A Moonless, Windy Night for Kidnapping

In the pitch-black night sky, the silver moon hung high. Pale moonlight draped the earth in a layer of silver gauze, making it seem especially mysterious.

Only, unlike the bustle of earlier in the day, Wutan City at night had a different sort of liveliness, especially along the streets near the Xiao Family.

Grilled skewers, strong liquor, chatting and laughter—this was the night that belonged to burly mercenaries.

Within a room in one of the Xiao Family's courtyards, the youth was lying on his back on the bed. His pitch-black eyes, the same color as the night sky, now held a glint of cold light.

The youth got up and walked to the window, glancing at the sky. The bright moon hung overhead, and a faint cool breeze stirred the strands of hair before his forehead.

"This moon, this sky... perfect for doing something big!"

Lin Qingyun murmured to himself. After standing by the window for another half an hour, he finally took out a pitch-black cloak he had prepared long ago from his Storage Ring and slipped it on with practiced ease. In an instant, the slender youth transformed into a bloated, mysterious Black-robed person.

He leapt lightly and landed on the roof in an instant. Looking toward the brightly lit distance, he tapped his foot gently against the rooftop, and Dou Qi surged madly from within his body. His pitch-black figure, like a hawk-vulture hidden in the darkness, silently swept out of the Xiao Family, finally vanishing at the end of the dark.

Yet he did not know that not long after Lin Qingyun disappeared, another shadow likewise flashed past above the Xiao Family.

The Jia Lie Family

"Mr. Liu Xi, you truly can refine other medicinal pills?" In the brightly lit hall, Jia Lie Bi, whose mood had originally been extremely furious and gloomy, first froze when he heard Liu Xi's pleased voice before him, then asked in great joy.

Extremely satisfied with Jia Lie Bi's pleasantly surprised appearance, Liu Xi picked up the teacup beside him and took a sip, his expression quite arrogant. "Aside from Rejuvenation Powder, I can also refine a type of medicinal pill extremely suited to mercenaries' needs. This pill is called the Great Vajra Pill. It can increase the user's strength by about ten percent for a short period of time."

Hearing this, the joy on Jia Lie Bi's face grew even stronger. If they really could refine a pill with such a special effect, then the Jia Lie Family could use this to make a GG, then pull back a good deal of popularity. In the end, perhaps they could even suppress the Xiao Family again and seize back everything that should have belonged to him.

"However, this Great Vajra Pill cannot be refined on a large scale like healing medicine. With my strength, I'm afraid I can refine twenty pills or so at most in a day," Liu Xi said with some regret.

"Heh, twenty pills it is, then. We can set up something similar to an auction. Highest bidder gets it. In any case, healing medicine is the main path. We'll simply rely on this thing to draw back popularity." Jia Lie Bi waved his hand and laughed without the slightest concern.

"Heh heh, Clan Leader Jia Lie, I can indeed refine this Great Vajra Pill. However, according to our agreement, I seem to only be responsible for refining Rejuvenation Powder, no?" Seeing that the Great Vajra Pill had hooked Jia Lie Bi's interest, Liu Xi's eyes rolled, and he suddenly laughed.

His expression changed slightly. How could the sly old Jia Lie Bi not know what this fellow was plotting? But at this point, he could only force a dry laugh and ask, "Then what does Mr. Liu Xi mean?"

"Heh, rest assured. I'm also clear about the Jia Lie Family's current difficulties, so I won't make an outrageous demand." Looking at Jia Lie Bi, who had let out a breath of relief, a trace of silver flashed through Liu Xi's eyes. "What I seek is not much. I only wish to ask Clan Leader Jia Lie to help bring me that girl called Xiao Xun'er. Of course, if Miss Ya Fei from the Miter Auction House could also be brought over, that would be even better."

Before the smile on his face could appear, it abruptly stiffened. The corners of Jia Lie Bi's eyes twitched. He had not expected this lust-crazed fellow to actually set his sights directly on the Xiao Family, and even the Miter Auction House.

Xiao Xun'er? She was the Xiao Family's genius young girl, treasured beyond measure. Was she someone they could so easily bring over? Even if they really did bring her over, would the Xiao Family not fight them to the death? With the Jia Lie Family's current condition, they were completely unable to beat the Xiao Family.

As for the Miter Auction House, although he also hated it quite a bit, he could not stir up even the slightest thought of revenge. To make an enemy of the Miter Auction House would truly be courting death.

Taking a deep breath, Jia Lie Bi did his best to make his expression look pleasant and said amicably, "Mr. Liu Xi, if we truly touch someone from the Xiao Family or Miss Ya Fei from the Miter Auction House, then our Jia Lie Family will truly be finished."

The final sentence was practically spoken through gritted teeth. Jia Lie Bi felt that the limit of his patience had suddenly risen a great deal again.

His fingers tapped against the tabletop as Liu Xi smiled faintly and said, "Those are not issues for me to consider. Whether Clan Leader Jia Lie intends to snatch them by force or drug them, I only want the result. As long as the clan leader can bring any one of them over, I can begin refining the Great Vajra Pill at any time."

The corners of his eyes twitched rapidly again, rage surging in his heart, but Jia Lie Bi could only force a smile and say, "This matter must be considered at length!"

"Heh heh, fine. Then the clan leader can think it over. Before I leave, I'll say one extra thing. In truth, the current Jia Lie Family and the Xiao Family are already like fire and water. Why be afraid of adding one more grudge?" With a sinister laugh, Liu Jie stood up, patted his backside, and swaggered out of the hall, then hurried toward his own room in the rear courtyard.

