A Night Encounter

If it had been Xun'er, whose strength had been forcibly raised through a secret technique, Liu Xi might have been afraid. But Xiao Yan? No matter how he looked at it, Xiao Yan's strength was far below his own.

"Enough is enough! Who the hell dares bully me?"

Liu Xi was truly angered. He intended to knock Xiao Yan down first. Yet although he said that, he did not know that Chu Yang, who had been planning to bully him, was still hidden in the shadows.

When Xun'er had wanted to kill Liu Xi, Chu Yang had thought that since someone else was willing to do the work, he could save himself some effort.

Now that Xiao Yan wanted to kill Liu Xi, he likewise chose to stand aside and let him do it.

Over there, Liu Xi attacked without another word, taking the initiative.

But in the next instant, a cluster of eerie, bone-white flames rushed toward him.

"Heavenly Flame?"

Liu Xi staggered back two steps with a ghostly shriek.

"You really know your stuff!"

Xiao Yan did not sound as though he was praising him. Liu Xi was also an alchemist, and no alchemist was ignorant of a natural treasure like a Heavenly Flame. To alchemists, such things were treasures they dreamed of obtaining even in their sleep!

As for Liu Xi's reaction afterward, Chu Yang did not know whether it was fear or envy, jealousy, and hatred—Xiao Yan actually possessed a Heavenly Flame. Liu Xi truly had never imagined it, even in his dreams.

But he no longer had the chance to ponder why.

In the blink of an eye, Liu Xi was burned into nothingness by the Bone Spirit Cold Flame wielded through Old Yao, who was hidden within Xiao Yan.

The regret Xun'er had felt over failing to personally finish off Liu Xi was given a perfect ending by Old Yao, that sly old fox.

Although Liu Xi was already dead, after Xiao Yan borrowed Old Yao's power to kill him with the Bone Spirit Cold Flame, Chu Yang personally witnessed the strangeness and terror of a Heavenly Flame. He became even more cautious.

He remained still the entire time. Only after Xiao Yan later borrowed Old Yao's power to float out through the window did he emerge from his hidden corner of the room.

The moment Chu Yang appeared, he suddenly sensed that something was off again.

Somehow, he felt that this was the legendary sixth sense at work.

Why do I keep feeling as if some pair of eyes is hiding in the dark and watching everything?

Yes, watching the entire course of this whole affair.

It was as though no one had escaped the power of those eyes: Liu Xi, Xun'er, Xiao Yan, Old Yao behind Xiao Yan, and even himself, who had hidden from beginning to end without making a move!

Am I being paranoid?

In the end, Chu Yang shook his head.

He did not believe in such nonsense, but for some reason, he felt extremely uncomfortable remaining in this room.

Moreover, he suddenly had a powerful urge to leave this place.

Liu Xi had just died! Right in this room, he had been burned by Old Yao's Bone Spirit Cold Flame until not even ashes remained!

Before long, Chu Yang used the Azure Cloud Wings to fly out through the window.

Following the rooftops, Chu Yang spread his wings in the direction of the Xiao family residence.

But at a certain moment, he stopped atop a roof and retracted his wings.

In the night, Chu Yang crouched by a corner of the roof and watched the area ahead—

At that moment, two people were standing there talking.

They were none other than Xiao Yan and Xun'er, both of whom had gone to Liu Xi's room that night.

At that moment, Xiao Yan had concealed his appearance and was speaking to Xun'er in Old Yao's aged voice.

Xun'er seemed to have realized that the mysterious man in black knew that she had killed Liu Xi. Yet she also seemed to have guessed that this mysterious black-robed man was the old gentleman secretly helping Xiao Yan.

The two were having some sort of meaningful conversation.

In truth, it looked more like an unconventional round of flirting between Xiao Yan and Xun'er.

Chu Yang did not know what was wrong with him, but he simply could not bear to keep watching.

Although he did not seem to have developed any genuine feelings for Xun'er yet, somewhere deep within him, in his subconscious, there seemed to be some transmigrator's instinct—like some ultimate mission the system had yet to assign him: win Xun'er over; and even if he could not take Xiao Yan in as his underling, he still had to torment him!

Then, just as Chu Yang's emotions seemed to fluctuate slightly, Xiao Yan abruptly spun around and shouted in his direction, "Who's hiding there? Sneaking around like a ghost, come out—"

The moment Xiao Yan shouted, Xun'er also became alert.

Chu Yang guessed that Xiao Yan did not have the ability to sense him. Old Yao, that old fellow, must have discovered him!

Under Old Yao's perception, Chu Yang understood that there was no point hiding any longer.

But just before revealing himself, he suddenly did not want Xiao Yan and Xun'er to see that he was the distinguished alchemist invited by the Xiao family!

A distinguished alchemist sneaking around in the middle of the night like a thief—Chu Yang felt that it was truly damaging to his reputation as an alchemist. In the Xiao family, Xiao Zhan, the family head, and the Great Elder and the others had all treated him with great respect. What face would he have if the younger generation of the Xiao family saw him in such a disgraceful state?

Fortunately, Chu Yang had made some preparations before coming to deal with Liu Xi—he immediately covered his face with a mask he had prepared beforehand.

He had originally intended to alter his voice and say a few words to Xiao Yan and the others. But at a certain moment, he keenly sensed that one of Xiao Yan's hands seemed about to rise, while a faint, eerie bone-white flame was ready to emerge.

Damn it! Is he about to...

That was right! Old Yao had always been ruthless, and Xiao Yan, who followed him, would later become a hard character as well. Old Yao had probably already smelled his presence from earlier. Once he thought it over, he could determine that Chu Yang might have been at Liu Xi's place and witnessed them killing someone!

He might want to silence him. Even if Chu Yang revealed himself as the Xiao family's alchemist, it might not help. Old Yao was also an alchemist, and he would turn Xiao Yan into a formidable alchemist in the future. Even if killing Chu Yang meant the Xiao family temporarily lost an alchemist, Old Yao and Xiao Yan would have more to gain than to lose.

Suddenly, the bone-white Heavenly Flame, the Bone Spirit Cold Flame, ignited in Xiao Yan's hand!

Chu Yang cried out inwardly. Without further hesitation, he spread the Azure Cloud Wings on his back while taking out a bone flute and raising it to his lips.

He completed both actions in one fluid motion, causing Old Yao, who was about to unleash the Heavenly Flame, and Xun'er, who had already begun circling around to flank him, to freeze for a moment!

Naturally, they did not immediately recognize Chu Yang's Azure Cloud Wings as a flying combat technique. For that instant, they thought they were wings formed from Dou Qi, something only a Dou Wang or stronger could possess.

This sneaky person hiding in the shadows was actually a Dou Wang or above? For a moment, not only Xiao Yan and Xun'er, but even Old Yao in his soul state found it unbelievable.

What confused them even more was the strange sound of Chu Yang's bone flute. From that sound alone, even the well-traveled Old Yao and Xun'er felt that something was amiss.

The moment Chu Yang's Azure Cloud Wings spread, Xun'er, who had been trying to flank him from the other side, was left with no chance to show her skills.

After all, even if Xun'er relied on a secret technique, she could not fly faster than Chu Yang's Azure Cloud Wings.

And Old Yao's soul form, capable of flight, was suddenly blocked by a burly man who flew over out of nowhere.

He was the Purple Crystal Lion Wing King, who had arrived the instant he heard the bone flute! He had originally been inside Wutan City.