

After changing, Yan Jingjing and Jiang Ruoyun angrily walked toward Lu Feng. Jiang Ruoyun shouted indignantly, "Shameless! How could you treat Yan Jingjing like this..."

Yan Jingjing, meanwhile, looked at Lu Feng with grievance. Her innocent eyes brimmed with resentment.

Tang Yuan watched with a smile. In his eyes, Jiang Ruoyun looked exactly like a jealous young maiden at that moment, her lips slightly pouting, delicate brows faintly furrowed, wearing a fiercely resentful expression.

Lu Feng knew what Jiang Ruoyun meant and felt awkward, unsure how to explain himself.

"Watch out behind you." Just as Lu Feng was about to speak, a black shadow suddenly appeared behind Yan Jingjing.

Knowing Yan Jingjing had no cultivation and could not possibly evade such a sneak attack, Lu Feng charged toward her without the slightest hesitation. Relying on the speed of Exquisite Steps, he finally arrived before the shadow could strike.

Lu Feng's speed had clearly exceeded the shadow's expectations.

Seeing that it could not succeed, the shadow swept both hands from its chest, sending out a sharp glint of cold light. A slender silver needle shot straight toward Yan Jingjing, after which the shadow vanished into the distance.

The cold glint arrived in a flash. Lu Feng had no other choice. In his urgency, he grabbed Yan Jingjing into his arms, violently twisted his body, and raised his left arm, hoping to block that glint as he turned.

Sizzle...

A burst of agonizing pain shot through his arm. Lu Feng's heart turned cold, but he did not hesitate in the slightest. A small knife suddenly appeared in his right hand, and he swung it, cutting deep to the bone as he viciously slashed across his arm.

With a twist of his wrist, he gouged out a bloody hole so deep that bone could be seen in his arm. Flesh and fragments of bone flew toward Tang Yuan's feet, landing blackened and charred, clearly tainted with terrifying poison.

Throughout the entire process, Lu Feng did not utter a sound. He endured the searing agony from his hand as cold sweat emerged on his brow.

Tang Yuan's heart trembled at the sight. Seeing Lu Feng's resolute and decisive actions, he was deeply shaken.

What kind of combat experience was this!

What kind of decisive reaction was this!

To be able to act in such a manner at such a critical moment.

Had it been him, he likely would not have been able to save his entire arm.