Wutan City, Farewell!

"What does that matter? That guy's bones have probably already been chewed to pieces by magic beasts. There's no evidence left, so it's too late to talk about this."

An Yi smiled and comforted her. "Luckily, that naïve Nalan Yanran is quite protective of me. And this morning, I deliberately had your auction house spread the news that there was treasure at the waterfall outside the city. Now the entire Wutan City has gone crazy over it. This whole affair is a complete mess—no one can uncover the real truth."

"You're being too naïve!"

Ya Fei interrupted him furiously, her ample chest heaving violently. "Little An, remember this! In the face of such a colossal force, they don't need conclusive evidence at all!"

"As long as the Cloud Mist Sect harbors even the slightest suspicion toward you, they have countless ways to make you disappear without a sound! The one who died wasn't merely a Five-Star Dou Practitioner, but the Cloud Mist Sect's pride!"

"Do you think the Cloud Mist Sect will grit their teeth and admit that one of their inner disciples went treasure-hunting in the wilderness out of greed, only to die miserably in a magic beast's jaws? Impossible! They'll definitely insist that he was murdered!"

"As for investigating the mercenary party? That's just the Xiao Household fooling themselves. They won't find anything. In the end, as long as even one ten-thousandth of suspicion remains on you, the people behind that Cloud Mist Sect disciple will never let you go! In their eyes, they would rather kill a thousand by mistake than let a single suspect escape!"

Seeing Ya Fei's eyes redden with anxiety, An Yi felt a faint warmth in his heart.

He sighed softly. "I know. That's why I'm getting ready to run. I climbed over the wall in the middle of the night specifically to say goodbye to you."

Hearing the words "run away," Ya Fei took a deep breath and said no more.

She abruptly turned around and hurried into the inner room.

After a burst of rummaging through boxes and cabinets, she came out holding several crystal cards glowing with an unusual sheen and forcefully stuffed them into An Yi's hand.

"This is the savings I've built up over the years. Altogether, it's nearly a hundred thousand gold coins!"

Ya Fei shed her usual lazy charm, her tone hurried and resolute. "Take this money and leave tonight! Get out of the Gama Empire immediately!"

Without waiting for An Yi to refuse, Ya Fei even planned his escape route for him.

"With your talent, the best choice is to head north to Jia Nan Academy! As long as you successfully enroll in Jia Nan Academy, even if the Cloud Mist Sect's leader personally comes after you, there'll be nothing they can do to you! I asked around—the Jia Nan Academy recruitment team happens to be active in the Mulan Empire this year. Head north now and find them in the Mulan Empire!"

Looking at the weighty hundred thousand gold coins in his hand, An Yi found it both amusing and touching. "Sis, why are you in such a rush? It's not like I'm heading to the execution grounds..."

"How can I not be in a rush?!"

Ya Fei glared fiercely at him, her eyes turning red. "Do you even know what you've done? That's the Cloud Mist Sect! In the Gama Empire, even the imperial family is unwilling to provoke them lightly! You directly killed one of their inner disciples—do you think the Cloud Mist Sect will just let you off?!"

"If I dared to act, then I naturally thought through the consequences and my escape route. Don't be nervous. It'll be fine."

An Yi smiled helplessly, took Ya Fei's hand, and forcibly shoved the crystal cards back into her palm.

"As for this money, I still have some savings on me—enough for me to squander. Stop trying to give it to me."

An Yi spoke with perfect confidence. "You worked hard to save up a little private stash in this godforsaken Wutan City. If I ran off with it, how would you maintain your connections in the future? How would you buy pretty clothes and makeup? Don't worry. My life's tough—I'll be fine."

Ya Fei tightly gripped the crystal cards in her hand, looking at the white-haired youth before her with an incomparably complicated expression.

"I only realized today... I really had you all wrong before."

Before this, although Ya Fei had always felt that An Yi was hiding his strength and had an air of mystery around him, in her fixed impression, he had always just been that handsome little brother with a pitiful background, living under someone else's roof, needing to hide his inner fragility behind acting cute and shamelessness.

But now, this guy had personally killed a Five-Star Dou Practitioner from the Cloud Mist Sect. Even on the eve of fleeing from overwhelming pursuit, he could still joke with her so calmly and explain the whole affair so casually.

