Time slipped quietly by.
The latter half of the night.
At another slanted angle, deep within the forests of Departure Peak—a blind spot beyond Manager Hou's view from the courtyard, already somewhat far from the Sunward Dao Academy complex.
Liu Dongqing was slowly treading over the dry fallen leaves carpeting the ground, blending his footsteps into the night wind as he silently approached from afar.
Not far ahead of him.
Jiang Xiuyong stood beneath the shadow of an ancient tree.
At this moment, Jiang Xiuyong stared at Liu Dongqing with eyes as cold and sinister as a serpent's.
Then he gave a cold laugh.
"I heard Senior Brother Liu has been doing one great thing after another lately. Just when you're riding high and full of spirit, why did you think of meeting an old fellow sufferer like me tonight?"
At that.
Liu Dongqing merely smiled without speaking, as though the one cultivating the path of Seven Emotions Enter the Flame was not himself, but Jiang Xiuyong.
He simply studied the changes in Jiang Xiuyong with calm eyes.
Only after a long while did Liu Dongqing slowly speak.
"Riding high and full of spirit? Others may not know the tricks behind this contest for an inner sect position, but Junior Brother Jiang, you should. After all, even this 'fellow sufferer' of mine was himself a victim of that contest.
These so-called great things, this so-called high spirit, are nothing more than oil poured onto raging flames.
Beneath all that clamor lies a boiling cauldron of oil that can reduce a man to pieces in an instant!
It was precisely because I saw the true crisis and killing trap brewing within that I took the risk of coming here, intending to save your life, Junior Brother Jiang!"
Jiang Xiuyong froze at