I Haven't Even Made a Move Yet

Xu Bai's expression changed completely as he said this, turning sinister.

"Someone from the Bureau of Surveillance actually risked coming to find me that day and made such a low-level mistake. Does the Bureau of Surveillance recruit fools like this?" Xu Bai said slowly.

Iron Calculation Immortal fell silent.

"When I came over just now, I thought it through carefully. You previously took a huge risk to tell me I was facing a bloody disaster. You were obviously trying to lure me away. And now that we met here, you grabbed hold of me and stopped me from following her. You wanted to create an opportunity for her, didn't you?" Xu Bai continued.

From Iron Calculation Immortal's various actions, there had been plenty of suspicious points. The most suspicious was that he had actually taken such a huge risk to find him at the inn.

Iron Calculation Immortal had said he had been in Sheng County for a long time. How could he do something so irrational?

Don't tell him it was an occupational habit. Not even a dog would believe that.

Combined with their encounter in the alley just now, when Iron Calculation Immortal had anxiously grabbed him, it probably had not been because he feared Xu Bai would alert the enemy. More likely, he had wanted to give Yun Xiang a chance to slip away.

If Xu Bai had kept following her, Yun Xiang would have been unable to do anything. Either she would have had to turn back and fight him in an exciting battle, or she could only keep wandering around.

But with Iron Calculation Immortal blocking him, Yun Xiang had been given the perfect opportunity.

Of course, whether his guess was right or wrong, the possibility was high enough that he could not let it go lightly.

In his previous life, he had often watched television dramas and read novels, and he had always found it strange. The protagonist had already grown suspicious, yet still had to search for conclusive evidence. Wasn't that just courting death? You only had one life. Who in reality would give you enough time to gather evidence?

Just like now—if he did not strike first and gain the upper hand, who knew what schemes and plots would be waiting for him?

Of course, he might have gotten it wrong.

Then that was simply fate.

During the holidays every year, at worst, he could burn some paper money for Iron Calculation Immortal.

If someone insisted that one could not falsely accuse others and had to investigate everything clearly before acting, Xu Bai would only give that person a slap across the face.

If someone like that encountered his current situation and transmigrated here, they probably would not survive three episodes.

Unfortunately, his sneak attack had failed.

Iron Calculation Immortal seemed to know some peculiar movement technique. His feet stepped through bizarre footwork, and he actually dodged Xu Bai's Ghost-Head Saber.

At this moment, Iron Calculation Immortal said nothing, as though he had tacitly admitted it. Xu Bai heard a burst of footsteps and turned to look, only to find the three Black Robed Men standing up. Yun Xiang still had her back to him, stitching up the corpse.

"It seems this guest is quite clever."

Even with her back turned to Xu Bai, Yun Xiang continued speaking.

Iron Calculation Immortal crossed his steps and, in the blink of an eye, arrived beside Yun Xiang. He held out a hand toward her.

"I have already agreed to do what you wanted. Now give me what I asked for."

"Help us kill him, and I'll give you the item. Don't worry—absolutely no one in the Bureau of Surveillance will learn about you embezzling the stolen goods." Yun Xiang raised a hand, tucked the hair from her forehead behind her ear, and spoke blandly.

"You!" Iron Calculation Immortal froze, then pointed at Yun Xiang furiously. "You dare say it out loud!"

"Which is why he has to die now. He has already heard about your little matter. A dignified Bureau of Surveillance clerk lining his own pockets—you wouldn't want more people to know, would you? What if he gets away..." Yun Xiang smiled.

Iron Calculation Immortal turned around and discovered that Xu Bai had already slipped away.

"You had better keep your promise."

After saying that, he chased in the direction Xu Bai had fled.

After Iron Calculation Immortal left, Yun Xiang continued stitching.

"You three, don't pursue him. Protect me."

With every stitch and every thread, she was utterly focused, as though she were sewing an exquisite set of fine clothes.

After a while, Yun Xiang raised her head. "Take it apart."

The three Black Robed Men nodded in unison. They began moving, holding small knives as they slowly cut apart the beggar's corpse.

Each of them cut a different part—the arms, the legs, and the torso. Only the head was left intact.

The Black Robed Men handed over the organs. After Yun Xiang received them, she began sewing carefully again.

She took a portion from every corpse, as though creating a stitched-together monstrosity.

Xu Bai ran through a dark street.

Behind him, Iron Calculation Immortal closed in step by step.

He appeared to be walking slowly, yet every step carried him a great distance closer.

Iron Calculation Immortal's voice came from behind him.

"Stop running. You can't outrun me."

Xu Bai spared a moment to glance back.

Not far away, Iron Calculation Immortal was steadily drawing closer, a confident smile on his face.

Xu Bai suddenly stopped and stood where he was.

Iron Calculation Immortal stopped as well, keeping a distance of about ten paces from Xu Bai.

"What, you don't dare come closer?" Xu Bai smiled.

Iron Calculation Immortal shook his head. "I'm not foolish enough to get close to a martial artist."

"Is my life really that important?" Xu Bai asked again.

"Of course it is. You must die." Iron Calculation Immortal planted his long banner into the ground and took out a bronze compass with his right hand.

The air around them grew heavy.

"What a pity. It would have been better if you had pressed your advantage back then. A martial artist who has opened the distance is not so easy for me to deal with." Iron Calculation Immortal spoke slowly, as though chatting about everyday matters.

A burst of white light rose from the bronze compass, gradually spreading along his body before flowing through his legs and into the earth.

A white Eight Trigrams diagram appeared on the ground, flickering in and out of sight.

Iron Calculation Immortal pressed his right hand against the compass. Seemingly certain he had Xu Bai in his grasp, he leisurely said, "You are only a Ninth Rank Martial Artist. Your power reaches no farther than ten paces. Within ten paces, perhaps I would fear you, but beyond ten paces, that may not be the case. You are already within my hexagram formation. Your life and death are now mine to decide."

He continued talking to himself, as though victory were already in his hands.

As for what he was saying, Xu Bai could not understand any of it.

He was no expert. He only knew that Iron Calculation Immortal was extremely confident.

What ten paces? What beyond ten paces? Xu Bai did not understand, but he knew it was time to act.

Whoosh!

The sound of wind rose, shattering the peaceful night.

Iron Calculation Immortal was about to press his hand onto the compass and alter the hexagram on the ground, but in the next instant, he looked up and was utterly stunned.

Iron Beads filled the sky, a shocking sight to behold.

An extremely dangerous feeling swept through his heart.

Not good!

Those two words surfaced in his mind, but it was already too late.

The Iron Beads might have been blunt weapons, but after being launched with Maple Leaves Like Rain's hidden-weapon technique, they effortlessly pierced Iron Calculation Immortal from head to toe.

Countless bloody holes appeared across his body. Iron Calculation Immortal's eyes widened, filled with shock and unwillingness.

He was utterly unwilling! He had not even made a move yet!

How could it have happened so suddenly? No matter what, he should at least have been allowed to use one move!

"You set me up. You never intended to run!" Iron Calculation Immortal forced out.

After thinking it over, he reached that conclusion.

He could not say anything else, because the Ghost-Head Saber came whistling through the air and severed his head.

Do villains always have so much to say? Xu Bai looked at Iron Calculation Immortal's corpse and thought. Come to think of it... when did I ever say I was running away?