When they went outside, the place was deserted. Not a single pedestrian was in sight, and the wooden buildings stood scattered here and there.
The feeling of being watched grew stronger. Even the benevolent aura they had sensed on their way in now seemed tainted, as though countless invisible eyes were hidden among the sky, earth, and foliage.
Yu Xing led the group, controlling the four injured people with black mist. He had also grabbed one extra—
He had his hand around Aran's neck, dragging her along with them in a violent show of force, as if she were being threatened and coerced.
"Go on, kill me if you've got the guts! If you don't kill me now, once I find an opening, I'll—" Aran's face had turned purplish from lack of air. She cursed under her breath, her voice barely audible, and struggled with all her might, but Yu Xing pinned her down with a single claw.
Yu Xing gave her a cold glance, as if she were a piece of raw meat he was about to swallow. He let out a mocking chuckle and said ominously, "Don't worry. You tried to screw me over, so I'll make sure you wish you were dead."
With a squeeze, he choked Aran unconscious and dragged her along like a dead dog.
That was what they had agreed on: Aran would leave with them pretending she knew nothing and had been forced to go, giving them a fallback in case anything unexpected happened later.
Yu Xing looked entirely like a "fox immortal" now. Black mist swirled around him, and just as he had that morning, he covered his face with a "fox mask" made of mist. The vapor behind him vaguely formed the shape of a tail, lending him an eerie, vicious