How could such cold decisiveness and composure in the face of catastrophe belong to a fifteen-year-old boy?

An Yi understood what she meant and scratched his head helplessly. "You didn't get me wrong. I really am exactly as you usually see me. Ignorant, unambitious, idle, greedy for pleasure... all of that is true. This is the most genuine side of me."

"As for being decisive and driven, desperately striving forward... that's all forced out of me by this damned world. If I had the choice, my greatest dream in this life would still be to find a beautiful, wealthy older woman like you to support me, so I could lie around comfortably for the rest of my life."

An Yi sighed and looked up at the stars at a forty-five-degree angle. "Unfortunately, heaven refuses to grant my wish. This world is too damn competitive, forcing me to don my armor and head into battle once more."

"Alright, enough nonsense."

An Yi withdrew his gaze. "Anyway, I definitely can't take your money. You've already taken great care of me these past years. You let me freeload food, drinks, and even a bed often enough. If I ran away and cruelly emptied your little treasury too, I'd be a real piece of trash."

A glimmer of moisture flashed in Ya Fei's eyes as she asked with a complicated expression, "Then where exactly are you planning to go next?"

An Yi thought for a moment before answering honestly. "I plan to hide deep in the Magic Beast Mountain Range, live like a wild man in there for a few years, and hone my actual combat abilities while I'm at it. Once this matter has completely blown over, I'll return to Wutan City to see you."

Ya Fei was speechless for a moment, then suddenly understood.

"No wonder! No wonder you kept pestering me some time ago, asking me to prepare so many wilderness survival supplies and high-grade healing medicines for you! So you heartless little bastard had been planning to pat your ass and leave all along, hadn't you?!"

"Uh... more or less." An Yi coughed twice, looking somewhat guilty. "But this was also an unexpected accident. At least it saved me from racking my brains to find an excuse to leave the Xiao Household."

The night breeze was slightly cool, and the melancholy of parting gradually filled the small courtyard.

An Yi openly spread his arms and gave Ya Fei a bright, clean smile. "Alright, I really have to go now. One last hug, okay?"

Ya Fei rolled her eyes at him, but without the slightest hesitation, she stepped forward, wrapped her arms around the youth who was always making people worry yet shone so brilliantly, and held him tightly.

She gently rested her chin on An Yi's shoulder, her voice trembling slightly.

"In the mountains, you must be careful in everything... Take care of yourself."

Feeling her soft warmth in his arms, An Yi hugged her tightly in return. Breathing in the faint fragrance of her hair, he replied softly.

"You too. Take care of yourself."

After the embrace, An Yi gently released Ya Fei.

He took a step back, seeming to recall something as his expression suddenly turned somewhat mysterious.

"Oh, right. Before I leave, let me give you some information. In a couple of days, a mysterious alchemist in a black robe should come to your auction house. That person is actually Xiao Yan in disguise."

An Yi blinked, his tone serious. "You need to seize that opportunity. As long as you cling tightly to him, your future performance in Wutan City will be absolutely guaranteed. You might even be promoted directly back to the Mittel Clan headquarters in the Holy City of Jia Ma based on that achievement."

Ya Fei froze, her beautiful eyes filled with shock. "Xiao Yan?! He... he's an alchemist?! What is going on?"

That useless trash with Third Stage Qi Disciple who had been mocked by the entire city for three years was actually a revered alchemist?!

"I'm just giving you a heads-up so you can be mentally prepared."

An Yi raised a finger to his lips. "Don't ask any unnecessary questions. When the time comes, just pretend you don't know his true identity and cooperate with him as you should."

Though Ya Fei was filled with doubts, she saw the unquestionable look in An Yi's eyes and solemnly nodded. "I understand. I'll listen to you, little brother."

"Good girl. I'm off. Goodbye!"

Before his words had even faded, An Yi's figure flashed like a light falling leaf. In an instant, he vaulted over the high courtyard wall and vanished into the dense night.

He did not look back again.

Running into the night wind, he completely left behind the Wutan City where he had lived for more than a decade. Like a hidden dragon plunging into the sea, he dove headlong into the Magic Beast Mountain Range, a place filled with endless danger and opportunity!