Today, his lust had been stirred up by that young girl as refined and otherworldly as a green lotus, and even more so by that woman as enchanting as a dark lotus, whose every frown and smile seemed able to hook one's soul. The current Liu Xi only wanted to quickly find a young and beautiful maidservant to vent his fire.

Looking at Liu Xi as he disappeared around the corner, Jia Lie Bi's face darkened. Only after a long while did he let out a long breath and say grimly, "That pig whose head is stuffed full of women will die on a woman sooner or later!"

In a room in the rear courtyard, Lin Qingyun looked somewhat helplessly at the pretty woman who had been knocked unconscious on the bed. The woman wore only a thin bath veil, revealing large swaths of alluring, snow-white spring scenery.

After clicking his tongue a few times, Lin Qingyun seemed to hear footsteps. He quickly cleaned up the traces he had left behind, swiftly shrank into the wardrobe at the side, and closed the wardrobe door. Through a tiny crack, his eyes took in everything in the room.

"Creak..." The wooden door was slowly pushed open, and Liu Xi's obscene laughter instantly rang through the room. "Haha, baby, I'm back. Prepare to be ravaged tonight."

"What an idiot with his brain stuffed full of lust." Lin Qingyun shook his head with a cold laugh, but he did not rush to make the first move.

Only, Lin Qingyun had not acted when the window opposite him suddenly opened. A black shadow flashed past and landed steadily inside the room.

It was a Black-robed person. His appearance looked somewhat bloated, but to Lin Qingyun, there was something a little strange about him.

No need to mention his—he was just familiar.

"Damn, why has Xiao Yanzi also come to steal my scene?" Lin Qingyun's expression turned odd.

"I'll wait for now! But this tool of a man, Liu Xi, can't die! It'd be too much of a pity if he died." Lin Qingyun shrank his body inside the wardrobe. He did not plan to make the first move. In any case, with Xiao... no, with Medicine Elder making a move, that would be enough. He only needed to wait until Liu Xi had been tormented half to death, then come out and show his face.

The instant the Black-robed person appeared, Liu Xi immediately reacted. A Black-robed person suddenly appearing in the middle of the night—if he was not here to kill you, what else could he be here to do? Flirt?

A chilly sensation of approaching death extinguished the lust inside his body in an instant.

Although the room was spacious, with Liu Xi's strength, going from the bed to the doorway only took the short span of a single breath. In an instant, he arrived before the door. A trace of joy flashed through Liu Xi's eyes. As long as he got out of this room, he could shout loudly. When the time came, Jia Lie Bi, hearing the cry for help, would immediately be able to rush over and rescue him.

However, the moment his hands had just touched the door handle, his expression froze. No matter how hard he tried, the door simply could not be opened.

A trace of terror flashed through Liu Xi's eyes, and he immediately opened his mouth and shouted desperately in a hoarse voice.

"Someone come! Someone is trying to assassinate me!"

"No need to shout. The room is wrapped in my aura. No one can hear you." The Black-robed person slowly walked over. His weathered, hoarse voice was like the voice of the god of death drifting over from the underworld.

Liu Xi pressed his entire body against the door plank, looking in terror at the Black-robed person walking over step by step.

Liu Xi forced himself to remain calm, but there was a slight tremor in his voice as he said, "Just who are you? When did I offend you? If I have offended you, I'm willing to compensate you! No matter how many gold coins you want, it's fine!"

"Also, my master is Ma Baoguo, a third-tier Alchemist Master. You must have heard of him. I can have my master refine any pill you want for you."

However, the Black-robed person acted as though he had heard nothing, pressing closer step by step.

When he was only one foot away from Liu Xi, the Black-robed person suddenly stopped, lifted his hood, and revealed a brilliant smiling face.

"It's you!"

Liu Xi froze. He recognized that the youth before him was the person who had been standing beside Xiao Xun'er. At the time, he had even felt jealous.

But now...

"Big brother, spare my life! I won't dare do it again next time."

With a thud, Liu Xi directly knelt on the ground.

Although the one before him was only a youth, the aura spreading from his body made Liu Xi feel extremely afraid.

It was as if there were a hand of death beckoning to him.

Liu Xi had no time to think further. Right now, all he could think about was what he could do to survive from the hands of the youth before him.

The youth in front of him lowered his head slightly, and a kindly smile appeared on his somewhat immature and youthful face.

That smile in that instant made Liu Xi's heart jerk violently.

"Why do I remember you saying you wanted to capture a certain girl? Hiss, which girl was it? Let me think..." Xiao Yan slowly crouched down. His slightly amused voice contained a faint, chilling coldness.

Liu Xi swallowed a mouthful of saliva. The cold sweat on his face had nearly soaked his entire face because of fear. His pupils shrank slightly; he was beginning to panic.

"I actually really hate killing people with my own hands..." Looking at Liu Xi's face full of fear, Xiao Yan suddenly sighed softly.

Only, before Liu Xi could even feel excited, that expression that abruptly turned icy cold knocked him into an abyss of despair.

"There are many, many pieces of trash like you in this world. I've never cared. But why did you have to say such words? Heh, right. Trash like you had your brain clouded by lust long ago, didn't you? Since that's the case, there's no need for you to exist."

Xiao Yan slightly spread his hand, and on his palm, a cluster of eerie flame suddenly rose.

Liu Xi's eyes filled with terror. In that instant, through the flame, he saw a world of the dead.

That was the realm of the deceased.

"No... don't!"